U S ARMY RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE ...

1 TECHNICAL LIBRARYU. S. ARMY natick ( R&D C"NTNAIM( MA 017 WOA pA2ZA5A7 REPORT NO__T94-7 ARMY PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST (APFT):NORMATIVE data ON 6022 SOLDIERSU S ARMY RESEARCH INSTITUTEOFENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINEN atick, MassachusettsJanuary 1994 UNITED STATES ARMYMEDICAL RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT COMMANDT echnical Report No. -Tqq -'7 ARMY PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST (APFT):NORMATIVE data ON 6022 SOLDIERSbyMAJ Joseph KnapikDr Louis BanderetDr Michael BahrkeDr John O'ConnorLTC Bruce JonesDr James VogelOccupational MEDICINE DivisionMilitary Performance and Neurosciences DivisionOccupational Health and Performance Army RESEARCH INSTITUTE of ENVIRONMENTAL MedicineNatick, MA Army Physical Fitness SchoolFt Benning, GA Army Physical Fitness RESEARCH InstituteArmy War CollegeCarlisle Barracks, PA 17013 REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE 1h pA,3 %~ DAmE -7 3 2 P~-09 TYPE AND DATfS COVERi-34 -!))

2 5 FU SRNDiNCG NJMB*RSArmy Physical Fitness Test (APFT): NormativeData on 6022 Joseph Knapik, Dr. Louis Banderet,Dr. Michael Bahrke, Dr. John O'Connor,LTC Bruce Jones and Dr. James VogelUS Army RESEARCH INSTITUTE of ENVIRONMENTAL REORM edicine, natick , M4A 01760-5007%- L. 7C C' ic 5 PONSO .N(. %13% Army Physical Fitness SchoolAGC' ( 'tFt. Benning, GA 31905 Approved for Public Release; DistributionunlimitedI The purpose of this study was to develop normative values for ArmyPhysical Fitness Test (APFT) events and to demonstrate the use ofthese-normative values. data , collected during the 1988 Active ArmyPhysical Fitness Survey by the Army Physical Fitness School(USAPFS), were analyzed for this purpose.))

3 Subjects were 5346 malesoldiers and 676 female soldiers from 14 Army installations in theUnited States. The APFT was administered by Master Fitness Trainersunder the supervision of personnel from the USAPFS. Soldierscompleted as many push-ups as possible in two minutes, as many sit-ups as possible in two minutes and performed a two-mile run for were separated into the age and gender categories on which thecurrent APFT standards are based (17-21, 2-2-26, 27-31, 32-36, 37-41,42-46, 47-51, >52 years) .Percentile dist;_ibutions were calculatedfor each event. Percentiles for raw scores arid APFT points areI CLASS "ICATION 18 SECUR!

4 TY :CATION 19 SECURITY CLASSIFICATiON 20 LIMITATION OF ABSTRACTOF Rf~'Q- OF THIS PAGE OF ABSTRACTU nclassified Unclassifed IUnclassifiedTABLE OF CONTENTSPageLIST O F TABLES .. ivACKNOW LEDGEMENTS .. viEXECUTIVE SUMMARY .. 1 INTRODUCTIO N .. 2M ETHO D S .. 3S ubjects ..3 Procedures .. 3 RESULTS .. 5 DISC USS IO N .. 6 Case No. 1 -Individual Soldier .. 6 Case No. 2 -Exceptional Performance on the APFT .. 7 Case No. 3 -Evaluation of a Unit PT Program .. 7 Case No. 4 -Comparing Soldiers of Different Age and Gender .. 8 Case No. 5 -Fitness of an Artillery Unit .. 9 Case No. 6 -Unit Fitness After a Deployment.

5 9 REFERENCES .. 46 DISTRUBITION LIST .. 47rruAJLTy I pECTI'ED 5 'arD .FV ' t -ut!LIST OF TABLEST able Number of Soldiers Requested from MilitaryInstallations and Number Actually Tested(O'Connor et al., 1990) .. 112. Physical Characteristics of the Male andFemale Soldiers by Age Group .. 123. Descriptive Statistics on the APFT Eventsfor the Male and Female Soldiers WithoutRegard to Age .. 134. APFT Raw Scores for Male Soldiers 17-21 Years .. 145. APFT Raw Scores for Male Soldiers 22-26 Years .. 156. APFT Raw Scores for Male Soldiers 27-31 Years .. 167. APFT Raw Scores for Male Soldiers 32-36 Years.

