Your 16-week planner to military fitness

The official British army fitness programme

This 16-week fitness programme has been developed by the Army Physical Training Corps, and is based on the one that it issues to potential recruits to enable them to pass basic training. Make it to the end of level 4 (see below) and you'll have achieved the basic level of fitness required of a trained soldier ...

Before you start, assess your current fitness level

Warning: Please check with your doctor before beginning this or any other strenuous exercise regime

Week 1

Day 1

• Walk-jog for 20 minutes (jog for 2min, walk for 2min, etc)

• 1 x press-up max score

• 2 x 5 dorsal raises

• 2 x 5 tricep dips

• 1 x sit-up max score

• Rest 30-90sec between sets

Day 2

• Rest day

Day 3

• 10-minute warm-up

• Run fast for 30sec, rest for 2 minutes, repeat 5 times

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 4

• Rest day

Day 5

• Walk-jog for 20 minutes (walk for 1min, jog for 3min, repeat 5 times)

• 1 x press-up max

• 1 x 5 dorsal raises

• 1 x 5 tricep dips

• 1 x sit-up max

Day 6

• Rest day

Day 7

• Brisk walk for 20-30 minutes or go swimming, cycling or rowing for 15-20min

Week 2

Day 1

• Walk-jog for 20 minutes (walk for 1min, jog for 3min, etc)

• 2 x press-up max

• 2 x 6 dorsal raises

• 2 x 6 tricep dips

• 2 x sit-up max

• Rest 30-90sec between sets

Day 2

• Rest day

Day 3

• 10-minute warm-up

• Run fast for 40 sec, rest for 2 minutes, repeat 5 times

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 4

• Rest day

Day 5

• Walk-jog for 20 minutes (jog for 4min, walk for 1min, repeat 4 times)

• 2 x press-up max

• 2 x 6 dorsal raises

• 2 x 6 tricep dips

• 2 x sit-up max

Day 6

• Rest day

Day 7

• Brisk walk for 20-30 minutes or go swimming, cycling or rowing for 15-20min

Week 3

Day 1

• Jog for 20 minutes (jog for 5min, rest for 1min, etc)

• 3 x 1/4 press-up max

• 2 x 7 dorsal raises

• 2 x 7 tricep dips

• 3 x 1/2 sit-up max

• Rest 30-90sec between sets

Day 2

• Rest day

Day 3

• 10-minute warm-up

• Run fast for 1 minute, run slowly for 2min, repeat 5 times

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 4

• Rest day

Day 5

• Walk-jog for 15 minutes

• 3 x press-up max

• 2 x 7 dorsal raises

• 2 x 7 tricep dips

• 3 x sit-up max

Day 6

• Rest day

Day 7

• Brisk walk for 25-35 minutes or go swimming, cycling or rowing for 15-25min

Week 4

Day 1

• Jog for 15 minutes

• 3 x 1/3 press-up max

• 2 x 8 dorsal raises

• 2 x 8 tricep dips

• 3 x 1/3 sit-up max

• Rest 30-90sec between sets

Day 2

• Rest day

Day 3

• 10-minute warm-up

• Run fast for 1 minutes, run slowly for 1min, repeat 5 times

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 4

• Rest day

Day 5

• Brisk walk for 25-35 minutes or go swimming, cycling or rowing for 15-25min

Day 6

• Rest day

Day 7: fitness assessment

• Press-ups for 2 minutes to establish new max score

• Sit-ups for 2min to establish new max score

• 1.5-mile timed run

Level 2

Week 5

Day 1

• Steady run for 18 minutes

• 3 x press-up max

• 3 x 8 squats

• 3 x sit-up max

• 3 x 8 dorsal raises

• Rest 30-90sec between sets

Day 2

• Rest day

Day 3

• 10-15 minute warm-up

• Run hard for 1 minute, recover for 1 min, repeat for 10min

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 4

• Rest day

Day 5

• 10-minute warm-up

• Circuit training: 2 x 12 of each exercise (see below for list)

