AFT Plank Explained

What Is the AFT Plank (PLK)?

The AFT Plank (PLK) is a timed static hold on the forearms and toes and the fourth of the five scored events in the Army Fitness Test (AFT). Army Directive 2025-06 (Army Fitness Test), signed by Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll in April 2025, made the Army Fitness Test the test of record in place of the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) on 1 June 2025, and the plank carried over from the ACFT, where it had replaced the leg tuck in the March 2022 revision.

Every Soldier taking the full AFT performs the plank, whether in the Regular Army, the Army Reserve, or the Army National Guard, and a Soldier on a permanent profile takes it unless the profile excludes it. The choice of a static hold follows from what the Army wants the event to show.

What Is the Purpose of the AFT Plank Event?

The purpose of the AFT Plank event is to test trunk stability, the core-static strength and endurance Soldiers rely on when they carry loads and hold stable positions. The static hold replaced the rep-counted leg tuck in the ACFT's March 2022 revision, so the core event now grades how long the trunk holds a straight line instead of how many times the body can be pulled toward a bar. The event's purpose carries into the fitness components it is scored against.

What Does the AFT Plank Measure?

The AFT Plank measures the Muscular Endurance component of fitness through core strength and endurance, with Balance as a secondary component, according to the U.S. Army's "Army Fitness Test" event standards at army.mil/aft (September 2026 version). ATP 7-22.01 describes the same event as a test of core-static strength and endurance, the endurance of the trunk muscles that hold the spine and pelvis in place, and the balance demand comes from supporting the body on only the forearms, hands, and toes for the length of the attempt. The plank is the AFT's muscular endurance test for the core, distinct from the strength graded by the deadlift.

Which AFT Event Is the Plank?

The five AFT events are listed below in test order, with the plank fourth:

1. 3-Repetition Maximum Deadlift (MDL): muscular strength of the lower body, grip, and core.
2. Hand-Release Push-Up (HRP): upper-body muscular endurance.
3. Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC): anaerobic capacity, muscular endurance, and muscular strength.
4. Plank (PLK): core-static strength and endurance, held on the forearms and toes.
5. Two-Mile Run (2MR): aerobic endurance.

All five events score on the same 0 to 100 point scale, and the event scores combine into a total out of 500 points.

3-Repetition Maximum Deadlift

The 3-Repetition Maximum Deadlift (MDL) measures muscular strength through the heaviest load a Soldier lifts for three consecutive repetitions on a 60-pound hex bar. The Soldier selects the weight, starting from the 120-pound minimum lane, and the heaviest successful set becomes the raw score. The score chart sets the minimum passing load at 150 pounds for male and Combat Soldiers aged 17 to 31, 140 pounds from age 32, and 120 pounds for female Soldiers. The MDL reflects lifting ammunition, equipment, and casualties.

Hand-Release Push-Up

The Hand-Release Push-Up (HRP) measures upper-body muscular endurance through the number of correct repetitions completed in a two-minute window. Each repetition lowers the chest, hips, and thighs to the ground, extends both arms straight out to the sides in a T position (the hands may touch or slide along the ground), returns the hands to the starting position, and presses back up to full elbow extension. The repetition count converts to points on the age- and sex-normed tables.

Sprint-Drag-Carry

The Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC) measures anaerobic capacity through five 50-meter shuttles run without rest: a sprint, a backward drag of a 90-pound sled, a lateral shuffle, a carry of two 40-pound kettlebells, and a final sprint. The 250-meter total is timed, and a faster time scores higher on the age- and sex-normed tables. The SDC reflects reacting to fire, building a fighting position, and extracting a casualty.

Two-Mile Run

The Two-Mile Run (2MR) measures aerobic (cardiorespiratory) endurance on a measured, generally flat course and is the fifth and final AFT event. The finish time converts to points on the current score chart. A male Soldier aged 17 to 21 needs 19:57 for 60 points and 13:22 for 100 points, and a female Soldier in the same band needs 22:55 and 16:00.

How Does a Soldier Perform the AFT Plank?

A Soldier performs the AFT Plank in one continuous attempt, from a kneeling forearm setup through a timed straight-line hold to termination, with no restart. On "GET READY," the Soldier sets the hands, elbows, and forearms on the ground with one or both knees down, on "GET SET," the Soldier lifts both knees and brings the hips into a straight line with the legs, shoulders, and head, and on "GO," the grader starts the stopwatch.

The Soldier holds the straight head-to-heel line on the forearms and toes for as long as possible. A knee or other body part touching the ground, or a hand or foot lifting, ends the hold at once, while a sagging or raised hip draws one verbal warning before termination. The time on the stopwatch when the hold ends becomes the raw score, and the whole sequence depends on a testing area and start conditions prepared as described below.

