One of the guiding principles of The Everyday Marksman is that fitness matters. This is not just a “gun blog,” but a website focused on self improvement through the application of military skills. As such, physical fitness serves as the absolute bedrock upon which we build everything else.
When I first wrote this back in 2021, I couldn’t help go but go back into the many complaints I had about the Air Force’s fitness assessment that I did for years. I’ll reserve the details of my complaints, but they boil down to a phase I remember from long ago, “you are what you measure.”
The Air Force assessment, which was similar to the classic Army APFT at the time, is a one-size-fits-all approach designed to be administered on any patch of dirt in the world, by anyone, without any equipment. The problem, to me at least, was that it encouraged poor form and rewarded certain body types more than capability. It was more of a health assessment than an test of capability.
Why Have a Test at All?
It’s no secret that I think building a solid base of fitness is an important part of becoming a capable citizen and marksman. It’s also something. I believe too many people in the shooting and preparedness communities neglect their fitness. Instead, they choose to spend money on new gear in an effort to make up for (or at least feel better about) their physical shortcomings.
Designing a Better Test Regime
One of my earlier interviews for the podcast was with Dr. Whitfield East, one of the key people responsible for the Army’s ACFT. One of the things that stood out to me while researching for that interview, and his answers during our conversation, was how there are several realms of fitness.
With that in mind, I started thinking about fitness assessments in terms of levels and domains rather than raw scores. So rather than a single “do-all” test, I decided to create three separate ones with increasing difficulty and specificity.
- Level 1: General physical condition
- Level 2: Strength and work capacity
- Level 3: High-stress situational preparedness
You should not progress to working on the next level until you’ve at least met the par score on the preceding level. In other words, don’t go for Level 2 until you pass Level 1.
Also, remember that these assessments should not be workouts in of themselves. You don’t prepare for a test by taking the test. Rather, you should perform exercises and drills specifically designed to train for each event, and then validate that you’ve done a good job preparing using the test.
The 2026 Level 1 Fitness Assessment
Level 1 is about basic physical health and conditioning. None of these events should be particularly strenuous. But if you are out of shape, then you might find them difficult.
In the previous iteration, I used a large complex scoring table where you earned points along the way. I’ve decided to dramatically simplify fitness assessments going forward. No longer will we use the large scoring tables, but rather a series of point brackets.
These tests evaluate a spectrum of capability rather than specialization. It does not distinguish between male, female, young, old, or disabled. The standard is the standard.
If you’re salty that I’m holding the same standard for a 60 year old man as I am a 20 year old one, then get over it. Nobody is applying for a job based on these standards, and the real world doesn’t care about how old you are before presenting you with a challenge.
Before moving on to Level 2, you should make it a goal to achieve at least a rating of “good.” Getting “excellent” would be even better.
Do not cheat yourself. Unlike my time in the military, passing or failing this assessment has no impact on your career and nobody is going to treat you differently regardless of how you do on it. Use proper form at all times to complete each exercise. This will become even more important at the Level 2 assessment where failure to use proper form could result in injury.
Remember, when you cheat in training you’re only stealing from yourself.
The Graded Events
The Level 1 assessment utilizes the following events:
- Body Composition
- Hand release push-ups
- Inverted Row
- Standing Long Jump
- 1.5 mile run
- Four-mile ruck
Disclaimer
I am not a medical professional, nor am I certified as a personal trainer or anything like that. I’m simply an enthusiast who has read a bunch of stuff and written down what I think makes sense. Before engaging in any of these assessments, you should consult with a medical professional.
Event Scoring
We’ll start with the score table itself, then get to the test administration. For each event, I’ve provided a band correlating to Unsatisfactory, Marginal, Satisfactory, Excellent, and Superior.
Receiving Unsatisfactory in any event is an automatic test failure, resulting in a final overall rating of Unsatisfactory. So, at a minimum, you must get at least a Marginal in each event to pass- but scoring only Marginals will also result in failure.
Barring that, each event has a scoring band associated with it. Each band has a point value ranging from 0 (Unsatisfactory) to 4 (Superior).At the end of the test, add up the points from each event to receive your final score.
| Category | Points | Waist/Height Ratio | Hand Release Push Up | Inverted Row | Standing Broad Jump | 1.5 Mile Run | 4 Mile Ruck |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior | 4 | < 0.45 | 55+ | 20+ | Height +20% (1.2x) | < 9:45 | < 52:00 |
| Excellent | 3 | 0.45 - 0.47 | 40 - 54 | 15 - 19 | Height + 10% (1.10x) | 9:45 - 11:30 | 52:00 - 56:002 |
| Satisfactory | 2 | 0.48 - 0.49 | 25 - 39 | 10 - 14 | Height + 5% (1.05x) | 11:31 - 13:30 | 56:01 - 59:59 |
| Marginal | 1 | 0.50 - 0.53 | 15 - 24 | 5 - 9 | Equal to Height (1.0x) | 13:31 - 15:20 | 1:00:00 - 1:04:00 |
| Unsatisfactory | 0 | > 0.53 | < 15 | < 5 | < Height | > 15:20 | > 1:04:00 |
Overall Scoring
- Superior: 22-24 points
- Excellent: 17-21 points
- Satisfactory: 12-16 points
- Marginal: 6-11 points
- Unsatisfactory: Score 0 points in any event
Test Administration
Here are the guidelines for each event.
