I\u2019m tempted to take him up on the offer. I have 15 minutes to complete the course and \u2013 whether it\u2019s a run, HYROX<\/a> race or CrossFit<\/a> workout \u2013 there\u2019s something about going against the clock that sends my stomach somersaulting. <\/p>\n I glance quickly at the fire escape, but before I can conjure up any excuses Chief Petty Officer Darran Hoare \u2013 Daz, to colleagues \u2013 clicks his stopwatch and directs me to a couple of 20kg kettlebells. We\u2019re off. <\/p>\n So how did I get here? It started months earlier when I emailed the Ministry of Defence asking about the fitness tests used in the armed forces. As a fitness writer, the idea was that I would give them a try in the gym, then report on my experiences. <\/p>\n I soon received a reply from Commander Serena Brotherton, Spokesperson at the Directorate of Defence Communications. After a bit of back and forth, her paraphrased response read: \u201cCome to Portsmouth. Do it properly.\u201d <\/p>\n How to do the Royal Navy fitness test<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Last September, the Navy replaced its traditional annual fitness test of a 1.5-mile run or bleep test with a new strength-based assessment designed to more accurately mirror the demands of the job. <\/p>\n \u201cIf there\u2019s a fire on board a ship, running 1.5 miles won\u2019t help very much,\u201d one of the officers jokes. <\/p>\n The new test, which is uniform across all ages and genders, is to be performed annually. It serves the purpose of ensuring all sailors have the base level of fitness needed to represent the Royal Navy. This is how to do it. <\/p>\n Complete the sequence below within 15 minutes: <\/p>\n Kettlebell carry x60m (carrying 2x20kg kettlebells for four lengths of a 15m course, with a step over a small hurdle every 15m).Powerbag lift x20 (using a 20kg powerbag, and moving it between an 18in box to a 48in box \u2013 there and back is one rep)Kettlebell deadlift x12 (using one 40kg kettlebell, and performed to a set tempo with a three-second pause at the top of each rep \u2013 your hands cannot leave the handle of the kettlebell throughout)Rope pull x6m (pulling 2x30kg powerbags along uniform rubber gym flooring)At this point, the sailor must don a 20kg weighted vest and wear it for the remainder of the test. This represents firefighting equipmentLunge (standard or reverse) while holding a 7.5kg dumbbell in one hand x12 Casualty drag x15m (drag four attached 20kg powerbags around a cone and bag again)Kettlebell carry x60m (carrying 2x20kg kettlebells for four lengths of a 15m course, with a step over a small hurdle every 15m)<\/p>\n Read more: I tried the walking method that offers \u201810 times the benefits\u2019 of walking 10,000 steps per day<\/a><\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Chief Petty Officer Darran Hoare explains the Royal Navy physical employment standard test (Royal Navy \/ Nigel Huxtable)<\/p>\n What happened when I took the Royal Navy fitness test<\/p>\n I turn up at HMS Temeraire, the Royal Navy\u2019s physical training school in Portsmouth, dressed in tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt. This is not what I will be wearing for the test. <\/p>\n After a discombobulating tour of the base\u2019s maze-like hallways, I\u2019m handed a heavy woollen uniform and directed to a changing room. Things are about to get sweaty. <\/p>\n From the changing room, I descend a set of stairs and emerge into a swish new gym complete with power racks, rigs, climbing ropes, curve runners and more.<\/p>\n \u201cIt used to be a sports hall,\u201d I\u2019m told. \u201cPeople would play a lot of five-a-side, but in recent years we\u2019ve found there\u2019s a lot more demand for a gym.\u201d<\/p>\n This is clear to see. It\u2019s in constant use during my visit, with sailors choosing to fill their downtime with heavy barbells, Olympic weightlifting drills, treadmill sprints and CrossFit-style workouts. <\/p>\n To prepare for the test, I warm up while watching three sailors take the assessment. First is the Royal Navy\u2019s SO2 operational fitness Lieutenant, Commander Joseph Wood \u2013 a solid figure with thick forearms that help him complete the course without breaking a sweat. <\/p>\n Next is Commander Serena Brotherton \u2013 a slight-yet-powerful figure who lifts the 40kg kettlebell with ease on her way to a pass. Up third, there\u2019s a younger recruit, Able Seaman Mine Warfare Kishay Pompey. He boasts shoulders broader than my horizons and tosses the 20kg powerbag around like a beanbag \u2013 another pass. <\/p>\n Read more: Do these five things daily for 90 days to see a \u2018profound difference\u2019 in your health, fitness and energy levels<\/a><\/p>\n Station one: kettlebell carry x60m (2x20kg kettlebell)<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Lieutenant Commander Joseph Wood demonstrates