Preparing Americans to Serve in the Military, Special Ops, Law Enforcement, & Fire Fighting

 

Meet Stew Testimonials  |  YouTube Videos  |  List of Articles  |  Favorite APP Workouts  |  FREE Workouts |   Contact / Newsletter

 

Marine Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS)
Fitness Standards - Ace the PFT

1

Preparing for any of the United States Marine Corps training programs is not easy and it should only be done with a solid foundation of physical activity.  This could require years of athletics or workouts to have the kind of foundation required to excel in the Marine Corps.  Personally, a lifetime of sports and learning to be a team player is critical to your success not only through the boot camp or OCS programs but also during your career as a Marine.  People who become USMC recruits often make the mistake and think that the USMC will "get them in shape".  It is true the USMC will get you in BETTER shape, BUT if you do not go to training with some sort of above average ability, you will suffer in many areas.

Typically the under-prepared, new recruits will become so stressed mentally and physically with remedial training programs (done during "free time"), guilt from failing their team, and over-use injuries that they struggle learning the critical things of their profession like marksmanship, patrolling, land navigation, and many other skills detrimental to their success.  A statistically proven method of performing well in any type of military / law enforcement training is to ace the entrance fitness test. 

In this case it is the pullups, crunches, and 3 mile run for the USMC PFT.  By far, this is the toughest service wide PFT in the military.  First pullups require significant upperbody strength in order to lift your body over a bar.  It helps to be more lean than overweight as each extra fat pound takes away from your pullup score in fewer reps performed.  The three mile run requires more of a base of running training compared to the other services that use the 1.5 and 2 mile timed runs for their standard PFT cardio event. 

Testimonial - Stew - I decided to spend this summer at the US Marine Corps Officer Candidates School in the PLC juniors program. Because soccer greatly limits my ability to do military style pt, I was thrilled when I came upon your Six Week USMC OCS/TBS package on the website. I followed your program to the letter for 6 weeks. I showed up at OCS in great physical condition, graduated in the top 10% of my class and ran a 300 Marine Corps PFT (20 pullups,114 crunches in 2 min and a 17:35 3 mile run). I just wanted to write you and say thank you for such a great sport specific resource. It was invaluable to my success, and I just purchased your Marine Recon package and look forward to getting into that in the coming weeks.

USMC Physical Fitness Test (PFT) 

Male Marines will perform "dead-hang” pull-ups, abdominal crunches, and a 3.0-mile run. Female Marines will complete the "flexed-arm" hang, abdominal crunches, and a 3.0 - mile run with a pull-up option. 

Check out this USMC PFT grading chart below to figure out where your fitness level stands compared to a U.S. Marine.  

Changes to current PFT in the USMC effective 2016

Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test Points - Male

Points

Pull-Ups

Crunches

3-Mile Run

100

20

100

18:00

99

 

99

18:10

98

 

98

18:20

97

 

97

18:30

96

 

96

18:40

95

19

95

18:50

94

 

94

19:00

93

 

93

19:10

92

 

92

19:20

91

 

91

19:30

90

18

90

19:40

89

 

89

19:50

88

 

88

20:00

87

 

87

20:10

86

 

86

20:20

85

17

85

20:30

84

 

84

20:40

83

 

83

20:50

82

 

82

21:00

81

 

81

21:10

80

16

80

21:20

79

 

79

21:30

78

 

78

21:40

77

 

77

21:50

76

 

76

22:00

75

15

75

22:10

74

 

74

22:20

73

 

73

22:30

72

 

72

22:40

71

 

71

22:50

70

14

70

23:00

69

 

69

23:10

68

 

68

23:20

67

 

67

23:30

66

 

66

23:40

65

13

65

23:50

64

 

64

24:00

63

 

63

24:10

62

 

62

24:20

61

 

61

24:30

60

12

60

24:40

59

 

59

24:50

58

 

58

25:00

57

 

57

25:10

56

 

56

25:20

55

11

55

25:30

54

 

54

25:40

53

 

53

25:50

52

 

52

26:00

51

 

51

26:10

50

10

50

26:20

49

 

