Feb 1, 20213 min read

Trying to Max The US Marine Fitness Test

Updated: Oct 20

I decided to challenge myself by taking on the Military PT Tests. I wanted to see how an OCR athlete might match up to military standards. My goal was to max out each test. The video of my performance is at the bottom of the article.

My goal, with all of the military fitness tests I'm attempting, is to get the highest possible score. I want to MAX OUT these tests!

The Marine Fitness Test consists of:

Pullups

2 Minutes of Crunches

3 Mile Run

In order to max out the test for my age group (which had the hardest numbers listed anyway) I need to meet the following standards:

23 Pullups In A Row (26-30 age group)

115 Crunches in 2:00 Minutes (26-30 age group)

3 Mile Run in 18:00 Minutes or Less (26-30 age group)

4:20 Plank

Scoring sheets for each event can be found HERE.

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The Test

Pullups: The last time I attempted a maximum number of pullups was likely seven years ago. I believe my best ever for maximum pullups was 19. I had no idea what I could hit, so I just gave it my best effort. I came out with 17 pullups, and I was pretty happy with that number. It didn't reach the max for the test, but with a little bit of work, I think I could make it.

Crunches: The form for the crunches in this test was different from any form I'd ever done previously. I just tried to rage through reps as fast as possible, but wasn't able to come close to maxing out this portion of the test. I finished with 81 reps. I would have need 34 more to max out the crunches.

3 Mile Run: Never before have I been able to stay at, or below, a 6 minute mile pace for three consecutive miles. I've spent the last year of training building up my running endurance and distance, and speed hasn't been a priority through that time. As such, it didn't surprise me that I wasn't able to stay under the 18 minute mark for this test. 18:50 was my mark for this portion of the test.

Plank: This was the second longest plank I've ever done. I don't normally spend a lot of time on planks. I do them occasionally, but there are 10-15 other core exercises I do on a much more frequent basis. That being said, I knew I could do a 4:20 plan, and I did. My form got a bit slouchy toward the end, but I completed it.

Final Score: 230/300

If I were to go into the Marines, I would want to max out all of these tests, which would mean that I'd need to improve in these specific areas of fitness! Great test, good fun! Give it a try and let me know how you do.

If you'd like to see a full video of my test, simply watch it below! Also, Subscribe to our channel so you can see more of this material (I'll be trying many other Military fitness tests).