the kettlebell carry (Royal Navy \/ Nigel Huxtable)<\/p>\n Finally, it\u2019s my turn, and the 15-minute countdown begins. The 60m kettlebell carry comes first, and it goes off without a hitch. The distance is shorter and the weights are lighter than those in a HYROX race \u2013 one of my prior fitness challenges \u2013 so the carry feels manageable in comparison. <\/p>\n The only slight curveball is the 12-or-so inch hurdle halfway along the 15m there-and-back track, which is designed to mimic the raised metal door hatch you might encounter on a ship. As a clumsy person by nature, I make sure to exaggerate my steps when navigating it, and manage to avoid clipping it with each traverse. <\/p>\n Station two: Powerbag lift x20 (moving a 20kg powerbag between an 18in box and a 48in box \u2013 there and back is one rep)<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n The awkward shape and lack of handle on the powerbag added to the challenge of the powerbag lift (Royal Navy \/ Nigel Huxtable)<\/p>\n Second is the powerbag lift, replicating the demands of moving equipment up a ladder. AB Pompey made this look effortless, but after moving it between the boxes 10 times I\u2019m getting a little hot under my (not inconsiderable) woollen collar. The 20kg powerbag is without handles and slightly awkward to move, but thankfully it\u2019s light enough to grip and rip for the full 20 reps. <\/p>\n Station three: Kettlebell deadlift x12 (40kg kettlebell)<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n ‘Daz’ demonstrates the kettlebell deadlift (Royal Navy \/ Nigel Huxtable)<\/p>\n After placing the powerbag down for the final time, I move to the chunky 40kg kettlebell for the deadlifts<\/a>. Here, a timer plays a series of beeps to tell me when to lift, hold and lower the weight. The lift is fast, the hold at the top of the movement lasts for three seconds, then the weight is lowered under control. <\/p>\n Adhering to the beeps, the kettlebell barely touches the ground before it\u2019s time to lift it again. This tested my grip as much as anything, particularly after the prior two challenges. But the weight was still relatively light compared to the barbell deadlifts I\u2019m used to in the gym, so I was able to hold on for the prescribed 12 reps. <\/p>\n Station four: Rope pull x6m (pulling 2x30kg powerbag, attached as one)<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Commander Serena Brotherton completes the rope pull during the Royal Navy’s new PES test (Nigel Huxtable \/ Royal Navy)<\/p>\n The test had proved remarkably grip-heavy up to this point, which makes sense when sailors are required to carry heavy equipment to and fro on board ships. This trend continued with the next station, the rope pull, which challenged me to drag a couple of 30kg powerbags six metres across the gym floor.<\/p>\n Grabbing the rope, I was initially concerned that the rubber gym flooring (uniform among test centres) might generate a lot of friction and stop the powerbags in their tracks. I sunk into a partial squat, braced myself, then gave a forceful heave to get things going. To my relief, the bags jolted forward, and I was able to keep this momentum going for the remainder of the 6m route. <\/p>\n Station five: Alternating lunges x12 (7.5kg dumbbell and 20kg weighted vest)<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n The lunges presented a test of balance as well as strength (Royal Navy \/ Nigel Huxtable)<\/p>\n My reward for completing the first four stations? For the remainder of the test, I\u2019m required to wear a 20kg weighted vest. <\/p>\n Despite this and a 7.5kg dumbbell in one hand, the lunges feel fine. The slightly alien feel of the weighted vest throws off my balance slightly, testing my stability more than my strength, but I emerge unscathed. <\/p>\n Station six: Casualty drag x15m (4x20kg powerbag, attached as one)<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n Commander Serena Brotherton completes the casualty drag (Royal Navy \/ Nigel Huxtable)<\/p>\n I\u2019m also able to move through the casualty drag fairly smoothly. Though shifting 80kg is no mean feat, the fact it\u2019s being dragged means you are never supporting the full weight in one go. <\/p>\n The there-and-back course is 7.5m long in each direction, and rounding a cone at one end without knocking into it requires a dash of precision driving. But other than this, the station is surprisingly enjoyable. <\/p>\n Station seven: Kettlebell carry x60m (2x20kg kettlebell and 20kg weighted vest)<\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n There was a hurdle halfway through each of the four 15m lengths in the kettlebell carry (Royal Navy \/ Nigel Huxtable)<\/p>\n Finally, I round off the test with another 60m kettlebell carry. Despite the addition of a weighted vest, it proves to be plain sailing and I\u2019m able to complete the test.