Prep Drill | 10 Army PRT Exercises 2025

The Army PRT Preparation Drill is a structured warm-up routine designed to prepare soldiers for intense physical activities while reducing injury risks.

The preparation drill is performed at the beginning of every PRT session.

Drill Structure

• 10 exercises performed for five to ten repetitions
• Slow cadence for all exercises except:
  • High Jumper (moderate cadence)
  • Push-Up (moderate cadence)

10 PRT Drill Exercises

There are 10 prep drill exercises in the United States Army:

1. Bend and Reach
2. Rear Lunge
3. High Jumper
4. Rower
5. Squat Bender
6. Windmill
7. Forward Lunge
8. Prone Row
9. Bent-leg Body Twist
10. Push-up

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🎯 1. Bend and Reach

The Bend and Reach is the first exercise in the prt drill. By flexing the trunk, hips, and knees, and extending the shoulders, the Bend and Reach prepares the soldier for more vigorous activity such as squatting, rolling, and climbing.

🔹 Movement Breakdown (Slow Cadence)

🔸 The starting position for the bend and reach is the straddle stance with the arms overhead,

• Elbows fully extended, palms facing inward,
• Fingers and thumbs extended and joined.

🔸 On count one:

• Move from the starting position into a partial squat with the heels remaining on the ground
• Round the spine to allow the arms to reach as far as possible between the legs
• The neck flexes to tuck the chin and head, and to allow the soldier to look to the rear

🔸 On count two:

• Return to the starting position

🔸 On count three:

• Repeat count one

🔸 On count four:

• Return to the starting position

✅ Here is the movement in real-time.

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🎯 2. Rear Lunge

The Rear Lunge is the second exercise in the prep drill. This exercise promotes flexibility of the hip, leg strength, and balance. It prepares the soldier for taking cover and assuming kneeling firing positions.

🔹 Movement Breakdown (Slow Cadence)

🔸 The starting position for the rear lunge is the straddle stance with the hands on hips

🔸 On count one:

• Keeping hands on hips, take an exaggerated step backwards with the left leg
• Touching down with the ball of the foot placed directly back from the starting position
• The heel should be off the ground, and a stretch should be felt in the front of the left hip and thigh
• If not, allow the body to continue to lower to increase flexibility

🔸 On count two:

• Return to the starting position, maintaining the same distance between the feet as used in the straddle stance

🔸 On count three:

• Repeat count one with the right leg

🔸 On count four:

• Return to the starting position

✅ Here is the movement in real-time.

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🎯 3. High Jumper

The High Jumper is the third exercise in the preparation drill. This exercise promotes correct jumping, landing, balance, coordination, and prepares the soldier to build explosive strength.

🔹 Movement Breakdown (Moderate Cadence)

🔸 The starting position for the high jumper is the forward leaning stance,

• palms facing inwards
• Fingers and thumbs extended and joined

🔸 On count one:

• Swing the arms forward until they are parallel to the ground
• At the same time, jump a few inches vertically

🔸 On count two:

• Land safely on the balls of the feet and return to the starting position
• Maintain the same distance between the feet as there was during the forward leaning stance

🔸 On count three:

• Swing the arms vigorously forward and overhead to unweight the upper body
• At the same time, jump forcefully straight up from the ground

🔸 On count four:

• Land gently on the balls of the feet and return to the starting position

✅ Here is the movement in real-time.

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🎯 4. Rower

The Rower is the fourth exercise in the preparation drill. This exercise improves abdominal strength and total body coordination.

It prepares the soldier to move from supine to seated positions and for exercises in conditioning and climbing drills.

🔹 Movement Breakdown (Slow Cadence)

🔸 The starting position for the rower is the supine position,

• with arms overhead, feet together and pointing up
• The head is one to two inches off the ground to work muscles in the front of the neck
• Arms are overhead with hands at shoulder width, palms facing inward, with fingers and thumbs extended and joined

🔸 On count one:

• Sit up while bending at the hip and knees and swinging arms forward until they are parallel to the ground
• At the end of this count, the feet are flat on the ground with knees positioned between the arms
• The arms are parallel to the ground

🔸 On count two:

• Reverse the movement performed in count one to return to the starting position

🔸 On count three:

• Repeat count one

🔸 On count four:

• Return to the starting position

📌 Perform five to ten repetitions.

✅ Here is the movement in real-time.

