AFT Hand-Release Push-Up Explained

What Is the AFT Hand-Release Push-Up?

The AFT hand-release push-up (HRP) is the second event of the Army Fitness Test and its test of upper-body muscular endurance. The event assesses the Muscular Endurance component of fitness as its primary component, with Flexibility as the secondary component, according to the U.S. Army's "Army Fitness Test" event standards at army.mil/aft (September 2026 version). The HRP tracks the repetitive pushing of combat tasks such as pushing an opponent away, pushing a stuck vehicle, and pushing up from the ground.

The hand release is what separates the HRP from the older standard push-up. Because the body rests on the ground and the arms leave the pushing position on every repetition, the Soldier cannot bounce out of the bottom on stored elastic energy and must press from a dead stop each time.

What Does HRP Mean in the AFT?

HRP means Hand-Release Push-Up, the abbreviation used for the second AFT event on scorecards and in test documentation. The full official event name is the Hand-Release Push-Up–Arm Extension, which names the lateral arm extension that each repetition requires.

Where Does the Hand-Release Push-Up Fit in the AFT Event Order Before the Sprint-Drag-Carry?

The hand-release push-up is the second of the five AFT events, performed immediately after the 3-Repetition Maximum Deadlift and immediately before the Sprint-Drag-Carry. The full AFT event order is the 3-Repetition Maximum Deadlift (MDL), the Hand-Release Push-Up (HRP), the Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC), the Plank (PLK), and the Two-Mile Run (2MR).

The HRP begins after the last group finishes the deadlift, so Soldiers move from a lower-body strength event to an upper-body endurance event before the high-intensity Sprint-Drag-Carry.

How Does the AFT Hand-Release Push-Up Work?

The AFT hand-release push-up works as one indivisible sequence of six graded movements, repeated as many times as possible in two minutes. On "GET SET," the Soldier lies prone with the hands flat beneath the shoulders, and on "GO," the Soldier pushes up into the front-leaning rest, the up position each repetition starts from and finishes in.

From the front-leaning rest, each repetition lowers the body to the ground, extends both arms out to the sides, returns the hands under the shoulders, and presses back to full elbow extension. The timer calls out one minute remaining, 30 seconds remaining, and a final 10-second countdown, and the command "STOP" ends the set. The repetition works as one unbroken motion, starting from the position described below.

1. Assume the Front-Leaning Rest Starting Position

A valid AFT hand-release push-up starts from the prone position the Soldier takes on "GET SET": the hands flat on the ground beneath the shoulders, with the index fingers inside the outer edge of the shoulders, and the chest and the front of the hips and thighs on the ground. The toes touch the ground, the feet are together or up to a boot's width apart, and the ankles are flexed.

On "GO," the Soldier pushes the whole body up as a single unit to full elbow extension, reaching the front-leaning rest with a straight line from head to ankles. The set position carries directly into the descent that follows.

2. Lower the Body to the Ground

A valid AFT hand-release push-up lowers the body to the ground in one motion by bending the elbows until the chest, hips, and thighs touch the ground together as a single unit. The head or face does not have to touch the ground. The body stays straight from head to ankles during the descent, and the knees never go down to support the body, since a knee on the ground from the front-leaning rest ends the event.

3. Release Both Hands From the Ground

A valid AFT hand-release push-up moves both hands out of the pushing position once the body is on the ground, without moving the head, body, or legs. The hands do not have to clear the ground: the arms and hands may touch or slide along the ground as they move outward. What ends a valid repetition is an incomplete movement, such as one arm staying in the pushing position or both arms stopping short of the full extension described in the next step.

4. Extend Both Arms From the Body

A valid AFT hand-release push-up extends both arms straight out to the sides into a generally straight T position, with the elbows straight. The arms travel outward from the body until they reach that T, and a partial extension does not count. The completed extension moves straight into re-setting the hands.

5. Return Both Hands Under the Shoulders

A valid AFT hand-release push-up brings both hands back to the starting position under the shoulders, the same placement the repetition started from, with the index fingers inside the outer edge of the shoulders. The Soldier moves the hands back immediately after the extension, and the press may begin only once both hands are set. Failing to bring the hands back to the starting position invalidates the repetition.