<\/p>\n As I stand at the finish line, a slick sheen forming on my forehead and heat pouring from the sleeves and collar of my heavy uniform, Daz informs me I wrapped things up in roughly six minutes \u2013 a pass. <\/p>\n Read more: An expert trainer says these are the three best exercises for longevity, helping you \u2018live better for longer\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n My thoughts on the Royal Navy fitness test<\/p>\n I was lucky here. At 6ft 2in and roughly 90kg, the test played into my physiology \u2013 as Wood says, \u201cmass moves mass\u201d. For this reason, the weights involved were relatively manageable compared to those I might train with in the gym, and I was able to move them without too much difficulty. <\/p>\n This might disappoint those that clicked on this article to see me suffer through an intense military fitness test. But it\u2019s important to note the function of the test as a \u201cphysical employment standard\u201d \u2013 an assessment designed to make sure sailors have the entry-level fitness needed to represent the organisation. <\/p>\n There will be further tests of fitness for those involved in the Royal Navy\u2019s various sports associations, and many sailors will choose to surpass these minimum standards required of them. This test simply establishes a practical lowest common denominator for physical capacity. I also appreciated how each element of the test is designed to emulate the demands you might face during an emergency on board a ship. <\/p>\n \u201cWhether you\u2019re male or female, and no matter your age, if you\u2019re deployed on operations the public expect their military to be able to perform at a certain physical level,\u201d says Wood. \u201cTo design the test, it was a question of: \u2018what can we rally around in the Navy?\u2019 We\u2019re not all pilots, we\u2019re not all mariners, some of us do gunnery, some of us drive ships, but we can all rally around battle damage.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we get bombs or missiles coming into the ship, there is going to be battle damage, and we need to be able to carry out damage control \u2013 trying to fight fires, plug the holes and stop water coming into the ship.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more: Doctor recommends this simple three-ingredient recipe for supporting gut health and strengthening muscles<\/a><\/p>\n open image in gallery<\/p>\n I was given a briefing on the rationale behind this new Royal Navy fitness test (Royal Navy \/ Nigel Huxtable)<\/p>\n AFFF canisters carry foam for extinguishing fires, so 20kg powerbags are included in the assessment to replicate them. The same applies for the powerbag drag, which requires you to move 80kg to echo the average weight of a casualty, while the lunge mimics the \u201cmovement profile of firefighting\u201d.<\/p>\n These weights will be manageable for many sailors. However, there are those who may struggle to pass the PES test, and they can be placed into two main groups: those with low levels of strength and fitness, or those who are incredibly aerobically fit \u2013 and might have thrived during a 1.5 mile run \u2013 but are not particularly familiar with strength training. <\/p>\n \u201cWe found quite a lot of people who are very, very good runners were a bit worried because this test is more \u2018shift it and lift it\u2019,\u201d says Hoare. <\/p>\n Some sailors feared the new strength elements might be beyond their capabilities. However, the test needs to identify physiques fit for service aboard a ship, and I\u2019m told many people have surprised themselves with the weights they are able to lift while taking the assessment.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you can move medium weights relative to your body shape, there\u2019s a lot of benefit,\u201d says Wood. \u201cIf you practise it, your body will adapt and you will improve.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Chief](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/PTI-Darran-Hoare-explains-the-Royal-Navy-physical-employment-standard-test.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Lieutenant](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Lieutenant-Commander-Joseph-Wood-demonstrates-the-kettlebell-carry.jpeg\")
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<\/p>\n![\"I](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/I-was-given-a-briefing-on-the-rationale-behind-this-new-Royal-Navy-fitness-test.jpeg\")
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![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/The-20kg-sandbags-are-intended-to-mimic-the-AFFF-canisters-on-board-boats.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/The-new-PES-test-was-designed-to-emulate-the-most-physically-demanding-tasks-a-sailor-might-encounte.jpeg\")
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