Another year of racing, and it is once again time to hit the gym for some strength and foundation work. The cumulative years of riding, racing, lifting and learning makes one improve. This is the first time I have actually done a fitness test in such detail. The whole idea of the fitness test is to know where you stand and if your current level of fitness is adequate. It provides an honest assessment of your abilities and the mind set will allow you to take advantage of your strengths and overcome your weaknesses. Ideally it would be nice to get tested in a sports science lab, such as the Gatorade sports science institute, but this can be cost prohibitive.
The list of tests were obtained from http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/
Test - Pull Ups with palms facing in
Quantity = 10
Score - Average
Measures upper body strength and endurance.
Test - Vertical Leap
Quantity = 15 inches
Score - Below Average
Measures lower body power levels.
Test - Push Ups
Quantity = 40
Score - Excellent
Measures muscular strength and endurance.
Test - Sit & Reach Toes
Quantity = +1 inch past toes
Score - Average
Measures flexibility of the lower back and hamstring.
Test - Wall Squat isometric
Quantity = 2 minutes
Score - Excellent
Measures quadriceps strength and endurance.
Test - In & Out crunches
Quantity = 50
Score - Excellent
Measures abdominal strength and endurance
Test - Standing Long Jump
Quantity = 6’-1”
Score - Very Poor
Measures the explosive power of the legs
Test - 3 minute Step Test
Quantity = HR after 1 min 155 bpm
Score - Very Poor
Measure your ability to recover after a hard effort
Some of the above tests require good technique to achieve good numbers, such as in the Vertical Jump, Standing Long Jump and Pull Up, this can only come with practice. Obviously the ones which I scored excellent were exercises I have been doing for years. The 3 minute step test took my heart rate up to 166 BPM and after 1 minute rest my heart rate was still high at 155 BPM, which confirms that my recovery after hard efforts is not up to par. This was the reason why I was not doing well in races like the Miss & Out, or various iterations of the Points races. The events I did well in were the Scratch races, Match Sprints & Time Trials.
Body Measurements:
Height - 5'-9"
Weight – 173 lbs
Chest – 39.5 inches
Waist – 35.25 inches
Hips – 39 inches
Right Thigh – 23 inches
Left Thigh – 22.5 inches
Right Arm – 14 inches
Left Arm – 13.5 inches
Neck – 15 inches
The main goal this winter once again is to reduce that pesky body fat percentage, which is hovering around 16 % to 19 %, and increase power to weight ratio. Every thing else should fall into place once this is achieved.
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