Comments on: 30 Days to a Better Man Day 26: Take the Marine Corps Fitness Test

By: Shane

Shane — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:19:58 +0000

@ Charlie

Full sit ups when done fast and improperly (as they are in a fitness test or when training for the test) are bad for the back. Crunches mainly test the hip flexors and not necessarily abdominal endurance. Different exercises for different zones.

By: Charlie

Charlie — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:34:54 +0000

I think the Army PT Test (APFT) is actually harder. We test on pushups and require full situps, not just crunches. Also, you could try the RPFT (Ranger PT Test), which includes pushup, pullup, situp, and a 5 mile run. HOOAH!

By: Justin Wright

Justin Wright — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:38:32 +0000

I’m hoping to take this test myself. I’ve been working out hard lately and hope to give this a shot.

By: Gunny B1963

Gunny B1963 — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:26:12 +0000

Just did the PFT a few months ago. Ran a 17:14 worst time ever. I guess age is catching up with me and not training as hard , 20 dead hang pull ups and knocked out 100 crunches. Easy day. Now I am getting ready for the CFT. If I am not mistaken the PFT measures muscular endurance (crunches) and muscular strength (pull ups) and cardio endurance (3mile run).

By: Chris Forkner

Chris Forkner — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:19:51 +0000

There’s a lot of confusion going on here. Being a Sergeant and having been in the Marine Corps for 5 and a half years now, I’ll illuminate. While technically which way your palms face will change the exercise, we allow either or, a pull up or chin up, I personally do them with my palms outward. The CFT is a more accurate test on your overall physical condition. With the right training anyone can do well on a PFT, but being fit is something else, which is why the Marine Corps developed the CFT. Here’s a tip for your 3 mile run… To run well at three miles…run 6 miles.

Semper Fidelis

By: Zac

Zac — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:49:04 +0000

“I would do it palms facing towards you. It’s easier that way.” Taking the easy way out is never manly.

By: Smedley Butler

Smedley Butler — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:58:35 +0000

Brad in the above post, is correct and pull up is with palms away, chin up is with palms towards you. Pull up is harder and therefore USMC standard for many decades. Since when did any Marine Corps physical test go for the easiest exercise? NEVER! DI’s of any era would deride anyone who was doing “chin ups” as a sissy…it’s easier and not the Marine Corps way. BTW, performing the USMC fitness test, which I still pass at 60, is in no way an indication of your ability to be a Marine. You have to earn it maggot!
And to Daetan Bayar Huck the above Marine Corps “officer candidate”, you are only and officer candidate and NOT A MARINE and I find it offensive that you attach this “Marine Corps Officer Candidate” to your posts all over the internet…so kindly request you stow the hubris and not let the sacred words “Semper Fidelis” pass your lips again until earn the right to utter them. Do not appropriate that which you do not own. We’ll be watching you. Count on it.

By: Rob

Rob — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 02:33:07 +0000

@AB01:

On gmap-pedometer, if you can see your trail from google map’s satellite view, you’re in luck. Just switch to that view, then change the “Draw Route” option on the left to “Manual.” Then just follow the trail. If your trail has lots of little twists and turns, it will be more tedious and take a little longer, but the good news is that you can always save the route to refer to later.

By: AB01

AB01 — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 01:28:26 +0000

Thanks, trigeek3. I was looking for something just like that since I started jogging this Summer. 1.2828 miles for an easy run and 2.1827 miles for more serious nights. I can’t seem to get the program to work for trails. Just roads.

By: trigeek3

trigeek3 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:19:40 +0000

A good way to map out a running route is to use Google Maps.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

By: Ninja R

Ninja R — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:32:48 +0000

@ Francis: No, you don’t get extra points for exceeding the maximum time for the run. 100 points is the most you can receive for one event — if you’re going by the Marine Corps’ scoring system.

If you’re not, you could give yourself whatever extra points you want, but I figure that defeats the purpose. You’re obviously a great runner.

By: WEST

WEST — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:43:27 +0000

The download banner is spelled incorrectly.. scored 228 on this test

By: nat

nat — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 04:52:28 +0000

A great help in improving the strength aspects of the Marine Fitness test is to follow the structured 100 pushups program at http://www.hundredpushups.com and 200 situps program at http://www.twohundredsitups.com (also check the 200 squats link on both pages — all 3 programs are inter-linked). All 3 programs assume you will reach your goal in 6 weeks, but in reality, you will hit plateaus even as early as the 2nd week. You can adapt the programs to any bodyweight exercise. For example, I am following the 100 pushups program for parallette pushups (parallettes are for gymnasts, and are a few inches higher than regular pushup handles, allowing for deeper pushups), for weighted squats (with 100 lb barbell), for bridges (favorite neck exercise of wrestlers and boxers) and for pullups. The programs recommend training 3 times a week. In the interim days I run on a treadmill for 30 min. at an incline of 2 degrees, trying to increase the pace each session by 0.1 mph. On Sundays, instead of running, I go swimming, and try to maintain the ability to swim 500m breaskstroke in less than 8 minutes (Navy SEALs goal). Since I’ve reached that goal, I make it more difficult by swimming freestyle a maximum distance (which I try to increase each session) before swimming the 500m breaskstroke. It is instructive and useful to aspire to reach not only Marines fitness goals, but also other units’ test goals (Marines Recon, Navy SEALs, Green Berets, Army Rangers, FBI agent, etc.—Google each). Good luck!

By: Francis

Francis — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 01:13:50 +0000

Hi there

I’m not sure if you’ve answered this already since I don’t yet have enough time to read through all the nice comments. I was wondering though what score/class I should get if my repetitions aren’t indicated in the table above? For example I can do 10 pullups, about 80 crunches in 2 mins, but I can cover the 3 mile run under 14 mins? Is there some sort of formula/extended table I can use?

By: Brady

Brady — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:36:24 +0000

Just one thing, a pull up is when your hands face away from you. This is what the test requires. A chin up is when your hands are face toward you and is mainly used to increase biceps strength and is not what is used in this test.