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3 Repetition Maximum Deadlift

Measures the lower-body muscular strength needed to lift heavy loads from the ground safely and effectively.

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What it measures and why

Measures the lower-body muscular strength needed to lift heavy loads from the ground safely and effectively.

The Army describes the MDL as a strong predictor of a Soldier's ability to lift and carry a casualty on a litter and to lift and move personnel and equipment. It relies on well-conditioned back and leg muscles that help with load carriage and with avoiding upper- and lower-back injuries.

Army-named fitness components: Lower-body muscular strength.

ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-41, p. 26

Equipment and station setup

Equipment per lane

  • 1 × Hexagon (hex) bar, 60 pounds unloaded — One per lane. Other bar weights are allowed if the bar is weighed and plate loads are recalculated.
  • 2 × Barbell collars — Not counted in the load.
  • Bumper plates — Loaded to the lane's weight using the ATP's plate arrangement table (120 to 340 pounds).

Station setup

  • Set up MDL lanes in the space next to the field lanes.
  • Weigh each hex bar before the test and load plates using the ATP's plate arrangement table. Recalculate if a bar is not 60 pounds.
  • Inspect hex bars for stress cracks at the welded seams.
  • Aim for 5–6 Soldiers per MDL lane; graders may change bar weights or move Soldiers to even out the stacks.
  • Soldiers choose a lane with their preferred starting weight.

ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-21, Table 2-1; E-2 – E-8, p. 20–21, 87–89; ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-43; E-3, E-6, E-30; equipment safety note, p. 20, 26, 87–88, 93

How to perform it

Starting position

Inside the hex bar with feet shoulder-width apart, gripping the center of the handles with a closed grip. Arms fully extended, back flat, head in line with the spine or slightly extended, and both heels on the ground. Every repetition starts from this position.

Deadlift start and top positionsLeft: the start position inside the hex bar with arms straight, back flat, hips below the shoulders, and heels down. Right: the top position standing tall in the Straddle Stance with hips and knees straight.GET SET: arms straight, back flat,hips below shoulders, heels downTop: hips and knees straight(Straddle Stance), then lower
Start and top positions from ATP 7-22.01 para. 2-46 (official figures 2-3 and 2-4, p. 27). Dashed circle: bumper plate beside the legs; dot: hands on the hex-bar handle. Proportions approximate. Illustrative RuckOn drawing, not an official Army graphic.
A Soldier stands holding a loaded hex bar at full extension while a grader in uniform watches with a clipboard; other Soldiers lift in lanes behind them. Below, a photo sequence shows one Soldier lifting the hex bar from the ground to standing and lowering it again.
Figure 2-3. Maximum Deadlift · ATP 7-22.01, p. 27 (PDF) opens the official publication in a new tab

Steps

  1. Step 1: Prepare“GET SET”

    • Step inside the hex bar, feet shoulder-width apart, and find the mid-point of the handles.
    • Bend at the knees and hips, reach down, and grasp the center of the handles with a closed grip (thumb wrapped around the handle opposite the fingers).

  2. Step 2: Lift“GO”

    • Straighten the hips and knees to stand up into the Straddle Stance.
    • Do not let the hips rise before or above the shoulders. Keep the back straight and the feet in place, staying balanced and in control.
    Overlapping photo sequence of one Soldier inside a hex bar: standing, bending at the knees and hips to grip the handles with a flat back, standing up with the bar, and lowering it back to the ground.
    Figure 2-4. Proper technique to execute the Maximum Deadlift · ATP 7-22.01, p. 27 (PDF) opens the official publication in a new tab

  3. Step 3: Lower

    • Lower the bar to the ground under control with a straight back.
    • Place the bar down; do not drop it. The plates must touch the ground to finish the repetition.
    Two photos of a Soldier at the bottom of a hex-bar repetition: on the left the plates rest on the ground; on the right the plates are held just above the ground.
    Figure 2-7. Touching the plates to the ground versus not touching the ground · ATP 7-22.01, p. 29 (PDF) opens the official publication in a new tab

  4. Step 4: Repeat

    • Complete three continuous repetitions without resting on the ground.

Proper form and what's allowed

  • Recommended 10-minute MDL warm-up: 8–10 reps at 25% of goal weight or the empty bar (rest 2 min), 6 reps at 40% (rest 3 min), 4 reps at 50% (rest 4 min or until the event starts), and an optional 1 rep at 80%.
  • Adjusting the grip while keeping contact with the bar.
  • Moving to another lane that already has the next target weight.
  • Hex bars with adjustable handle width and walk-in hex bars.
  • Gloves that conform to AR 670-1 may be worn for any event.

Breathing: ATP 7-22.01 gives no breathing guidance for this event, so none is given here.

ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-45 – 2-46, p. 27; ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-46, p. 27

Common mistakes and invalid repetitions

Safety stops

  • Knees moving closer together during any part of the lift (safety stop).
  • Hips rising above the shoulders to start the lift (safety stop).
  • Back or shoulders rounding during any part of the lift (safety stop).
  • Losing balance, including stepping forward or backward (safety stop).

