Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level
In an online article on Men's Health called "10 Standards to Assess Your Fitness Level", they list 10 tests that can be easily done to check your fitness level. Can you achieve all of these? The standards listed are for males, but that should not stop the women out there having a go too. It will help if you are in your prime of fitness, as the standards are the same no matter your age.
The Tests
Here are the 10 fitness assessments listed by Men's Health magazine, with my descriptions and links further information on this site. Most of these tests require either a pass or fail mark, with the aim to pass all of these to consider yourself fit! Before you attempt these standards, it would be wise to do a warm up first.
| Bench 1.5 Times Your Body Weight | This upper body strength test requires you to bench press 1.5 times your body weight just once. See details of the 1RM Bench Press test. | ||
| Run 1.5 Miles in 10 Minutes | This simple test of endurance requires you to run 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in under 10 minutes. You can run anywhere you know the distance, but around a running track is easiest. See details of the 1.5 mile run test. | ||
| Touch the Rim | Find a basketball court with a regulation height rim (10 ft), and try to reach it using a run up if you need to. It's a bit unfair for the short guys. The vertical jump test is a more detailed and accurate method for measuring your leg power. Aim for a 26 inch difference from your reach height. | ||
| Leg-Press 2.25 Times Your Weight | This lower body strength test requires you to leg-press 2.25 times your body weight just once. See details of the 1RM Fitness Test. | ||
| Swim 700 Yards in 12 Minutes | Can you swim 700 yards (640m) in under 12 minutes? You can use any stroke, just try and cover that distance under that time. See details of a similar Swim Test. | ||
| Do 40 Pushups | This test requires you to do 40 pushups, take as long as you like only stopping in the up position. See details of the push-up test. | ||
| Measure Up Your Waist | The more fat your body stores in your midsection, the higher your risk of heart disease. The Waist to Hip Ratio Test compares your hip and waist girth, and you should be aiming for at least less than 0.90. | ||
| Run 300 Yards (274.3m) in less than 1 Minute | This is a test of your running speed and anaerobic (lactic) fitness. Can you run 300 Yards (274.3m)? Measure up the distance and go flat out. See the details of a similar 300m run test. | ||
| Touch Your Toes | This test measures you back and hamstring flexibility. Sit down with your legs stretched out in front of you, then lean forward as far as you can, hopefully to your toes. For a more detailed test, try the home Sit & Reach test. | ||
| Toss a Basketball 75 Feet Kneeling | This is a test of upper body power. You need to kneel on a basketball court just behind the baseline. Using both hands on the ball, throw it overhand as far as you can. The top of the key at the far end of the court is 73 feet. See the details of a similar overhead throw test. |
Home Fitness Testing Manual
Download your free copy of the Home Fitness Testing Manual — a guide for you to plan, conduct, analyze and interpret fitness testing at home.
Related Pages
- About the Home Fitness Testing Manual
- Fitness Tests at Home
- A Home Fitness Testing Kit — the basics required for you to test yourself at home
- See the Fitness Test List for the complete range of tests.
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
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