Military training

Military physical training is all-round and practical: you should be able to run, carry, lift, climb and then do it again the next day. The Swedish Armed Forces' own training advice before basic training and their training club FMTK rest on the same four parts as the sessions in this app.

Bodyweight circuits

Push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, burpees, sit-ups, mountain climbers and plank – in rounds with short rest. Full body every time. Beginners do three rounds with a minute's rest, advanced five rounds for time. Progression is more reps, shorter rest and harder variants (knee push-ups → full → clapping).

Running with a goal

The Swedish Armed Forces cite 2 km in 11 minutes as a good starting point before basic training. The field test during training is 2,000 metres with about 22 kg of equipment. Train both steady running at talk pace (3–8 km) and 2-minute intervals where you cannot talk – and run 2 km for time every fourth week.

Rucking

What the Armed Forces call the most important thing to train – during training around 24 kg is carried every day on average. Start with 5–10 kg in a backpack that sits high and close to the back, walk briskly 5–6 km, and increase either weight or distance per week, never both. Broken-in shoes and thin socks – blisters stop more marches than tired legs.

Lifting and carrying

Deadlifts, farmer's walks, step-ups, dips and hanging leg raises give the strength to carry equipment all day. One such session a week is enough.

The Swedish Armed Forces' requirements

Strength is measured with the multi-test, five parts scoring 0–100 points each:

• Push-ups: 8 reps = 0 p, 28 reps = 100 p (5 p per rep).
• Sit-ups: 10 reps = 0 p, 60 reps = 100 p (2 p per rep).
• Vertical jump: 30 cm = 0 p, 50 cm = 100 p (5 p per cm).
• Back hang: 60 s = 0 p, 160 s = 100 p (1 p per second).
• Flexed-arm hang: 15 s = 0 p, 65 s = 100 p (2 p per second).

Basic training requires at least 125 points in total and the minimum in every part (level 2). Roles with 2–7 hours of carrying require 175 points (level 3), the heaviest 300 points (level 4). Conditioning: level 1 is a 2 km run in 11:35 (men) / 12:30 (women); level 2 a 2 km field test in combat gear in 13:30 / 14:14 or a 2 km run in 9:40; level 3 a field test in 12:00 / 12:45 or 2 km in 8:50. At enlistment, conditioning is tested on a bike and strength with the Isokai lift test. The US ACFT measures among other things push-ups in two minutes, plank for time and a 2-mile run. The test session in the app is the multi-test plus the plank, so you can compare week 4 with week 8 against the requirements. Source: the Swedish Armed Forces physical standard as reproduced on taktisk.se (2020).

The sessions and programs are general training inspired by military requirements, not an official Armed Forces program. If you have an injury or illness, talk to a healthcare professional before starting.