6 178. APFT Raw Scores for Male Soldiers 37-41 Years .. 189. APFT Raw Scores for Male Soldiers 42-46 Years .. 1910. APFT Raw Scores for Male Soldiers 47-51 Years .. 2011. APFT Raw Scores for Male Soldiers >52 Years' .. 2112. APFT Raw Scores for Female Soldiers 17-21 Years .. 2213. APFT Raw Scores for Female Soldiers 22-26 Years .. 2314. APFT Raw Scores for Female Soldiers 27-31 Years .. 2415. APFT Raw Scores for Female Soldiers 32-36 Years .. 2516. APFT Raw Scores for Female Soldiers 37-41 Years .. 2617. APFT Raw Scores for Female Soldiers 42-46 Years .. 27iv18. APFT Raw Scores for Female Soldiers 47-51 Years*.

7 2819. APFT Points for Male Soldiers 17-21 Years .. 2920. APFT Points for Male Soldiers 22-26 Years .. 3021. APFT Points for Male Soldiers 27-31 Years .. 3122. APFT Points for Male Soldiers 32-36 Years .. 3223. APFT Points for Male Soldiers 37-41 Years .. 3324. APFT Points for Male Soldiers 42-46 Years .. 3425. APFT Points for Male Soldiers 47-51 Years .. 3526. APFT Points for Male Soldiers >52 Years* .. 3627. APFT Points for Female Soldiers 17-21 Years .. 3728. APFT Points for Female Soldiers 22-26 Years .. 3829. APFT Points for Fema!e Soldiers 27-31 Years .. 3930. APFT Points for Female Soldiers 32-36 Years.

8 4031. APFT Points for Female Soldiers 37-41 Years .. 4132. APFT Points for Female Soldiers 42-46 Years .. 4233. APFT Points for Female Soldiers 47-51 Years' .. 4334. Worksheet Used by CPT Waber (Case 5) .. 4435. Worksheet Used by SFC Gabby (Case 6) .. 45 VACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWe want to thank the many soldiers who provided the data that made this studypossible. The cooperation of COL David White, Dr Louis Tomasi and Dr Mel Parks ofthe Army Physical Fitness School is also gratefully acknowledged. Thanks alsoto SPC Sonya Moore, SPC Tony McPherson and SPC Rex Hoyt who assembledmany of the tables in this SUMMARYThe purpose of this study was to develop normative values for Army PhysicalFitness Test (APFT) events and to demonstrate the use of these normative , collected durng the 1988 Active Army Physical Fitness Surey by the ArmyPhysical Fitness School (USAPFS), were analyzed for this purpose.

9 Subjects were5346 male soldiers and 676 female soldiers from 14 Army installations in the UnitedStates. The APFT was administered by Master Fitness Trainers under the supervisionof personnel from the USAPFS. Soldiers completed as many push-ups as possible intwo minutes, as many sit-ups as possible in two minutes and performed a two-mile runfor time. data were separated into the age and gender categories on which thecurrent APFT standards are based (17-21, 22-26, 27-31, 32-36, 37-41, 42-46, 47-51,>52 years). Percentile distributions were calculated for each event. Percentiles forraw scores and APFT points are presented in Tables 4 to 18 and Tables 19 to 33,respectively.

10 Illustrative examples show how these norms can be IINTRODUCTIONThe Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) Is an evaluation of general physicalfitness as assessed by push-ups, sit-ups and a two-mile run. The APFT is the Army'sbasic fitness assessment tool and by regulation is taken by all personnel twice a year(FM 21-20, 1984). The test objective is to evaluate ihe aerobic capacity and muscularstrength/endurance of soldiers based on their maximal effort on the test events(Knapik, 1989). The APFT is not an indicator of job performance but rather a simplemeasure of the soldier's physical fitness. Information provided by the APFT isintended to be used by commanders and individuals to assess the effectiveness ofphysical training programs and provide a basis for determining training requirementsand planning programs to address 1988 the Army Physical Fitness School (USAPFS) was charged withstudying the current level of physical fitness in active Army personnel (the 1988 ActiveArmy Physical Fitness Survey).