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🎯 5. Squat Bender

The Squat Bender is the fifth exercise in the prt drill. This exercise develops strength, endurance, and flexibility in the lower back and thigh muscles.

It prepares soldiers to use proper lifting technique in more vigorous training and testing events that require heavy lifts.

🔹 Movement Breakdown (Slow Cadence)

🔸 The starting position for the squat bender is the straddle stance with hands on hips.

🔸 On count one:

• Squat while leaning slightly forward from the waist, keeping the head up
• Move both arms to a position in front of the body and parallel to the ground
• Palms face inwards

🔸 On count two:

• Reverse the movement performed in count one to return to the starting position

🔸 On count three:

• With the knees slightly bent, bend forward at the waist
• Maintain the head in alignment with the spine and keep the spine straight
• Reach toward the ground until a stretch is felt in the back of the thighs

🔸 On count four:

• Return to the starting position

📌 Perform 5 to 10 repetitions.

✅ Here is the movement in real-time.

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🎯 6. Windmill

The Windmill is the sixth exercise in the prep drill. This exercise develops the ability to safely bend and simultaneously rotate the trunk.

It requires flexibility in the spine and coordination of the shoulder girdle. It prepares soldiers to use proper movement technique in more vigorous training, testing, and combat tasks.

🔹 Movement Breakdown (Slow Cadence)

🔸 The starting position for the windmill is the straddle stance,

• with arms straight out to the side.
• Fingers and thumbs extended and joined; palms are facing down.

🔸 On count one:

• Bend the hips and knees while rotating the trunk to the left
• Reach down to touch the outside of the left foot with the right hand
• Look to the rear
• The left arm is pulled rearward to maintain alignment across the shoulders with the right arm

🔸 On count two:

• Reverse the movement performed in count one to return to the starting position

🔸 On count three:

• Repeat count one, this time to the right

🔸 On count four:

• Return to the starting position

✅ Here is the movement in real-time.

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🎯 7. Forward Lunge

The Forward Lunge is the seventh exercise in the prt drill. This exercise develops balance and leg strength. It prepares soldiers to use proper movement technique to perform lifts such as a litter carry.

🔹 Movement Breakdown (Slow Cadence)

🔸 The starting position for the forward lunge is the straddle stance with hands on hips.

🔸 On count one:

• Take a step forward with the left leg until the left heel is three to six inches ahead of the right foot
• At the same time, bend at the hips and knees to lunge forward, keeping the back straight
• Do not look down and do not bring the feet closer together

🔸 On count two:

• Reverse the movement performed in count one to return to the starting position

🔸 On count three:

• Repeat count one, this time stepping forward with the right foot

🔸 On count four:

• Return to the starting position

✅ Here is the movement in real-time.

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🎯 8. Prone Row

The Prone Row is the eighth exercise in the prt drill. This exercise develops the strength of the neck, upper back, and shoulders.

It prepares soldiers to fire from the prone position and to tolerate the weight of the helmet and body armor across the shoulders and neck.

🔹 Movement Breakdown (Slow Cadence)

🔸 The starting position for the prone row is the prone position,

• with arms overhead, palms down

• Fingers and thumbs extended and joined
• Arms are lifted 1-2 inches from the ground
• Toes are pointed to the rear

🔸 On count one:

• Raise the head and chest slightly while lifting the arms and pulling them rearward
• Hands are made into fists as they move toward the shoulders

🔸 On count two:

• Reverse the movement performed in count one to return to the starting position
• Arms and hands remain off the ground

🔸 On count three:

• Repeat count one

🔸 On count four:

• Return to the starting position

✅ Here is the movement in real-time.

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🎯 9. Bent-Leg Body Twist

The Bent-Leg Body Twist is the ninth exercise in the prt drill. This exercise strengthens the trunk and hip muscles while promoting control of trunk rotation.

It is a safe way to prepare for loaded trunk movements in more vigorous training, testing, and combat tasks.

🔹 Movement Breakdown (Slow Cadence)

🔸 The starting position for the Bent-Leg Body Twist is the Supine position,

• with the hips and knees bent to 90 degrees,
• arms straight out to the side, with palms on the ground.
• Knees and feet are together.

