U.S. Army PT: ZAP's Thoughts, Part I
5 OCT 03

I'lll begin this article with a description of what the U.S. Army Physical Training program entails, then move into what I think of it, then go into where it is going, and finally, my opinions on this change.

When I first got to Basic Training in March 2003, I was in good shape. I had prepared more than adequately and this was proven on the first physical test we had. I was in the top performers on each physical test I endured from morning PT to road marches. However, I didn't really know how to prepare to set myself to my own personal high limits in terms of training for muscular endurance. Even though I was outperforming others, I had more in me. The Army PT program showed me what that type of training did to my body. Here is what it entailed:

Each morning at Basic we got up at 0400, cleaned the entire barracks (sweep, mop, toilets, sinks, the whole thing) and then had a 0520 formation, then by 0530-0545 we were starting PT. The current PT program is very structured as you would imagine. It's the Army, right? Warm-up begins the same way. You start with a 1 to 2-minute jog in place. Then you do joint rotations such as the neck rotation. You rotate your neck in a circle, 3 times clockwise, 3 time counterclockwise. Then you do your shoulders, then hips, then knees. You then move into static stretches held for 10-15 seconds each. Each stretch is generally done one time, occasionally I have seen the hamstring stretch standing done twice for some reason. Basically, the idea is to warm-up with the jog and the rotations before you stretch a muscle. After stretching, you may move into calisthenics such as jumping jacks (called the "side straddle hop"), push-ups, or sit-ups. At this point the warm-up is concluded and you go into the meat of your program.

This the warm-up we did at Basic as well as the one used in the regular Army day-to-day. However, at Officer Candidate School, we used a new, experimental warm-up and cool-down plan that differed greatly. I'll discuss it later in this article. My thoughts on our warm-up is that we do not do enough of it. We should jog in place for 5 minutes instead of 1 or 2. We should rotate 15-20 times around each joint instead of 3. We shouldn't do ANY stretching at all. Zero. None until AFTER training. Finally, we should do many more callisthenic exercises done at a moderate intensity and pace to fully warm the muscles through various ranges of motion. I think that time is a major consideration in all of this.  Even doing what we normally do just doing more of it would be better. I have almost never felt truly warm before a PT session especially on cold days.  I witnessed a pulled muscle every few days at Basic (no joking). I pulled a quad and hammy myself bad enough that I was genuinely worried I wouldn't be able to recover.  That's a whole problem at Basic, let me tell you. I didn't recover from a quad injury fully until I left Basic and the weather warmed up and we began a new warm-up procedure at OCS, one that was much more effective.  Let's move on to the bulk of the program, the training regimen itself.

Generally, PT alternates between running and MSE (muscular strength and endurance). Running is very dependent on who is in the PT session and who is running the PT session. For example, at Basic Training, we trained fairly hard. However, the Army separates Infantry Basic from non-Infantry Basic. I went to Basic at Fort Benning, Georgia. Basic is separated into 2 programs there: Infantry and everyone else. So the guys with me were doing many different jobs (cooks, parachute riggers, communications, officer candidates) when they got out into the Army whereas the Infantry guys all go to Basic together. Since Infantry is generally considered the most physically demanding job in the Army, their Basic is harder generally than others. Also, drill sergeants are not all created equal. I had a drill who was probably one of the physically skilled soldiers in the Army. He could max a PT test without breaking a sweat and do push-ups, sit-ups, and run all day long. Other drills weren't close to him, so naturally, they aren't going to push their trainees as hard. OK, so you get the idea. The program is generally the same, but the execution and intensity isn't equal across the Army.

So if we ran, we would do 1 of 3 things generally. First, we'd run all together as a platoon (50 soldiers) for 2-3 miles around a track or on a road in a formation with drill calling cadence. This is generally a moderate pace for those in good shape since you are running at the generally-accepted pace of the entire group made of people with different abilities. Second, we'd do interval training as a platoon running or walking slowly then sprinting a certain distance. You can't stay in formation during the sprints, but you generally form up into a loose formation before sprinting again to keep everyone close and organized. Third, we'd do ability group runs, which is a 3-5-mile run in a group of other soldiers who are of similar ability as you, No cadence is called. It's just long distance as fast as you can do it. Ability groups are determined by PT score, i.e. everyone with a sub-13-min. 2-mile in group A, 13 to 14:30 in group B, etc. We had 4 groups. Additionally, you can do release runs which is just a fixed distance and you are to cover it at any pace you can. Everyone starts together and then is released to run 3-5 miles in as fast as they can. This type of running program is generally what I experienced at Basic Training, Officer Candidate School, and now at Officer Basic School. The non-running is where the program starts to differ. You'll see what I mean in a minute.