6. Press the Body to Full Lockout

A valid AFT hand-release push-up finishes with a one-motion press that raises the whole body as a single unit until the elbows lock out in the front-leaning rest. The body keeps the straight head-to-ankle line through the press, with the hips and shoulders rising together. Failing to fully extend the elbows in the up position is a movement error, and each completed repetition counts toward a total that has to fit inside the two-minute window.

What Are the AFT Hand-Release Push-Up Time and Rest Rules?

The AFT hand-release push-up time limit is 2 minutes, and Soldiers complete as many correct repetitions as possible inside that window. The NCOIC or timer starts a common 2:00 clock for all lanes on "GO," calls out the time remaining, and ends the set with "STOP," so individual graders do not time the event, according to "ATP 7-22.01 Holistic Health and Fitness Testing" by Headquarters, Department of the Army, March 2026.

The front-leaning rest is the only authorized rest position during the two minutes. Leaving the front-leaning rest to rest, lifting a hand or foot from the ground in the up position, placing a knee on the ground, or failing to make a continuous effort to rise from the ground ends the event before time expires. Otherwise, the set ends when the clock reaches two minutes.

What Counts as a Valid AFT Hand-Release Push-Up?

A valid AFT hand-release push-up meets the grading standard in every phase of the repetition. The valid repetition checklist is shown in the table below:

Repetition Phase	What the Grader Must See	Position or Contact Requirement
Starting position	Prone body with hands under the shoulders	Hands flat, index fingers inside the outer edge of the shoulders; feet together or up to a boot's width apart; ankles flexed
Push to front-leaning rest	Whole body rising as a single unit	Elbows fully extended; straight line from head to ankles
Descent	Body lowering in one motion	Chest, hips, and thighs reach the ground together; no arched back or extended neck
Ground contact	Full torso and thigh contact	Chest, hips, and thighs on the ground; the head or face does not need to touch
Arm extension	Both arms moving out to the sides	Arms in a generally straight T; hands may touch or slide along the ground
Hand re-set	Hands back in the starting position	Hands returned under the shoulders before the press
Lockout	Body rising as one unit to the top	Elbows fully extended; straight body line; feet within a boot's width

Headquarters, Department of the Army sets the four movements and the movement errors behind the checklist in "ATP 7-22.01 Holistic Health and Fitness Testing," March 2026. Each repetition the grader accepts turns into points through the scoring process below.

How Is the AFT Hand-Release Push-Up Scored?

The AFT hand-release push-up is scored by converting the number of correct repetitions into 0 to 100 points on the age- and sex-normed tables. The minimum passing score is 60 points, which takes between 10 and 15 repetitions depending on age and sex, and the maximum score of 100 points takes between 24 and 62 repetitions, according to the "Army Fitness Test Score Tables" published by the U.S. Army, effective June 2025.

Repetitions beyond the 100-point count add nothing, and a push-up score below 60 points fails the whole AFT regardless of the other events. The HRP points join the other four event scores in the AFT total out of 500 points.

Which Current AFT Scoring Standards and Tables Apply?

The current AFT scoring standards for the hand-release push-up are the Army Fitness Test score tables approved on 15 May 2025 and effective 1 June 2025. The repetition counts for the minimum and maximum scores are shown in the table below:

Age Group	Standard Applied	Repetitions for Minimum Passing Score (60 Points)	Repetitions for Maximum Score (100 Points)
17-21	General (male and female) and Combat	15 male and Combat / 11 female	58 male and Combat / 53 female
22-26	General (male and female) and Combat	14 male and Combat / 11 female	61 male and Combat / 50 female
27-31	General (male and female) and Combat	14 male and Combat / 11 female	62 male and Combat / 48 female
32-36	General (male and female) and Combat	13 male and Combat / 11 female	60 male and Combat / 47 female
37-41	General (male and female) and Combat	12 male and Combat / 10 female	59 male and Combat / 43 female
42-46	General (male and female) and Combat	11 male and Combat / 10 female	57 male and Combat / 40 female
47-51	General (male and female) and Combat	11 male and Combat / 10 female	55 male and Combat / 38 female
52-56	General (male and female) and Combat	10 male and Combat / 10 female	51 male and Combat / 36 female
57-61	General (male and female) and Combat	10 male and Combat / 10 female	46 male and Combat / 24 female
Over 62	General (male and female) and Combat	10 male and Combat / 10 female	43 male and Combat / 24 female

The "Army Fitness Test Score Tables," approved on 15 May 2025 and effective 1 June 2025, set those counts, and the in-force version is verified on the Army's AFT page at army.mil/aft, which posts the current score tables. Those repetition counts only hold when every repetition meets the standard, which is why the errors below cost points.