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 6

• Rest day

Day 7

• Brisk walk for 30-40 minutes or go swimming, cycling or rowing for 15-20min

Week 6

Day 1

• Steady run for 20 minutes

• 3 x press-up max

• 3 x 10 lunges

• 3 x sit-up max

• 3 x 8 dorsal raises

• Rest 30-90sec between sets

Day 2

• Rest day

Day 3

• 10-15 minute warm-up

• Run hard for 1 minute, recover for 1 min, continue for 10min

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 4

• Rest day

Day 5

• 10-minute warm-up

• Circuit training: 2 x 12 of each exercise (see below for list)

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 6

• Rest day

Day 7

• Brisk walk for 30-40 minutes or go swimming, cycling or rowing for 20-25min

Week 7

Day 1

• Steady run for 20 minutes

• 3 x press-up max

• 3 x 12 squats

• 3 x sit-up max

• 3 x 12 dorsal raises

• Rest 30-90sec between sets

Day 2

• Rest day

Day 3

• 10-15 minute warm-up

• Run hard for 1 minute, recover for 1 min, continue for 12min

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 4

• Rest day

Day 5

• 10-minute warm-up

• Circuit training: 3 x 12 of each exercise (see below for list)

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 6

• Rest day

Day 7

• Brisk walk for 30-40 minutes or go swimming, cycling or rowing for 20-25min

Week 8

Day 1

• Steady run for 25-30 minutes

• 3 x press-up max

• 3 x14 lunges

• 3 x sit-up max

• 3 x 14 dorsal raises

• Rest 30-90sec between sets

Day 2

• Rest day

Day 3

• 10-15 minute warm-up

• Run hard for 1 minute, recover for 1 min, continue for 12min

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 4

• Rest day

Day 5

• 10-minute warm-up

• Brisk walk-run for 30-40 minutes or go swimming, cycling or rowing for 30-40min

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 6

• Rest day

Day 7: fitness assessment

• Press-ups for 2 minutes to establish new max score

• Sit-ups for 2min to establish new max score

• 1.5-mile timed run

Level 3

Week 9

Day 1

• Steady run for 25-30 minutes

• 4 x press-up max

• 4 x 12 squats

• 4 x sit-up max

• 4 x 12 dorsal raises

• Rest 30-90sec between sets

Day 2

• Rest day

Day 3

• 10-15 minute warm-up

• Run hard for 1 minute, recover for 1 min, continue for 14min

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 4

• Rest day

Day 5

• 10-minute warm-up

• Circuit training: 3 x 15 of each exercise (see below for list)

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 6

• Rest day

Day 7

• Brisk walk for 30-40 minutes or go swimming, cycling or rowing for 20-25min

Week 10

Day 1

• Steady run for 25-30 minutes

• 4 x press-up max

• 4 x 14 lunges

• 4 x sit-up max

• 4 x 14 dorsal raises

• Rest 30-90sec between sets

Day 2

• Rest day

Day 3

• 10-15 minute warm-up

• Run hard for 1 minute, recover for 1 min, continue for 14min

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 4

• Rest day

Day 5

• 10-minute warm-up

• Circuit training: 3 x 15 of each exercise (see below for list)

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 6

• Rest day

Day 7

• Brisk walk for 30-40 minutes or go swimming, cycling or rowing for 25-30min

Week 11

Day 1

• Steady run for 25-30 minutes

• 4 x 20 chin-ups

• 4 x 16 squats

• 4 x sit-up max

• 4 x 16 dorsal raises

• Rest 30-90sec between sets

Day 2

• Rest day

Day 3

• 10-15 minute warm-up

• Run hard for 1 minute, recover for 1 min, continue for 16min

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 4

• Rest day

Day 5

• 10-minute warm-up

• Circuit training: 3 x 20 of each exercise (see below for list)

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 6

• Rest day

Day 7

• Brisk walk for 30-40 minutes or go swimming, cycling or rowing for 20-25min

Week 12

Day 1

• Steady run for 25-30 minutes

• 4 x press-up max

• 4 x 18 lunges

• 4 x sit-up max

• 4 x 18 dorsal raises

• 4 x 12 triceps dips

• Rest 30-90sec between sets

Day 2

• Rest day

Day 3

• 10-15 minute warm-up

• Run hard for 1 minute, recover for 1 min, continue for 16min

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 4

• Rest day

Day 5

• 10-minute warm-up

• Brisk walk/run for 30-40 minutes or go swimming, cycling or rowing for 30-40min