You should complete all events within a 72-hour period. Ideally, you could do them all in one go on the same day, but I know life gets in the way and it’s not like you’re having to work around an NCO or officer’s schedule to make your PT test appointment.
I’m not setting hard rules about how much rest you’re allowed to have between each exercise, but if you’re going to do this as quickly as possible then I would say you should give yourself at least 10-15 minutes between each event.
Body Composition
Determine this by measuring the circumference around waist at belly button level and dividing it by your height.
Your goal is keeping this ratio at less than 0.5, meaning your waist measurement is less than half of your height. If your ratio is between 0.5 and 0.53, then you should put effort into cleaning up your diet and stripping body fat. Beyond 0.53 is automatic failure.
I don’t mean to be harsh, but having too much body fat (especially visceral fat amongst your organs) has an extremely strong correlation with severe health risks. The waist to height ratio is a good proxy for determining your level of fattiness. To become a capable, especially in an emergency situation, you must minimize your chances of becoming a liability because of poor health.
Hand Release Push-up
The simple push-up is one of the easiest ways to measure general upper body strength. I first came across the hand release (HR) push-up variant while learning about the Army ACFT. In my interview with Dr. East, he relayed that it has a larger range of motion than the typical military pushup and involves more muscle groups.
To perform the exercise, begin in the prone position with your chest flat on the floor. Your feet should be flexed with toes pointing into the ground. Place your hands just outside of your chest and roughly even with your nipples. For proper width, consider placing your index fingers so they are just below the fronts of your shoulders as you lay on the ground.
Your arms should angle back about 45 degrees from your shoulders. Do not not flare them out. Press and raise your body off of the floor while keeping your back rigid. After reaching the maximum height, return to the floor and then lift your hands slightly while squeezing your shoulder blades together.
That is one repetition. Here’s a video demonstration of the movement.
Administering the Push-Up Exercise
You have two minutes to complete as many correct repetitions as you can. The maximum score occurs by reaching 55 repetitions.
Rest as much as you need during the event, but time will not exceed two minutes.
Bar Inverted Rows
This is a new addition for 2026, replacing the plank. My first impulse was to add pull ups, but I realize most people cannot do them with good technique. The inverted row is a good substitute for testing the back musculature. The only trade off is that technique can be all over the place.
Begin this exercise by setting a barbell at approximately hip height (note that the edge of a kitchen table or desk works well, too).
Hold on to the bar, and position yourself so you hang naturally below it. Pull yourself to the bar (or table edge) so that it touches your chest.
Keep your body straight and rigid. A repetition does not count if you sag your hips or bend your knees to make it easier.
Administering the Inverted Row
You have two minutes to complete as many correct repetitions as you can. The maximum score occurs by reaching 20 repetitions.
Rest as much as you need during the event, but time will not exceed two minutes.
The Standing Broad Jump
This replaces the bodyweight air squats of the previous version. The broad jump is an excellent measure for lower body strength and power.
You will begin with toes on a starting line, and then jump as far forward as you can. You will need a way to mark where your heels land as you come down, such as jumping in sand or having a friend mark the ground.
Measure the distance between the starting line and the landing point.
The standing broad jump has some technique to it, so definitely watch some videos (like the one below) and practice. Also, you should not do this without being warmed up. Like sprinting, attempting this without proper warm up and hydration could result in a pulled or torn hamstring.
Administering the Broad Jump
You have may take up to three jumps for score on this event. Only record the best jump of the three.
To help with scoring, here is a quick table of heights and distances.
| Height | Marginal | Satisfactory | Excellent | Superior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5'4 (64") | 5'4" | 5'7" | 5'10" | 6'5" |
| 5'6" (66") | 5'6' | 5'9" | 6'0" | 6'7" |
| 5'8" (68") | 5'8" | 5'11" | 6'3" | 6'10" |
| 5'10" (70") | 5'10" | 6'1.5" | 6'5" | 7'0" |
| 6'0" (72") | 6'0" | 6'3.5" | 6'9" | 7'2.5" |
| 6'2" (74") | 6'2" | 6'6" | 6'9" | 7'5" |
| 6'4" (76") | 6'4" | 6'8" | 6'11" | 7'7" |
1.5 Mile Run
Find a level area to run 1.5 miles without stopping. A local school track works well, it also lets you perform the previous three events all in one go. Otherwise, use a mapping tool to find a 1.5 mile route around a neighborhood. Minimize the number of hills.
