GET FIT FOR THE ARMY
The Army needs its soldiers and officers to be fighting fit. Follow this exercise programme to prepare for initial training
STRETCHES
BEFORE YOU START
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Test your physical ability before you start your
training programme so you will be able to see
how much you have improved after several
weeks. After completing a warm-up, carry
out the following tests with a two-minute
break between each exercise:
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CHEST
MID-BACK
■ Stand with your arms
behind your body, one
hand over the other
■ Keeping your chest out and
arms straight, lift your
palms up until you feel
the stretch in your chest
■ Hold for 10-20 seconds
■ Do as many press-ups as you can in one
minute. This is your press-ups maximum
■ Then do as many sit-ups as you can in one
minute. This is your sit-ups maximum
■ Time yourself running 1.5 miles. This is six
times around an athletics track, or you can ask
a family member to measure the route in a car.
Don’t worry if it is not exact, as long as you
use the same route when re-testing later
■ Hold your arms above
your head, holding your
left hand with your right
■ Gently lean to your left,
pulling your right arm
across and down until
you feel the stretch in
the muscle along the
sides of your back
■ Roll slightly towards the
floor to improve the stretch
■ Hold for 10-20 seconds,
then switch sides
190
190
145
70-79%
MODER
ATE EF
FORT
130
60-69%
LIGHT
EFFOR
T
115
WARM-UP
Do the following routine before each session. If you are
in a swimming pool, swim slowly at first and stretch at
the shallow end of the pool.
■ Walk/jog for 2-3 minutes
■ Controlled rotation of shoulders and hips for two minutes
■ Increased-pace jogging or skipping for 2-3 minutes
■ Light stretching for 4-5 seconds on each stretch
175
160
145
EXERCISES
130
115
100
100
15
30
25
20
35
40
AGE
EFFORT
A strong upper body is vital for
general fitness and the ability to
take on any physical challenge
These powerful muscles carry you
around and are the foundation of
any strong and physically fit body
CHIN-UP
SQUAT
■ Start with arms straight and thighs level
■ Keep your back to the block as you lower
■ Keep your elbows pointing back
■ Stop before your upper arms are parallel
with the floor, then press back up again
before repeating the exercise
SOLDIER
When you attend an Assessment Centre (AC), you will be expected
to complete the following:
■1
.5-mile run within a set time limit (different regiments
and corps have their own requirements, ranging from
9 minutes 40 seconds to 14 minutes 30 seconds)
■T
wo exercises assessing your strength, including the
upper body and lower back
ASSISTED SIT-UP
■ Keep your feet together and elbows in
■ Your body should form a straight line
■ Brace the muscles in your abdomen
■ Bend your elbows to lower your body and inhale
■ Press back up, exhaling as you go
You will have to complete a multi-stage fitness test (beep
test) at the Army Officer Selection Board (AOSB) Briefing,
and again at the AOSB Main Board:
■ Lie on your front with hands by your temples
■ Use your lower back muscles to lift your
shoulders and chest off the floor
■ Lift slowly; do not bounce off the floor
■C
ircuit training:
2 x 12 of each
exercise
LEVEL 2
E
■S
teady run
25-30 mins
S
■ 4 x ½ max
press-ups
T
■ 4 x 12 squats
■ 4 x ½ max
sit-ups
■ 4 x 12 dorsal raises
D
E
S
■ 1 0 mins
warm-up
S
■R
un hard for 1
min, recover for
1 min; continue
for 14 mins
(75-80% effort)
T
■C
ircuit training:
3 x 15 of each
exercise
T
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
■ 2 x 45 secs max
