Think You're Fit? Prove It. Pass These 10 Fitness Tests

Physical feats during Strongman competitions, powerlifting meets, or sporting events can leave you asking yourself, “Am I fit?”

If you want to get a better grasp on your physical ability, we recommend performing tried-and-true fitness tests. 

Coming from a variety of sources including the armed forces and CrossFit, the following fitness tests all have one thing in common: they demand a lot from your body.

We’ll kick off our list with beginner-friendly cardiovascular-focused tests, eventually moving up to advanced strength-based fitness tests.

 

1.  How Fast Can You Run a Mile?

Starting this list of fitness tests, we have the one-mile test. For some, this is a standard warm-up, but adding the element of time will really see what you’re made of.

For someone who is in shape, an average completion time is between 8 and 10 minutes. For beginners, this time is usually between 10 and 14 minutes.

If your knees ache while you run, try using knee sleeves. The compression material helps to improve blood flow and reduce aches and soreness.

 

2.  Can You Hold a Plank Pose for Five Minutes?

The plank is arguably one of the most basic core exercises around. There’s no movement involved; you hold one position. But don’t let the simple format fool you. The plank can quickly light your core on fire.

To perform the plank exercise, lie on a comfortable surface. Support your weight on your forearms and toes then push your body up. Tighten your core and glutes, ensuring your hips are elevated slightly. Hold this position for as long as you can. Once your hips drop below parallel, stop the timer. Your goal is five minutes.

 

3.  Can You Run Three Miles in Under 28 Minutes?

For the 5k runners out there, you’ll have the advantage here. The goal would be to maintain a race pace – or average per mile run time – of nine minutes. You want to aim for nine minutes per mile as this is one minute per mile faster than your goal time. Training yourself to be faster than the goal will ensure you reach it.

 

4.  How Many Push-Ups Can You Do in Two Minutes?

Our first strength test is also a standard test found in every branch of the armed forces. The average number of push-ups for a two-minute time limit is between 20 and 35, depending on your age.

The requirement for elite soldiers is between 80 and 100 push-ups. While this might be setting the bar high, you can use this as a motivation tool to improve your current push-up number.

Learn how to upgrade your push-ups.

 

5.  How Many Pull-Ups Can You Do without Letting Go of the Bar?

For guys, performing around 10 pull-ups before letting go of the bar is average. For women, the number is three pull-ups.

If you want to get a higher level of fitness, men should aim for 18 to 20 pull-ups and women should go for 10 pull-ups.

Not sure how to perform a pull-up? Check out our article on how to do pull-ups.

 

6.  How Many Sit-Ups Can You Perform in Two Minutes?

The average number of sit-ups that you should be able to perform in two minutes is around 50, give or take a few. But don’t settle for this number. Strive for 100 sit-ups in a two-minute period. You might have to work up to it but keep this as your goal and watch yourself improve.

Keep your lower back safe and comfortable with an abdominal mat.

 

7.  How Many Burpees Can You Perform in Five Minutes?

Now we’re turning up the intensity. It’s no secret that burpees are a popular love-hate exercise. They challenge nearly every major muscle group, support both fat burning and muscle building, and increase explosive power. They’re also tough as hell.

A respectable number of burpees in five minutes is around 50, or 10 per minute. If you’re able to achieve this with relative ease, increase the number by 5 to 10 repetitions.

 

8.  Can You Bench Press 1.5x Your Bodyweight?

For the next three tests, you’ll need a barbell and weight plates.

Activating the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core musculature, the bench press remains one of the classic tests of pure strength.

While this might not be the amount of weight you can easily bench press at this time, your goal should be to press one and a half times your bodyweight.

For example, if you weigh 165 pounds, your goal will be to bench press 250 pounds (247.50 rounded up).

Here’s an article with tips and tricks that can help you increase your bench press.

 

9.  Can You Squat Double Your Bodyweight?

Next up, the barbell back squat. This exercise has been around for a long time. First found in calisthenics-based workouts dating back to warrior monks and Spartans, the back squat is now one of the big three of powerlifting.

It’s a true measure of lower body strength and core stability as it targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, glutes, hip flexors, abdominals, and lower back.

Your goal is to squat double the amount of your bodyweight. Using the example above, if you weight 165 pounds, your long-term goal should be to safely and correctly squat 330 pounds.

 

10.  Can You Deadlift 2.5x Your Bodyweight?

Another staple of powerlifting, the deadlift is also popular in any type of strength-based programs such as Crossfit and Strongman.

While beneficial for building raw power and muscle mass, the deadlift is tough to execute. Check out our article on how to perform a deadlift.

Your ultimate goal with the deadlift is to be able to perform the exercise with two and a half times your bodyweight. If you weigh 165 pounds, your goal is 415 pounds (412.5 rounded up).

 

Don’t Stress – Set Goals

If you can’t perform these fitness tests to the level that is considered “fit,” don’t stress about it. Instead set a goal of achieving those numbers with a realistic and responsible timeline.