How to Train Your Core for the PT Test (Without Trashing Your Back)
Phillip LaPoint
Training your core for the PT test isn’t about looks—it’s about performance. It’s about building strength where it counts and making sure your midsection holds up under pressure. You don’t need six-pack abs. You need a core that doesn’t give out halfway through your situp set, and doesn’t wreck your lower back in the process.
Here’s what actually works:
Planks are the foundation. I hit them three to four times a week. Elbows under shoulders, spine in line, glutes tight. I keep it simple and stay consistent. Long holds, short holds, RKC-style tension—these build core strength that translates directly to test-day durability.
Side crunches and leg lifts hammer the lower abs. This area is key, especially if you want to avoid the dreaded quad burn during situps. I do side crunches slow and controlled, and I raise my legs with just enough clearance to force tension without swinging. Doesn’t take long, but it gets the job done.
Hips and thighs get their own attention too. Why? Because weak hips and tired quads will ruin your form halfway through a situp set. I add in simple drills like standing band abductions, slow step-ups, and bodyweight glute bridges. These build support and reduce fatigue.
Situps? I save them for just before the test. They flare up my lower back, so I don’t train them year-round. But when the PT test is coming, I give it a few weeks of ramp-up. Because I’ve kept everything else strong, I can hit max scores with just a bit of focused practice.
The goal isn’t to punish your body—it’s to prepare it. To show up on test day knowing you can hold form, stay stable, and finish strong.
At Class 5, we build gear that supports that kind of training—gritty, practical, and built to move. We back the quiet professionals and the ones still in the fight. The ones who build strength on the living room floor, in base gyms, or hotel corners between TDYs.
Train smart. Show up strong. And wear something that works as hard as you do.