🔸 On count one:

• Rotate the legs to the left while keeping the upper back and arms in place on the ground
• The legs drop together toward the ground

🔸 On count two:

• Reverse the movement performed in count one to return to the starting position

🔸 On count three:

• Repeat count one, this time rotating the legs to the right

🔸 On count four:

• Return to the starting position

✅ Here is the movement in real-time.

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🎯 10. Push-Up

The Push-Up is the final exercise in the prep drill. This exercise strengthens the muscles of the chest, shoulders, arms, and trunk.

When conducted to standard, it is a safe way to prepare for more vigorous pushing motions required in training, testing, and combat tasks.

🔹 Movement Breakdown (Moderate Cadence)

🔸 The starting position for the push-up is the Front leaning rest position.

• Hands directly beneath the shoulders with fingers spread
• Feet are together
• The body forms a straight line from the top of the head to the heels
• This position is maintained throughout the exercise

🔸 On count one:

• Bend the elbows, lowering the body until the upper arms are parallel to the ground

🔸 On count two:

• Reverse the movement performed in count one to return to the starting position

🔸 On count three:

• Repeat count one

🔸 On count four:

• Return to the starting position

✅ Here is the movement in real-time.

📌 Stay disciplined with training to maximize performance! 🚀

Army PRT Exercises

The following is a list of the PRT exercises and their respective cadences:

Army PRT Exercises	Cadence
1. Bend and Reach	5-10 repetitions, slow
2. Rear Lunge	5-10 repetitions, slow
3. High Jumper	5-10 repetitions, moderate
4. Rower	5-10 repetitions, slow
5. Squat Bender	5-10 repetitions, slow
6. Windmill	5-10 repetitions, slow
7. Forward Lunge	5-10 repetitions, slow
8. Prone Row	5-10 repetitions, slow
9. Bent-leg Body Twist	5-10 repetitions, slow
10. Push-up	5-10 repetitions, moderate

Muscles Worked

The Army PRT Exercises targets multiple muscle groups essential for strength, endurance, and flexibility. Below is a breakdown of the primary muscles worked for each exercise:

Exercise	Primary Muscles Worked
Bend and Reach	Hamstrings, glutes, lower back, quadriceps
Rear Lunge	Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calf muscles
High Jumper	Quadriceps, glutes, calves, lower back
Rower	Upper back, shoulders, biceps, hamstrings
Squat Bender	Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, lower back, shoulders
Windmill	Obliques, shoulders, hamstrings
Forward Lunge	Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes
Prone Row	Upper back, shoulders, biceps
Bent-Leg Body Twist	Obliques, abdominals, lower back
Push-Up	Chest (pectoral muscles), shoulders (deltoids), triceps

These exercises enhance mobility, strength, and endurance, making them essential for military training and overall fitness.

Why Are These PRT Exercises Popular?

• Excellent warm-ups and stretching exercises
• Prepare soldiers for the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT)
• Effective for meeting Army ACFT standards
• Long-term benefits include:
  • Boosting physical readiness
  • Enhancing strength
  • Increasing stamina

These exercises are not just for soldiers—many individuals use them to improve overall physical fitness.

From cardiovascular endurance to muscle strength and flexibility, prep drills cover various facets of physical readiness.

Army Warm-Up Drills

They are sometimes referred to as warm-up exercises:

• Exercise 1: Bend and Reach
• Exercise 2: Rear Lunge
• Exercise 3: High Jumper
• Exercise 4: Rower
• Exercise 5: Squat Bender
• Exercise 6: Windmill
• Exercise 7: Forward Lunge
• Exercise 8: Prone Row
• Exercise 9: Bent-Leg Body Twist
• Exercise 10: Push-Up
• Exercise 10A: Push-Up Using the Six Point Stance

In my opinion, these Warm-Up Drills offer a robust set of calisthenic exercises, facilitating body sculpting according to one’s preferences.

• For those aiming to enhance their strength, improve endurance, and maintain consistency in workouts, preparation exercises are an excellent choice.
• It’s a routine one can incorporate daily, targeting most muscle groups. Starting with minimal reps and progressively increasing is recommended.
• It’s a routine one can seamlessly integrate at home, eliminating concerns about missing any sessions.

Conclusion

• Prep Drills are a holistic approach to physical fitness, combining strength, flexibility, and endurance exercises. 
• They present an excellent opportunity for individuals looking to incorporate a comprehensive workout routine into their daily lives. 
• As with all exercise regimens, ensuring that it fits your health and physical capabilities is paramount.