Begin running when the time starts, and stop the time when you’ve reached 1.5 miles. You may walk if you need to, but running or walking doesn’t change the score.
For some goals to keep in mind:
- “Marginal” starts at 15:20
- “Satisfactory” means beating 13:30
- “Excellent” is better than 11:30
- “Superior” is better than 9:45
Four-Mile Ruck
Unlike the other components of this assessment, this one requires you to use some equipment. It could be a ruck, weighted vest, or something else, but you need a way to carry weight as you walk.
For this test, you must carry 35 lbs of dry weight, so that does not include any water or something that you might consume during the test.
I’ve written a lot about rucking in the past, and even have a challenge or two about it. Moving distance under load is a foundational human skill, and so it appears at every level of Everyday Marksman fitness standards.
Performing the Ruck Assessment
As with the run, you will need a relatively flat path to walk four miles. This could be a loop that you perform multiple times, a single route, or an “out and back” to a set point. No matter the method, it must be four miles.
You must already be wearing your weight before the timer begins. When the timer starts, begin the route and stop the timer when you reach four miles. I suggest a GPS monitor or some other method to help you keep an established pace.
You earn maximum points by maintaining a 13 minute per mile pace for all four miles. This is difficult and I do not suggest you try this unless you are well-conditioned and practiced at rucking. For a target, a solid rucking pace to shoot for is 15 minutes per mile, which will net you a Satisfactory rating.
Wrapping Up
Thank you for participating in the Level 1 fitness assessment. How did you do?
I suggest giving this test a go once or twice per year to see where your baseline is at. Use your scores in each component to evaluate where you should be putting some extra emphasis for the following 6-12 months.
And, of course, once you’ve gotten at least a Satisfactory rating, I suggest moving on to the Level 2 standards.
Hey Matt – Happy New Year! In general I agree with the emphasis on fitness and your selected Level 1 assessments. I was in the USMC in the 80s and will stand by their standard PT test at the time for an overall fitness assessment. If I remember correctly – it consisted of max count pull ups, 2 minute sit up count and a timed three mile run. The scoring was high enough that attaining a 1st class rating was quite difficult even for fit 18 YO Marines! I agree with you that a ‘plank hold’ engages core strength more and is a better test than sit ups. I stand by the pull up as the best upper body strength assessment though as I saw so many young men struggle (including myself) to ‘max out’ 20 strict reps. The 3 mile timed run was the deal breaker for 1st class attainment – again if I remember – 18 minutes was the maximum time for a 1st class score . Our drill instructor in boot camp (former grunt) claimed he regularly ran the 3 miles under 15 minutes! At the time those considering special forces consideration had to obtain and maintain 1st class PT scoring from boot camp thru regular fleet testing – wasn’t easy! I would like to suggest a great single exercise that we used to do in regular PT sessions as a good measure of fitness. I have read it was developed and used extensively by the pre-SEAL… Read more »
Hey Paul, happy new year to you as well!
You’re right, the pull-up is a great measure of strength to weight ratio. I thought about putting it here, but since Level 2 actually specifically deals with strength levels, I’m putting in that test 🙂
I’m also very familiar with the 8-count bodybuilder as it was a staple of PT sessions throughout my career.
I like this I’ve been thinking a lot about fitness this year as well.
Suggestion: I might consider a 1.5 mile run instead. There’s also a 12 min run with measuring distance. The reason those are popular are because they correlate really well with your VO2 max. The correlation is 0.8-0.9 if memory serves. So if you’re looking for a general fitness measure that might be worth subbing out after research for next year.
Hey Noah, thanks for commenting. You know, I went back and forth about whether I should use 1 mile, 1.5, or more. My entire military career involved the 1.5 mile run, as defined by Dr. Cooper back in the day.
The reason I used the 1-mile here is that I’m “barbelling” it with the 5k ruck. So you have a combination of both a shorter duration run time and a longer duration ruck time. The scientific validity of doing this way is probably questionable, lol. I’m not an expert here, but that was my thinking.
Hey Noah, follow up on this comment- this test now uses the 1.5 mile run for the reason you mentioned.
hey matt,
i am new to this site. i just read this and decided to see if i measure up. but i will need some time (a month) to get in a little better condition. i have had some health and medical issues that i am trying to work thru. i am 71 years old now so i know some of this won’t be easy for me. once a pass with a good score then i will look at the next level. if i can’t do the lowest level there is no need to progress further. i still have my shooting skills at a fairly high level. i did shoot some 3-gun way back in the mid 80’s. i was able to be competitive at the national level back then. later i lost the vision in my right eye. years later i taught myself to shoot lefty. that was a challenge. i did shoot an appleseed way back with fred when it was just getting started. i had a ar-10 and shot a 214 my first time. in one month i will take this test and post my score and times. maybe i can inspire some younger people with my efforts.
keep up the good work!!!