“Army Strong” is more than just a tagline — for soldiers, it’s a requirement for duty.

The U.S. Army requires that all active-duty soldiers prove their physical prowess by passing a rigorous fitness test. There have been multiple versions of the test over the years — and the Army recently announced that a new version has been adopted.

On June 1, 2025, the military branch will roll out its new Army Fitness Test (ACFT) as a replacement for the current Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT). 

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The new test — which is based on “18 months of data analysis and feedback from thousands of test iterations” — will introduce updated scoring standards that emphasize “readiness and combat effectiveness,” according to an Army press release.

Soldiers will have until Jan. 1, 2026, to meet the new AFT requirements without facing “adverse actions.”

AFT scores are recorded during basic training for soldiers and initial training for officers, the Army states on its website.

Active-duty soldiers are required to complete the test twice a year, while soldiers in the Army Reserve and Army National Guard must record scores once a year.

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“The AFT is designed to improve soldier readiness and ensure physical standards [and] prepare soldiers for the demands of modern warfare,” said Sgt. Maj. Christopher Mullinax, senior enlisted leader, deputy chief of staff for Operations, Army Headquarters, in the release. 

“It emphasizes holistic fitness over event-specific training and is grounded in performance.”

Recruits undergo physical training in the training center of The Third Separate Assault Brigade on September 14, 2024, in Dnipro, Ukraine.  (Getty Images)

Scoring requirements are more demanding for the new test, with soldiers in combat roles held to the highest standards.

“Combat standards are sex-neutral for the 21 direct combat roles, a change designed to ensure fairness and operational readiness,” the release states.

5 components of the test

The AFT consists of the following five events, as described on the Army’s website.

1. Three-repetition maximum deadlift

In this challenge, the soldier must lift the maximum weight possible three times using a 60-pound hex bar and plates.

This move assesses muscular strength, balance and flexibility.

“It’s doable — but only with smart, progressive training.”

“Deadlifts require a person to recruit glute and hamstring strength in order to lift a barbell off the ground to waist height,” said Miles Hill, a certified personal trainer and boxing instructor at Rumble in New York City. “It is the most effective technique for picking heavy weights off the ground.”

The deadlift can also be dangerous for civilians if they use improper form, warned Dr. Hooman Melamed, an orthopedic spine surgeon and sport medicine expert from Beverly Hills.

Army soldiers must complete a timed two-mile run on a flat outdoor course in a test of aerobic endurance. (iStock)

“If your posture or form is off, the risk to your lower back and hips is high — it could be a career-ending injury for some,” he told Fox News Digital.

2. Hand-release push-up

The soldier must complete as many hand-release push-ups as possible in two minutes, using proper technique. 

“Hand release push-ups require a person to drop all the way to the ground, lift their hands in the air for a second, and then push themselves back up to high plank,” said Hill, who is also a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo. 

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Melamed noted that while hand-release push-ups are great for building upper body strength, if the person is not already strong, the sudden force can damage the shoulders.

The hand-release push-up tests muscular endurance and flexibility.

3. Sprint-drag-carry

With the sprint-drag-carry (SDC), the soldier is tasked with completing five 50-meter shuttles (sprint, drag, lateral, carry, sprint) as quickly as possible, using two 40-pound kettlebells and a 90-pound sled.

“The sprint-drag-carry is probably the toughest sequence here, since it requires explosive strength, muscular endurance and cardiovascular endurance,” Hill said.

“Combat standards are sex-neutral for the 21 direct combat roles, a change designed to ensure fairness and operational readiness,” the Army’s release states. (Cecilie_Arcurs)

Melamed calls the SDC a “brutal test of speed and explosive power.”

“If you’re not conditioned, tearing a hamstring or pulling something mid-run can happen,” he said.

4. Plank

The soldier must maintain a proper plank position for as long as possible, testing muscular endurance and balance.

“A plank is an ultimate test of core strength and endurance, as it requires a person to hold their body weight for as long as they can,” said Hill. “It can be challenging, but it is the time requirement that determines the challenge.”

