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Want a challenge that can measure your fitness improvements, month by month?
And be in the running for one of these?
Then this might be for you. (If you participated in the January Monthly Fitness Improvement Challenge you can skip to the 2nd post in this thread)
This challenge is for you if:
- you want to improve your fitness level from any starting point
- you are maintaining and want to try a new challenge
- you are near goal but finding the slow down at this point frustrating
This idea came about when I realised that the initial thrill of losing weight wasn't necessary enough to maintain my enthusiasm indefinately. Having been hovering 12-14lbs above goal for some time, and driving myself crazy weighing too often and over-analysing why the scale (and the inches) won't budge I decided I need to re-shift my focus to fitness. Since starting this WOL I have discovered a like (I won't say love at this stage!) of exercise and I think refocusing my energies on the exercise element of this WOL will keep me on track with food too, without being obsessive.
The challenge will be:
- Do just one or all of the fitness tests in the first week of January to give you a baseline level.
- You can modify or add your own tests if you want to. For reasons of simplicity I will be sticking to the 5. Also these are tests I found online that have charts to see how well you did for your age and gender.
- At the beginning of February (in the first week, or near enough) sign in with how you did.
- For that month exercise and eat as planned, but with an eye on making advances in strength, speed and endurance that will show up at the end of the month.
- Within a week of the 1st March re-do the test(s) and see how you improved.
- I will be planning, posting and reporting on my exercise for the month, on a weekly basis to keep me on track. You don't have to, but you are welcome to join me
Ok, so what are The Tests?
1) The Step Test - for this test, use a 12 inch bench or similar step in your own home. For 3 minutes step up and down. This means one foot up, the other foot up, first foot down, second foot down - at a steady and consistent pace. Once three timed minutes are up remain standing and check your pulse for a minute. For more on this test and a chart to see how you did click here: http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/home-step.htm
NB this first chart is for men, scroll down for women.
2) The Squat Test- With a chair or bench position just behind you do as many squats as you can until you have to stop. The idea is to find a chair that is a good height for you - one that when you are sitting on it keeps your knees at right angles. As you squat gently touch the chair as if you were about to sit on it, but don't rest your weight down - a light tap. Again a chart of performance: http://www.topendsports.com/testing.../home-squat.htm
3) The Situp Test - Using correct form (squeeze your stomach, lower back flat on the ground, and performing the situps so that you can touch your knees with your hands and avoiding yanking or straining your neck or head) count how many situps you can do in one minute - a friend to time this might be a good idea or set an egg timer. Chart: http://www.topendsports.com/testing.../home-situp.htm
4) The Pushup Test - The site I am using specifies men should do straightback 'military' style pushups and women can do the exercise with bent knees touching the ground. You can do whichever you prefer, but the chart may not be indicative if you are a woman doing 'manups' or a man doing bent knee pushups. The important thing for both styles is to maintain a straight back. Do as many as you can until you have to stop. Chart: http://www.topendsports.com/testing...home-pushup.htm
The first four tests are from the topendsports.com site. They have useful general info on these and other home tests.
5) Finally, the 12 minute run test (can be walking) - this is one I found on the UK fire service website. For this go to a running track or set your treadmill to level 1 incline if using that (I will, as have no track access). After a fifteen minute warmup run as fast as you can - with the time needing to be covered in mind. The site says sprinting for 12 minutes is impossible, but aim for more than a jog if you can. The site has a chart for performance by age based on the distance you were able to cover (typo, the second 'Under Forty' should read 'Over 40' as far as I can tell). If you want you can also work out your rough VO2 Max (the maximum ability of your body to use oxygen) using the sum on the page: http://www.fireservice.co.uk/fitness/fitnesstest.php
NB I'd like to make it clear at this point that because these tests involved the limits of your fitness ability you should be very careful about not pushing yourself too hard. If you feel ill or dizzy, rest. If unsure if these tests are suitable for you, see a Doctor first.
Also I wanted to say that if you are only just starting to get fit then you can just pledge to improve on any fitness target. For example, if you are walking the block every day, time yourself doing that, aim to walk faster and at the end of the month time again and compare. This is a competition against yourself - not others on the board.
So who's in?
If you are interested:
- post below saying which test(s) you'd like to do
- remember a test of your own is fine too
- you have until 7th February to get the tests done and report on your base level. You don't have to share it if you don't want to, but I am going to and will be interested if others wish to.
On award winning:
The winning of awards is as follows:
Ribbons are for people who improve to a certain extent over the month. So, for example, if you are following one of the standard 5 tests and go up a level (i.e. from Below Average' to 'Average') on one of the charts we have been using (see in the 1st post for links to these charts) then you win a ribbon.
If you improve in more than one test, you get an even better award. Basically, the number of mini stopwatches on the ribbon - that's the number of tests someone has improved in that month.
OR if you are working to your own test and have a stated goal at the beginning of that month that you reach by the end - you also win an award
And be in the running for one of these?
