How To Fitness Test Yourself

Measuring your fitness level is something you should be doing about once every three months (or more regularly if needed).

There are a number of ways you can measure your self and workout how fit you are, but what you may struggle with is what exactly does that data tell you.

Well whatever fitness test you are doing (we’re talking aerobic fitness tests here not strength, local muscular endurance or flexibility tests) you should end up with a number.

Now that number could range from as low as the teens to as high as the mid nineties (the highest ever recorded was by a cross country skier) but what does the actual number mean?

Try not to switch off here, but you are measuring the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilise as a absolute value in Litres per minute or as is more commonly reported, as a relative value.


Yeah, I know what does all this really mean? Well you can measure yourself and class yourself at a level against the general population and sports stars.

Here’s a really simple one you can do first up:

(N.B. if you are suffering from a low back problem or shoulder problem you should avoid this)

Jump on a rowing machine and try and blast through 2000m as fast as you can (world record is held by Rob Waddell from New Zealand with a time of 5:36.6

http://www.concept2.com/us/interactive/calculators/vo2max.asp put in your time weight, sex and training level.

It even gives you some tables to class yourself against.

I have my own scale:
<30 Poor
30-34.9 Average
35-39.9 Above Average
40-44.9 Good
45-49.9 Excellent
50-54.9 Amateur Athlete
55-59.9 Athlete
60+ Elite Athlete

The UK average is 30 ml.kg-1.min-1…..Just so we’re straight here Average is not acceptable. The American College of Exercise states that a score of above 40 is need to maintain the level of fitness you have now for the rest of your life (maintain that is, not improve!!)

Anyway tomorrow more on other types of fitness tests, I’ll even show you a video of the gold standard fitness test.

Until then,

Are you tough enough for the hardcore workout?

Andrew & Alex

P.S. Don’t forget to pick up your free 4 week hardcore workout training program by **clicking here**