Are you searching for more information on how to do properly do a hand release push ups? Would you like to run a faster 2 mile time on your Army combat fitness test (ACFT)? If so, welcome to RunDreamAchieve. I am glad you have arrived here. I retired from the US Army in March of 2022 serving just over 20 years on active duty. That being said, I do understand working a full-time military job and training to be as fit as possible can be a challenge. The hand release push up is one of the 6 events that US Soldiers undergo in the Army Combat Fitness test. Push ups definitely are definitely important for military members. We need to have strong cardiovascular endurance as well as muscular strength in the terrain we operate under as military members.
Hand release push ups measure your muscular strength and endurance.
The necessary steps to conduct a hand release push up are as follows:
- First start off by lying prone position on the ground
- Ensure your hands are between your shoulder blades
- Next, push up with your arms extended all the way
- Stay in the front lean and rest position by bringing yourself back down to the ground
- Push your arms out to a T with your head up
- You then repeat the steps listed above for each next repetition until muscle failure
Do Hand Release Push Ups Build Muscle?
Hand release push ups will certainly help build muscle. The key strategy is to stay consistent. The hand release push up allows the athlete 10% more range of motion as compared with the regular push up. Physiological adaptation to the training we do takes between 3 to 4 weeks to occur. So, be patient. The body always adapts provided we give it sufficient time to do so.
The benefits of the hard training you are putting in today will be seen several weeks and months from now. Military members are already highly motivated individuals. The problems comes when we try to rush into great fitness.
What are Hand Release Push-Ups Good For?
Hand release push ups strengthen the chest muscles. For example, your pectoral muscles and anterior deltoids. Runners definitely will benefits from doing push ups on a regular basis. The faster we run the more oxygen is required. So, having a strong mid-section and upper body from doing push ups and sit ups we’ll ensure you are set up for success.
The amount of push ups each day is up to you. That being said, I would aim to do at least 25 every other day for staters. Again, give yourself enough time to adapt to this first. So, do this for 3 weeks then move into adding a few additional sets until you are doing 4×25 reps every other day. Of course, you can always add more and do hand release push ups daily instead of every other day as time passes.
Endurance runners often lose their form when running at faster, anaerobic paces. So, military members and civilians consistently doing push ups will have a higher chances of success to run at faster paces. Are you aiming to run faster over the 2 mile (3.2km) distance? If so, the new Army ACFT Embrace the Suck 2 mile running course I created may be of interest to you.
Success Leaves Clues
I have run 9:27 for the 2-mile distance, 14:18 for 5K and 2:19:35 for the marathon. I was also fortunate to have served with the US Army World Class Athlete Program headquartered at Fort Carson, Colorado. So, my goal in creating this running course is to teach others the exact tactics I followed to become a professional runner. I also share the fundamentals 3 of the world’s top distance running coaches shared with me. Pace sustainment is one of the biggest challenges that military members as well as civilians face. The main tactic in creating this course was to teach athletes how to improve the body’s lactate tolerance.
Easy running is still important will build your endurance. That being said, it won’t prepare you to deal with higher levels of lactic acid built up. Fast, anaerobic running will. Of course, easy running is still vitally important. There is only so many times you can stress the energy systems of the body. So, you have to ensure that you are running easy enough on recovery days to adapt to the hard training that you are doing.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARMY ACFT 2 MILE COURSEHow Many Push Ups Do You Have to do in the Army?
The new Army ACFT requires US Soldiers do 60 hand release push ups in order to earn 60 points. 600 points is the max score on the new army acft fitness test. My goal with this post is to also share with you some running strategies to help you drop significant time off of your 2MR. Yes, hand release push ups are still very important. That being said, running more is also essential. One of the common mistakes I saw service members making was simply running too slow. In addition, not running enough. It is tough to run a fast 2 mile time running once or twice per week during morning PT. The world’s top middle to long distance runners are running between 35 to 40 percent of their weekly mileage at their anaerobic threshold or faster.
So, you want to train longer at your anaerobic threshold. Tempo runs are examples of training at the anaerobic threshold effort. Athletes are running between 85 to 89 percent of their maximum heart rate at their anaerobic threshold. I highly recommend investing in a heart rate monitor. I use the Garmin 245. It helps me to stay in the correct heart rate zone while I am running. AT runs are very important to run a time over the 2 mile distance. What has been the longest tempo run you usually do on a weekly basis? 2 miles? 3? Are you consistently doing tempo runs on a weekly basis? If not, now is the time to start implementing that into your training regiment. We have three choices in this life. We can be average, good or great. Greatness will require far more out of than we realize.
How Do I Train for ACFT 2 miles?
The first and most important step is to build your base mileage. I would recommend spending 4 weeks running easy, aerobic mileage. The best time frame to train properly to drop significant time off of your current 2 mile best is 16 to 20 weeks. Also running strides twice per week is very important. So, start doing 5-6x100m strides twice a week. The purpose of running easy, aerobic mileage is to strengthen your tendons, muscles and ligaments before moving into doing faster, anaerobic training. Remember, a the longer your build up the better prepared you are going to be. The new Army ACFT Embrace the Suck 2 mile running course I created concludes with a customer 16-week training plan built around your specific goal 2 mile time. So, you will know what workouts you need to be doing and at what paces you need to do them at.
