Max the APFT in 30 days

In the most recent issue of The Guard Experience magazine there is an article by SGT Ken Weichert with a fitness plan to "max the APFT in 30 days." You can get a copy of the issue here (it is on pages 70-74). You can also get all past issues or subscribe here.

The article ends with a 30 day training calendar. I will begin this Monday. I will do a diagnostic APFT this Friday to compare to the APFT at the end of 30 days.

Of course, I will log my progress here to maintain accountablity. Lets see what can happen in 30 days.

20:53!

seriously? How do I run worse than before. That's just depressing.

Tonight my 2 mile run was 20 minutes and 53 seconds. I did the first mile in 9:15 but even lost speed after that.

Just gotta keep running.

evening run

I went for an evening run with a friend of mine who is shipping to basic next week.

We did two miles...in 19:38. So, thats about the same as my APFT about a week ago. I think I gotta go run again this evening. Maybe some intervals tonight.

about the name

I hate the APFT. I am the first in my family to join any form of the military. My family is not well known for our athleticism. I weighed 120 lbs when I graduated highschool.

Physical fitness and the APFT are not things for which I am naturally gifted. I have to work to do well at this thing.

But it is something you just gotta do. Like bills and taxes, you just have to do the APFT (well, if you're in the army that is).

So, I hate the APFT, but it is one of things you just have to do.

First Run

I ran for the first time since my failure. I live in the city and running isn't the easiest thing to do. There are stop lights and traffic, but that sorta helps interval training.

The first mile was a bit slow at 8:53. I pushed it a bit more, another quarter mile but then I decided to stop, collect my breath and finish the rest of the 2-mile with interval training. I sprinted between each stop light and then took about a 1 minute break inbetween. I stopped the timer on the rests.

With the interval training I did the 2-mile in 17:02. Not great, and I gotta do the whole thing without a break.

After the 2 mile I did one more half mile and then cooled down on the way home. Now I gotta work on those sit-ups tomorrow.

I failed

We had a diagnostic APFT at my unit this past weekend and I did not do so well. For my age group, the minimum requirements are 40 Push-ups; 50 Sit-ups; and a 2 mile run in 16:36

My scores were: 40 push-ups; 48 push-ups; and a 19:33 run time.

So, I just barely passed the push ups, missed my situps, and completely stunk at the run: I need to drop over 3 minutes! I failed.

This blog will serve as my APFT fitness journal. I will write about my exercise sessions, and hopefully my imporvements.

I invite you to send words of encouragment, guilt, and motivation.

run time

APFT april 19
19:33