What Common Errors Make an AFT Hand-Release Push-Up a No-Rep?

The common errors that make an AFT hand-release push-up a no-rep are listed below, with the phase each occurs in and the correction that prevents it:

Hands Not Under the Shoulders (Step 1): hands set too wide or too far forward at the start; set the index fingers inside the outer edge of the shoulders before "GO."
Feet Too Wide (Steps 1 and 6): feet more than a boot's width apart at any point; keep the feet together or within one boot's width for the whole set.
Hips Sagging or Piking (Steps 2 and 6): the body line breaks during the descent or the press; brace the core and glutes so the body moves as one rigid unit.
Chest, Hips, and Thighs Not Reaching the Ground Together (Step 2): the hips stay up while the chest touches, or the chest stays up with an arched back; lower in one motion until all three touch at once.
Resting on the Floor or on the Knees (Step 2): dropping a knee from the front-leaning rest or pausing on the ground without effort ends the event; rest only in the front-leaning rest.
Incomplete Arm Extension (Steps 3 and 4): one or both arms stop short of a generally straight T; sweep both arms fully out to the sides every repetition.
Hands Not Returned Before Pressing (Step 5): the press starts before both hands are back under the shoulders; re-set both hands before pushing.
Elbows Short of Lockout (Step 6): the Soldier starts the next descent from bent elbows; finish every press with the elbows fully extended.
Repeating the Arm Extension on the Ground: repeating the hand-release movement before rising ends the event; perform the extension once per repetition.

Who Counts and Grades AFT Hand-Release Push-Up Repetitions?

The AFT hand-release push-up is counted and graded by the lane grader, who tests one Soldier at a time in an assigned lane and watches every movement of every repetition. The grader counts only the correct repetitions and records the total on the DA Form 705-TEST, while the NCOIC or timer runs the common clock for all lanes.

A repetition with a movement error does not count, and the Soldier continues with the next repetition while time remains. A rejected repetition is not replayed or restored: the AFT has no event restarts, and the Soldier signs the scorecard before leaving the test site to confirm the recorded count.

What Does the Hand-Release Push-Up Starting Position Require?

The hand-release push-up starting position requires the Soldier to lie prone on "GET SET" with the hands flat on the ground beneath the shoulders, the index fingers inside the outer edge of the shoulders. The chest and the front of the hips and thighs rest on the ground, the toes touch the ground, the feet are together or up to a boot's width apart, and the ankles are flexed. The head does not have to be on the ground, according to "ATP 7-22.01 Holistic Health and Fitness Testing" by Headquarters, Department of the Army, March 2026.

The hands return to the same placement to complete every repetition, and the straight line from head to ankles has to hold from the first push on "GO" to the end of the set.

How Should the Body Stay Aligned During the Repetition?

The body should stay in a straight line from the head to the ankles during the whole repetition, with the hips level with the shoulders and heels, neither sagging nor piking. Extending the neck or arching the back to keep the chest off the ground breaks that alignment, and the repetition does not count. Continuous core and glute tension holds the line, and the floor phase is where the held body line is tested.

What Does the Hand-Release Push-Up Bottom Position Require?

The hand-release push-up bottom position requires a completed single-motion descent in which the chest, hips, and thighs reach the ground together as one unit. The bottom position is the transition from the lowering phase to the arm extension, and the straight body alignment from the start still applies.

No part of the body may be used to rest or push: the knees stay off the ground, and the Soldier may not rest on the ground without a continuous effort to rise. The bottom position removes the elastic rebound of a standard push-up, so every press starts from a stationary, fully grounded position.

What Ground Contact Is Required During the Floor Phase?

The ground contact required during the floor phase is the chest, the hips, and the thighs, all touching the ground together. The head or face does not have to touch the ground. Contact fails the requirement when the hips stay up while the chest touches, when the chest stays off the ground behind an arched back or extended neck, or when a knee goes down to support the body. The bottom-position contact then gives way to the demands of the finished lockout.

What Does the Hand-Release Push-Up Top Position Require?

The hand-release push-up top position requires a full elbow lockout, with the arms straight and no bend left at the elbows. The body returns to the front-leaning rest, a straight line from head to heels supported on the hands and toes, with the feet together or up to a boot's width apart.

