Marine Corps Physical Fitness Standards For Males (PFT)

When you are a member of the United States Marine Corps you will need to be physically fit, and your sex, your age and paygrade or job description does not matter.  If you are going to be in the United States Marine Corps, you better be in physical shape, or they will get you in physical shape and if you can’t, then you will be promoted to civilian.  To ensure that Marines are always in a constant state of readiness to conduct warfare, there is a test that has been devised to see how in shape the individual Marine is, and how well the individual Marine is able to move his / her body around the battlefield.  This page is devoted to the physical fitness standards The United States Marine Corps uses when evaluating males.  The test varies from that of the female Marine counterparts.  To view the female Marine standards, >>THIS LINK<< has been provided.

Learn what may be more important than PT when preparing for Marine Corps Boot Camp

The unit commander will schedule and conduct the Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test (PFT) and it consists of three (3) separate events.  The entire PFT shall take no more than two (2) hours and the Marines shall have enough time to move from one event to the next.  They shall have the time and the opportunity to recover, stretch and drink water.  The three events shall consist of  the pull-up, the abdominal Crunch and the 3.0 mile run.  The order of how the events are completed is not regulated and is not important and is left up to the discretion of the Commanding Officer.

1) Abdominal Crunch: Commonly referred to as the sit-up, but it is completed without the hands behind the head.  The goal is to be able for the individual Marine to see how many can be completed  properly, and correctly within the prescribed time limit.

Time limit is 2 minutes

Must be completed on a flat surface

The arms will be folded across the chest or the rib cage and there will be no gap between the arms and the chest, or the rib cage.  Both arms must remain in constant contact with chest/ribcage throughout the exercise.  For one repetition to be counted, there must be the raising of the upper body from the starting position (Shoulder blades touching the floor / deck) until both forearms or elbows simultaneously touch the thighs, and then returning to the starting point.

The buttocks will remain in constant contact with the ground (deck) throughout the entire sequence of the repetition.  No arching or lifting of the back is permitted.

2) Pull-up: The goal is to see how many accurate and complete pull-ups can be executed before dropping off the bar.  In order for the last pull-up to be completed, the repetition must be completed and the grasp of the bar must be after the dead hang has been initiated.  The intent is complete a “dead hang” pull-up.

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This event is not timed.

Elbows must be visible during this event so the elbows can be observed. The elbow must be in the “lock-out” position, which is the “dead hang.”

Assistance through being lifted, or using a step to reach the bar is authorized.  HOWEVER, the assistance that may be used will not assist in any way towards the completion of the first repetition.  The first pull-up must be from the dead hang position (motionless), which is arms fully extended and feet free and not touching the floor.

The bar may be grasped with palm in or palms out.  It is the individual preference of the Marine being tested.

At no time may the chin rest on the bar.

The Marine’s legs may be positioned in a straight or bent position, but may not be raised above the waist.

As stated earlier, the intent is to execute a  vertical “dead hang” pull-up.  There will be inherent body movement, but there will NOTbe whipping, kipping, kicking of the body or the legs of any kind.  If any motion perpetuated assistance is observed in the repetition, that repetition will not be counted towards the final score.

A repetition will only be counted when an accurate and complete pull-up is performed.  From the dead hang position, the Marine must lift their body up and their chin must rise above the bar.  From that point the Marine must lower their body and return to the dead hang position.  Only from the dead hang position may the Marine release the bar, otherwise the final repetition will not be counted towards the score.

3) Three Mile Run: The goal of this event is to see how quickly the individual Marine can carry their body over a measured 3 mile course.  The faster, the better.

The event is timed

Two Marines will start the clock at the same time.  The Commander in charge of P.T. will stay at the start/finish line another Marine will proceed by vehicle to the halfway point once.

The vehicle that travels to the half way/turn around point will be communications capable.

The Marine at the half way / turn around point will inform the Marines of the time they are running.

There can be no assistance whatsoever, and for the time that is run to count  the Marine must complete the entire course unassisted.

Click here to see what is more important than a good PT score for Marine Corps Boot Camp

Here is a chart that will provide some insight for how scores are calculated.

* Round
up all values (e.g., 18:01 to 18:09 equals 99 points)

In order
to pass the semi-annual fitness test, Marines must perform the minimum
acceptable performance requirements shown in the chart below. Additionally,
they must have enough overall points to meet the 3rd class fitness requirements
(see below).