press-ups
■ 4 x 15 squats
■ 2 x 45 secs max
sit-ups
■ 4 x 15 dorsal raises
RG/LEA/359 March 2013
Y
D
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
A
■ 1 0-15 mins
warm-up
■A
lternate running
hard then
recovering for
intervals of
1, 2 and 3 mins
(75-80% effort)
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
Produced for the Ministry of Defence by Army Recruiting Group
Crown Copyright March 2013
Y
■ 1 0-15 mins
warm-up
■ 1 0 mins
warm-up
■ 3 x ½ max
press-ups
■R
un hard for 1
min, recover for
1 min; continue
for 10 mins
(75-80% effort)
■C
ircuit training:
2 x 12 of each
exercise
■ 3 x 10 lunges
■ 3 x ½ max
sit-ups
■ 3 x 10 dorsal raises
D
■S
teady run
25-30 mins
S
■ 4 x ½ max
press-ups
T
■ 4 x 14 lunges
■ 4 x ½ max
sit-ups
■ 4 x 14 dorsal raises
■C
ircuit training:
4 x 15-20 of each
exercise
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
Y
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
D
■B
risk walk/run
30-40 mins,
or swimming
25-35 mins
■S
teady run
30-40 mins
■ 2 x 45 secs max
press-ups
■ 4 x 15 lunges
■ 2 x 45 secs max
sit-ups
■ 4 x 15 dorsal raises
Y
R
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
E
DAY 7
■B
risk walk
30-40 mins,
or swimming
20-25 mins
R
The most intense sessions
S
■ 10 mins
warm-up
S
■R
un hard for 1
min, recover for
1 min; continue
for 14 mins
(75-80% effort)
T
■C
ircuit training:
3 x 15 of each
exercise
T
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
D
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
A
■ 1 0-15 mins
warm-up
■A
lternate running
hard then
recovering for
intervals of
1, 2 and 3 mins
(75-80% effort)
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
Y
DAY 1
Sessions requiring medium effort General health-boosting sessions
■B
risk walk/jog
30-40 mins,
or swimming
25-30 mins
D
■C
ircuit training:
4 x 15-20 of each
exercise
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
Y
■R
un hard for 1
min, recover for
1 min; continue
for 12 mins
(75-80% effort)
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
■S
teady run
25-30 mins
(60-70% effort)
■ 4 x ½ max
chin-ups
■ 4 x 16 squats
■ 4 x ½ max sit-ups
■ 4 x 16 dorsal raises
S
T
D
A
■B
risk walk/run
30-40 mins,
or swimming
30-35 mins
■S
teady run
30-40 mins
(60-70% effort)
■ 2 x 1 min max
press-ups
■ 4 x 20 squats
■ 2 x 1 min max
sit-ups
■ 4 x 20 dorsal raises
■ 4 x 12 triceps dips
Y
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
R
R
E
E
■R
un hard for 1
min, recover for
1 min; continue
for 16 mins
(75-80% effort)
T
■A
lternate running
hard then
recovering for
intervals of 1, 2, 3,
2 and 1 min
(75-80% effort)
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
■B
risk walk
30-40 mins,
or swimming
20-25 mins
■C
ircuit training:
3 x 12 of each
exercise
S
■ 1 0-15 mins
warm-up
DAY 7
■ 10 mins warm-up
■ 1 0-15 mins
warm-up
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
WEEK 4
DAY 5
■ 1 0-15 mins
warm-up
E
A
■ 1 0 mins
warm-up
DAY 3
■ S teady run 20 mins
(60-70% effort)
■ 3 x ½ max
press-ups
■ 3 x 12 squats
■ 3 x ½ max sit-ups
■ 3 x 12 dorsal
R
raises
E
■ 1 0-15 mins
warm-up
A
A
■ 1 0 mins
warm-up
R
E
■B
risk walk/jog
30-40 mins,
or swimming
20-25 mins
DAY 5
■S
teady run
20 mins
E
■ 1 0-15 mins
warm-up
A
■S
teady run
30-40 mins
R
LEVEL 2
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
DAY 3
LEVEL 1
■R
un hard for 1
min, recover for
1 min; continue
for 10 mins
(75-80% effort)
■B
risk walk
30-40 mins,
or swimming
15-20 mins
DAY 1
LEVEL 2
■ 3 x ½ max
press-ups
R
on your progress, move on to Level 2 and then to Level 3. Once you have completed Level 3, continue doing it until you start your initial Army training.
