Are you seeking acft plank and 2 mile running tips to help score higher on the ACFT? If so, welcome to RunDreamAchieve. I am glad you have made it here. You definitely need a strong mid-section in order to run faster from the mile to the marathon. Planks, like sit-ups, can help improve your form the faster you are running. Pace sustainment is one of the biggest hurdles military members and civilians have to deal with. I served over 20 years on active duty in the US Army. So, did experience countless APFT and a couple ACFT test.
The new Arm combat fitness test was being finalized prior to my retirement in March of 2022. That being said, did get to do a couple diagnostic versions of it. I have run 9:27 for 2 miles, 14:18 for 5K and 2:19:35 for the marathon. I didn't see an online resource for military members (or civilians) to help improve cardiovascular endurance. So, created the new Army combat fitness 2 mile running course. I cover the exact strategies that helped me run at the professional level. Also, share some fundamentals that assisted me in qualifying for and getting accepted into the US Army World Class Athlete Program.
I was very fortunate to have been coached and mentored by 3 of the world's top distance running coaches. My mission with this post and the new running course is to share tactics that can help you improve. The acft plank is one of 6 events you will undergo in the Army combat fitness test. It is also the simplest of the events but will still challenge you.
How Long is Plank for ACFT?
The general time frame is around 2 minutes in order to meet the minimum time standard. I would review the acft score calculator to calculate the time you need to hit. The highest you can score in each of the six event is 100 points or a total score of 600. Of course, 360 is the minimum score you need to achieve in order to pass. Are you an enlisted Soldier or seeking to join the US Army? If so, make sure to aim for the maximum score as you will get promotion points for this if you do.
Consistent sit ups is the key to improving your acft plank hold time. Also, working on strengthening the muscles that you will be using during the event. For example, your rhomboids, trapezius and abdominal muscles. So, take your time with your preparation. Remember, it takes between 3 to 4 weeks for the body to adapt to any stress load being placed on it. Fitness cannot be rushed. So, adapt first to doing 2×50 sit ups 2 to 3 times a week before adding more reps in.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARMY ACFT 2 MILE COURSEWhat is the Plank Standard for the ACFT?
The acft score calculator mentioned above will provide the time standards you need to hold. Physical performance experts states that planks longer than 30 seconds really do you know legitimate good. Of course, the ACFT is a challenge and the goal is to hold your plank for a specific amount of time. I am far more interested in sit ups and general strength training as I am with the acft plank.
Of course, as a US military member, you have to do the best you can on each of these events. Cardiovascular endurance is essential in order to surpass the standards in all 6 events. Yes, easy running will build endurance. That being said, it won't prepare you to race 8 laps all out. So, you need to spend a higher percentage of your weekly mileage at or below your goal 2 mile race pace.
Are you member of another branch of the service or in an allied country's military? If so, I made sure to factor this into the new Army combat fitness 2 mile running course. In fact, this course can help civilians as well. The training methodology I cover in this course can help runners aiming for the mile to the marathon.
How Do I Improve my ACFT Plank?
Practice and be consistent in your preparation. It really is that simple. Nothing can take the place of consistency. You are either all in or simply lukewarm. You're either trained or untrained and the results will show it. So, focus on improving your overall strength. Do plenty of regular and hand release push ups. Of course, focus on speed development with your cardiovascular fitness as well. Remember, the better anaerobic shape you are in the more prepared you will be for the other events.
The majority of these events are explosive in nature. So, you want to focus on activities that will recruit more fast twitch muscle fibers. The more of these as athletes we can recruit the more effective we are going to run. The stronger your mid-section is the less your form will break down at maximal efforts.
ACFT 2 Mile Run Time
There is no easy ways to make running 8 laps all out, easy. That being said, there are methods to make it less stressful. I saw numerous Soldiers falling out of ability group runs in my 20 years of military service. In addition, being forced to do sprint workouts and fartlek runs when they had to base built. So, if seeking a new military workout strategy I highly advise taking a look at the Army ACFT 2 mile running course I created. Of course, US Soldiers preparing for the ACFT don't always a say during morning PT.
