Fitness test

[Telsun]

I want to set my guys a fitness test to motivate them to get in to shape outside of regular training. I was thinking of

No. of press ups in 1 minute
No. of R/H kicks against bag in 1 minute
Maximum time for holding a leg raise...

I'm not sure I'm a bit stuck. Can anyone come up with a fitness test that doesn't require any equipment?

Thanks

[davefly76]

get them out of breath and time them to see how long it takes for them to return to their normal breath rate, do the same with heart beat. empty all air from the lungs and see how long they can hold it for, before breathing again. have them hold their breath and perform as many *insert technique here* as they can before breathing again.

[Telsun]

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Moi]

Burpees, starjumps, crunches, sprints. Piggyback & wheelbarrow races.

[Mitch]

Get them to do the bleep test, record what level they manage, and then run it again in a month or two and compare results.

Mitch

[emdiesse]

I think you will find this of a great use!
Brian Mac is an awesome site, mainly for athletics but there is a hell of alot of good info on there!

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/eval.htm

:cool:

[Telsun]

I think you will find this of a great use!
Brian Mac is an awesome site, mainly for athletics but there is a hell of alot of good info on there!

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/eval.htm

:cool:

Excellent! Thanks for the link. & thanks for the other suggestions too :)

[PlumDragon]

There are a number of standardized tests used in the field. One test I always found kind of fun is called the Core Muscle Strength and Stability, takes about 3 minutes and is actually pretty hard to complete fully and correctly. If you cant find what Im referring to, PM me and Ill get you the procedure.

[Moi]

Running around the training school carpark requires no equipment.

Count how many laps you do in 10 mins and then send them out

[ralphie]

Interesting....related to this question:

I'm just about to start as a 35 yr old white belt in TKD. I'm out of shape. I dont mean that I just havent exercised in a few years, I mean I'm about 60 lbs overweight, realistically (I'm technically almost 80 lbs overweight if you take the BMI charts literally for my height). I of course have no flexibility and probably half the muscle mass I once did. I'm most literally starting from scratch!

Obviously all MA disciplines and schools differ in their approach to training, but
I was told I will have no problem, in that I will get "worked out" just fine with the training (and by the time I get to the higher grades that require more physical agility, I 'should' be getting into good enough shape to meet the requirements).

I plan to use learning MA as an alternative to going to a regular gym, but based on this post, what kind of outside PT will I need to focus on once my MA training is in full force?

[Moi]

I'd get used to the exercise in your class before worrying about supplementing your training. Get used to exercise again first.

[WalkingThePath]

Run fartleks with them. If you have a reasonably sized hall start out with a normal jog, and then after about five minutes (enough to get warm) start sprinting one length/width (depending on hall/area size) and walk back. Tell the students they can drop out any point, and have an assistant/senior grade/you record how many sprints they do.
After that, do number of press ups in one minute, number of situps in two minutes, number of squat thrusts in 1 minute.
Finish with stretching.

Rinse. Repeat. :)

Use the first test as a base line, and post results publicly (unless you have some reason not to.) Re-do the test at regular intervals and show people their improvement... It's a great motivator...

This was the training I did to get in shape for my PT test for the RNR, and I trained with some ex-marines - once a fortnight we'd run this routine, and if I didn't improve, I got thoroughly beasted in the gym. I was in the best shape of my life back then!

[Cowardly Clyde]

How about something like...

10 burps
10 Press Ups
10 Situps
9 burps
9 press ups
9 situps
8....
8...
8...
7...
7...
7.....

Until all done!

Time yourself & use that as the benchmark, if the kids smoke you then set a new benchmark.

[Telsun]

Cowardly Clyde - I was thinking about something like that, but maybe:

10 burpees
10 pressups
20 situps
20 step ups (knee ups)

The test result being number of circuits completed in 5-10minutes.

WalkingThePath good suggestions thanks. I do not have a big training area so farlek, bleep tests etc are not really an option.

"Use the first test as a base line, and post results publicly (unless you have some reason not to.) Re-do the test at regular intervals and show people their improvement... It's a great motivator..."

This is exactly what I have in mind.

PlumDragon - pm on its way, thanks.

sorry if I missed anyone, I really appreciate all your suggestions. Thanks.

[ralphie]

Run fartleks with them. If you have a reasonably sized hall start out with a normal jog, and then after about five minutes (enough to get warm) start sprinting one length/width (depending on hall/area size) and walk back. Tell the students they can drop out any point, and have an assistant/senior grade/you record how many sprints they do.
After that, do number of press ups in one minute, number of situps in two minutes, number of squat thrusts in 1 minute.
Finish with stretching.
...
This was the training I did to get in shape for my PT test for the RNR, and I trained with some ex-marines -

I enlisted in the US marine corps when I was a high school senior back in 1991 (medical condition which came about later in the year kept me from actually going in after graduation :(), but I was training pretty intensely to get ready for boot camp, and using their IDEAL (not minimum) PFT standard at the time as a benchmark:
Situps -- 80+ in 2 minutes
Pullups -- 20+
Running -- 3 miles in 18 min or better

At the time, I was in great shape, and by the end of that year of training I had 2 of the 3 ideal standards beat (I was always a slow runner). So I can relate to the workout you suggested, and the consequences of not improving around those peers! :eek:)

Telson:

As I mentioned, I just started TKD this week, I'm not familiar with the name of some of the exercises mentioned, like fartleks and burpees, but here's what my school does, which sounds similar to a lot of what is being suggested:

We spend approximately the first 15 minutes of class in non-stop 'circuit' conditioning, 10+ minutes in stretching, and then the remainder in bag drills/technique, sparring for the green belts (8th kups) - black belts, and forms.

Today's circuit drill for us was:
10 push-ups
10 situps (free, feet not held down)
10 standing squat thrusts
10 jumping jacks
(Run back across the dojang and start over)

Or another flavor I've seen:
10 push ups (feet elevated on a chair)
10 situps (with legs raised on kicking bag)
10 jumping jacks
(Run a lap AROUND the dojang, and start over).

Again, both of these would continue non-stop about 15 minutes. You do as many as you can at each, just dont stop. What I can't do IS my motivation to get in better shape, I guess the only difference would be if the instructor actually recorded what we did?

[Gary]

Tabata Burpees for maximum rounds :evil:

[Gussigan]

that just sounds plain evil, coma. first one to face plant is kicked out? haha

while this isn't a single test, i've been using this release by a crossfit affiliate to try and gauge various areas of fitness: http://crossfitatlanta.typepad.com/CrossFit_Athletic_Skill_Stand.pdf

[Van Zandt]

If you want to be a total basta... um, I mean "really evil" then you could have them try P Company:

1. Ten mile march carrying 35 lbs in under 1 hour 50 minutes.

2. Trainasium airial confidence course.

3. 1.9 mile footrace carrying a 60kg log.

4. Two mile march carrying 35 lbs in under 18 minutes.

5. 1.8 mile cross country course followed by an assault course.

6. Milling - sixty seconds of "controlled agrression" in a boxing ring.

7. 20 mile march carrying 35 lbs in under 5 hours.

8. 5 mile footrace carrying a 175 lbs stretcher.

One word... EVIL :evil:

Edit: Not all at once, of course.