The Secret to Higher AFT Scores: Improve VO2 Max
To succeed as a junior officer, mastering the basics of soldiering is crucial. You must excel at the tasks you expect from your team to lead effectively. This fundamental principle begins with holistic fitness. In the combat arms world and among officers, holistic fitness is more than a personal attribute; it signifies your commitment to the organization. FM 7-22, titled Holistic Health and Fitness, outlines five domains of holistic fitness: physical, nutritional, mental, spiritual, and sleep. While all are important, this article focuses specifically on the physical domain and translating individual success to those you lead.
First Impressions Matter
From the moment you join your unit, your physical fitness clearly signals your discipline and dedication. Your rater, senior rater, soldiers, and fellow officers will quickly notice your level of physical readiness. They will assess this through physical training sessions, the first AFT you complete with the unit, or your height and weight measurements. I can attest to this.
When I showed up at my unit, the new lieutenants would do physical training with the field grades within the battalion. This was their first look at each group of lieutenants reporting to the unit. During the workouts, I excelled while many fell out. Of the group of lieutenants I came in with, I would be the only one to initially go to a platoon. While your Officer Evaluation Report will take months to complete, your rater will evaluate your physical readiness within a single day. This quick assessment highlights the importance of first impressions. Fortunately, demonstrating improvement can be just as impactful.
VO2 Max as a Fitness Indicator.
So, what is VO2 max? VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise, reflecting aerobic fitness. It is measured during a graded treadmill or bike test that analyzes oxygen consumption, with the highest value recorded in mL/kg/min as your VO2 max.
This argument is supported by a recent 2024 study, Maximal Aerobic Capacity as a Predictor of Performance on ACFT Total Score of ROTC Cadets by Anthony Acevedo, Zachary Zeigler, and Bridget Melton. While this only looks at the previously used ACFT, their study reveals a strong positive correlation between VO2 max and performance across all five events used in the new AFT (see Figure 1).
Figure 1
Relationship between VO2max (mL·kg−1·min−1) and Army Combat Fitness Test Scores
Note. From Acevedo, A. M., Zeigler, Z., & Melton, B. (2024). Maximal Aerobic Capacity as a Predictor of Performance on ACFT Total Score of ROTC Cadets. International Journal of Exercise Science, 17(4), 429–437. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11042848/.
Improving VO2 max boosts AFT scores by enhancing your body’s ability to deliver and use oxygen efficiently, allowing you to sustain higher intensities and delay fatigue during the run and other cardio events. Greater aerobic capacity also improves recovery between events, helping you maintain strength and muscular endurance for the deadlift, plank, and pushups. As fatigue resistance increases, you can produce force more consistently, stabilize longer, and complete more repetitions, raising overall performance across all components of the AFT.
Improving Platoon Fitness
Given the demonstrated link between an individual’s VO2 max and AFT score, I decided to test this theory with my platoon. With a deliberate workout plan targeting improving my platoon’s VO2 max, we saw an average total AFT score increase of 27.6 points over six months from when I took my seat in July of 2025. A typical week included a 4 Mile zone two run, functional fitness circuit, Threshold Track Runs, 4 Mile Ruck, and Swim PT. All reflect the types of workouts listed below, but what helped us was creativity in implementation. For example, we instilled competition into each type of workout, where it paid to be a winner. Winners got to take a break while the losers typically had burpee punishments. Being creative kept leaders and soldiers engaged and committed to the PT plan. Thus, leaders interested in improving their own score or the scores of their Soldiers should take steps to improve their VO2 max. The following are strategies I used.
Running
The most popular way to improve VO2 max is running. However, while running more can enhance VO2 max, without other variants of running training, such as sprint workouts and threshold distance run workouts, Soldiers will not see dramatic decreases in 2-Mile Run times or increases in overall VO2 max. Long runs, threshold runs, and sprint workouts complement each other by targeting different muscle groups, reducing overuse injuries, improving running form, and boosting VO2 max.
Functional Fitness Training
Alternative methods for improving VO2 max without running are critical. CrossFit-style circuit training is one way. This type of workout consists of functional fitness exercises with set exercise and rest periods. Such exercises can include deadlifts, push-ups, pull-ups, planks, sled drags, cleans, kettlebell exercises, and many other weighted or calisthenic movements. These exercises, performed in a timed circuit setting, aim to increase VO2 max while building familiarity with specific movements relevant to the other AFT events besides the 2-Mile Run.
Low Impact Activities – Swimming, Rowing, and Cycling
Other alternatives to improve VO2 max include swimming, rowing, and cycling. These three workouts are great because they have low impact on joints and help prevent burnout in a workout plan. Also, because they are low-impact, they allow Soldiers on a running profile to participate without missing workouts. These alternative methods, used in addition to running, are a great way to diversify workouts and improve Soldiers’ VO2 max to better prepare them for success on the various AFT events.
Translation to AFT
Overall, it is critical for junior officers to understand the intent of the AFT. While the AFT has some basic strength components, it is not a powerlifting fitness test. The AFT is a compounding test of muscular and aerobic endurance, and VO2 max improves both. When it comes to planning, leaders at every level need to understand the data above and utilize all the methods mentioned earlier. We owe it to our Soldiers and ourselves to ensure we are all set up for success when it comes time to test and, ultimately, that we are physically ready when called upon to fight.
When creating a workout plan for you or your formation, do not feel as if you must reinvent the wheel. Take advantage of free plans available from fitness content creators online and on social media. Furthermore, the U.S. Army also offers a free service to help design workout plans for both your formation and you at the Armed Forces Wellness Center (AFWC) on installations across the world. These programs are created by certified personal trainers who will analyze your body composition, current aerobic capacity, and strength capacity. Be sure to include benchmark tests to analyze improvement. For example, this could be conducting a baseline 2-Mile Run test at the beginning of a workout plan, followed by additional 2-Mile Run tests each month to assess progress, all documented on a tracker.
In summary, prioritizing physical fitness is crucial for junior officers and their Soldiers. It not only establishes a strong first impression but also fosters discipline and self-improvement, benefiting all aspects of leadership. Enhancing your soldiers’ VO2 max is a highly effective way to improve performance on the AFT and in physical training events. By emphasizing creativity, making the most of available resources, and designing diverse, engaging PT, you demonstrate commitment to the profession and enhance unit readiness – ensuring you and your soldiers are prepared to accomplish the mission when it matters most.
Author Bio: 1LT James P. Boyle commissioned from the Virginia Military Institute in 2023 and graduated top of his class with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Political Science with Institute Honors. He currently serves as the Platoon Leader for 2nd Platoon, Alpha “King” Battery, Regimental Field Artillery Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment at Ft. Hood, Texas.
Photo: Courtesy of DVIDS. Pfc. Kristina Randall. 30 Jan 2026. Fort Bragg, NC.