Termination

  • Not fully extending the legs to reach the Straddle Stance.
  • Dropping the bar.
  • Taking the hands off the bar between repetitions while it is on the ground.
  • Not touching the bar to the ground between repetitions.
  • Resting on the ground (an obvious lack of effort to lift).
  • A safety stop on the second or third repetition.
Two photos of a Soldier gripping a hex bar with the hips raised above the shoulders and the back rounded, viewed from the front-side and from the side.
Figure 2-6. Hips moving above the shoulders or rounding of the spine · ATP 7-22.01, p. 28 (PDF) opens the official publication in a new tab
Three photos of a Soldier lifting a hex bar with the knees moving inward toward each other, shown from the side, the front, and at the top of the lift.
Figure 2-5. Knees moving closer together · ATP 7-22.01, p. 28 (PDF) opens the official publication in a new tab

ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-47 – 2-48, p. 28; ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-50, p. 28–29

Completion, attempts, timing, and rest

  • A successful attempt is 3 continuous repetitions to standard.
  • Each Soldier has two attempts. After a successful first attempt, the Soldier may make one attempt at a heavier weight. After a failed first attempt, the Soldier may make one more attempt at the same or a lower weight.
  • The raw score is the heaviest weight successfully lifted.
  • There is no programmed rest before the next event unless only one or two Soldiers are testing (then 5 minutes).

ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-37, 2-43, 2-46, 2-48 – 2-52, p. 25–29

Grader instructions

  • The grader gives "GET SET" and "GO" for each attempt.
  • The grader records each attempt, checks the maximum weight successfully lifted, and initials the MDL box on DA Form 705-TEST.
  • The grader returns the scorecard to the Soldier and reports to the OIC or NCOIC for HRP lane assignment.
Commands and grader responsibilities
CommandWho and what happens
GET READYNCOIC: the first Soldier in each stack stands in front of the hex bar.
GRADERS READYNCOIC, once all Soldiers are ready; graders signal visually.
THE MAXIMUM DEADLIFT STARTS NOWNCOIC.
GET SETGrader: the Soldier steps inside the hex bar into the start position.
GOGrader: starts the attempt.
NEXT SOLDIER MOVE FORWARDGrader, after each Soldier finishes.

Grader responsibilities

  • Call a safety stop on an unsafe first repetition, explain the error, and let the Soldier restart.
  • Terminate the attempt and record a failed attempt for a safety stop on the second or third repetition.
  • After a successful attempt, record the weight and ask whether the Soldier wants to try a heavier weight.

ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-12, 2-43, 2-47 – 2-51, p. 18–19, 26–29; ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-43, p. 26

Safety

  • A safety stop on the first repetition is not a record attempt: the grader explains the error and the Soldier restarts the attempt. It exists to prevent repeated movements that could cause injury.
  • Collars keep plates from moving during the lift.
  • Soldiers should know their goal weight and have lifted it in training before the test.
  • Chalk, powder, weightlifting belts, and wrist straps are not authorized.

ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-21 note, 2-42, 2-47; E-7, p. 21, 26, 28, 88

Scoring and training

Raw score: Heaviest weight lifted for 3 correct repetitions (pounds). Higher is better. Points run from 0 to 100 using the June 2025 score tables, by age group and, for the general standard, sex.

Both the general and combat standards require at least 60 points on this event; the combat standard also requires a total of at least 350.

Open the calculatorView the official score tables (PDF)

Prepare with the exercise library

The ATP starts every AFT with the Preparation Drill and ends with the Recovery Drill.

Exercises RuckOn maps to this event (an app mapping, not an Army designation):

Muscles and movement (RuckOn explanation)

RuckOn anatomical explanation for training purposes. The Army's own description is in “What it measures and why.”

Primary
Gluteus maximus, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Spinal erectors
Secondary
Forearm and grip muscles, Trapezius, Abdominal and trunk muscles
Movement patterns
Hip hinge with knee bend (hex-bar lift), Two-leg lift from the ground, Grip and trunk bracing

ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-30, p. 23; AFT Scoring Scales effective 1 June 2025

Demonstration and sources

ACFT Event 1 - 3 Repetition Maximum Deadlift(opens in a new tab)

U.S. Army Holistic Health and Fitness (YouTube)

Official U.S. Army Holistic Health and Fitness video linked from army.mil/aft. It was titled for the ACFT and may predate the June 2025 AFT and the March 2026 ATP; where anything differs, follow ATP 7-22.01 (March 2026). RuckOn has not reviewed the video frame by frame.

Photos and illustrations: ATP 7-22.01, Holistic Health and Fitness Testing (U.S. Army, 12 March 2026). Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Source notes

Where the official text is inconsistent, it is reported here rather than resolved:

  • The ATP's plate arrangement table goes up to 340 pounds, while the June 2025 score tables award points up to 350 pounds in some age groups. The ATP does not show a 350-pound arrangement.

Content checked against the publications on 2026-10-02.

RuckOn Fitness is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Army, and this guide is not a grader certification. Test administration follows ATP 7-22.01 and your unit's OIC or NCOIC.