What's in the new Army Fitness Test designed to improve strength, lethality?
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(NewsNation) — The U.S. Army is changing its physical fitness test, according to a news release from the military branch.

The test will be rebranded as the Army Fitness Test, replacing the Army Combat Fitness Test, the Army announced Monday, aiming to “enhance soldier fitness, improve warfighting readiness, and increase the lethality of the force.”

What will be new for soldiers?

The AFT will be made up of five physical challenges, including a three-repetition maximum deadlift, hand-release push-up army extension, sprint-drag carry, plank and a two-mile run.

The test will include gender-neutral scoring for soldiers in 21 combat-focused military roles. Those serving in combat specialties must achieve a minimum of 60 points per event and an overall minimum score of 350.

Notably absent from the new test of physical readiness is one notorious event, reports Military.com and The New York Times. The AFT will reportedly no longer include the standing power throw. The event requires soldiers to hurl a 10-pound medicine ball backward over their heads and is often referred to as the “yeet.”

The event was unpopular with service members, reported Military.com, writing that it was seen as an “outlier that emphasizes technique over strength or endurance.”

When will the changes take effect?

The AFT will be implemented in phases starting June 1. The new scoring standards for soldiers in 21 combat military occupational specialties will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026, and on June 1, 2026, for the Reserve and National Guard.

The Army said “implementation guidance and associated execution orders” will be released next month. 

The change reflects the Army’s continued focus on building a physically ready force capable of meeting operational demands in austere environments,” the Army said in a statement.

RAND Corporation analysis and Army data from nearly 1 million test records helped inform the new standard, according to the Army.

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