Not trying to use this thread to tout my own horn, but the previous posters seem to be suffering from some disillusionment. I regularly score over 350 and the majority of my training is heavy (GASP), strength and hypertrophy focused. Like most bodybuilders.
I hope you’re not predicating marked increases in physical fitness on performing LESS exercise. The correlation may be there, but in my experience, heavy lifting has only helped my APFT scores. If not for anything but keeping me off the couch and in the gym. There could be a number of unmentioned factors playing into your assessment. Your cadets could have been relatively inexperienced weightlifters. Maybe the decrease in the amount of poor weight training contributed to increased rest, and therefore better “PT” training. Whatever the case, nobody needs to focus on just “PT” to do well on the APFT. In fact, I would say it’s quite the opposite. Unless you are completely out of shape, the APFT is like testing a Doctor’s competency on his ability to check for a sore throat. The standards are laughably low to compensate for the all-volunteer force. Even for a 300.
Another misconception. It amazes me sometimes the training philosophies of people in the military. Strength, conditioning, size, speed, athleticism–when did these qualities become undesirables in the military? I suppose it wouldn’t be a stretch for me to assume you think that to train to be a “soldier,” you have to dumbbell swing ammo crates and do OHP with M16s. Ridiculous.
To the OP: It sounds like you’re trying to do too many things at once. Apply the HTH principles of focus and intensity. You want to drop your 2 mile time by 2 minutes, put on 15 lbs of muscle, and drop 10% BF. I suggest first focusing on the run time. From what I’ve seen (disclaimer), this requires the most effort. You need to be maximally disciplined with your diet and training regimen. As others have suggested, sprint repeats of 400 meters, stair/hill sprints, and 2-mile timed runs are all effective training tools. It is important that you are pushing yourself. When I finish an APFT run, I nearly pass out from exhaustion. Only by challenging your CNS and pushing your VO2-max will you see the fastest improvements in your run time.
However, when you train in this fashion, your diet and rest become increasingly important. I would structure your training regimen to include running completely separate, and, if possible, on alternating days with your weight training. It works just like HTH. If you are feeling tired and can’t push your run-time, terminate the workout. The only thing you will due is accumulate more fatigue and plateau.