This archive report was first published on 13 September 2019.
Published on September 13, 2019, a YouTube video by MattDoesFitness and Mike Thurston shows them attempting the US Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), a challenging three-part test that pushes their physical limits.
The APFT consists of three challenges: two minutes of pushups, two minutes of situps, and a two-mile run. While Matt and Mike are optimistic about the pushup and situp portions, the run gives them pause. As Mike puts it, "we're not exactly cardio people." Matt admits to not having gone for a real run in over ten years, saying "I'm honestly fearing for my life."
First, they tackle the pushup challenge, where they must stay in position the entire time. A passing grade requires managing 39 pushups in two minutes, while a perfect score would be 77 pushups. Both Matt and Mike attain a passing grade, with Mike doing 63 pushups and Matt doing 66.
Next, they move on to the situp challenge. For each rep, their heads and hands must fully touch the ground, and then as they rise, their torsos need to be at a right angle to the ground. A pass requires 45 situps in two minutes, while a perfect score is 82. Mike loses this round, managing only 41 reps, while Matt passes with 58.
Finally, they face the moment they both fear: a two-mile run around a track in Regents Park, London. A pass requires a total time of 17 minutes or less, while a perfect score is 13 minutes. Both Mike and Matt pass, but the run takes it out of them, as their regular workouts don't include the kind of cardio that builds stamina.
Mike fails the overall test, with a score of 210 out of 300. Matt passes, with a score of 234. Getting a perfect score is notoriously difficult, as seen in the case of Ryan Sowder, a National Guard truck driver who broke records in the Army Combat Fitness Test earlier this year.
