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Gibson: ACFT Events Interview by Evan Pickett.

I’m here with Rob Gibson from NewPTtestArmy.com how you doing Rob?

Living the dream baby.

let’s talk about the ACFT for a little bit.  How do you feel about the new PT test?

Well, let’s get real! I think it’s time for a change. Yeah, you see people (in-shape people) in the gym working out. Running two miles and doing sit-ups and push-ups doesn’t tell you if you’re physically fit or not. It just doesn’t.

I would agree!  

Thoughts on the Three Repetition Maximum Dead Lift

 

Let’s talk about the ACFT events. The first ACFT event – the Three Rep Max Deadlift

The Three Rep Max Deadlift…  I think that is an amazing event! For many reasons.  It’s not only a great indicator of showing how strong your Legs are but, your grip strength,  it’s also showing how strong your Low Back is, and your Front Core is. The deadlift… the only exercise I think that could beat out the deadlift would be the squat but, I think that’d be too hard to administer during the ACFT. The Deadlift is an excellent, excellent exercise for showing overall strength and especially in the Army. Where we are doing a lot of things where you need to be able to pick things up and put them down. It really is a great indicator to see how strong you are and I also like the fact that they’re making us to do more than one repetition.

Bad Form!

Because anyone can just terribly lift up a bar off the ground with horrible form and then put it back down but; You know, hopefully these soldiers grading the tests will make sure that the form is good and they have a straight back and not only that but it’s clear that they can do three quality reps on this ACFT event. This event is a great indicator of showing how strong you are in your lower body and like I said your core, low back and grip strength. 

What a way to start the new PT test!

Gibson’s Opinion on the Standing Power Throw

       

The next ACFT Event – the Standing Power Throw. 

The Standing Power Throw… There  are a lot of people underestimating this ACFT event. It is a very quick event. It’s not gonna wear you out but, it is one

sixth of your test. So it’s a hundred points out of six hundred. So you gotta take it serious! I think it’s a good event for the fact that it’s athletic. You have to explode and you have to throw the medicine ball behind you.  The Army says that they’re using the Standing Power Throw ACFT Event as an indicator to show how you can pick somebody up over a wall or you know throat supplies over a wall or something like that. Sure, but at the end of the day.

Explosive!

This ACFT event is really testing how fast you can explode out of a deadlift position, athletically. So I’m seeing a lot in the new PT test where the Army is really testing muscles that they weren’t being tested before. Especially the rear muscles like your hamstrings and your rear deltoids for throwing the medicine ball behind you. This ACFT Event is a great test to see if you are an overall well-rounded athlete… an athletic soldier. So yeah, it’s a good event. 

Feelings on Hand Release Push Up Event

      

The third ACFT Event –  The Hand Release Push Up.

The Hand Release Push Up! Might be the best ACFT event because, I don’t know about everybody else but everywhere I go and I see a PT test getting administered. You know, whether it’s an officer in your unit and the sergeant is scared or whatever.  Maybe it is his buddy.

I’m so sick of seeing half push ups being counted as a full push up. I think it’s great, I think it’s very good. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like doing hand release push ups because it is a pain in the butt but it’s the only true way that we can see if someone is going all the way down and coming all the way up.  So, I give it a thumbs up. I like it. Like I said I I’m never really gonna incorporate them into my workout unless I’m practicing for the ACFT but I do think it’s the only way we can test the push-up. Say hey! That’s one hundred percent a push-up.  To count it or not. So, yeah it’s good.  

Why 3rd?

Why do you think they put the hand release pushup as the third ACFT event as the third event? 

Well, right now I think the Hand Release Push Up comes at a good time on the ACFT. The first two ACFT events really challenge other muscles first. The Deadlift Event and the Standing Power Throw Event really test out totally different muscles. We are gripping that bar (forearms) and you’re working a lot of your leg muscles at first. 

Grip Strength

You’re doing the three rep max dead ACFT event, so you’re doing a lot of grip and a lot of picking up with your legs and an explosion with your low back. The same thing with the medicine ball in the Standing Power Throw ACFT Event. It’s the same muscles being used, a lot of lower body explosion. So the Army is now going to the upper body. So, I think the Hand Release Push Up Event has a good spot in the ACFT. The Army put it right in the middle (that the third spot) 

Discussion on Sprint Drag Carry with Rob

     

The fourth ACFT Event – the Sprint Drag Carry Event

The Sprint Drag Carry Event. YES! Very, very necessary. It’s a perfect, perfect, perfect anaerobic endurance ACFT event.  Let’s face it. The last PT test is all about getting your two-mile run. If you can run two miles faster than everyone else, you’re considered the best person in Army and most physically fit person in Army.  Which is not true at all! This ACFT Event right here it’s truly gonna test who’s gonna get gassed out and who’s not going to.

Firemen’s Test

The only test I can really think of that compares to this ACFT event is like the fireman’s test. I took the Atlantic City’s Firemen Test back home, They had you running up and down stairs with weights, you’re dragging a body (that’s a dummy obviously) but it’s the same type of test.  Where you are sprinting, you’re not going for a two-mile run. This is very anaerobic endurance testing event and it’s very high intensity. So, like I always said, I think this is a crossfitter’s dream. This this ACFT event. Not only that but, what this event will do is show who is really gonna show up on test day. Who’s gonna get gassed out. 

Rob Gibson and the #1 Failed Event the Leg Tuck

      

The next ACFT event the Leg Tuck Event… 

So Leg Tuck… the Leg Tuck Event is an excellent, excellent Event.  I don’t know why the Pull Up was never incorporated into the old PT Test, the APFT. Now the standard for the Leg Tuck Event,  you have to come up with your your arms and not only that but, bring your knees to your elbows. So one, we are working Back Strength, we’re working on Bicep strength, we’re working our our core strength. It’s a great exercise again like I said the Army is really trying to get a well-rounded athlete now. So, now you’re working on the rear muscles just as much as the front muscles. I think the Army did an excellent job with choosing the exercises. 

Two Mile Run and the ACFT

      

The last ACFT event. The one that we all dislike… The two-mile run! 

The two-mile run…. let’s face it, it sucks!  It absolutely, absolutely sucks but let’s get real in a quick, short period of time, how can you test someone’s aerobic ability. It’s the two-mile run. Nothing less, nothing more. Like I said,  it only takes a max 20 minutes to do it. Could go longer obviously if you’re not running too well, you know but, it’s the shortest, quickest way to see how good someone aerobic capacity is. Especially now, the ACFT test it’s going to be much harder now. Especially if there’s the Sprint Drag Carry Event. 

Be prepared!

A lot of people are gonna get more gassed out than you think. You know, the deadlift event and all that stuff, you’ll recover from that stuff quickly, but after doing that spring drag carry event. Then the Leg Tuck Event will tire out your biceps and your lats it’s gonna be rough. All these ACFT Events are going to be rough for anybody. So expect your scores to go down, just a little bit. But, obviously we’re all pretty resilient in the Army, we can we can figure it out. We can train according to that. So start training to do exercises first, then go for a two-mile run if you want to try and get better at this event on the ACFT. 

Rob I want to thank you for sitting down with us and talking about the new ACFT events on the new PT test everyone check out Rob on NewPTtestArmy.com. 

For the COMPLETE PDF on the Interview Page – ACFT Events – Click Below to download PDF now:

ACFT Events Army Combat Fitness Test Interview