WEEK 3
LEVEL 3
■ 10 mins
warm-up
DAY 7
LEVEL 1
■ 1 0-15 mins
warm-up
■ 3 x 8 dorsal raises
LEVEL 3
DAY 5
LEVEL 3
LEVEL 1
DAY 3
R
Finish all sessions with
the following:
■ Reduced-pace jogging
or walking for 2-3 minutes
■ Hold stretches for 10-20
seconds (see stretch
routine above)
You should have a rest day every other day to give your body time to recover. Start with the four-week Level 1 programme. After testing yourself to check
WEEK 2
■S
teady run
20 mins
■ 3 x ½ max
sit-ups
COOL-DOWN
FEMALES
■ Beep test level 8.1
■ 50 sit-ups in two minutes
■ 21 press-ups in two minutes
WEEK 1
■ 3 x 8 squats
■ Place feet shoulder-width apart
■D
raw back shoulders and
brace abdomen
■S
tep forward, bending your
front leg and back knee
■ Drive back upright with front leg
DORSAL RAISE
YOUR WEEK-BY-WEEK STEPS TO FITNESS
DAY 1
LUNGE
■ Hold your arms across your chest
■ Keep your shoulders, back and neck straight
■ Brace your abdomen and sit all the way up
■ Lower yourself under control
■ Do not allow your shoulders to touch the floor
PRESS-UP
OFFICER
■P
lace feet just wider than shoulderwidth apart, toes pointing slightly out
■B
end your knees and lower
yourself down
■K
eep knees above toes and push
your hips back
■ Do not arch or round your lower
back; stop when your thighs are
parallel with the floor
The core’s vital muscles stabilise
and transmit strength between
your upper and lower body
TRICEPS DIP
ARMY FITNESS REQUIREMENTS
LOWER BODY
CORE
■ Hold bar with your palms facing you
■ Brace your abdomen, pull up with your arms
■ Keep your legs together and straight
■ Pull your chest up to the bar to clear chin
■ Lower down until your arms are straight
You should be able to talk comfortably (60-69% effort) when jogging,
talk in short sentences (70-79% effort) at a steady effort, and when
running hard your breathing should be heavy and it should be very
difficult to talk (80-100% effort).
MALES ■ Beep test level 10.2
■ 50 sit-ups in two minutes
■ 44 press-ups in two minutes UPPER BODY
■ Put your left leg out in front
of you and bend at the hips,
bending your right knee
■ Rest your hands on your
right thigh and slowly lean
forwards until you feel
the stretch in the back
of your left thigh
■ Hold for 10-20
seconds, then
switch sides
■ 10 mins warm-up
■C
ircuit training:
3 x 20 of each
exercise
S
T
D
A
A
Y
■ 10 mins warm-up
■C
ircuit training:
4 x 15-20 of each
exercise
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
Y
DAY 3
■S
teady run
20 mins
(60-70% effort)
■ 3 x 14 lunges
■ 3 x ½ max sit-ups
R
■R
un hard for 1
min, recover for
1 min; continue
for 12 mins
(75-80% effort)
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
E
■B
risk walk/jog
30-40 mins,
or swimming
25-30 mins
■S
teady run
25-30 mins
(60-70% effort)
■ 4 x ½ max
press-ups
■ 4 x 18 dorsal raises
■B
risk walk/run
30-40 mins,
or swimming
30-40 mins
R
S
T
■R
un hard for 1
min, recover for
1 min; continue
for 16 mins
(75-80% effort)
T
■ 4 x 12 triceps dips
A
■S
teady run
30-40 mins
(60-70% effort)
■ 2 x 1 min max
press-ups
■ 4 x 20 lunges
■ 2 x 1 min max
sit-ups
■ 4 x 20 dorsal raises
■ 4 x ½ max chin-ups
Y
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
E
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
D
■A
lternate running
hard then
recovering for
intervals of 1, 2, 3,
2 and 1 min
(75-80% effort)
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
