Posted on 01/15/2025 8:04:46 PM PST by sunny bonobo
Are there any Marines on here that were on active duty in 1970? I'm having an online argument with someone who is an extreme braggart and bulls**tter. I tend to not believe a single thing he says. This wasn't the original discussion, but somehow he got to bragging he is a Marine that scored 500 points on his physical fitness test and didn't know anybody else who ever scored that high. I questioned that cause I know the current test has a max of 300 points. Well, he said his test was in 1970. Was wondering if any Marines on here know how the test was scored in the 70s. I did a search and came up with nothing except they changed to the current test in the 80s.
Not a Marine here, but I’m pretty sure the test had a maximum of 300 in the 1970s. Not sure about the exact year 1970 or earlier.
I’m not a marine, but my Dad is a 99-year old Army Vet. I won’t bother him. I suspect he won’t impart that type of info to his daughter.
When you’re in your 70’s, fives can become threes—and vice versa—with very little trouble. Happens to me almost every day, and I’m physically active. I would just give the guy the benefit of the doubt, and move on.
He was either a Marine, or he wasn’t. Either way he is lying.
I tried the googler machine to find an answer for you .
It indicated a max 400 score in the 60’s, but need more experts to answer
USMC 1951-1957
91
Scoring 500 seems a bit too much since a Quick Look at the internet 300 seems to be the max for the test.
However, some organizations would count to higher numbers if you want over the max score. The army had and extended charting for over 300 but only allows it if you scored over 90 on the three areas. So a super fit person could get like up to 350 but they need to be a god( small g) of fitness. 500 is smoking crack.
I assume some marines who exceeded the chart would maybe unofficially count the total number of repetitions to failure and come up with a number but I don’t buy a score of 500.
Nam combat vets can usually tell if a guy is BSing them in a short time.
Was there much of a change between 1956 and 1970?
https://archive.org/stream/1956UsMarineCorpsPftOrder/1956UsmcPftOrder_djvu.txt
1982 Army here...
The PT test score, of a maximum 300, could be attained if the individual did 70 sit ups in a time max. of 2 minutes, did 68 push ups in a time max of 2 minutes, and did a 2 mile run in a time max of 13 minutes.
Whatever got a marine a max score of 500 in 1970, would have to have had max reps for push ups, max reps for sit ups, and a run of x miles in x number of minutes.
Your bro friend needs to owe up to the number of max reps in whatever time frame existed at that time frame.
You don’t forget the criteria.
PS I ran 2 miles in 10:35, during my last PT test, and I was a pack of cigarettes a day smoker, at the time! lol Good times! Ft Bragg. Airborne. Age 25. 1983.
I don’t know about USMC but, based in US Army, he might be correct. In the 1970s the Army PT for some units had a possible 500 points. It was based on five events: Situps, Pushups, Horizontal Ladder, 1-mile run, and the Run, Dodge, and Jump. It was later changed to a three event test with 300 possible points: Situps, Pushups, and a 2-mile Run. It would not surprise me if the Marine fitness test went through a similar transition.
Not sure about the Marines, but the ARmy test had a max of 500. Test consisted of five events; pushups, situps, run-dodge-and-jump, inverted crawl, and a one-mile run.
Lol. Eddie Murphy was made for that scene.
Thanks.
I easily maxed the Marine test in high school and thought it was a 300 or 350? test, a couple of years later in the Army, after hard living and heavy smoking I scored a 493 out of their 500 test, which is what they were using, I lost a few seconds on the 2 mile run in boots, that 7 points has always bugged me.
Searched Marine Corps PFT 1970 and got this.
The Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test (PFT) in the 1970s included sit-ups, pull-ups, push-ups, bends and thrusts, and a 300-yard shuttle run.
What was included in the PFT in the 1970s?
Sit-ups: A component of the PFT
Pull-ups: A component of the PFT
Push-ups: A component of the PFT
Bends and thrusts: A component of the PFT
300-yard shuttle run: A component of the PFT
What other fitness activities were Marines doing in the 1970s?
Obstacle and confidence courses
Log drills
Rope climbing
Body carrying
Tug of war
Swim training
Gas mask instruction
The Marine Corps first established its Physical Readiness Test in August 1956.
Thank you for your service, Marine.
You are correct, the change occurred in the mid-70s. My previous response was for the test as conducted in 1971; I have personal memories...
USCG - in boot camp I was a pull-up machine... on test day I was stopped at 25 because they had a lot of boots to cycle through so we could eat chow on time.
They promised to give me some extra special time later. They weren’t joking either.
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