US Naval Exercises

The United States Navy develops the physical fitness of its sailors using a wide variety of exercises, but every exercise serves to enhance the sailor's ability to perform well enough to meet the minimum standards of the Navy's physical readiness test. There are five exercises in the PRT and minimum standards for each exercise are determined by a sailor's age and gender.

  1. Pushups

    • A Navy pushup requires the sailor drop to his knees on a flat surface, place his palms flat on the ground and extend his legs behind him. With all his weight on his toes and hands, the sailor must maintain a straight line from his heels, through his buttocks, to his shoulders. His hands must either rest directly below his shoulders or just outside shoulder width. In the starting position, the sailor must bend his elbows to 90 degrees or greater. The sailor must straighten his arms completely, then lower himself back down until his elbows bend to 90 degrees for a single pushup.

    Curl-ups

    • A Navy curl-up -- or situp -- requires a sailor lie on his back on a flat surface and bend at the knees while drawing his heels toward his buttocks. The sailor must bend his legs to at least 90 degrees. Another sailor will place his hands on the participant's feet to anchor them in place. The sailor must cross his arms in front of his chest, each hand resting on the opposing shoulder. To begin, the sailor raises his shoulder blades off the floor, moving his arms and chest toward his thighs. When the sailor's elbows touch his thighs, he must lower his shoulder blades back to the surface.

    Run or Swim

    • A recruit must complete a mile and a half run to graduate boot camp. However, a sailor has the option of choosing the 450 meter swim rather than the run. The run is completed on a 400 meter track and the swim must be completed in pool at least 50 meters long.

    Standards Categories

    • Each of the three categories are broken down into age and sex standards. For example, a 21-year-old female recruit must do 58 curl-ups, 21 pullups and run the mile in 14 minutes and 15 seconds to graduate boot camp. On the other hand, a 50- year-old sailor only need complete 60 sit-ups, 37 curl-ups, 30 pushups and has the choice of running 1.5 miles in less than 15 minutes and 15 seconds or swim 450 meters in 12 minutes and 5 seconds.