How Is the AFT Plank Testing Area Set Up and Started?

The AFT Plank testing area is a flat lane on grass, turf, or an indoor floor with room for the Soldier to lie at full length, with optional foam or rubber mats. When a mat is used, the Soldier's whole body must be on the mat, and sleeping mats are not authorized. Each lane has a grader positioned to see the Soldier's alignment and contact points, and the grader times the hold on one stopwatch per lane.

The plank begins after the last group finishes the Sprint-Drag-Carry. The NCOIC calls the first Soldier in each lane forward with "GET READY," then gives "GRADERS READY" once the graders are in position, and the prepared lane receives the exact posture the Soldier builds on command.

What Is the Required AFT Plank Starting Position?

The required AFT Plank starting position is the kneeling forearm posture a Soldier assembles on the command "GET READY." The hands rest on the ground either as fists with the pinky side down or flat with the palms down, no more than a fist-width apart, with the fingers not interlocked. The elbows are bent and aligned with the shoulders, and the forearms lie flat on the ground, forming a triangle, while the hips stay bent with one or both knees resting on the ground, according to "ATP 7-22.01 Holistic Health and Fitness Testing" by Headquarters, Department of the Army, March 2026. From that starting position, the Soldier lifts into the alignment described below.

How Does a Soldier Maintain Proper AFT Plank Alignment?

A Soldier maintains proper AFT Plank alignment by holding a straight line from the head through the shoulders, back, and hips to the heels for the whole event. The hips stay level, neither sagging toward the ground nor piking up, the elbows stay aligned under the shoulders, and the eyes stay on the ground.

Only the forearms, fists or palms, and toes carry the body's weight, with the ankles flexed and the feet no more than a boot-width apart. The Soldier may switch from fists to palms during the hold as long as the hands stay on the ground. The start command sets the clock running on that held alignment.

When Does AFT Plank Timing Begin and What Commands Are Used?

AFT Plank timing begins on the command "GO," when the Soldier moves into the plank position and the grader starts the stopwatch. The command sequence runs "GET READY" (the Soldier takes the starting position), "GRADERS READY" (the graders confirm they can observe), "GET SET" (the Soldier lifts the knees into a straight line), and "GO" (the clock starts). The hold is one continuous attempt with no restart, and the clock keeps running until a condition below stops it.

Which Form Deviations or Conditions End an AFT Plank Attempt?

The conditions that end an AFT Plank attempt are listed below:

• Hip Sag or Rise Out of Plane: the hips leave the straight head-to-heel line; the grader gives one verbal warning, and the attempt ends if the Soldier cannot correct it.
• Knee or Torso Touching the Ground: any body part other than the feet, forearms, and fists or palms touches the ground, and the grader stops the clock at once.
• Hands or Feet Moving From Position: a hand or foot lifting off the floor ends the attempt, while a hand or foot sliding out of position draws a verbal warning.
• Failure to Correct After a Verbal Correction: a Soldier who cannot fix the fault after the single warning, or cannot hold the position, is terminated.
• Grader Stopping the Count: the grader stops the stopwatch when a terminating condition occurs, and the time at that moment is the result.

Headquarters, Department of the Army adds in "ATP 7-22.01 Holistic Health and Fitness Testing" (March 2026) that shaking or trembling from maximum exertion is permitted as long as the proper plank position holds, and each of the conditions above is what the grader watches for and records.

What Does the AFT Plank Grader Observe and Record?

The AFT Plank grader observes the straight line from head to heels, the hip height, the elbow alignment, and the contact points of the forearms, hands, and feet throughout the hold. The grader gives one verbal warning to correct a failure to hold the plank position or a hand or foot sliding out of position, and ends the event if the Soldier cannot correct it.

When the attempt ends, the grader stops the stopwatch and records the hold time in minutes and seconds on the DA Form 705-TEST. The Soldier signs the scorecard before leaving the test site.

How Is the AFT Plank Scored?

The AFT Plank is scored by converting the hold time into 0 to 100 points on the current AFT score tables, which set the time for each point value by age band and list identical times for male and female Soldiers, according to the "Army Fitness Test Score Tables" published by the U.S. Army, effective June 2025. The event requires at least 60 points to pass, and 100 points is the ceiling, so a hold beyond the 100-point time adds nothing.

The plank score joins the other four event scores in the AFT total out of 500 points, and a Soldier must reach 300 points under the General standard or 350 points under the Combat standard with at least 60 points in every event. The time-to-points conversion below shows how the hold time turns into points.

