Top 10 Exercises to Improve IPPT Scores
Top 10 Exercises to Improve Your IPPT Score
The exact exercises NSmen use to add reps and cut run time before their IPPT window.
Most NSmen panic two months before their IPPT window. They start running every day and do push-ups randomly. Then they wonder why their score barely moves.
The problem is not effort. The problem is training the wrong things.
This guide covers the 10 exercises that actually move your IPPT score. All three stations. No gym needed. Just consistent training with the right method.
Before you start, use the free IPPT Calculator to find out your current score. This tells you exactly which station is dragging you down.
The 10 Exercises at a Glance
Push-ups: Standard Push-Up, Diamond Push-Up, Incline Push-Up, Negative Push-Up
Sit-ups: Standard Sit-Up, Bicycle Crunch, Plank, Hollow Body Hold
2.4km Run: Interval Sprints, Tempo Run
Table of Contents
Max 25 Points
Push-Up Exercises
The push-up station tests how many reps you can do in one go. You stop when you break form or rest. Most NSmen fail here because they train for strength instead of endurance. These four exercises fix that.
Standard Push-Up
Muscles
Chest, Triceps, Shoulders, Core
Training Volume
5 sets, stop 3 reps before failure
Hands shoulder width apart. Body straight from head to heels. Lower until chest is close to the floor. Push back up fully. Every rep must be clean because in the actual IPPT, the tester rejects sloppy reps.
Most NSmen train to failure every session. This is wrong. Train to about 80 percent of your max per set. So if you can do 30, stop at 24. This builds endurance without destroying your joints.
NS Tip: Train push-ups five days a week if you are below 25 reps. Your body adapts fast when volume is consistent. Rest only when your elbows or wrists start aching.
Diamond Push-Up
Muscles
Triceps, Inner Chest
Training Volume
3 sets of 10 to 15 reps
Put your thumbs and index fingers together to form a diamond shape. Place them under your chest. Lower and push up the same way as a standard push-up.
Your triceps are what give out first when doing IPPT push-ups. Most people do not know this. Diamond push-ups attack the triceps directly. Add them to your training and you will notice your standard push-up count goes up in three to four weeks.
NS Tip: Do 10 diamond push-ups, rest 30 seconds, then go straight into standard push-ups. This combination tires your triceps and teaches them to work harder when fatigued, exactly like what happens during the actual test.
Incline Push-Up
Muscles
Lower Chest, Triceps, Shoulders
Training Volume
3 sets of 15 to 20 reps
Use a bench or a wall. Put your hands on it, feet on the floor. Push-up at an angle. The higher the surface, the easier it is.
This one is for NSmen who are stuck below 20 reps. Your muscles and joints are not ready yet for high-volume flat push-ups. Inclines build the same muscles but with less load on your body. Spend two weeks on these first, then move to standard push-ups.
NS Tip: If you score below 15 push-up reps right now, do inclines for two weeks before anything else. Rushing into high-volume flat push-ups when you are weak just gets you injured and sets you back further.
Negative Push-Up
Muscles
Full push-up chain, eccentric focus
Training Volume
3 sets of 5 reps, 5 seconds down
Start at the top of a push-up. Lower yourself as slowly as possible. Count five full seconds going down. Then reset from the top. You do not push back up fast. Just the slow lowering is the whole exercise.
This builds raw strength faster than normal push-ups. Use this when your push-up count has been stuck at the same number for more than two weeks. One or two sessions of negatives per week breaks the plateau almost every time.
NS Tip: Do negatives on day three of your weekly push-up training. Not day one or two. Your muscles take 48 hours to recover from negatives and you need to be fresh for your other push-up sessions.
Max 25 Points
Sit-Up Exercises
The sit-up station gives you 60 seconds to do as many reps as possible. Many NSmen train sit-up strength but not sit-up speed. By the time they are 40 seconds into the test, their rhythm breaks down and the reps slow. These four exercises build both strength and speed.
Standard Sit-Up
Muscles
Abs, Hip Flexors
Training Volume
4 sets of 60 seconds, max reps
Lie on your back. Knees bent at 90 degrees. Arms crossed on your chest. Rise until your elbows touch your knees. Lower back until your shoulder blades touch the floor. That is one rep.
The most important thing here is to train with a timer. The IPPT sit-up station is 60 seconds. If you train without a timer, you are not preparing for the real thing. Count your reps in every timed set and write it down. This is how you track progress.
NS Tip: After each timed set, put your number into the IPPT Calculator and see how many points you are on track for. This keeps your training goal clear and stops you from guessing.
