Fitness testing. It’s included in all good training programs for athletes and gym-goers alike- but is it necessary or could the coach not be bothered planning a training session?

Why do we test?

Ultimately, testing provides a marker for the athletes physical capacity. When implemented at the beginning of a new program or in pre-season, it can be used as a benchmark to compare to later. These benchmark scores also shine a light on ‘weak spots’ for the athlete (and in comparison to other athletes) to allow targeted intervention. Later in the season/ training block, further testing should be undertaken to compare to the benchmark to determine the efficacy of the program, and if further changes need to be made to reach desired outcomes. 

Types of Fitness Testing

Technically speaking, if you repeat the same assessment under the same circumstances, the test will be effective. However, the relevance to the athletes sport and goal should be considered. For most individuals, fitness testing can be broken down into 2 categories- strength testing and cardiovascular testing. 

• Strength Testing usually includes repetition max testing where an individual performs the designated repetitions at the highest weight possible. In general this is 1RM, 3RM, 5RM or 10RM. Strength testing can also include assessing max repetitions until failure- generally used for bodyweight exercises such as push ups or pull ups. 
• Cardiovascular Testing can include any max effort for multiple variables- time, distance, calories, watts or repetitions. For example, this could include running a 2km time trial, reaching the maximum number of calories or watts on the assault bike in 30 seconds or performing the maximum number of burpees in 1 minute. 

How to test?

The protocol for testing is simple- perform the same test under the same conditions at maximum effort. The same protocol includes the same warm up, reps, weights, training loads prior etc. to allow for the most accurate replication of the initial test. The intensity of testing is imperative- the goal is to determine the maximum physical capacity so performing the tests at a submaximal level is pointless. 

So the next time your coach says it’s testing time, understand the importance, use it as a true marker of your capacity and grow from there. 

References:

Burnstein, B.D., Steele, R.J. and Shrier, I. (2011). Reliability of Fitness Tests Using Methods and Time Periods Common in Sport and Occupational Management. Journal of Athletic Training, [online] 46(5), pp.505–513. doi:10.4085/1062-6050-46.5.505.

Fernandez-Fernandez, J., Ulbricht, A. and Ferrauti, A. (2014). Fitness testing of tennis players: How valuable is it? British Journal of Sports Medicine, [online] 48(Suppl 1), pp.i22–i31. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2013-093152.
Peterson, D.D. (2018). Periodic Fitness Testing. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 40(5), pp.60–76. doi:10.1519/ssc.0000000000000393.