And it just might have Army-wide implications, too. The experiment, called Victory Fitness, was tested on a battalion of 1,250 young men and women in two basic training cycles from July 21 through Sept. 20 and from Sept. 29 through Dec. 1. A third battalion of recruits is being tested now. Bednarek was delighted with the outcome. Overuse happens when soldiers, especially recruits not used to exercising, injure parts of their bodies, particularly the lower extremities, through repetitive motions.
Recruits take the APFT during the seventh week of their nine-week basic training cycle.
Their test standards are lower than for other soldiers, however. The maximum point score for recruits is 150 versus 180 for everyone else. Less APFT retakes. Recruits who fail the APFT are allowed to take it again after taking remedial PT classes. But the remedial instruction wasn't as necessary for the Victory Fitness soldiers as it was for the control group because of their greater passing rate.