Y
■ 1 min max
press-ups
■ 1 min max sit-ups
■ 1.5-mile run
R
E
■ 10 mins warm-up
■B
risk walk/run
30-40 mins, or
swimming
30-40 mins
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
A
■ 1 0-15 mins
warm-up
FITNESS
ASSESSMENT
■B
risk walk/run
30-40 mins, or
swimming
30-40 mins
■ 1 0-15 mins
warm-up
D
DAY 7
■ 10 mins warm-up
S
■ 4 x 18 lunges
■ 4 x ½ max sit-ups
DAY 5
■ 1 0-15 mins
warm-up
■ 3 x ½ max
press-ups
■ 3 x 14 dorsal raises
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
D
DAY 1
LEVEL 1
160
■ Stand with your left leg
forwards, bent at the knee,
and your right leg straight
out behind you with your
foot flat on the floor
■ Lean forwards slightly
until you feel the stretch
in your left calf
■ Hold for 10-20 seconds,
then switch sides
■ Repeat the stretch but with
your left knee bent very
slightly so that you feel
the stretch in a different
part of the calf
■ Take your right elbow in your
left hand then guide your
right arm down above your
head to the centre of the back
■ Reach down with your
fingers to stretch out the
back of your upper arms
■ Hold for 10-20 seconds,
then switch sides
LEVEL 2
175
HAMSTRINGS
LEVEL 3
HEART RATE – BEATS PER MINUTE (BPM)
205
CALVES
TRICEPS
■ Stand in a squat position
with feet slightly wider
than shoulder-width apart
■ Slowly rotate your
shoulders to the left
until you feel the stretch
in your lower back on
the right-hand side
■ Hold for 10-20 seconds,
then switch sides
205
90-100
% MAX
IMUM E
FFORT
80-89%
HEAVY
EFFOR
T
■ Stand with your arms
straight out in front of you,
one hand over the other
■ Push your arms out until
you feel the stretch in
your upper back, without
bending at the waist
■ Hold for 10-20 seconds,
then switch sides
LOWER BACK
As you get fitter you will be able to exercise faster with your heart
rate staying the same, so you can use your heart rate to ensure
you are training at the correct intensity. Your warm-ups should
be in the ‘LIGHT EFFORT’ training zone, and hard interval sessions
should push you into the ‘MAXIMUM EFFORT’ zone. Your heart
rate changes as you get older so you will need to find your own
maximum heart rate. To do this, deduct your age from 220 to give
you a maximum rate for exercising at 100%. Once you have a
number, find the corresponding figure on the left-hand axis (below)
and look along the graph for your heart rate training zones. Wear
a heart rate monitor to refer to when training to keep tabs on how
hard you’re working.
■ Stand with feet together and shift
your weight onto your right leg
■ Bend your left leg, bringing your
left foot up to your backside
■ Grab hold of your left ankle,
keep your hips facing forwards
and gently pull your ankle into
your body
■ Hold for 10-20 seconds,
then switch sides
UPPER BACK
Write these results down, because you will need to
repeat this assessment at the end of each training
period for comparison. You will also use half of your
maximum press-up and sit-up scores to give you
the number of repetitions for some sessions in your
training programme (see table at foot of poster).
MAXIMUM HEART RATE TABLE
QUADS
S
FITNESS
ASSESSMENT
T
■ 1 min max
press-ups
■ 1 min max sit-ups
■ 1.5-mile run
D
A
■ 10 mins warm-up
■B
risk walk/run
30-40 mins, or
swimming
30-40 mins
■ 1 0 mins
cool-down
Y
FITNESS
ASSESSMENT
■ 1 min max
press-ups
■ 1 min max sit-ups
■ 1.5-mile run