Author Description

The U.S. Army has continually adjusted its fitness regimen to best prepare Soldiers for combat. This paper attempts to answer a critical question: Does the current U.S. Army physical fitness training doctrine adequately prepare soldiers for war? Since 1941, FM 21-20, Physical Training, has been the sole source for fitness training. Outdated, it was replaced in March of 2010 by Army Physical Readiness Training (PRT). FM 21-20 does, however, contain building blocks of successful fitness programs. These will be used to compare the new PRT program with 2 alternative programs. The 3 programs will also be compared on the basis of muscle recruitment to execute 10 movements identified as critical by Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). Through this combined analysis, this paper will demonstrate which program best meets the evaluation criteria and trains the requisite muscles to execute the 10 movements. In conclusion, the reader will know whether the current U.S. physical fitness training doctrine best prepares soldiers for war.