The repetition counts only when the full cycle meets the standard, including a top position reached with the elbows fully extended and the body held as one unit. Incomplete elbow extension or a broken head-to-heel line at the top is a movement error.

How Should Soldiers Pace AFT Hand-Release Push-Ups for Two Minutes?

Soldiers should pace AFT hand-release push-ups with a set-and-rest plan rather than working to complete failure, because the front-leaning rest is the only authorized rest and a failure that drops a knee ends the event. A common plan banks a large share of the target, around 60 to 70 percent, in the first minute while form is sharpest, then finishes the second minute in shorter sets of 5 to 8 repetitions with brief pauses in the front-leaning rest. A Soldier aiming for 50 repetitions would target about 30 to 35 in the first minute and the remaining 15 to 20 in the second. A 2014 study by Halperin et al. in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that anticipating a known number of maximal contractions changed the pacing strategy subjects used, which supports planning the two-minute set around its known end point.

What Physical Qualities Support Hand-Release Push-Up Performance?

The physical qualities that support hand-release push-up performance are listed below:

Upper-Body Muscular Endurance: governs the whole two-minute set; a shortfall shows as slowing repetitions and missed lockouts in the second minute.
Relative Pressing Strength: governs the press off the floor and the lockout; a shortfall shows as a stalled press from the dead stop, especially for heavier Soldiers.
Shoulder Stability: governs the arm extension and hand re-set, where the lateral extension loads the shoulders; a shortfall shows as collapsing or uneven shoulders.
Scapular Control: governs the outward sweep and return of the arms; a shortfall shows as shrugging or winging that shortens the T.
Core Strength and Trunk Endurance: governs the head-to-ankle line during the descent and press; a shortfall shows as sagging or piking hips.
Thoracic and Shoulder Mobility: governs the arm extension; a shortfall shows as arms that stop short of a straight T.
Pressing Power-Endurance: governs repetition speed under fatigue; a shortfall shows as a sharp drop in repetition quality late in the set.
Movement Coordination Under Fatigue: governs the timing of all six movements; a shortfall shows as rushed contact, incomplete extensions, or missed lockouts.

A 2024 study of 2,125 Soldiers by Grier et al. in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that Soldiers with higher relative strength, deadlifting at least 1.5 times body mass for men or 1.25 times for women, outperformed Soldiers with lower relative strength in all six ACFT events, including the hand-release push-up.

How Do Mobility and Readiness Affect Hand-Release Push-Ups?

Mobility and readiness affect hand-release push-ups through the arm extension and the body line. Shoulder and thoracic mobility let the arms sweep out into a straight T and return under the shoulders without the chest lifting, while hip mobility and core control keep the pelvis from tilting and the hips from sagging during the descent and press. Flexibility is the event's secondary assessed component, so dynamic warm-ups and mobility work before the test support more valid repetitions.

How Should Soldiers Prepare for AFT Hand-Release Push-Ups?

Soldiers should prepare for AFT hand-release push-ups with a structured plan that builds endurance and locks in the standard. The AFT hand-release push-up preparation steps are listed below:

Run a Diagnostic Maximum Test: complete a full two-minute set to the standard to establish the current repetition count.
Set the Target Repetition Count: read the 60-point and 100-point counts for the Soldier's age and sex from the current score tables and pick a target between them.
Accumulate Submaximal Volume: perform multiple sets below failure, keeping every repetition to standard so practice never trains no-reps.
Work the Mechanics: drill the prone start, one-motion descent, full T extension, hand re-set, and lockout until the sequence is automatic.
Rehearse Two-Minute Pacing: practice the set-and-rest plan against a clock, with rests only in the front-leaning rest.
Retest Before Test Day: run a full two-minute retest one to two weeks before the record test and adjust training to the result.

Which Drills Improve Hand-Release Push-Up Mechanics?

The drills that improve hand-release push-up mechanics are listed below:

Dead-Stop Floor Reps: corrects rushing out of the bottom; lower fully, extend the arms into the T, pause, re-set, and press.
Paused Repetitions: corrects lost tension; pause on the floor or at the re-set before each press.
Tempo Repetitions: corrects an uncontrolled descent; lower over three seconds to a clear floor contact, then press crisply to lockout.
Hand-Placement Drills: corrects inconsistent hand width; repeatedly find the start position with the index fingers inside the outer edge of the shoulders.
Plank-to-Press Alignment Work: corrects sagging or piking; hold a rigid front-leaning rest, then press without letting the torso break into segments.
Arm-Extension Patterning: corrects a short T; sweep both arms fully out to the sides and back on every repetition.
Top-Position Lockout Practice: corrects soft elbows; finish every repetition in a solid front-leaning rest with the elbows straight.

