Relationship of Strength and Conditioning Metrics to Success on the Army Ranger Physical Assessment Test

• Published in: Journal of strength and conditioning research 2019-04, Vol.33 (4), p.958-964
• Main Authors: Barringer, Nicholas D., McKinnon, Craig J., OʼBrien, Nicholas C., Kardouni, Joseph R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Athletes; Athletic Performance; Endurance; Exercise Test - methods; Humans; Military Personnel; Muscle Strength - physiology; Physical fitness; Physical Fitness - physiology; Running - physiology; Strength training; United States; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1064-8011; 1533-4287
• DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003044

ABSTRACTBarringer, ND, McKinnon, CJ, OʼBrien, NC, and Kardouni, JR. Relationship of strength and conditioning metrics to success on the army ranger physical assessment test. J Strength Cond Res 33(4)958–964, 2019—The purpose of our study was to compare standard strength and conditioning assessments in the Ranger Athlete Warrior (RAW) assessments to a tactical assessment of the Ranger Physical Assessment Test (RPAT) to determine what influence, if any, that they may have on the RPAT outcome. We analyzed RAW and RPAT data on 1,141 soldiers attempting the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program I (RASP I) for entrance into the 75th Ranger Regiment as part of their routine program data collection from July 2014 to July 2017. We found better performance in the broad jump, pull-ups, and average 300-yard shuttle time was associated with improved odds of passing the RPAT. For every increasing 2.54 centimeters in broad jump, the odds of passing the RPAT increased by 4% (OR = 1.04, 95% CI [1.01–1.07]). Each additional pull-up was associated with 6% better odds (OR = 1.06, 95% CI [1.01–1.12]) of passing the RPAT, and every second faster in the 300-yard shuttle was associated with 9% better odds of passing the RPAT (OR = 1.09, 95% CI [1.03–1.14]). The results of this study indicate that lower-body power, pulling strength, and anaerobic conditioning seemed to have the greatest influence on RPAT success. Our current results provide guidance to Strength Coaches or TSAC-Fs preparing tactical athletes for this specific or similar tactical assessment as better performance was found for tactical athletes with greater lower-body power, pulling strength, and anaerobic endurance.