fitness testing

[vx220]

is there a test that can give you your rough fitness age?

i know there's stuff on the wii, but something i can do with little or no equipment?

cheers

dylan

[NoVetec]

Wouldn't know about fitness age, but for general fitness shadow box for 20 minutes.

If you can do that without stopping your ok.

[balders118]

Fitness age is a stupid idea..

Do a bleep test. You need two markers and the soundtrack for the bleeps which you can download if you search for it on the net. Get past level 8 and your okay. Past level 10 and your pretty fit. Level 12 and you're and athlete. Level 14 and you're a hero.

Edited by balders118 on Monday 16th May 07:13

[goldblum]

If you're good at all these then consider yourself fit:Agility, speed, coordination, flexibility, strength, and endurance.(ACSM '08)The 'age' thing is rubbish as lung tissue regenerates in human beings into their seventies.

Failing that pick a 6.5 mile fell run and if you can stay roughly in the middle of the field,you're fit.Or as Balders says,do a bleep test.Depends on how much of a masochist you are,really.

[alfa pint]

Various types of military fitness testing available. Not going to go into the Marines / some Army units annual Battle Fitness tests, but the basic ones are:

Either Multi Stage Fitness Test - bleep test as mentioned above, different levels for different ages. Anything above 8 is average. Anything above 10 pretty decent.

The other is the 2.4km run. The Marines do this in boots and run it twice - first time round as a squad at 12 min / mile pace, second time round at your best pace. The time varies with age, but anything below 12 mins is ok.

The Navy and I think the RAF run the 2.4 km run just once at best pace. It's usually 8 1/2 times round a normal size astroturf hockey pitch. Females get more time, but the men's times are something like this - Under 25, 11mins 13 secs, 25-30 yo, 11 mins 47 secs, 30-35 yo, 12 mins 25 secs, 35-40, 12 mins something or 13 mins ish, 40-45 yo, nearly 14 mins. The times are ridiculously easy if you keep fit at all. It never fails to surprise me how many fat submariners and lazy matelots fail it. A bad time for me, at nearly 40 years old, is 10 mins 30. I've been consistantly running it sub 10 mins for my entire career.

[shouldbworking]

I don't believe there is a single fitness test for everyone. A swimmer who has never run a mile might be fit and healthy but get a very low score on a bleep test.

[vx220]

a friend gave me one from a "mens health" type magazine, based on sit ups, press ups an a one mile run, i was easily in to the "30's" category, so quite pleased. think i'll try and find that one, just try to beat my score!

[MacGee]

I wonder if sailor Prince Andrew could do it..the porker!

[gareth.e]

shouldbworking said:

I don't believe there is a single fitness test for everyone. A swimmer who has never run a mile might be fit and healthy but get a very low score on a bleep test.

Not quite true..

When I was younger I'd barely run a mile for 4 years but use to skateboard religiously..

I achieved a 10.4 which was second highest in my class (was about 14) despite the fact I'd stopped running, playing football and doing anything that involved effot other than skateboarding when I was around 10 (which included not participating in most pe sessions.)

Another example more recently is when I gave doing a max rep session of press ups. In the past 5 years I had only done 1 set of 15 pressups at the end of a gym session one time to see what what it was like. I managed 70 first go. I was quite impressed as I've only ever trained for strength.

fitness can translate but obviously to be at the top of you're game you need to train for things specifically.