Which Exercises Support Hand-Release Push-Up Performance?

The exercises that support hand-release push-up performance are listed below:

Floor Press: builds pressing strength from a dead stop, targeting the press off the floor.
Tempo Push-Ups: build control of the descent and the single-unit body line, targeting the lowering phase.
Close-Grip Bench Press: builds the triceps and front shoulders, targeting the lockout.
Overhead Press: builds shoulder strength and trunk control, targeting the arm extension and body line.
Plank-to-Push-Up Transitions: build core stability and hip control, targeting the straight line from start to finish.
Band-Resisted Push-Ups: overload the top range, targeting the lockout.
Dumbbell Floor Press: builds dead-stop pressing one arm at a time, targeting the press off the floor and left-right balance.
Dead-Stop Push-Ups: replicate the event's full stop at the bottom, targeting both the press off the floor and the pattern.

Push-ups and bench presses matched for muscle activity produced similar strength gains, according to "Bench press and push-up at comparable levels of muscle activity results in similar strength gains" by Calatayud et al., January 2015, so loaded pressing and push-up variations both build the press. The selected exercises then feed the week-by-week schedule that sequences them.

How Should Hand-Release Push-Up Training Progress?

Hand-release push-up training should progress through a block that builds volume, sharpens mechanics and pacing, and tapers into a retest. A sample hand-release push-up progression block is shown in the table below:

Week	Session Volume Against the Tested Maximum	Repetition Target	Weekly Focus
1	One full two-minute test (100 percent)	Baseline count	Diagnostic maximum and target setting
2	2 to 3 sets at about 60 percent of the maximum, rests up to 30 seconds	12 or more repetitions per set	Submaximal volume and technique
3	3 to 4 sets at 60 to 70 percent	12 or more repetitions per set	Tempo and paused repetitions
4	Timed sets at 75 to 85 percent	Target first-minute count	Two-minute pacing rehearsal
5	Timed sets at 80 to 85 percent (peak volume)	Full target split	Pacing plan under fatigue
6	About 50 percent of peak volume	Crisp, perfect repetitions	Taper and recovery
7	One full two-minute retest (100 percent)	New maximum	Retest under test-day conditions

"FM 7-22 Holistic Health and Fitness," published by Headquarters, Department of the Army (Change 2, August 2025), sets muscular endurance training at about 60 percent of maximum, 12 or more repetitions, 2 to 3 sets, and rests of up to 30 seconds, the loading behind weeks 2 and 3. Light-to-moderate loads of 40 to 60 percent of the one-repetition maximum for more than 15 repetitions with rests under 90 seconds build local muscular endurance, according to "Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy Adults" by the American College of Sports Medicine, March 2009. The retest runs at least three days after the last high-volume session, with a grader and the "GO" command, so the result reflects test-day conditions.

What Should Soldiers Remember About AFT Hand-Release Push-Up Standards?

Soldiers should remember that an AFT hand-release push-up counts only when every movement meets the standard: the push to a straight-line front-leaning rest, the one-motion descent until the chest, hips, and thighs touch, the full T extension, the hands returned under the shoulders, and the press to full elbow lockout, with the front-leaning rest as the only rest. The final count is read against the current AFT score tables, where 60 points takes 15 repetitions for a male Soldier aged 17 to 21 and 11 for a female Soldier, and 100 points takes 58 and 53.

Correct mechanics produce valid repetitions, valid repetitions produce the score, and together they make the AFT hand-release push-up a test of endurance held to a strict standard for two full minutes.

How Do You Calculate Your AFT Hand-Release Push-Up Score?

Your hand-release push-up score comes from the number of correct repetitions, read against the Army's tables for your age band, your sex, and your standard, General or Combat. Only the repetitions the grader accepts count toward it.

The calculator reads the same tables, approved on 15 May 2025. Enter your repetitions in the AFT score calculator to see your push-up points, how many more repetitions the next point takes, and your AFT total with the other four events.