Top 5 Fitness Tests for Measurable Progress

Training
Written By Jason Curtis

Fitness tests set benchmarks, inform our programming, and allow us to see whether we have improved. Therefore, fitness tests are a necessary part of optimal program design - programming isn't programming if it doesn't include some form of fitness testing!

On the flip side, some coaches go testing crazy, and sometimes we must take a step back and consider:

How valuable is the data I am going to get from this test?

  • Am I likely to retest this?

  • Is this the best use of my time?

Some tests are far more likely to result in precise, measurable changes, such as long-duration endurance tests. However, regarding short change of direction (COD) speed tests, for example, what is the Smallest Worthwhile Change?

We must remember that an athlete's performance can undulate daily due to countless factors (poor sleep or poor nutrition/hydration that day), and weather conditions can play a key role (when testing outdoors). Therefore, dealing with this in milliseconds is not as simple as "well done, you have put 10kg on your squat, which is a 10% increase".

Here are my top 5 Fitness Tests:

(Not specific to any athlete or sport, just ones I like)

  1. 1RM on Squat, Press, Deadlift

  2. 0-50m Sprint (with 10m splits)

  3. Vertical Countermovement Jump

  4. Maximum Aerobic Speed - 1.5-2km Time Trial

  5. 20m Bleep Test - I have always loved this test!

I also love a good push-up and sit-up test, but that is just nostalgia from my Army PTI days.

What fitness tests do you use - what are your top 5?

Author
Jason Curtis

Jason Curtis

Jason Curtis is the founder and CEO of the Deadly Dozen, one of the fastest-growing fitness races in the world, expanding to over 20 countries within just 18 months of launch. Building on this explosive growth, Jason opened the Deadly Dozen Institute of Fitness Racing, a pioneering global hub for training, education, research, and innovation designed to shape the future of the sport. The Institute develops world-class training systems, certifies coaches, and drives the evolution of fitness racing to build the next generation of hybrid athletes.

A former British Army Physical Training Instructor, bestselling author of more than twenty books, and one of the UK’s leading strength and conditioning coaches, Jason owned and operated a thriving strength & conditioning gym for over a decade, coaching hundreds of athletes every week. He is also the founder of the SCC Academy, which has educated and certified over 40,000 fitness professionals and enthusiasts worldwide.

Through the Deadly Dozen, the Institute of Fitness Racing, the SCC Academy, and his weekly Podcast, Jason’s mission is to make fitness racing the most accessible, physically rewarding, and transformative sport on the planet; uniting communities, redefining competition, and empowering millions to train, race, and embrace effort—a philosophy he calls Effortism.

Follow Jason on Instagram: @Jason.Curtis.Official

https://www.jasoncurtis.com
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