How Does AFT Plank Hold Time Convert to Points?

AFT Plank hold time converts to points on a sliding scale, and the conversion from the passing floor to the maximum score is shown in the table below:

The "Army Fitness Test Score Tables," approved on 15 May 2025, list those hold times, drop two points per step below 60 points, and score a hold under 1:00 at ages 17 to 21 as zero.

What Is the Minimum AFT Plank Passing Standard?

The minimum AFT Plank passing standard is 60 points, and the hold time that earns it varies by age bracket rather than by sex: 1:30 at ages 17 to 21, 1:25 at 22 to 26, 1:20 at 27 to 31, 1:15 at 32 to 36, and 1:10 from age 37, as the current Army Fitness Test Score Tables (effective 1 June 2025) list. Male and female Soldiers share each time, and the floor is the same under the General and Combat standards. A hold below the floor fails the plank, and a failed plank fails the whole AFT regardless of the total.

What AFT Plank Time Earns the Maximum Score?

The AFT Plank time that earns the maximum score of 100 points is 3:40 at ages 17 to 21, dropping five seconds per bracket to 3:20 from age 37. The June 2025 "Army Fitness Test Score Tables" set that ceiling in place of the older ACFT chart, and holding past the 100-point time adds no further points. Most Soldiers stop well short of that ceiling, for the reasons the next section explains.

Which Current AFT Scoring Category and Chart Apply?

The current AFT scoring categories are the General standard for combat-enabling MOSs and the Combat standard for the 24 designated combat MOSs, and both use the Army Fitness Test score tables approved on 15 May 2025 and effective 1 June 2025. Combat-MOS Soldiers take a separate pass/fail Combat Field Test as well, created by "Army Directive 2026-07 (Army Physical Fitness Standards)," signed by Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll in April 2026. The chart lists age brackets from 17-21 through Over 62, each with a male-and-combat column and a female column, and for the plank the two columns show the same times.

What Causes Early AFT Plank Failure and How Can Soldiers Prepare?

Premature AFT Plank failure comes from a few predictable breakdowns rather than general exhaustion. Plank hold times depend on the shoulders' demands and on trunk endurance, according to "Biomechanical and Electromyographic Comparisons of Isometric Trunk Flexor Endurance Test Postures: Prone Plank Versus V-Sit" by Musalem et al., December 2015, so the shoulders and deltoids tire first when the elbows drift out from under the shoulders. The hips sag as the abdominal muscles fatigue and the straight line breaks, and breath-holding drives up strain as the hold passes the 60-point floor. An attempt that stalls near two minutes earns about 70 points at ages 17 to 21 (2:02), well short of the 3:40 ceiling.

Preparation that extends the hold treats the plank as a strength event trained with progressive loading rather than an endurance grind. Anti-extension core work such as dead bugs, body saws, and weighted planks, accessory drills for the shoulders and hips, and a multi-week progression that lengthens holds and adds load in steps all build the capacity the hold demands. A 2017 study by Calatayud et al. in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation found that core muscle activity can be progressed by moving from stable planks to suspended and roll-out variations, the stepwise loading that multi-week plank training relies on.

The failure mechanisms above lead into the cues that hold them off during the attempt.

What Form Cues Help Soldiers Hold the AFT Plank?

The form cues that help Soldiers hold the AFT Plank are listed below:

• Slow, Low Breathing Cadence: breathe steadily instead of holding the breath, which keeps tension from building.
• Glute and Quad Co-Contraction: squeeze the glutes and quadriceps to lock the pelvis and stop the hips from sagging.
• Driving the Elbows Into the Ground: press the forearms down to brace the shoulders and spread the load off the deltoids.
• Neutral Neck: keep the head in line with the spine and the eyes on the ground.
• Incremental Time Targets: break the hold into short targets, such as the 60-point time and then each 30 seconds past it, to stay focused.

How Does the AFT Plank Fit Into Whole-Test Preparation?

The AFT Plank fits into whole-test preparation as one event in a weekly program that trains all five: plank holds and core work sit alongside deadlift strength, push-up endurance, Sprint-Drag-Carry intervals, and running. The plank is the fourth event, so Soldiers arrive at it after the deadlift, the push-up, and the Sprint-Drag-Carry have already taxed the shoulders, trunk, and legs.

Training the plank under similar pre-fatigue, such as holding it after push-up sets or shuttle work, prepares Soldiers for test-day conditions, and practicing the full event order builds tolerance for the fatigue that carries from one event to the next. The plank is followed by a 10-minute rest before the two-mile run, the only programmed rest in the test. Event-specific programming then carries into what core endurance contributes beyond the test itself.

