Preparing for Army Basic Training
Ten weeks, three phases, and three things that are actually gates. Knowing which three is the difference between preparing and just getting fitter.
What is actually graded
Basic Combat Training runs about ten weeks across three phases — Red, White and Blue. Most of it is taught rather than tested, but three things are gates, and knowing which three changes how you spend the months before you ship.
| Gate | Standard |
|---|---|
| Army Fitness Test | 60 points in every event. Not a total — every event. |
| 10-mile foot march | Completed in Blue Phase, under load. |
| Obstacle and confidence courses | Clear 70% of the obstacles. |
The foot march has no published time standard — the requirement is completing it. That is not permission to arrive unable to walk ten miles with weight on your back. Finishing is a much lower bar for someone who has done eight-mile rucks than for someone whose longest walk was to the mailbox.
Sixty points per event is not a difficult standard for a prepared person, and it is a wall for an unprepared one — particularly the two-mile run and the plank. Run your current numbers through the AFT calculator and find out where you are today rather than guessing.
Before you ship
- Body composition. Recruits who do not meet the standard may go through the Future Soldier Preparatory Course first. It works, but it is time added to your contract that running four times a week for three months would have saved.
- Memorization. The Soldier’s Creed, the three General Orders, rank structure and your chain of command. All of it is learnable at home, for free, and being the person who already knows it buys you a quieter first fortnight.
- Teeth and feet. Sort out dental work and any nagging foot problem before you go. Both are far harder to deal with once you are there.
- Break in your boots if you are issued them early, and start walking distance in them.
Ten weeks of preparation
Assume no athletic base and build one. This is the shape that works from a standing start:
- Weeks 1–3 — on-ramp. Walk/run intervals rather than continuous running. Three days a week. Every calisthenic exercise regressed to a version you can do with good form: knee push-ups, incline rows, short plank holds.
- Weeks 4–7 — build. Continuous running to 20–25 minutes. Push-up and plank volume accumulating across the week rather than one heroic set. Add a weekly walk with a loaded pack, starting at three miles and 20 lb.
- Weeks 8–10 — sharpen. Run the two-mile for time every other week. Build the loaded walk toward six to eight miles. Practise the sprint-drag-carry if you can get the equipment; if not, sled pushes, farmer’s carries and shuttle sprints cover most of it.
Six days a week of PT is normal once you arrive. Arriving already conditioned means the first three weeks build on something rather than rebuilding you from injury.
How people get hurt
The most common way to have a bad BCT is to show up with an injury you gave yourself preparing for it.
- Shin splints from going from nothing to running five days a week. The walk/run on-ramp exists for this reason.
- Stress fractures from adding distance and load at the same time. One variable at a time.
- Shoulder and elbow problems from hundreds of bad-form push-ups. Fewer, better reps.
- Blisters from new boots on a long walk. Break them in over weeks.
A plan that assumes you are starting from zero
Lensatic’s shipping-to-basic plans are built for people with no athletic base — weeks 1–3 are a walk/run on-ramp and every calisthenic carries a regression. The Army plan is written around what BCT actually gates on: the AFT at 60 points an event, the 10-mile foot march and the obstacle courses. The Basic Training school on the Learn tab covers reception, what to memorize word for word, drill, weapon safety and the gas chamber.
See the plans Score your AFTQuestions
How long is Army basic training?
About ten weeks, in three phases — Red, White and Blue — not counting reception, which comes first and is not part of the ten.
What fitness test do I have to pass?
The Army Fitness Test, with 60 points in every event. It replaced the ACFT as the test of record on 1 June 2025.
How far is the foot march?
Ten miles, in Blue Phase. TRADOC policy requires completing it rather than hitting a time.
Can I go if I am overweight?
There is a body composition standard, and recruits who do not meet it may attend the Future Soldier Preparatory Course first. It is a real route in, but it adds time — meeting the standard before you ship is worth the effort.
Is this official Army guidance?
No. This is preparation guidance published by Deadlift Digital LLC, drawn from TRADOC Regulation 350-6 and the published AFT standards. Your recruiter and your orders are the authority.