For majority of teenage male Singaporeans, the IPPT (Individual Physical Proficiency Test) is an important date to be marked on the calendar. It is the first physical assessment required by the military in order to understand each individual’s physical ability; covering three stations – the pushup, sit-up, and 2.4km run.

Although these three categories may seem extremely basic and easy, many who participate fail to pass the test due to a lack of proper training.

In this article I will share with you the best tips and methods to prepare yourself for the IPPT.

Before learning how to at least pass it, one must understand the requirements to pass. The scoring is made up of a total of 100 points, where 61 points is required to pass. 25 points for pushups, 25 points for sit-ups and 50 points for running (you can see how heavily weighted running is).

#1: Push Ups

Let’s start with pushups. This exercise is straightforward and taught all throughout physical education lessons even in primary school, however the endurance is what enables you to get a higher score in this section.

In order to do more pushups, you must firstly have a good amount of strength in both your chest pectorals (primary muscle group) and also strong triceps (supporting muscle group).

To develop these muscles, the next time you go to the gym, focus on the bench press and dumbbell press (both for the pectoral muscles).

You should also attempt to do triceps extension movements, combined with close grip pushups. These are two great movements, which can help build strength to perform more repetitions of pushups. Additionally these are body weight exercises therefore no equipment will be needed! Be sure to be doing complete repetitions and going all the way down and coming back up all the way, so that on the IPPT day, you will not be discredited for half-reps.

For the advanced guys who are gunning for gold, try push-ups on dumbbells as it increases the difficulty and makes your muscles work even harder!

#2: Sit Ups

Sit-ups seem to be the strongest movement in most Singaporean males, as it simply requires a strong core. This can be acquired by performing core-strengthening workouts also at home!

A great exercise I recommend is a tri-Set, meaning you perform three workouts in a rotational manner, for example after completing the first workout in the set, move on to the second, and third; and back to the first. The first workout for your core is the basic crunches, followed by leg raises, and ending with plate/ball twists (hold a weight plate or ball in both hands and twist from side to side). Repeat this three times in order to burn the core and really strengthen the abdominal muscles.

Additionally, aside from strengthening the muscle, higher repetitions on this tri-set will improve stamina and endurance in order to hit a higher number of reps on the day of the test.

#3: The 2.4km Run

Finally, on to the 2.4km run which seems to be a weak point for many teens…

As I was training for my IPPT, the secret that I found to running under 12 minutes was the consistency in pace.

2.4km may not seem like a far distance, however when running the stretch it will eventually fatigue you out if going too quickly. Start off at a steady pace that you feel comfortable with and that you can maintain.

As I took my test when the whistle blew, most of the teens bolted and sprinted out, hoping to be first, however many of them fell behind due to fatigue yet I was still holding my pace and kept steady and finished under 10 minutes.

With a steady pace, do NOT slow down or stop, ensure to be breathing through your mouth and put the emphasis on the heel of your foot. Once you hit the 1.5km mark, start increasing pace slowly and towards the last 400-500m, sprint all the way to the finish line and don’t hold back. Use this method to prepare yourself for the run and don’t forget to always clock yourself to track improvements whether it is for amount of pushups, sit-ups, and the timing of your run!

A final parting piece of advice – it is always good to start training for your IPPT preparation early as both your body and muscles need time to become stronger. Give yourself at least 3 months to properly train.

Lastly, best of luck everyone for your IPPT. Hopefully these tips can help you pass and even score a gold for your IPPT! For that additional booster assistance, simply drop us an email or call us for professional IPPT guidance.