Seven Tests of True Strength

REMEMBER THE PRESIDENT1ALS? NO, MOT THE ELECTION. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE Present’s Challenge Physical Fitness Test—the series of exercises that gym teachers have been using for decades to torture, er, assess their students. In factgyin class may have been the last time you gauged your fitness level. "Ajid that might be what holdingyau back is," says Mike Robertson, C.S.C.S., CO-owner of Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training. "When you know your strengths and weaknesses, reaching your goals becomes a lot easier—and you achieve them faster." Sure, the definition of "fit" varies; powerhfters and marathoners have different views. Still, every man should be able to meet certain standards before he can call himself "in shape." And then there's Men's Health Fit. Take these tests to see how you measure up. If you don't clear our admittedly high bar, don't sweat it—we have tips from top experts to help bring you up to speed.

1. JUMP AT LEAST 8 FEET

Everyone from strength coaches to dry II sergeants uses the standing broad Jump to gauge raw power—for good reason; It calls on several muscle groups throughout the body to fire at once, 'The stronger and more explosive you are, the more force you'll generate and the farther you'll jump," says Tony Gentilcore, cs.c.s.. Co-owner of Cressey Performance in Hudson, Massachusetts. "And that means belter performance in the weight room—and more air on the basketball court."

THE TEST Stand with your toes on a line and your feet shoulder-width apart, Dip your knees, swing your arms, and jump as far as you can. Have a buddy measure the distance from the starting Lire to ttie back of your heels.

IMPROVE YOUR POWER "Power is a combination of strength and speed, so if you come up short, Weft on both" says Gentilcore. Start by doing squats and hip thrusts each week in separate workouts, During week 1, go heavy with the hip thrusts {3 to 5 sets of 5 reps using 35 percent of your 1-repetition maximum) and Light with the squats (6 sets of 2 fast reps with 50 percent of your 1-rep max). The following week, flip the set-rep scheme, going heavy with squats and Light with hip thrusts. Continue alternating for 4 to 6 weeks. "To build even more explosiveness, also do 3 sets of 10 kettle bell swings twice a week," says Gentilcore.

Barbed hip thrust Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and a padded barbell across your hips. Push through your heels (not your toes) and raise your hips until they're in Line with your knees and shoulders, Squeeze your gluts hard at the top and then slowly return to the starting position,

Barbell �quat Using an overhand grip, hold a barbell across your upper back and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your lower back naturally arched, push your hips back, bend your knees, and Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause, and slowly return to a standing position.

KettlebeLl swing HoLd a kettlebeLl in both hands using an overhand grip, and let it hang at arm's Length in front of you. Keep your Lower back naturally arched, bend at your hips, and swing the kettlebeLl between your Legs. Squeeze your glutes. thrust your hips forward, and swing the kettlebe IL up to chest Level as you rise to standing. That's 1 rep, Conhnue swinging the belL without pausing,

2.SQUAT, CUR LAND PUSH PRESS 20 TIMES IN 1 MINUTE

Anaerobic endurance refers to your ability to work at near maximal intensity in bursts of 20 to 60 seconds. "Anyone can sprint or punch hard for 10 seconds " says LA,-based strength and conditioning coach Chad Waterbury, m.s. "But if you can sustain high levels of muscle force beyond that time, you'll gain a liuge advantage over your competitors." Anaerobic endurance reflects the stamina of your fast-twitch (type II) muscle fibers, which generate energy in the absence of oxygen.

THE TEST Use dumbbells that total roughly 30 percent of your body weight (that's a pair of 30-pounders if you weigh 200) and hold them by your sides with your feet shoulder-width apart, Keeping your back naturally arched, push your hips back and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ftoor As you stand up, curl the dumbbells to shoulder height and then press them straight overhead using your legs in the effort. Return to the starting position and repeat for 1 minute

INCREASE YOUR MUSCULAR STAMINA Perform 2 sets of the drill twice a week, resting 90 seconds between sets If you can't do at least 16 reps on your first set, Lighten the Load. "Each time, add an extra rep to your first set," says Waterbury, "Once you reach 20 reps with the lighter weight, grab slightly heavier dumbbells and work your way up to 20 reps again" Continue the slow increase until you can hit the Men's Health goal.

3.PERFORM ONE CONTROLLED WALL SQUAT

Mobility is a quality great athletes hone but most regular guys ignore. Tliat's a mistake: "Tlie more mobile you are, the better you can move your joints tlirougli tlieir full range of motion and the less likely you are to be injured," says kinesiologist and rehab expert Dean Somerset,<ls.c.s. This test, he says, "will expose limitations in your ankles, hips, neck, and upper back—places where most men are bound up." A lot of people fail this test because they have a rounded back or in flexible ankles

THE TEST Stand facing a wall with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes 2 inches from the baseboard and turned slightly out, Keeping your feet flat, chest up, and back naturally arched, see how far you can lower your body without touching the wall or falling backward,

BOOST YOUR MOBILITY Loosen your back with self-massage, Lie on your back with a foam roller placed perpendicular to your spine just beiow your shoulder blades. Bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor. Support your head with your hands, and move your head, neck, and upper back forward and backward over the foam roller four to six times. To loosen tight ankles and calves, try the ankle mobility lunge. Stand in a split stance with your front foot about 6 inches from a wall, Now bend your front knee to touch the wall without letting your front heel leave the floor. Do this 8 to 10 times. Switch legs and repeat.