This running program is excellent in my opinion. If done with the proper intensity, this is a very effective method at variation and improvement of all types of running from sprinting to long distances. There is a good group dynamic and morale that is formed when a platoon or company or battalion even run together calling cadence. While some people are physically challenged, generally half are not although it isn't a pure waste of time. It just isn't enough intensity to maintain every time. Occasionally, this is fine and beneficial. But when you can do events that allow individuals to perform at their own levels, i.e. during interval sprints or ability group runs or release runs, you can still do PT together yet allow everyone to perform on a level equal to their ability. Without a challenge to the body, no improvement will be made. The Army's running doctrine is solid.

Now for MSE (muscular strength and endurance), the Army isn't as far along as I'd like. This occurred due to the PT test. Let me explain. When PT tests (if you don't know, it's as many push-ups you can do in 2 minutes, as many sit-ups as you can do in 2-minutes, and how fast you can run 2 miles.) were contrived, the Army was trying to find a way to assess the physical shape of their soldiers with a convenient and simple method of doing so. Push-ups, sit-ups, and running seemed to accomplish all of these ideals. Now, the PT test wasn't devised to test how good soldiers are at those 3 activities because they are important to soldiering. Rarely on a battlefield will you see soldiers doing push-up or sit-up type movements, but since those 2 exercises generally major muscle groups, those exercises were chosen to test physical skill. So, ideally, when you are doing PT, you aren't supposed to be trying to train to score high on the PT test. You are training to DO YOUR JOB, which never involves those exercises really. Think about it. On a battlefield, you need to be able to carry a heavy rucksack long distances over rough terrain, crawl on your stomach for long distances, pick-up other injured soldiers and carry them to safety, things of this nature. Also, PT should be aimed at injury prevention over all parts of the body. So your PT should reflect and emulate those skills and goals. Being able to do lots of push-ups, sit-ups, and run 2 miles very fast are helpful of course but not the best way to accomplish this. But since PT tests are so important to your career and how other soldiers perceive you, PT has turned into a training program for the PT test NOT for being a physically well-rounded soldier.

It basically consists of a ton of push-ups, sit-ups, and then variations on push-ups like close-hand, wide-arm, elevated and variations of different abdominal/hip flexor exercises. Other exercises make their way in occasionally, but they aren't done with the requisite intensity like the push-ups and sit-ups are. Further, even if a PT program were contrived that were balanced, many soldiers would be bothered by it because they want a good PT score more than being physically well-rounded, mostly because they don't know there is a difference. I have yet to hear anyone complain we don't do enough upper back, lower back, or biceps work. Most think running is a leg day.

The most glaring thing about these problems I have pointed out is that the manual which discusses physical fitness training is actually quite good. In it, you can find a ton of great resources on how to conduct PT. I enjoyed the manual extensively. It's the execution by the soldiers who take what they want from the FM (field manual) and use it as they desire that creates the problem. You can view the FM for yourself (it's unclassified) here.

The FM has many great ideas that would make anyone a well-rounded physical soldier. It is far from overemphasizing push-ups and sit-ups. It has drills showing various ways to carry a partner, which would be useful in carrying a partner off a battlefield. They've done an analysis and found methods to aid in battlefield movement and performance. They have advanced stretching techniques (PNF for those of you with some background knowledge), which I have never seen utilized even once. They have exercises using a partner to apply resistance allowing a resistance training workout to be done without having to actually use weights and/or machines.  It's easy to learn, easy to teach, effective, and efficient.  Perfect. Does anyone ever use it? Not that I've seen.  They have other ideas such as different sports you can play and those are done to some degree, which is about right in my opinion. But the glaring thing you'll notice about Army PT is the overemphasis on improving push-ups and sit-ups. It's like somehow if you look around, everyone in a gym is on chest or biceps day no matter when you see them.  It's weird.  If a soldier does not leave a PT session without having done push-ups or sit-ups, in his mind, that session was a waste of time.  It'd be like, for most people, having them do a weight training routine and NOT having them do flat bench barbell bench presses. For most people, if they didn't "bench" it was just not a workout. This method of thinking has to change to achieve true physical success on and off the battlefield.  Soldiers being injury-free and being able to perform a variety of tasks is far superior to being a PT stud.  Again, this entire method of thinking is solely due to the PT test being structured how it is.  So what's the solution?  Change the PT test you say?  Hmmmm.  Nice transition to a follow-up article that may get written eventually when something new happens in the Army.