The course also contains 9 modules consisting of 58 video lessons. So, you will be learning the exact tactics I used to run 9:27. In addition, the strategies the world’s top middle to long distance runners use to run faster from the mile to the marathon. I didn’t see an online resource for military members to improve their cardiovascular endurance. So, wanted to ensure this course went above and beyond to ensure you are set up for success.
How Can I Max My 2 Mile Run?
Consistent action. Nothing can take the place of tenacity. Are you lacking genetic talent? No problem. You can make up for it with your work ethic. The only difference is it may take you much longer than someone who was born with genetics. I, too, didn’t have a great deal of talent. What I did have was work ethic and had to rely on that to succeed in this sport.
Fast 2 mile run times will vary depends on who you ask. US Soldiers who are 17 to 21 years old need to run a time of 13:22 to earn 100 points in the 2-mile event. Of course, the 2 mile time you need to run in order to get 100 points will depend on what age group you fall under. So, review the acft score calculator first, find your goal time and start working on getting that 2 mile pace to feel easier. The key strartegy is you get that goal 2 mile race pace to feel more in control. Remember, the faster you can run 2 miles the more competitive you are going to be at the 5K to marathon distances.
Jog On Recovery Days
Are you seeking to race at the Army 10 miler or run in the Marine Corps Marathon? If so, then you definitely want to work on your overall leg speed. Service members (regardless of branch or what country they are in) are not going to run a fast 2-mile time or lower their personal record by running once or twice per week. Average service members run a couple times a week as required. Great runners are focused on all the fundamentals to take their training and racing to the next level.
Disregard pace on easy days. Focus on recovery. Again, you want to make sure you are adapting to the hard training that you will undergo in this course. This course covers the exact workouts you need to be doing in order to run faster from the mile to the marathon distance.
The fact that you are here at RunDreamAchieve already tells me you are highly motivated and seeking to be a better runner. I created the new Army Combat Fitness Test 2-mile running course to help average athletes transition to great athletes. I share the exact fundamentals that helped me to compete at the professional level.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARMY ACFT 2 MILE COURSEHow Do I Train to Run 2 Miles in the Army?
There are running tactics I cover in thus course you can change today and drop time without doing any additional training. I consistently saw military members making one massive mistake during the 2-mile in the APFT and ACFT tests. I cover something you can change in terms of your equipment that can drastically help you run more effective. It is also very easy thing to change the morning of your ACFT fitness exam. Are you a service member in another branch of the military? Are you serving in the military but in another allied country?
If so, the Army ACFT 2 mile running course was also designed for you as well. I know each military branch have their own running standards and requirements. For example, the Indian army run 1.6km (1600m) on their physical fitness test (PFT). Furthermore, our US Air Force, Coast Guard and Navy all run 1.5 miles on their fitness tests. The US Marines run 3 miles and those seeking to attend Navy Seal training need to run 4 miles in at least 31 minutes.
So, the key to run faster from 1600m or longer is stressing the anaerobic energy systems of the body properly. In addition, allotting sufficient time for your body to adapt to the hard training you are putting it through. So, 2 days of easy, aerobic running in between harder, anaerobic workouts is mandatory. I would also recommend to start running your long runs at faster paces. No, you don’t need to aim at running your entire long run at faster paces. That being said, there should be varied paced efforts throughout your long run. I recommend doing a varied paced, faster long run one weekend followed the next by a relaxed and easy long run the next.
Focus on Your Speed Development
Faster, speed work will help to recruit more fast twitch muscle fibers. Easy running will not produce this physiological training effect. Fast, anaerobic workouts will. The more fast twitch muscle fibers you can recruit the more economical (efficient) you are going to race. The vast majority of military members are running too aggressive in the early stages of their run events. So, proper pacing is also key. I always advice athletes to focus on a negative split.
So, focus on running the second half of your run event faster than you run the first half. Military (as well as civilians) need to be doing 1, vo2 max workout weekly. Our vo2 max is our body’s maximum oxygen uptake. It is running at speeds so fast we can’t clear lactic acid faster than it is building up. Naturally, we have to take small recovery breaks in between our intervals. The bad news is it is extremely painful. Workouts like this will test you both mentally as well as physically. The good news is it will improve your body’s lactate tolerance.
The result is you will be able to sustain your goal military run event pace longer. In addition, slow down less than your team members. Again, aim to attack in the second half of your run event. Be patient, focus on staying as relaxed as you can while running at top speeds. You can practice this in training. Make training the most difficult part of your preparation. The morning of your military physical fitness test is not the day to be tense and uptight. So, take confidence in your preparation. I am certain that if you follow the strategies I cover in this new military running course you will drop substantial time.
Closing Thoughts
Would you like to keep in touch? If so, make sure to subscribe to the RunDreamAchieve YouTube channel. I create new training videos each week to help runners such as yourself get to the next level. How often are you focusing on mental training each week? Do you regularly visualize yourself running fast and crossing the finish line with your goal time on the clock?
If not, start doing so. Make this a part of your training regiment. Remember, your goals have to start in the mind before they are ever going to become a reality in real life. The best time to train mentally is when you first get up in the morning or when you go to bed at night. So, take 10 minutes and mentally rehearse seeing yourself performing at the level you are aiming for. In addition, running relaxed and passing people during the acft army physical fitness test.
I am certain that if you follow the running tips I discuss in this new running course you will drop significant time off of your current 2 mile best. I look forward to interviewing you after you finish this course and follow the training. Also, would be willing to share your story on the YouTube channel.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARMY ACFT 2 MILE COURSE
