Fitness Test

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January 23, 2018 at 2:25 pm #7738

austinkalb
Participant

I’ve been training strictly on the 24 week program. I’m on week 9 of the Base Period (I repeated a couple of weeks here and there, so more like week 12)

I’m trying to make some sense of a recent fitness test (the test from TFTNA). Comparing one year ago to today.

I started with pull-ups; 10 last year, 22 this year – so far so good.

Sit-ups: 29 last year, 25 today (tried pacing myself, and probably could have, should have upped the pace somewhat)

Dips: same 40 as last year

So how do I interpret these mixed results?

I was a little tired after the max effort on pull-ups. I do plan on trying again later, starting with sit-ups, then again tomorrow starting with dips. See if that helps…

Thx
A
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Posted In: General Training Discussion

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Anonymous on January 24, 2018 at 9:52 pm #7750

Austin:

These exercises are measuring muscular endurance and strength. Since you more than doubled your Pull-ups from a year ago it is probably pretty safe to assume that your ofter exercises are improved as well. But….you smoked yourself with the pull-ups and that probably affected the subsequent exercises.

When yo can only do 10 pull ups you can drain yourself as much as when you can do 22. That is the most demanding exercise of this bunch.
Scott

Participant

austinkalb on January 26, 2018 at 5:27 pm #7764

Scott

I repeated parts of the test and was a bit surprised by the results. Except for the pull-ups I have not changed much in 2 years!

I have definitely increased the time and frequency if training and changed my training routine, especially in the last three months since I’ve been on the 24 week program.

I’m wondering if I have maybe hit a plateau where my age is degrading my fitness (60yo) at about the same rate as training is helping.

I will note that since last April (when I returned from a month in the Kumbu), I have gained about 9 lbs. It hasn’t caused me much concern as ALL my cloths fit better (except a little tighter in the biceps and chest:)

Any ideas?

Thx
Austin

Unknown 12/14/2016 1/23/2018
Pushups 30 45 43
Situps 33 29 33
Dips 35 40 39
Box Steps 41 46
Pullups 16 10 22

Participant

austinkalb on January 26, 2018 at 6:53 pm #7767

Just to be clear, I lost a few lbs during my month away. A more accurate number would be about 4-5 lbs.

Thx
A

Inactive

Anonymous on January 28, 2018 at 8:37 am #7779

Austin:
When you say you have not improved much in 2 years do you mean only on this test or in actual performance in the mountains? The test is only a single data point and a proxy at that. Did you conduct an uphill aerobic hiking/running test on your local mountain before and after training?

While there are non-responders it is rare to actually meet one. Age definitely plays a big role. Especially aerobic fitness drops faster and faster as you age. No amount of training can offset (slow it maybe) these losses. Strength does not drop off nearly as fast.

Scott

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