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Melamed noted that while this move looks simple, holding a proper plank for time is extremely challenging. “It exposes weaknesses in the back, core and shoulder girdle.”

5. Two-mile run

The soldier must complete a timed two-mile run on a flat outdoor course in a test of aerobic endurance.

“Two-mile runs are relatively easy for any able-bodied human — however, the time constraints are what makes it challenging,” Hill said.

With the sprint-drag-carry (SDC), the soldier is tasked with completing five 50-meter shuttles (sprint, drag, lateral, carry, sprint) as quickly as possible, using two 40-pound kettlebells and a 90-pound sled. (iStock)

The standing power throw event, which was part of the previous version of the test, is no longer included as a requirement.

“We eliminated the standing power throw because it wasn’t effectively promoting fitness and readiness as well as we would like,” Mullinax said.

“Furthermore, it presented an elevated risk of overuse injury and encouraged soldiers to focus on technique rather than demonstrating true power.”

How tough is it?

The toughness of a workout or fitness test is relative to the overall fitness of an individual, according to Dr. Jason Perry, M.D., primary care sports medicine physician with Baptist Health Orthopedic Care in Deerfield Beach, Florida. 

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“Generally speaking, the AFT is challenging, but not impossible for the average person with a basic fitness foundation,” Perry, who is unaffiliated with the Army, told Fox News Digital.

“It’s designed to test full-body strength, muscular endurance, speed, agility and cardiovascular stamina — all elements essential for combat readiness, but also relevant to functional fitness for civilians.”

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Compared to a typical gym workout, the AFT is more demanding because it combines different physical domains into one test, he said.

“Compared to elite athletic training, it’s moderate — but not easy,” Perry added.

In the three-repetition maximum deadliftIn this challenge, the soldier must lift the maximum weight possible three times using a 60-pound hex bar and plates. (iStock)

For civilians who regularly strength train, run or do functional workouts (like CrossFit or HIIT), this test is well within reach, he said.  

For a civilian who exercises three to four times a week, the AFT is “realistically achievable” with focused training over an eight- to 12-week period.

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“About 30 to 50% of healthy, recreationally active adults could likely pass it with little to moderate training,” he predicted. “Sedentary adults or those with chronic conditions would have a harder time and would likely need a focused eight- to 12-week (or possibly longer) conditioning plan to pass.”

Melamed wasn’t quite as optimistic, estimating that less than 5% of civilians could pass the AFT.

“If you try this unprepared, you could get seriously hurt.”

“These aren’t weekend-warrior workouts — this is military-level conditioning,” he told Fox News Digital. “You have to work your way up to this level of intensity training.”

The expert also noted that there is a mental component to the test, but said mindset alone isn’t enough.

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“If you try this unprepared, you could get seriously hurt,” he cautioned. “It’s doable — but only with smart, progressive training. You have to work up to it gradually.”

“And this test is as much about strategy and recovery as it is about raw strength.”

JAY EM, Wyo. – While Memorial Day is a time for remembrance, it can also be a difficult period for many veterans, particularly those struggling with mental health.

A program in Wyoming is helping to address those challenges by pairing veterans with wild mustangs in a unique approach to healing.

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According to data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from 2001 to 2022, veterans are more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD, depression and anxiety than civilians. Each year, approximately 6,000 veterans die by suicide.

At some point in their lives, 7 out of every 100 veterans (or 7%) will experience PTSD, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

In the small town of Jay Em, Wyoming, a nonprofit called Operation Remount Corporation is offering a form of equine therapy that serves not only veterans and first responders, but also the mustangs—many of which come from traumatic backgrounds.

Karen Alexander, co-founder of Operation Remount, says some mustangs also experience trauma and anxiety, making the program a form of reciprocal healing. 

“These are mustangs that went through three adoptions and were not accepted or not adopted,” Alexander said. “When the mustangs first come, they are very afraid of humans. It’s really neat to see when that animal finally says, I can trust you.”

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Veteran Sean Walker is one of this year’s participants at Operation Remount. He says joining the program and meeting his horse, nicknamed Spirit, was needed after serving in the military.

