Where the military part comes from
Bootcamp classes took their name from basic training, as the what is a bootcamp workout guide explains, and most of them borrow the look more than the drills. The drills themselves are public. The US Army's physical readiness training manual, FM 7-22, dated October 2012, sets out every session in three parts: preparation, activities and recovery. Activities take most of the time, 30 to 60 minutes, and the manual alternates strength and mobility days with running days through the week.
The Army has since moved its fitness doctrine to the Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system, and newer publications replace the 2012 manual. The drills below are still the clearest written version of what a military PT session contains, and they need no equipment beyond a flat field or a floor.
The preparation drill: ten moves before anything else
FM 7-22 calls the preparation drill a dynamic warm-up of ten exercises, done before every session, always in the same order. New soldiers do 5 repetitions of each at a slow cadence, with the high jumper and the push-up at a moderate one, and progress to 10 repetitions. The manual is strict about speed: the focus is "always on quality of movement, not quantity of repetitions or speed of movement."
These are short versions of the manual's descriptions. Each exercise runs on a four-count, called by a leader in formation; on your own, count each rep slowly out loud.
Conditioning drill 1: the strength part
On strength days the manual's first calisthenic drill is conditioning drill 1, five exercises that build body control and strength without equipment:
Basic trainees do 5 repetitions of each; later it goes to 5 to 10. The manual says not to go past ten repetitions and to add a second set of the whole drill instead. Two or three sets of conditioning drill 1 make a solid strength block for most people who are new to it.
30:60s, the running intervals
On running days the Army uses 30:60s: sprint for 30 seconds, walk for 60, and that is one repetition. Soldiers jog a quarter mile first, and new trainees run 6 to 8 repetitions, building toward 10 to 15. After the last one, the manual asks for at least 3 minutes of walking before anything else. Eight repetitions take 12 minutes. The longer version, 60:120s, keeps the same 1:2 ratio with a 60-second sprint.
A 400-metre track is the ideal place. On a road or a path, the manual recommends a straight course of 100 to 200 yards, wide enough to turn without colliding. The interval timer runs 30/60 with a custom setting, so nobody has to watch a stopwatch while sprinting.
The recovery drill: five stretches to finish
Every session ends with the recovery drill, five stretches held for 20 to 30 seconds each and done in order: overhead arm pull, rear lunge, extend and flex, thigh stretch and single-leg over. These are slow static holds, which fits the point the warm-up and cooldown guide makes about leaving static stretching until the end.
A military style bootcamp workout, put together
Two session types, alternated across the week the way the manual schedules them, with no running on two days in a row:
After three or four weeks, raise the drills to 10 reps, add a third set of conditioning drill 1 and two more 30:60s. More bodyweight formats for the strength block, such as ladders and the deck of cards, are in bodyweight bootcamp ideas. For a class where the 30:60s become a group relay, the HIIT program shows how short work intervals add up.
What are the 5 exercises in the military fitness test?
The question usually means the Army Fitness Test, which replaced the Army Combat Fitness Test and dropped its standing power throw. Its implementation began on 1 June 2025, and it has five events:
Soldiers in the combat specialties need at least 60 points in every event and 350 overall; other specialties need 60 per event and 300 overall. For anyone training for enlistment, the recruiter has the current standards for the branch, and the Air Force publishes its own basic training preparation guide.
For beginners, and at home
Start with 5 repetitions of everything and one set of conditioning drill 1, and treat that as a full session for the first two weeks. The power jump and the high jumper are the high-impact moves; swap them for a bodyweight squat and marching on the spot if your knees or the floor below you object. A single-leg push-up becomes a normal push-up, from the knees if needed.
Indoors there is no room for 30-second sprints, so run the intervals as 30 seconds of fast high knees or step-ups and 60 seconds of slow walking around the room. The ratio is the part that matters, and it works the same in a living room.
Frequently asked
What is a typical boot camp workout?
In the Army's FM 7-22 every session has three parts: a ten-exercise preparation drill, a main activity of 30 to 60 minutes that is either strength and mobility work or running, and a five-stretch recovery drill.
How often should I do a military style workout?
Four days a week suits most people: two strength days and two running days, with no running on consecutive days, which is how the Army schedules them.
Do I need equipment for a military style bootcamp workout?
No. The preparation, conditioning and recovery drills use bodyweight only. The one thing you need is a field, a track or a straight path for the 30:60 sprints.
Is a military style workout good for beginners?
Yes, if you start where new soldiers do: 5 repetitions of each drill exercise at a slow cadence, one set of the conditioning drill and 6 sprint intervals.