Then this might be for you. (If you participated in the January Monthly Fitness Improvement Challenge you can skip to the 2nd post in this thread)
This challenge is for you if:
- you want to improve your fitness level from any starting point
- you are maintaining and want to try a new challenge
- you are near goal but finding the slow down at this point frustrating
This idea came about when I realised that the initial thrill of losing weight wasn't necessary enough to maintain my enthusiasm indefinately. Having been hovering 12-14lbs above goal for some time, and driving myself crazy weighing too often and over-analysing why the scale (and the inches) won't budge I decided I need to re-shift my focus to fitness. Since starting this WOL I have discovered a like (I won't say love at this stage!) of exercise and I think refocusing my energies on the exercise element of this WOL will keep me on track with food too, without being obsessive.
The challenge will be:
- Do just one or all of the fitness tests in the first week of January to give you a baseline level.
- You can modify or add your own tests if you want to. For reasons of simplicity I will be sticking to the 5. Also these are tests I found online that have charts to see how well you did for your age and gender.
- At the beginning of February (in the first week, or near enough) sign in with how you did.
- For that month exercise and eat as planned, but with an eye on making advances in strength, speed and endurance that will show up at the end of the month.
- Within a week of the 1st March re-do the test(s) and see how you improved.
- I will be planning, posting and reporting on my exercise for the month, on a weekly basis to keep me on track. You don't have to, but you are welcome to join me
Ok, so what are The Tests?
1) The Step Test - for this test, use a 12 inch bench or similar step in your own home. For 3 minutes step up and down. This means one foot up, the other foot up, first foot down, second foot down - at a steady and consistent pace. Once three timed minutes are up remain standing and check your pulse for a minute. For more on this test and a chart to see how you did click here: http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/home-step.htm
NB this first chart is for men, scroll down for women.
2) The Squat Test- With a chair or bench position just behind you do as many squats as you can until you have to stop. The idea is to find a chair that is a good height for you - one that when you are sitting on it keeps your knees at right angles. As you squat gently touch the chair as if you were about to sit on it, but don't rest your weight down - a light tap. Again a chart of performance: http://www.topendsports.com/testing.../home-squat.htm
3) The Situp Test - Using correct form (squeeze your stomach, lower back flat on the ground, and performing the situps so that you can touch your knees with your hands and avoiding yanking or straining your neck or head) count how many situps you can do in one minute - a friend to time this might be a good idea or set an egg timer. Chart: http://www.topendsports.com/testing.../home-situp.htm
4) The Pushup Test - The site I am using specifies men should do straightback 'military' style pushups and women can do the exercise with bent knees touching the ground. You can do whichever you prefer, but the chart may not be indicative if you are a woman doing 'manups' or a man doing bent knee pushups. The important thing for both styles is to maintain a straight back. Do as many as you can until you have to stop. Chart: http://www.topendsports.com/testing...home-pushup.htm
The first four tests are from the topendsports.com site. They have useful general info on these and other home tests.
5) Finally, the 12 minute run test (can be walking) - this is one I found on the UK fire service website. For this go to a running track or set your treadmill to level 1 incline if using that (I will, as have no track access). After a fifteen minute warmup run as fast as you can - with the time needing to be covered in mind. The site says sprinting for 12 minutes is impossible, but aim for more than a jog if you can. The site has a chart for performance by age based on the distance you were able to cover (typo, the second 'Under Forty' should read 'Over 40' as far as I can tell). If you want you can also work out your rough VO2 Max (the maximum ability of your body to use oxygen) using the sum on the page: http://www.fireservice.co.uk/fitness/fitnesstest.php
NB I'd like to make it clear at this point that because these tests involved the limits of your fitness ability you should be very careful about not pushing yourself too hard. If you feel ill or dizzy, rest. If unsure if these tests are suitable for you, see a Doctor first.
Also I wanted to say that if you are only just starting to get fit then you can just pledge to improve on any fitness target. For example, if you are walking the block every day, time yourself doing that, aim to walk faster and at the end of the month time again and compare. This is a competition against yourself - not others on the board
.So who's in?
If you are interested:
- post below saying which test(s) you'd like to do
- remember a test of your own is fine too
- you have until 7th February to get the tests done and report on your base level. You don't have to share it if you don't want to, but I am going to and will be interested if others wish to.
On award winning:
The winning of awards is as follows:
Ribbons are for people who improve to a certain extent over the month. So, for example, if you are following one of the standard 5 tests and go up a level (i.e. from Below Average' to 'Average') on one of the charts we have been using (see in the 1st post for links to these charts) then you win a ribbon.
If you improve in more than one test, you get an even better award. Basically, the number of mini stopwatches on the ribbon - that's the number of tests someone has improved in that month.
OR if you are working to your own test and have a stated goal at the beginning of that month that you reach by the end - you also win an award
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