By Emmett Shaul, MTI Coach
Beginning this year, the U.S. Navy introduced a new fitness test for Navy Combat Arms Professionals: the Combat Fitness Test (CFT). This population includes Naval Special Warfare (NSW; SEAL and Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman (SWCC)), Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), and Fleet Diving (Navy Divers and Diving Officers (Chief Warrant Officer Designator 720X)).
The US Navy CFT Training Plan is specifically designed to increase an athlete’s CFT score.
Program Description:
This intense, 6-week, 5-day/week training plan is specifically designed to improve an athlete’s U.S. Navy Combat Fitness Test (CFT) score. The plan includes dedicated preparation for each CFT event: an 800m swim with fins for time, max-rep push-ups in 2 minutes wearing a 20# weight vest or plate carrier, max-rep pull-ups wearing a 20# weight vest or plate carrier, and a 1-mile run for time wearing a 20# weight vest, plate carrier, or rucksack. You can find event standards and scoring HERE. The plan includes a 1-week taper and is designed to be completed in the 6 weeks directly prior to the athlete’s CFT.
Design Rationale:
This training plan deploys the CFT on the Monday of Weeks 1, 3, and 6, and uses the athlete’s most recent assessment results for the follow-on progressions. By taking the CFT three times throughout the program (beginning, middle, and end), the program automatically scales to the incoming and improving fitness of each athlete and ensures that each athlete is continually pushed throughout the program. This also familiarizes the athlete with the CFT and provides a clear benchmark of current performance.
To improve an athlete’s 800m swim times, the plan deploys 200m and 400m intervals based on the results of the athlete’s 800m swim assessment and utilizes MTI’s Swim Interval Calculator to scale training to the individual athlete. Swim training also includes a 500m moderate-pace swim 1x/week.
Max rep push-ups and pull-ups in a 20# vest or plate carrier are trained using MTI’s proven Density Progression, based on the athlete’s push-up and pull-up assessment results to scale to the individual.
The 1-mile run in a weight vest, plate carrier, or ruck is trained using 800m intervals based on the athlete’s assessment results.
Questions, Comments, Feedback? Email emmett@mtntactical.com
Check Out the US Navy Combat Fitness Test CFT HRE