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 6

• Rest day

Day 7: fitness assessment

• Press-ups for 2 minutes to establish new max score

• Sit-ups for 2 minutes to establish new max score

• 1.5-mile timed run

Level 4

Week 13

Day 1

• Steady run for 30-40 minutes

• 2 x press-ups for 45sec

• 4 x 15 squats

• 2 x sit-ups for 45sec

• 4 x 15 dorsal raises

• Rest 30-90sec between sets

Day 2

•Rest day

Day 3

• 10-15 minute warm-up

• Alternate runing hard, then recovering, for intervals of 1,2 and 3 minutes (12min in total)

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 4

• Rest day

Day 5

• 10-minute warm-up

• Circuit training: 4 x 15-20 of each exercise (see below for list)

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 6

• Rest day

Day 7

• Brisk walk for 30-40 minutes or go swimming, cycling or rowing for 25-35min

Week 14

Day 1

• Steady run for 30-40 minutes

• 2 x press-ups for 45sec

• 4 x 15 lunges

• 2 x sit-ups for 45sec

• 4 x 15 dorsal raises

• Rest 30-90sec between sets

Day 2

• Rest day

Day 3

• 10-15 minute warm-up

• Alternate running hard, then recovering, for intervals of 1,2 and 3 minutes

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 4

• Rest day

Day 5

• 10-minute warm-up

• Circuit training: 4 x 15-20 of each exercise (see below for list)

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 6

• Rest day

Day 7

• Brisk walk for 30-40 minutes or go swimming, cycling or rowing for 30-35min

Week 15

Day 1

• Steady run for 30-40 minutes

• 2 x press-ups for 1min

• 4 x 20 squats

• 2 x sit-ups for 1min

• 4 x 20 dorsal raises

• 4 x 12 triceps dips

• Rest 30-90sec between sets

Day 2

• Rest day

Day 3

• 10-15 minute warm-up

• Alternate running hard, then recovering, for intervals of 1,2,3,2 and 1 minute (18min in total)

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 4

• Rest day

Day 5

• 10-minute warm-up

• Circuit training: 4 x 15-20 of each exercise (see below for list)

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 6

• Rest day

Day 7

• Brisk walk for 30-40 minutes or go swimming, cycling or rowing for 30-40min

Week 16

Day 1

• Steady run for 30-40 minutes

• 2 x press-ups for 1min

• 4 x 20 squats

• 2 x sit-ups for 1min

• 4 x 20 dorsal raises

• 4 x 12 chin-ups

• Rest 30-90sec between sets

Day 2

• Rest day

Day 3

• 10-15 minute warm-up

• Alternate running hard, then recovering, for intervals of 1,2,3,2 and 1 minute

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 4

• Rest day

Day 5

• 10-minute warm-up

• Brisk walk/run for 30-40 minutes or go swimming, cycling or rowing for 30-40min

• 10-minute cool-down

Day 6

• Rest day

Day 7: fitness assessment

• Press-ups for 2 minutes to establish new max score

• Sit-ups for 2min to establish new max score

• 1.5-mile timed run

Circuit training exercises

Do the number of repetitions of each exercise advised by the 16-week planner, without a break and in order. Once you've completed one circuit, rest for 2-3 minutes before starting the next. Each exercise is explained in the relevant booklet (all booklets will be available to download here by the end of the week).

1 Press-up

2 Twist sit-up

3 Step-up with knee raise

4 Triceps dip

5 Walking lunge

6 Sit-up

7 One-legged squat

8 Dorsal raise

Note: If "level 1, week 1" of the programme seems too easy for you, feel free to skip a week or even a level. Equally, if a week ever feels too challenging, simply do what you can and repeat the week, rather than moving on to the next one.

To order the Official British Army Fitness Guide for £10.99 including UK mainland p&p, call 0330 333 6846 or visit <