I focused 100% on running with a weekly strength training workout in the gym. Of course, I would get through the mandatory PT sessions just for general fitness. I had a large amount of military personnel wondering why I was so good at running. It was the amount of time and focus I put into it. You are not going to run a fast 2 mile time by running easy once or twice per week. Sure, we run in the Army but I don't think enough.
We have 3 choices in this life. We can be average, good or great. Average does just enough. Greatness demands far more than we realize. My aim in creating the new Army combat fitness 2 mile running course is to speed up your learning. I wanted to share the top strategies world-class runners taught me. In addition, share the tactics 3 of the world's top endurance coaches taught me as well.
How Do I Train for ACFT 2 Miles?
Focus on a longer build up. 16 to 20 weeks is optimal. In fact, the new running course contains a custom-built, 16-week training plan at the conclusion of it. The course consists of 9 modules containing 58 video lessons. It is the most in-depth running course online regarding running faster from 1600m to 3 miles. I know each branch of the military has their own cardiovascular race distance.
For example, the US Marines run 3 miles. The US Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard run 1.5 miles. Furthermore, the UK Army runs 2 kilometers and the Indian Army has their Soldiers run 1600m (1.6km).
In addition, I also factored in military personnel aiming for Special Forces and the Navy Seals who regularly do timed 4-milers. So, I didn't want to leave out any strategy in this course. I would recommend spending 4 weeks running easy, aerobic mileage before you start your 16-week build up. 5 months is sufficient time to drop significant time off of your current personal best.
Strides are also essential. Strides will help work on explosive power and get your heart rate up prior to the start of faster workouts. So, do 5-6x100m strides twice per week throughout your training block. You will have spent several miles or kilometers at sprint paces by doing this over a 16-20 week build up.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARMY ACFT 2 MILE COURSERun At Or Below Goal Pace More Often
Easy running will build endurance but won't improve your body's lactate tolerance. Faster, anaerobic running will. Race distances from 1600m to 4 miles are highly anaerobic in nature. So, to sustain race pace longer and get a new PR you need to train at significantly faster than goal race pace. In addition, lengthen out the duration of your tempo runs. We run between 85 to 89 percent of our maximum heart rate running at AT pace.
How consistent have you been in doing tempo runs in the past? Are you even doing tempo runs each week? If not, now the time to start. I highly recommend investing in a heart rate monitor. I use the Garmin 245 quite often. It helps me to maintain the correct heart rate during each specific intensity. Military as well as civilian athletes should focus on tempo runs ranging from 3 to 6 miles in length. Of course, you need to first adapt to what a 2 to 3 mile tempo run feels like first.
Again, it takes approximately 4 weeks for the body to adapt to any stressor being placed on it. I built the new Army combat fitness 2 mile running course to walk you through the necessary steps. In addition, how to set up your training correctly so that you don't over train.
Longer and Faster Long Runs
Don't run long and slow every single weekend. All it will do is make you a superior long, slow runner. The goal here is to run as fast as possible from the mile to 4 mile distance. Again, this will depend on the branch of service you are in. The ACFT Army test focuses on the 2 mile.
So, running 8 laps as efficiently and as fast as possible is the goal. You should run a faster long run one weekend followed the next weekend with an easy, relaxed long run.
Remember, the real benefits of your hard training come from within the rest period. So, make sure you are jogging on easy days to ensure your body adapts to the track and road workouts you are doing. Be patient. Again, a longer training build up is better. Your chances of success rise the more focused and strategic you become in your preparation.
Closing Thoughts
I hope to stay in touch with you. If interested, make sure to subscribe to the RunDreamAchieve YouTube channel. I cover various training and racing topics there each week to help runners such as yourself perform at higher levels. You are also more than welcome to visit the about page if you'd like to know more about my athletic background.
Lastly, make sure you are paying attention to mental training. Visualizing yourself daily running at the level you want to. The world's top runners spend at least 10 minutes daily in mental rehearsal. So, do this when you first get up in the morning or go to bed at night. See yourself passing people, running relaxed and getting across the finish line in your goal time. I credit mental training for helping me to set personal bests from the mile (4:22) to the marathon (2:19:35).
I look forward to hearing about your new personal best. Also, how this course impacted your training racing. Are you ready to take your times to the next level? If so, click any of the green buttons within this post to learn more about the new Army combat fitness 2 mile running course.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARMY ACFT 2 MILE COURSE