Walker, who completed two tours in Iraq and one in Bosnia with the Kansas National Guard, says just a few weeks with his horse, Spirit, has already made a significant impact.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from 2001 to 2022, veterans are more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD, depression and anxiety than civilians.  (Kennedy Hayes/ Fox News)

“We call him Enduring Spirit Wind,” Walker said. “He’s taught me probably more than I could have possibly taught him.”

After retiring from the military, Walker said reintegrating into civilian life was difficult. Like many other veterans, he experienced mental health challenges.

The program recently added a new red cabin to house participants during the six-week course. It was built in honor of Marine Corps Sgt. B.J. Shepperson, who served two deployments and struggled with the transition back to civilian life in Wyoming.

Shepperson said his brother B.J. loved horses and would have really appreciated what this program is doing to help other veterans. 

PTSD is slightly more common among Veterans than civilians. At some point in their life, 7 out of every 100 Veterans (or 7%) will have PTSD.  (Kennedy Hayes/ FOX News)

“After two deployments and coming back to Wyoming, he had a hard time re-adjusting,” said his brother, Baxter Shepperson.

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Program leaders say they’re working to construct more cabins, allowing additional veterans and first responders to stay overnight during the program as they experience the therapeutic bond with a horse.

“It’s like when you found a connection that you’ve lost,” Walker said. “It allows you to have that reconnection and Spirit has been that.”

Operation Remount allows the veterans and first responders to keep the wild horse after completing the six-week course. The nonprofit holds sessions in both spring and fall.

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The team at Operation Remount is now working toward building an indoor facility so they can offer the program throughout the year, even during Wyoming’s harsh winter months.

Blood and urine tests have been found to detect the amount of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) a person eats, according to new research.

Using machine learning, scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) identified hundreds of metabolites (molecules produced during metabolism) that correlated with processed food intake.

The team developed a “biomarker score” that predicts ultraprocessed food intake based on metabolite measurements in blood and urine, according to Erikka Loftfield, Ph.D., M.P.H., of the National Cancer Institute in Maryland.

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The researchers drew baseline data from 718 older adults who provided urine and blood samples and reported their dietary habits over a 12-month period, as detailed in a press release from NIH.

Next, they conducted a small clinical trial of 20 adults. For two weeks, the group ate a diet high in ultraprocessed foods, and for another two weeks they ate a diet with no UPFs.

“In our study, we found that hundreds of serum and urine metabolites were correlated with percentage energy from ultraprocessed food intake,” Loftfield told Fox News Digital.

The findings were published in the journal PLOS Medicine.

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Large-scale studies investigating the health risks of ultraprocessed foods often rely on self-reported dietary questionnaires, which can be prone to errors, per the NIH.

Using machine learning, the team identified hundreds of metabolites that correlated with processed food intake. (iStock)

The new blood and urine test helps to reduce human error by using objective biomarkers, a growing area of interest among researchers.

Loftfield added, “It was surprising to find that UPF-correlated metabolites are involved in numerous and diverse biological pathways, underscoring the complex impact of diet on the metabolome.”

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Ultraprocessed foods are defined as “ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat, industrially manufactured products, typically high in calories and low in essential nutrients,” according to the NIH.

Chronic diseases, obesity and various forms of cancer have been linked to diets that are heavy in UPFs.

Looking ahead

Despite promising results, the researchers emphasized that the new method will require further validation before broader use.

Since the current trial focused mainly on older adults, researchers say more research is needed across various age groups and diets.

Ultraprocessed foods are defined as “ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat, industrially manufactured products, typically high in calories and low in essential nutrients,” according to the NIH. (iStock)

“Metabolite scores should be evaluated and improved in populations with different diets and a wide range of UPF intake,” Loftfield acknowledged.

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This method could potentially be used in future research to link the consumption of processed foods with chronic diseases, according to the researchers.

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“For individuals concerned about ultraprocessed food intake, one practical recommendation is to use Nutrition Facts labels to avoid foods high in added sugars, saturated fat and sodium, as this can limit UPF intake and align with robust scientific research on diet and health,” Loftfield suggested.