How do you feel about the changes to the Army's PT program?

2013-12-31T09:32:36-05:00

During the Army's current downsizing, they are also modifying their PT program. This modification has been going through years and years of work. What is everyone's feelings on it? How can we make it better for everyone?

Response by SGM Matthew Quick made Dec 31 at 2013 9:35 AM

2013-12-31T09:35:51-05:00

APRT works when leadership is involved and done correctly.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 19 at 2014 7:57 PM

2014-03-19T19:57:00-04:00

I didnt see anything wrong with the old FM 21-20. To me PRT is completely useless.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 20 at 2014 12:04 AM

2014-03-20T00:04:34-04:00

How recently did your unit change their PT program to APRT? I know I was part of a test-group back in 2002-ish and they had us doing the "new" pt the Army was going to. Last I heard, the whole Army should have switched over sometime 2010-2011.

Anyway, I know the new APRT seems less intense, but it does focus on helping Soldiers improve while minimizing risk of injury when done properly. The problem in my eyes is that units are not conducting the APRT properly, and that is reducing its effectiveness.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 20 at 2014 12:36 AM

2014-03-20T00:36:02-04:00

From my experience during PT my unit would do the PRT preparation drill at the beginning of PT. We have never done all 10 exercises in a row, or any exercise in the correct order or cadence. Once we move into the rest of our PT we wind up with anaerobic exercises even when we are on a "muscle building" day where we should be aerobic. Our only aerobic day is our ruck-march days. Once we finish PT we don't lower our heart rates, we don't do the recovery drills, we just stretch the muscle groups that we worked that day, typically stretches from 21-20. FM 7-22 is not enforced at all. Basically nobody cares. Its a big gray area too. I mentioned the next time I am called out to lead PT that I was going to do a full-blown PRT cardio day by the book and the advice I was given was that "it wouldn't be a good idea to do that". Essentially I would be wrong for doing the right thing!

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 20 at 2014 12:57 AM

2014-03-20T00:57:00-04:00

I use to think that APRT was stupid, and that it did nothing. I have been in the army before the transition, and during the transition to APRT. I liked the rotation days they were great but now that I have been doing PRT for a while now and the leadership has been pushing it works and the biggest reason it works is because the leadership supports it. I think that is were it starts is the leadership and if you are up their doing PT then you should support it and do it right from beginning to end in order by the book, not only will it show your soldiers the correct way of doing it, but also that you supporting it, but the biggest thing is they will not be set up to fail when that go to WLC

Response by SPC Charles Brown made Mar 20 at 2014 2:20 AM

2014-03-20T02:20:29-04:00

In regard to the Army promotion points issue, I have served on active duty from 1979-1982 and from 1999-2002, and can remember when you needed to pass a skills qualification test to earn promotion points with the emphasis being on MOS knowledge. It seems now that their is too much emphasis being placed on the ability of non infantry personnel to fire expert and score 100 points or more on each of the events of the pt tests. I am not against being physically fit, but when you are someone who tries their best to reach a score that for some is unreachable and fall short of the goal they are looked down on by some infantrymen as not being worth the air they breathe. Promotions should be awarded on a soldiers ability to perform their duties rather on whether or not they can max out a pt test or fire expert. If this were the case I may still be in the service of my country!