How To Get Maximum Results From Your Training

Many fitness fiends, athletes, and newbies alike are failing to regularly complete this necessary component to their exercise regimen that is one of the most instrumental parts to their athletic improvement. Nevertheless it usually is the newbies that overlook it, so let's get off on the right foot. FITNESS TESTING. Nothing spectacular, just simple testing. I will suggest a short list of further on, but first I would like to share some brief points as to why you must test.

Before: Starting a fitness program before testing is flying blind. You do not know where your fitness levels are at the beginning and therefore how to tailor your fitness to your needs, and more importantly to your level of ability. Perhaps your fitness levels would suggest that you can bench press 135 pounds, but without testing you go right ahead and think you're good to lift 235 pounds. That's an injury waiting to happen that will set your back weeks. Plan before you attack and you will reap the benefits.

During: Test periodically during your program to make sure it is working for you. Test the individual components of your fitness and find out what is lacking in improvement and adjust your program accordingly. You'd rather only have done 2 or 3 weeks of exercise to find out something isn't working for you rather than having finished an entire 12 week program to realize at the end.

After: See how much you improved. Nothing is more of a better confidence booster than to see how far you have come when you compare to your initial testing before your training began. If your program doesn't end well then just keep on periodically testing to monitor that progress.

There are an abundance of fitness tests out there, but these are my favorites:
(NB all links are to TopEndSports.com)

• 20m Shuttle Run (more commonly, or dreadingly known as the bleep test) - This test measures maximal aerobic fitness. Fairly simple test to conduct. Click HERE to see how.
• Sit and Reach - A widely used method to test flexibility. Very simply done! Click HERE to see how to do it yourself.
• Vertical Jump - As the name suggests it measures vertical jump height. At its base level all you need is some chalk and a wall. Click HERE to see how to do it.
• Cooper Test - Another maximal aerobic fitness test. You have 12 minutes to go as far as you can.
• Standing Long Jump - Measures explosive leg power. Click HERE to see how to administer it correctly.
• Push-Up Test -  Measures upper body strength and muscular endurance. How many push-ups can you do before you can no longer continue. 
• Sit-Up Test - Measures abdominal strength and abdominal endurance. Aim is to complete as many as possible in 1 minute.

These are just a fraction of the tests out there. But for your individual sport, goals, and training you must make your testing specifically align to that. So HERE is a fuller list of tests for you to choose from.

Just make sure you follow the Principles of Fitness Testing:

• Specificity: Fitness tests must assess an individuals fitness for the activity or sport in question.
• Validity: Fitness tests must measure the component of fitness that they are supposed to.
• Objectivity: A test that is objective will produce the same results for the same individual, regardless of the tester administering the test
• Reliability: A reliable test produces the same results if repeated.

Good luck on your fitness, health and wellness endeavors.