Week 10 – Fitness Testing
Yes, sadly you did read the title correctly, our final week is fitness testing.
It’s time to see if your health and fitness has improved over the past 5 weeks!
Due to time restraints, we won’t be performing the resting heart rate or Waist-Hip Ratio
(WHR) during the session at Welford Road but please feel free to do this at home along with
your physical tests listed below.
As before, we have devised the physical tests into two separate sections for;
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New participants
o Resting Heart Rate
o Waist-Hipth Ratio (WHR)
o 60secs max press ups
o 60secs max sit ups
o 60secs max squats
o 5m shuttle pyramid
Returning participants
o Resting Heart Rate
o Waist-Hipth Ratio (WHR)
o 60secs max “hands off” press ups
o 60secs max Lunge’s (alternating legs)
o Max time Plank
o 5m shuttle pyramid
Group Goal
Complete the fitness tests and record your scores.
Fill in the attached documents in the e-shot, bring them with you to your next session, or,
send them back to [email protected] and we will compile the results.
Health Testing
Resting Heart Rate (HR)
It is no myth that exercise has an effect on our cardio-vascular system. Research has shown
that exercise increases cardiac output, increases lung capacity and decreases our resting
heart rate (HR).
This decrease in HR is because our cardio-vascular system is working much more efficiently,
our heart is stronger thus pumping more blood around the body per beat as well as
developing more blood vessels (capillaries) to deliver oxygen to your newly found working
muscles.
Ideally, you would measure this after being stationary for quite some time (i.e. just after
waking up, been sat down for a period of time, etc.).
To measure you’re resting heart rate, follow the procedure below:
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Begin by finding you’re Radial pulse(see diagram below).
o If you struggle to find this, you can use your Brachial or Carotid pulse.
Using your ring and middle finger apply a slight pressure at the sight and “feel”
your pulse.
Count the number of beats/pulses for 15 seconds.
Multiply this number by 4 and you have a standardised measure for your resting
HR. Record your score.
Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR)
This is starting to become a lot more standardised measure for health practitioners to use
for obesity/health measures as research has shown that it has much more accurate
correlation to health measures (particularly cardiovascular disease and diabetes) as
opposed to body mass index (BMI).
To standardise our testing we would like you to measure your WHR as:
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Waist (cm) = One inch above the navel (belly button).
Hip (cm) = Widest point of the buttocks/Greater trochanter line (bony landmark
of the femur, pictured below).
WHR = waist measurement (cm) DIVIDED by hip measurement (cm).
Although this is still relatively new in the field of health, the following scores have been
devised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in terms of increased indications of health
problems (diabetes, coronary, abdominal obesity/fat distribution);
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Males > 0.9 WHR
Females> 0.85 WHR
New Participants
As mentioned previously, we have reverted back to our original fitness testing measures of
60 seconds (1 minute) maximum reps of 3 different exercises; press ups, squats and sit ups;
combined with a 5m shuttle pyramid run.
The exercises are all described below in order for you to follow the procedure at home if
you have not been able to make it to the session on Monday.
 Press ups – Perform& record as many as you can in 60 seconds.
• Place your hands shoulder width apart and tense your Glutes and core to create a
straight back from head to toe (Pic 1)
• Lower your body maintaing this straight back until your upper arms are parallel to
the ground, approx a fist size from floor to chest (Pic 2)
• Raise back up in the same fashion, this is 1 rep
Pic 1
Pic 2
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If you feel you are unable to perform a standard press up (i.e. on hands and feet),
feel free to regress the exercise to either hands and knees, or, wall press ups.
 Squats – Perform & record as many as possible in 60 seconds.
• Feet shoulder width apart (heels in line with outside of shoulder) and point them in a
10-2 position (Pic 3).
• Bend hips and knees simultaneously whilst maintaing a natural curve in your lower
back (Pic 4).
• Squat down as far as possible making sure that your knees stay in line with the point
of your trainer/foot (Pic 5).
• Extend legs and maintain knees in line with your feet. Pic 6 shows faults that people
tend to do when they are tired so maintain focus on the quality of your technique as
opposed to the quantity.
Pic 3
Pic 5
Pic 4
Pic 6
 Sit ups – Perform & record as many as possible in 60 seconds.
• Lying on the floor legs straight initially, bend one leg so that your foot is inline with
your straight leg’s knee (Pic 1). Then match by bringing the other into the same
position.
• Place hands on your thighs directly out front of you (Pic 2).
• A sit up is counted when you flex your torso upright and the palm of your hands
touch your knee cap (Pic 3). DO NOT sit fully upright as this is working the wrong
muscle group.
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
150m Shuttle Run
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Set up 6 cones in 5m intervals from each other (25m length in total).
You shuttle run in a pyramid style fashion (pictured below)
o Start at 0m run to the 5m cone and back to start
o Then proceed by running to the 10m cone and back
o Run to the 15m cone and back and repeat in this fashion for the
duration of time passing as many cones as possible.
You run for 30seconds and record your score in meter’s
Rest for 30seconds
Repeat this for a total of 6 sets making sure you record your score for
each rep.
Add your 6 scores together for your final score.
Returning Participants
 Arms off Press ups – Perform& record as many as you can in 60 seconds.
• Place your hands shoulder width apart and tense your Glutes and core to create a
straight back from head to toe (Pic 1).
• Lower your body maintaing this straight back until your chest touches the ground
(Pic 2).
• Lie on the ground and lift your arms up in the air.
• Place your hands back on the ground and raise back up in the same fashion, this is 1
rep.
Pic 1
Pic 2
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If you feel you are unable to perform a standard press up (i.e. on hands and feet),
feel free to regress the exercise to either hands and knees, or, wall press ups.
 Plank – Maintain this position for as long as you can
• Place your elbow directly under your shoulders.
• Supporting your weight through your elbows and toes, lift your body off the ground
until it is parallel. You should form a straight back by tensing your core (Abs
&Glutes). (Pic 1).
• You work on a “two strikes and you’re out” basis. (ie if you arch your back too
much/hips sag, you have one chance to correct it from a partners command. If you
are prompted again, time stops.)
Pic 1
 Lunge - Perform& record as many as you can in 60 seconds.
• Place your hands on your hips and place your feet roughly hip width apart. (Pic 1)
• Step forward with your right leg and place your foot flat on the ground. Lower
yourself by bending your hips and knees simultaneously and make sure that your
knee stays in line with the point of your foot. (Pic 2)
• Return to standing by pushing through the heel of your right foot. Then repeat on
your left leg.
Pic 1
Pic 2