AFT PPL w/Cardio

Army-specific 6-day PPL (Push/Pull/Legs) routine designed to maximize your Army Fitness Test (AFT) score while systematically improving your 2-mile run time. Your week will look like this: Push → Pull → Legs → Push → Pull → Legs → Full Rest Cardio is layered strategically to improve 2-mile performance without frying your legs before heavy squats/deadlifts or compromising recovery.

Key Principles Built Into This Program

Upper-body strength & power → directly improves push-ups, deadlift, and hand-release push-ups. Leg strength & posterior chain → directly carries over to deadlift, sprint-drag-carry, and 2-mile Specific running progression → drops 2-mile time while preserving leg workouts Evidence-based volume/frequency (mostly 10–20 total sets per muscle group per week, which is optimal for hypertrophy & strength in natural trainees – Schoenfeld et al., 2016, 2019)

Weekly Schedule

Monday – Push (Upper power & hypertrophy) + short high-intensity intervals Tuesday – Pull (Back, biceps, rear delts, grip) Wednesday – Legs (Heavy lower + leg endurance) + medium steady-state run Thursday – Push (Higher-rep/metabolic upper) + sprint work Friday – Pull (Volume back focus) Saturday – Legs (Power & posterior chain) + long tempo/threshold run Sunday – Complete rest or active recovery (walk, mobility)

Practical “in the gym” rules I give soldiers

Start the timer when the set ends, not when you rack the bar. Never cut a heavy strength set short on rest to “stay on schedule” — better to drop a later accessory than rush the 4×5 squat at 85%. On 3–5 min rests: rerack, sip water, write in log, light foam roll, set up next exercise. You’ll actually finish on time. If you’re still breathing hard or heart rate is sky-high after the prescribed rest on compounds, take an extra 30–60 sec. Recovery between sessions is what drives AFT progress.

Stick to these and you’ll keep progressing week after week without turning strength days into cardio or burning out before the running work.

Safety Notes

Always warm-up properly (5–10 min cardio + dynamic drills + light sets). If you have any orthopedic issues or pain, get cleared by a physician or Army physical therapist first. Sleep 7–9 hours, eat 0.7–1 g protein/lb bodyweight, and manage total stress—recovery is the real limiter for most soldiers. You’ve got this—execute the plan, stay consistent, and you’ll crush the test.