How Does Core Endurance Support Army Physical Fitness?

Core endurance supports Army physical fitness by keeping the trunk stable under external loads such as a rucksack, body armor, or a lifted casualty. A trunk that stays rigid transfers force between the upper and lower body and holds the spine in a safe position during load-bearing tasks. RAND's 2024 analysis "Setting Higher Close Combat Standards for the Army Combat Fitness Test: Evidence and Recommendations" by Robson et al. found that stronger plank performance, 70 or more points for men and 80 or more for women, is associated with lower future risk of overuse injury. Naval cadets who failed a 60-second plank test had 3.3 times the odds of an overuse injury, according to "Trunk endurance, posterior chain flexibility, and previous history of musculoskeletal pain predict overuse low back and lower extremity injury: a prospective cohort study of 545 Navy Cadets" by Lopes et al., June 2021.

The trunk muscles trained by the plank, including the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, obliques, and erector spinae, work together to protect the spine during ruck marching, lifting, and movement under kit. The plank's hold carries over to those tasks, where posture has to last as long as the mission.

How Does Army Fitness Policy Govern AFT Plank Standards?

Army fitness policy governs AFT Plank standards through the testing schedule, retest rules, and medical accommodations that apply to every AFT event. Regular Army and Active Guard Reserve Soldiers must pass two record AFTs per calendar year at least four months apart, Army Reserve and Army National Guard Soldiers test once per year, and testing begins in initial entry training, where trainees must score at least 60 points per event to graduate. Officers test on the same record schedule once they join their units.

Army Directive 2025-06 (Army Fitness Test), signed by Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll in April 2025, requires a Soldier who fails a record AFT to pass a retest within 90 days in the Regular Army and Active Guard Reserve, or within 180 days in the Reserve Component. Soldiers on a temporary profile do not take a record AFT until they recover, while Soldiers on a permanent profile take every event their profile does not exclude, so the plank stays in their test unless the profile rules it out, and they must pass at least an aerobic event, where an alternate row, bike, swim, or walk can replace the run, according to "ATP 7-22.01 Holistic Health and Fitness Testing" by Headquarters, Department of the Army, March 2026. Army Regulation 600-8-19, Enlisted Promotions and Demotions (March 2026), converts a record AFT total into up to 120 promotion points for sergeant and staff sergeant, from 1 point at 300 to 120 points at a perfect 500, and evaluation reports show both the pass/fail result and the actual points earned.

How Does the AFT Plank Differ From the Deadlift?

The AFT Plank differs from the deadlift as a static hold against a three-repetition maximum lift: the plank grades core-static strength and endurance, while the deadlift grades the muscular strength to lift a heavy load from the ground. The plank is scored on time held, and the deadlift is scored on the weight lifted.

The two events load the trunk differently. During the plank, the trunk muscles work isometrically to hold a straight line against gravity, while during the deadlift the trunk braces to transfer force from the legs to the bar through a moving lift.

How Does the AFT Plank Differ From the Hand-Release Push-Up?

The AFT Plank differs from the hand-release push-up as a static anti-extension hold against a dynamic repetition count, although both events grade muscular endurance. The plank is scored on time held, and the push-up is scored on correct repetitions in two minutes.

The two events share a shoulder-girdle demand: the plank holds the shoulders over the elbows for the length of the hold, while the push-up loads the shoulders through repeated pressing and arm extension. The plank trains that support isometrically, and the push-up trains it through cyclic loading.

How Does the AFT Plank Differ From the Two-Mile Run?

The AFT Plank differs from the two-mile run as a test of muscular endurance against a test of cardiorespiratory endurance. The plank holds one position, while the run demands sustained locomotion over two miles.

Both events are scored on time, but the time means opposite things: a longer plank earns more points, while a shorter run earns more points. The plank taxes the trunk muscles, and the run taxes the heart, lungs, and legs.

Where Can Soldiers Verify Current Official AFT Plank Guidance?

Soldiers can verify current official AFT Plank guidance in Army publications and on official Army websites: ATP 7-22.01 Holistic Health and Fitness Testing sets the plank procedures and standards, AR 350-1 carries the AFT combat standard, and the Army's AFT page at army.mil/aft posts the current score tables and event descriptions, as the U.S. Army's "Army Fitness Test" page (September 2026 version) shows. To confirm the edition in force, Soldiers check the publication date on the Army Publishing Directorate site and the approval and effective dates printed on the score tables, 15 May 2025 and 1 June 2025.

The current chart supersedes ACFT-era figures that still circulate, and unit fitness leaders distribute the current scorecards and guidance. The official guidance leads back to the definition of the plank event at the start of the article.