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Army ACFT Leg Tuck 2024 | Standards & Scoring

Today, we will explain the leg tuck, just the Army’s attempt to screw up the knees-to-elbows movement made famous in Crossfit.

The ACFT Leg tuck is part of the ACFT Test Standards, which also includes deadlifts, plank standards, etc.

Don’t worry; what was easy when competing in the open is not easy by the Army’s grading standards because what fun would that be?

The ACFT Leg tuck requires an over-under grip. You are not allowed to interlace your fingers over the bar, and you must come to a full stop.

Full stop, no swing in between repetitions. The full stop, no swing thing is a real buzz kill.

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How To Do A Leg Tuck

The leg tuck is a two-minute event for max reps. Therefore, 20 is the maximum score on this test. 

On the command of getting set, the soldier will stand under the bar, place his hands, and start to hang. 

Now, hand placement is essential. If you go too narrow, it will create an unstable grip on the bar, and hanging at the dead hang, you can choke yourself out with your shoulders. 

It could be more controlled. So widen the grip out a little bit. It will force you to operate at a 45-degree angle, but that’s okay. 

On the command of go, the soldier will start performing reps. The first thing he wants to do is gain control of his scaps. 

He wants to pull them down as the first initiating movement. 

Swinging can disqualify you from the movement. So your grader can give you a hand right here, placing it on your back to get you to quit swinging. 

Another thing that is important to remember is to keep control of your legs. Balancing and regulating your swing is much easier if you control your legs.

Specific exercises that will make you better at this include:

  • Pull-ups.
  • Hanging exercises from a bar.
  • Anything that’s going to be anti-rotational.

If you need to know more, visit www.armyprt.com acft to download your free copy of our training program. 

3 Tricks for the ACFT Leg Tucks 

The first one is to look up. 

When you look up, you’ll lean back more. As a result, you’ll crunch if you’re looking down or forward, making it difficult to get a rep for the leg tuck. 

Pull your elbows down.

The second trick for the leg tuck is to pull your elbows down. Instead of thinking about pulling your body up to the bar, consider the opposite, pull your elbows down. 

I like this trick because it helps engage your lats more and get less off your arms. We must use our backs to help pull us up to the bar. The arms help, but the back is what drives it. 

So drive your elbows down when you’re on the leg tuck bar next time; this will engage your lats more than just pulling yourself up.

Stay Engaged

Last trick to help you out with the leg tug, stay engaged. 

Keep your lats and shoulders engaged when you’re at the bottom of the reps; this will allow you to keep full body tension and make it easier to keep your reps going.

When we get to the bottom, and we lay loose or hang loose, we have to use extra energy and strength to return to a rep. So stay engaged, and you’ll do a much better job.

George N.
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