A fitness test, also known as a fitness assessment, is comprised of a series of exercises that help evaluate your overall health and physical status. There is wide of range of standardised tests used for these exams, some of which are intended for medical purposes and others of which establish whether you are qualified to participate.
For general health and fitness purposes, the tests are considered the starting point for designing an appropriate exercise program. They are meant to ensure you won’t be at risk of harm and provide the trainer with the insights needed to establish clear and effective fitness goals.
Strength testing measures the maximal amount of force a muscle group can exert at one time. Muscle endurance testing, by comparison, measures the length of time a muscle group can contract and release before it fatigues.
The exercises standard used include the push-up test and core strength and stability test. In some cases, a trainer will use a metronome to see how long can you keep up with the rhythm. Try this workout and see how strong you really are!
1. Jump At Least 8 Feet
Above average: 6 to 8 feet
Ordinary: Less than 6 feet
Everyone uses the standing broad jump to gauge raw power—for good reason: It calls on several muscle groups throughout the body to fire at once. The stronger and more explosive you are, the more force you’ll generate and the farther you’ll jump. And that means better performance in the weight room.
How to:
- Stand with your toes on a line and your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Dip your knees, swing your arms, and jump as far as you can.
- Have a buddy measure the distance from the starting line to the back of your heels.
IMPROVE YOUR POWER
Power is a combination of strength and speed, so if you come up short, work on both. Start by doing squats and hip thrusts each week in separate workouts. During week 1, go heavy with the hip thrusts (3 to 5 sets of 5 reps using 85 percent of your 1-repetition maximum) and light with the squats (6 sets of 2 fast reps with 50 percent of your 1-rep max).
The following week, flip the set-rep scheme, going heavy with squats and light with hip thrusts. Continue alternating for 4 to 6 weeks. To build even more explosiveness, also do 3 sets of 10 kettlebell swings twice a week.
2. Squat, Curl And Push Press 20 Times In 1 Minute
Above average: 18 reps
Ordinary: 16 reps
Anaerobic endurance refers to your ability to work at near maximal intensity in bursts of 20 to 60 seconds. Anyone can sprint or punch hard for 10 seconds. Anaerobic endurance reflects the stamina of your fast-twitch (type II) muscle fibres, which generate energy in the absence of oxygen.
How to:
- Use dumbbells that total roughly 30 percent of your body weight (that’s a pair of 30-pounds if you weigh 200) and hold them by your sides with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Keeping your back naturally arched, push your hips back and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- As you stand up, curl the dumbbells to shoulder height and then press them straight overhead using your legs in the effort.
- Return to the starting position and repeat for 1 minute.
INCREASE YOUR MUSCULAR STAMINA
Perform 2 sets of the drill twice a week, resting 90 seconds between sets. If you can’t do at least 16 reps on your first set, lighten the load. Each time, add an extra rep to your first set. Once you reach 20 reps with the lighter weight, grab slightly heavier dumbbells and work your way up to 20 reps again.
3. Perform One Controlled Squat
Above average: Halfway down
Ordinary: Less than halfway
Mobility is a quality great athletes hone but most regular guys ignore. That’s a mistake: The more mobile you are, the better you can move your joints through their full range of motion and the less likely you are to be injured.
How to:
- Stand facing a wall with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes 2 inches from the baseboard and turned slightly out.
- Keeping your feet flat, chest up, and back naturally arched, see how far you can lower your body without touching the wall or falling backward.
BOOST YOUR MOBILITY
Loosen your back with self-massage. Lie on your back with a foam roller placed perpendicular to your spine just below your shoulder blades. Bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor. Support your head with your hands, and move your head, neck, and upper back forward and backward over the foam roller four to six times.
To loosen tight ankles and calves, try the ankle mobility lunge. Stand in a split stance with your front foot about 6 inches from a wall. Now bend your front knee to touch the wall without letting your front heel leave the floor. Do this 8 to 10 times. Switch legs and repeat.
4. Score Level 12 On The Beep Test
Above average: Level 11
Ordinary: Level 9
Cardiovascular endurance isn’t just a sign of your 10-K potential; it’s an indicator of how long you’ll last in any athletic endeavour, from a 48-minute basketball game to an afternoon of backyard football.
How to:
- Download the Beep Test app.
- Place two cones 20 meters apart on a track or field, hit the start button on the app, and run from one cone to the other.
- When you hear the beep, run back.
- Continue until you can’t reach the opposite cone before the next beep sounds.
- Then hit the “record score” button.
- Its escalating intensity is a good measure of your body’s ability to deliver oxygen to working muscles—your “peak aerobic capacity.”
IMPROVE YOUR ENDURANCE
Repeat the beep test once a week. Just repeating the drill can help boost your peak aerobic capacity. On two other days each week, do sprint intervals. Sprint at 85 percent of your maximum effort for 1 minute and then rest for 2 minutes. Do that 5 to 8 times total.
5. Deadlift 1.75 Times Your Body Weight
Above average: 1.5 × body weight
Ordinary: Body weight
The muscles of your posterior chain provide the power behind many of the most important skills in sports—consider them your “go” muscles. These include your lower back, glutes, hamstrings, and calves—lots of muscles that may not be visible in the mirror but are vital to overall fitness. And no exercise hits them harder than the deadlift does.
How to:
- Load a barbell with the maximum amount of weight you can lift once, and bring the bar close to your shins.
- Bend at your hips and knees and grab the bar using an overhand grip that’s just beyond shoulder width.
- Keeping your lower back naturally arched, pull your torso back and up, squeeze your glutes, thrust your hips forward, and stand up with the barbell.
- Reverse the movement to lower the bar to the floor, keeping it as close to your body as possible.
PULL MORE WEIGHT
Add the deadlift to your weekly routine using a weight that allows you to do 3 sets of 5 reps. Keeping the rep count low allows you to do two things: concentrate on form and go heavy. When you can complete 2 extra repetitions in your last set for two consecutive workouts, move up in weight. Retest your 1-rep max every 2 to 3 months.
6. Do 10 Clapping Push-Ups
Above average: 5 clapping push-ups
Ordinary: No clap
A powerful upper body doesn’t just look good shirtless; it helps transfer force to the world around you. The clapping push-up—which requires explosiveness as well as strength—is an old-school move that many still consider the ultimate test of upper-body pushing power.
- How to:
Assume a push-up position, with your body straight from head to ankles. - Lower yourself until your chest is 3 inches from the floor.
- Push yourself back up explosively so your hands leave the floor.
- Maintain a straight body as you clap in midair and land back in the starting position.
PUSH HARDER
Can’t clap? Add the exercise to your weekly routine but perform it with your hands elevated on an aerobics step, which reduces the load. Shoot for 3 sets of 5 reps, lowering the step as the exercise becomes easier.
7. Hold a Plank For More Than 3 Minutes
Above average: 2 to 3 minutes
Ordinary: 1 minute or less
A chiselled core makes you stronger in everything you do, from carrying groceries to mastering the deadlift. It enables you to “produce, stabilise, and transmit force throughout the body. But that armada of muscles is “on” whenever you’re upright, so stamina is key.
- How to:
Assume a push-up position but with your weight on your forearms instead of your hands. - This is plank position.
- Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to ankles.
- Brace your core by contracting your abs as if you were about to be punched, and hold the position for as long as you can.
- When your hips sag or your knees touch the floor, it’s over.
INCREASE YOUR CORE ENDURANCE:
Fall short? No problem. You can more than double your score in a matter of weeks. Alternate among these three exercises during the course of a week.
