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Fitness benchmarking

To ensure you’re seeing improvements, try the following flexibility and strength training assessments every month. Write down your results and compare them against previous goes. If you perform poorly on one specific test, focus the next month of your program on improving that aspect.

  1. Push ups: Press ups are a great indicator of upper body strength. Record how many push ups you can perform. View the exercise.
  2. Plank: If you can’t hold a plank for 1 minute you are either too heavy or too weak in the core. get into a plank position and hold for as long as possible. Record the time. View the exercise.
  3. Pull ups: Most people can't even do one pull up! If you can do them then add them into your benchmark testing routine. View the exercise.
  4. Military press: The military press is a good measure of pure strength. It was one of the first weightlifting lifts included in the 1924 Olympics and works your shoulders, triceps and chest. See how much weight you can press doing a set of 10 with good form. View the exercise.
  5. Bench press: This is one of the core strength exercises. Record you 10 rep maximum weight (good slow form).
  6. Heart rate recovery: Write down your resting heart rate. Do 1 minute of hard exercise and take your peak heart rate (A). Wait 1 minute and measure your recovery heart rate (B).
    - If A-B = 12 or less: you are at risk.
    - If A-B = 13-20: moderate risk.
    - If A-B = 20-40: you are in good shape.