Published Jul 24, 2026, 10:42 AM EDT
Some of the best non-swimming athletes finish the 500-yard swim test in sub-8 minutes.
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Published Jul 24, 2026, 10:42 AM EDT
Did you know certain military fitness tests still require you to do situps? Not all programs shifted to the plank pose. If you are preparing for jobs in the Navy such as Navy SEAL, special warfare combatant-craft crew, explosive ordnance disposal/diver, rescue swimmer and special operations independent duty corpsman, your entrance exam is the Navy Physical Screening Test. Like many other fitness tests in the military, it includes a series of calisthenics exercises, such as pushups, situps and pullups, as well as a 1.5-mile run. The great equalizer, though, is the 500-yard swim performed in the combat side stroke (CSS), breaststroke or elementary sidestroke. (Note: Rescue swimmers are allowed to use the freestyle stroke for this test.) To develop strategies for pacing, fueling and improving performance, focus on high-volume calisthenics workouts, running conditioning, swimming efficiency and practicing the test two to three times a month to develop strategies for pacing, fueling and improving performance. In my groups, we warm up with a 500-yard swim before every swim workout just so one day you can say, “Oh, the 500-yard swim, this is just my warm-up.” We also swim five to six times a week, covering 1,500 to 2,000 meters per day.