4.SCORE LEVEL120N THE BEEP TEST

Cardiovascular endurance isn't just a sign of your 10-K potential; it's an indicator of how long you'll last in any athletic endeavor, from a 48-minute basketball game to an afternoon of backyard football. And people who play aerobic endurance sports have a higher life expectancy than those who do not, according to a recent German study review

THE TEST Download the Beep Test app for your iPhone (Beep Test Solo,SI) or Android device (Beep Test, $2.50), Place two cones 20 meters apart on a track or field, hit the start button on the app, and run from ore cone to the other When you hear the beep, run back. Continue until you can't reach the opposite cone before the next beep sounds. (The time between beeps will shorten as you progress through the test.) Then hit the "record score" button. "This is the best way to test aerobic endurance." says Alwyn Cosgrove, C.S.C.S.. owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California. Its escalating intensity is a good measure of your body's ability "to deliver oxygen to working muscles—your "peak aerobic capacity."

IMPROVE YOUR ENDURANCE Repeat the beep test orce a week. Just repeating the drill can help boost your peak aerobic capacity, says Cos- grove, On two other days each week, do sprint intervals. Sprint at 85 percent of your maximum effort for 1 minute and then rest for 2 minutes, Do that 5 to a times total. "Over and over, intervals have been shown to be the fastest way to improve your VO2 max, the maximum amount of oxy¬ gen your body can process at once, which is a powerful indicator of your aerobic fitness level," says Cosgrove,

5.DEADLIFT 1,75 TIMES YOUR BODY WEIGHT

The muscles of your posterior chain provide the power behind many of tile most important skills in sports—consider them your "go" muscles. These include your lower back, ghites, lianistrings, and calves—lots of muscles that may not be visible in the mirror but are vital to overall fitness. And no exercise hits them harder than the deadlift does. "Ifs arguably tlie purest test of strength there is," says Robertson. Your goal: Lift just a little bit less than twice your body weiglit.

THE TEST Load a barbell with the maximum amount of weight you can lift once, and bring the bar close to your shins, Bend at your hips and knees and grab the bar using an overhand grip that's just beyond shoulder width, Keeping your Lower back naturally arched, puLl your torso back and up, squeeze your gLutes, thrust your hips forward, and stand up with the barbell. Reverse the movement to Lower the bar to the floor, keeping it as close to your body as possible.

PULL MORE WEIGHT Add the deadlift to your weekly routine using a weight that allows you to do 3 sets of S reps. That's right, only G reps each set. "Keeping the rep count Low allows you to do two things: concentrate on form and go heavy," says Robertson, When you can connplete 2 extra repetitions in your last set for two consecutive workouts, move up in weight. Retest your l-rep max every 2 to 3 months.

6.DO 10 CLAPPING PUSHUPS

A powerful upper body docs n't just look good shirtless; it helps transfer force to the world around you. "And that gives you an edge in most sports, whether you're trying to stiff-arm an opponent in football or spring off the mat in jujitsu," says David Dellanave, owner of the Movement Minneapolis gym and a world-record-liolding all-around weightlifter. The clapping pushup—which requires explosiveness as well as strength—is an old'School move that many still consider the ultimate test of upperbody pushing power (thanks In no small part to ifoc/�).

THE TEST Assume a pushup position, with your body straight from head to ankles, Lower yourself until your chest is 3 inches from the floor. Push yourself back up explosively so your hands leave the floor Maintain a straight body as you clap in midair and land back in the starting position, PUSH HARDER Can't clap? Add the exercise to your weekly routine but perform it with your hands elevated on an aerobics step, which reduces the load. Shoot for 3 sets of 5 reps, lowering the step as the exercise becomes easier. For an even greater power boost, also do kneeling medicine ball throws: Kneel facing a wall and hold a medicine ball against your chest; throw it directly forward against the wall. Catch it on the rebound and repeat, doing 3 sets of 10 reps. "The goal is maximum power,' says Delia nave, "so start with a ball you can throw at least 12 feet,"

7.HOLD A PLANK FOR MORE THAN 3 MINUTES

A chiseled core makes you stronger in everything you do, fixjm carrying groceries to mastering the deadlift. It enables you to "produce, stabilize, and transmit force throughout the body" says Angelo Poli, owner of Whole Body Fitness in Chico, Cahfornia. But that armada of muscles is "on" whenever you're upright, so stamina is key.

THE TEST Assume a pushup position but with your weight on your forearms instead of your hands. This is plank position, Your body should form a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Brace your core by contracting your abs as if you were about to be punched, and hold the position for as long as you can. When your hips sag or your knees touch the floor, it's over,

INCREASE YOUR CORE ENDURANCE Fall short? No problem, "You can more than double your score in a matter of weeks." says Poli, Alternate among these three exercises during the course of a week, © Three-point tennis bait toss: Hold the top position of a single-arm pushup [feet slightly beyond hip width, body straight from head to heels, weight supported on one hand) and bounce a tennis ball off a wall. Catch the ball and immediately bounce it back against the wall. Do 2 sets of 15 reps each arm, @ Piank push/puli: Assume a plank position with a weight plate between your forearms. Lift your right arm, push the plate forward as far as possible, and then pull it back. Do 2 sets of 10 reps with each arm, © Swiss bait 'stir the pot": Assume a plank position with your forearms on a Swiss ball. Make small circles with your elbows, switching directions every 10 circles until you've done 40, That's 1 set, DoZ