49

26:30

48

 

48

26:40

47

 

47

26: 50

46

 

46

27:00

45

9

45

27:10

44

 

44

27:20

43

 

43

27:30

42

 

42

27:40

41

 

41

27:50

40

8

40

28:00

39

 

x

28:10

38

 

x

28:20

37

 

x

28:30

36

 

x

28:40

35

7

x

28:50

34

 

x

29:00

33

 

x

29:10

32

 

x

29:20

31

 

x

29:30

30

6

x

29:40

29

 

x

29:50

28

 

x

30:00

27

 

x

30:10

26

 

x

30:20

25

5

x

30:30

24

 

x

30:40

23

 

x

30:50

22

 

x

31:00

21

 

x

31:10

20

4

x

31:20

19

 

x

31:30

18

 

x

31:40

17

 

x

31:50

16

 

x

32:00

15

3

x

32:10

14

x

x

32:20

13

x

x

32:30

12

x

x

32:40

11

x

x

32:50

10

x

x

33:00

* 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). 

Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test Points - Female

Points

Flexed-Arm Hang

Crunches

3-Mile Run

100

70 sec

100

21:00

99

 

99

21:10

98

69 sec

98

21:20

97

 

97

21:30

96

68 sec

96

21:40

95

 

95

21:50

94

67 sec

94

22:00

93

 

93

22:10

92

66 sec

92

22:20

91

 

91

22:30

90

65 sec

90

22:40

89

 

89

22:50

88

64 sec

88

23:00

87

 

87

23:10

86

63 sec

86

23:20

85

 

85

23:30

84

62 sec

84

23:40

83

 

83

23:50

82

61 sec

82

24:00

81

 

81

24:10

80

60 sec

80

24:20

79

 

79

24:30

78

59 sec

78

24:40

77

 

77

24:50

76

58 sec

76

25:00

75

 

75

25:10

74

57 sec

74

25:20

73

 

73

25:30

72

56 sec

72

25:40

71

 

71

25:50

70

55 sec

70

26:00

69

 

69

26:10

68

54 sec

68

26:20

67

 

67

26:30

66

53 sec

66

26:40

65

 

65

26: 50

64

52 sec

64

27:00

63

 

63

27:10

62

51 sec

62

27:20

61

 

61

27:30

60

50 sec

60

27:40

59

 

59

27:50

58

49 sec

58

28:00

57

 

57

28:10

56

48 sec

56

28:20

55

 

55

28:30

54

47 sec

54

28:40

53

 

53

28:50

52

46 sec

52

29:00

51

 

51

29:10

50

45 sec

50

29:20

49

 

49

29:30

48

44 sec

48

29:40

47

 

47

29:50

46

43 sec

46

30:00

45

 

45

30:10

44

42 sec

44

30:20

43

 

43

30:30

42

41 sec

42

30:40

41

 

41

30:50

40

40 sec

40

31:00

39

39 sec

x

31:10

38

38 sec

x

31:20

37

37 sec

x

31:30

36

36 sec

x

31:40

35

35 sec

x

31:50

34

34 sec

x

32:00

33

33 sec

x

32:10

32

32 sec

x

32:20

31

31 sec

x

32:30

30

30 sec

x

32:40

29

29 sec

x

32:50

28

28 sec

x

33:00

27

27 sec

x

33:10

26

26 sec

x

33:20

25

25 sec

x

33:30

24

24 sec

x

33:40

23

23 sec

x

33:50

22

22 sec

x

34:00

21

21 sec

x

34:10

20

20 sec

x

34:20

19

19 sec

x

34:30

18

18 sec

x

34:40

17

17 sec

x

34:50

16

16 sec

x

35:00

15

15 sec

x

35:10

14

x

x

35:20

13

x

x

35:30

12

x

x

35:40

11

x

x

35:50

10

x

x

36:00

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. If you are interested in starting a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle - check out the StewSmith.com Fitness eBook store and the Stew Smith article archive at StewSmith.com. To contact Stew with your comments and questions, e-mail him at stew@stewsmith.com.