Bicycle Crunch
Muscles
Obliques, Abs, Hip Flexors
Training Volume
3 sets of 30 reps, 15 each side
Lie on your back. Hands lightly behind your head. Bring your right elbow toward your left knee while straightening your right leg. Alternate sides like you are pedalling a bicycle.
Bicycle crunches work the side muscles of your core, which most NSmen completely ignore. These side muscles stabilise your body during sit-ups. When they are weak, your whole torso wobbles after 30 reps and your speed drops. Strengthen them and your sit-up pace stays steady from rep one to the last rep.
NS Tip: Do bicycle crunches after your timed sit-up sets, not before. You want your timed sets to reflect your actual test performance. Use bicycle crunches as a finisher to build extra endurance on top.
Plank
Muscles
Deep Core, Lower Back
Training Volume
3 holds of 45 to 90 seconds
Forearms on the floor, elbows directly under your shoulders. Body in a straight line. Do not let your hips sag or stick up. Hold the position and breathe normally.
Planks build the deep core muscles that most people cannot feel during sit-ups. These muscles are what keep your sit-up form clean when you are tired. NSmen who plank consistently say their sit-up rhythm feels more controlled, especially in the last 20 seconds of the station when it hurts the most.
NS Tip: Once you can hold a 90-second plank without shaking, your core is ready for the IPPT sit-up station. If you are still shaking at 30 seconds, your core is a weak point. Fix it now, not the week before your test.
Hollow Body Hold
Muscles
Lower Abs, Full Core, Hip Flexors
Training Volume
3 holds of 20 to 40 seconds
Lie on your back. Press your lower back hard into the floor. Raise your arms above your head and lift your legs to about 30 to 45 degrees off the floor. Hold. Your lower back must stay flat against the floor the whole time.
This exercise trains the exact muscles that start each sit-up rep. When those muscles are strong, each rep takes less energy. Less energy per rep means more reps in 60 seconds. It sounds simple but most NSmen have never heard of this exercise and it shows in their score.
NS Tip: If your lower back keeps lifting off the floor, raise your legs higher toward 90 degrees. As you get stronger over the next two to three weeks, slowly lower your legs. The lower your legs, the harder it is.
Max 50 Points
2.4km Run Exercises
The 2.4km run carries 50 points. That is more than push-ups and sit-ups combined. Even cutting 30 seconds off your timing can push you from Silver to Gold. Most NSmen just jog at the same slow pace every day and wonder why their timing never improves. Here are the two run methods that actually work.
Interval Sprints
Protocol
6 rounds of 400m at race pace, 90 seconds rest
How Often
Twice a week, not on back-to-back days
Run one lap of the track, which is 400 metres, at the pace you want to finish your full 2.4km. Rest for 90 seconds. Then run again. Repeat six times.
This is the number one method to cut your 2.4km timing. Running slowly every day just makes you comfortable being slow. Intervals teach your body to run fast and recover fast. NSmen who do two interval sessions a week for six weeks consistently cut 30 to 60 seconds off their timing.
NS Tip: Use the 2.4km Lap Pacer tool to find your exact per-lap target time. Running by feel is not accurate enough. Know your exact splits before you start training.
Tempo Run
Protocol
20 to 25 minutes at hard but steady pace
How Often
Once a week between interval days
Run at a pace that feels hard but controlled. You can speak in short words but cannot hold a proper conversation. Maintain this pace for 20 to 25 minutes without stopping.
Most NSmen run the last two laps of their IPPT much slower than the first four. This is a pacing problem caused by poor endurance. Tempo runs train your body to hold a fast pace without fading. One tempo run per week between your two interval sessions is all you need. In six weeks, your last lap will feel as controlled as your first.
NS Tip: The best weekly run schedule is Monday intervals, Wednesday tempo, Friday easy jog. That is three run days with proper recovery between them. Do not run hard two days in a row. Recovery is when your body actually gets faster.
Weekly Training Schedule
Here is how to put all 10 exercises into one weekly plan. This is designed for NSmen training five days a week with two rest days.
Check Your Score Every Week
Put your current push-up count, sit-up count, and run timing into the calculator. See exactly which award you are on track for and adjust your training from there.
Use Free IPPT CalculatorCommon Questions
Train Right, Not Just Hard
Most NSmen train hard. Not many train right. The difference between passing and Gold is usually not effort. It is knowing which exercises move the score and doing them consistently.
These 10 exercises cover every part of the IPPT. No gym needed. No special equipment. Just the right training, done regularly, checked weekly with the calculator.
- Push-ups: 4 exercises covering strength, endurance, and plateau-breaking
- Sit-ups: 4 exercises covering speed, core stability, and the final 20 seconds
- 2.4km run: 2 proven methods that cut timing faster than jogging ever will
- Track your progress weekly using the IPPT Calculator and adjust as you go