Physical Fitness Tests or PFTs have been around for many years and are predominately used by military, police, firefighters, etc, to judge a persons physical ability and ability to do their job. Each branch of service has their own take on the PFT and they are all scored to compare the person taking the test to their own last score or to others who have taken the test before.
In Fitness Blender's PFT we have chosen exercises that don't require any equipment to make it easier for everyone to complete. These are by no means the only motions you should focus on but they are a good general test of overall fitness. Also, with our version of the fit test we have not included any type of scoring as we don't need or want to compare your individual test with anyone else. Instead we want you to focus only on competing against yourself the next time you take the test.
There are five sections to our test that we have outlined below, each of which you will need to either time yourself for or count total number of repetitions except the last component which you will measure with a ruler or measuring tape. This test can range greatly in the amount of time it takes to complete, as each exercise is done for as long as it takes for you to complete the task or to fatigue to the point of needing to rest. As a bonus, it also makes for a great workout.
Fitness Blender's PFT (complete in the order shown)
1 Mile Run:
Using a treadmill, local track or marked out one mile course (with a car or a smart phone app) run, jog, or walk (or any combo of those three) until you have completed the full distance. Time yourself and record it here:
1 Mile Run Time: ____________________
Push Ups:
Do either full push ups (from hands and toes), half push ups (from hand and knees) or any combination of the two. Be sure to record how many of each type you do until you need to rest. Once you sit back onto your knees or drop and rest on the ground you are done. Be sure you keep proper form the entire time as you want to only count properly done repetitions.
Full Push Ups: ____________________ Half Push Ups: ____________________
Squats:
With feet shoulder width apart do as many squats as you can keeping your back flat and the angle of your chest and shins the same. If body weight squats are very easy for you then feel free to use extra weight to make it harder (so you fatigue more quickly) just be sure to also record the amount of weight used as well. To keep your repetitions as even as possible you may want to use a chair, physio-ball or bench to mark the depth of your squat, being sure to come down and touch whatever you use with your butt, to keep yourself from using a smaller range of motion as you get more and more tired. As soon as you have to limit your range of motion or your form starts to suffer stop counting repetitions.
Number of Squats: ____________________ Weight Used (if any): ____________________
Static Plank:
Hold this position from forearms and toes keeping a straight line from shoulders to ankles. If your core can not yet handle a full plank then do a half plank from your knees but do not switch between the two while timing. You will want to use a clock or watch with a second hand or preferably an actual stopwatch style timer. Start the time as soon as you move into the plank position and hold that position as long as you can. If you drop to the ground or your hips kick up too high into the air then stop and record the elapsed time.
Static Plank Time: ____________________
Sit and Reach:
This is a very simplified version of the sit and reach test from our old PFT. In this version place a piece of tape on the ground and sit with your heels up to the edge of the tap closest to you. Holding another piece of tape in your hands (your marker) stretch down between your legs getting as close to or as far past the tape on the ground as you can. Place the marker tape you have in your hands on the ground then measure the distance from one piece of tape to the next being sure to measure from the edge of the tape on the ground that was closest to your heels to the edge of the marker tape that you placed with your finger tips. If you placed the marker in between your legs, the distance will be a negative number (in centimeters or inches), and if you placed the marker tape past your feet then it will be a positive number.
Sit and Reach Measurement: ____________________