Event 2 of 5
Hand-Release Push-Up
A two-minute timed event that measures upper-body muscular endurance.
What it measures and why
A two-minute timed event that measures upper-body muscular endurance.
The Army links the HRP to repetitive and sustained pushing in combat tasks: pushing an opponent away, pushing a stuck vehicle, and pushing up from the ground during evade and maneuver. It also works upper-back muscles used when reaching out from the prone position, taking cover, or low crawling.
Army-named fitness components: Upper-body muscular endurance.
ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-56, p. 30
Equipment and station setup
Equipment per lane
- 2 × Stopwatches — Used by the OIC or NCOIC and a back-up timer; one common clock times every lane.
- Foam or rubber mats — Optional. Sleeping mats are not authorized.
Station setup
- Test one Soldier per lane with one grader per lane.
- The OIC or NCOIC (or timer) runs a common 2:00 clock for all lanes; individual graders do not time the HRP.
- Graders kneel or sit where they can check the Soldier's hands, chest, body, and feet.
ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-22, p. 21; ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-53 – 2-54, 2-62, p. 29–31
How to perform it
Starting position
Prone, with hands flat on the ground beneath the shoulders and index fingers inside the outer edge of the shoulders. Chest and the front of the hips and thighs on the ground, toes on the ground, feet together or up to a boot's width apart (measured by the grader), ankles flexed. The head does not have to touch the ground.
Steps
Step 1: Movement 1: push up“GO”
- Push the whole body up as a single unit until the elbows are fully extended in the front leaning rest.
Step 2: Movement 2: lower
- Bend the elbows to lower the body. Chest, hips, and thighs touch the ground together; the head or face does not have to.
Step 3: Movement 3: hand release
- Without moving the head, body, or legs, extend both arms straight out to the sides into a T. The arms and hands may touch or slide along the ground.
Figure 2-8. Hand-Release Push-Up · ATP 7-22.01, p. 30 (PDF) opens the official publication in a new tab Step 4: Movement 4: return
- Immediately bring the hands back to the starting position to complete the repetition.
Proper form and what's allowed
- Soldiers should not wear glasses during the HRP.
- Keep the head in line with the body and the eyes on the ground.
- Do not "snake" off the ground; the body moves as one unit.
- Correct a movement error immediately.
- Performing the exercise on the knuckles (hands in fists) and switching between fists and flat hands; a fist must be inside the outer edge of the shoulder.
- Resting only in the front leaning rest.
- Using an optional mat, as long as the whole body is on it except the arms during the hand release.
- 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. 2-57 – 2-58, p. 30–31; ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-58, p. 31
Common mistakes and invalid repetitions
Repetitions or positions that don't count
- Not keeping a straight body line from head to ankles, including extending the neck or arching the back to keep the chest off the ground.
- Not extending both arms into a generally straight T.
- Not fully extending the elbows in the up position.
- Not returning the hands to the starting position.
- Feet more than a boot's width apart.
Termination
- Bending at the shoulders, hips, or knees while in the front leaning rest.
- Lifting a foot at any time, or lifting a hand while in the front leaning rest.
- Placing a knee on the ground from the front leaning rest.
- Not making a continuous effort to rise from the ground (resting on the ground).
- Repeating the hand release before rising from the ground.
ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-59, p. 31; ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-60, 2-62, p. 31
Completion, attempts, timing, and rest
- The raw score is the number of correct repetitions completed in two minutes.
- If the event is terminated for resting on the ground, the score earned before resting is recorded.
ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-62 – 2-64, p. 31–32
Grader instructions
- Graders kneel or sit to check the Soldier's hands, chest, body, and feet.
- Graders count correct repetitions aloud and record them on DA Form 705-TEST.
- The NCOIC starts each group; the timer runs the 2:00 clock for all lanes.
Commands and grader responsibilities
| Command | Who and what happens |
|---|---|
| GET READY | NCOIC: the first Soldier in each lane moves to the start line. |
| GRADERS READY | NCOIC; graders signal visually. |
| GET SET | NCOIC: Soldiers take the HRP start position. |
| GO | NCOIC: Soldiers begin and the common 2:00 clock starts. |
| ONE MINUTE REMAINING / 30 SECONDS REMAINING | Timer. |
| 10 SECONDS, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, STOP | Timer ends the event. |
| NEXT SOLDIER MOVE FORWARD | NCOIC. |
Grader responsibilities
- Measure foot width with the grader's boot.
- Give the Soldier the standard instructions before the event (glasses, head position, continuous effort, feet, elbow extension, immediate correction, knuckle option).
ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-12, 2-54, 2-62 – 2-63, p. 18–19, 30–31; ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-53 – 2-54, p. 29–30
Safety
- Sleeping mats are not authorized; if a mat is used, the whole body must be on it except the arms during the hand release.
ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-61, p. 31
Scoring and training
Raw score: Correct repetitions in 2 minutes. 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.
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):
- Push-Up
- Single-Leg Push-Up
- 8-Count T Push-Up
- Supine Chest Press
- Bent-Over Row
- Bench Press
- Single-Arm Bent-Over Row
Muscles and movement (RuckOn explanation)
RuckOn anatomical explanation for training purposes. The Army's own description is in “What it measures and why.”
- Primary
- Pectoralis major, Triceps brachii, Anterior deltoids
- Secondary
- Serratus anterior, Upper-back muscles (rhomboids, middle trapezius, rear deltoids) during the hand release, Abdominal and hip muscles holding the straight body line
- Movement patterns
- Horizontal push, Shoulder-blade retraction (T position), Trunk stability in a straight-body position
ATP 7-22.01 (12 Mar 2026), para. 2-30, p. 23; AFT Scoring Scales effective 1 June 2025
Demonstration and sources
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.
- ATP 7-22.01, Holistic Health and Fitness Testing(opens in a new tab)
12 March 2026. Current. Supersedes ATP 7-22.01, 1 October 2020.
- AFT Scoring Scales, Army Fitness Test Score Tables(opens in a new tab)
Approved 15 May 2025, effective 1 June 2025. Listed as the current AFT scoring tables on army.mil/aft when checked.
- army.mil/aft, Army Fitness Test website(opens in a new tab)
Checked 2 October 2026. The ATP names this site for event descriptions and instructional videos.
- Army Directive 2026-07, Army Physical Fitness Standards(opens in a new tab)
17 April 2026 (armypubs record date). Active. Supersedes Army Directive 2025-06 in part and controls where it conflicts with other Army regulations or directives.
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.