I’ve been losing weight and building muscle this year on the ROM; this we know. But what about stamina, strength, and endurance? These are all important barometers of overall vitality. Earlier this year I did some benchmarking to measure these areas:
- Step test to measure aerobic endurance
- Push ups to test upper body strength
- Sit ups to test abdominal or trunk strength
- Squats to measure lower body strength
Here’s how I did in February:
- Step test – 120 beats per minute in the minute (Ugh – Poor)
- 21 push-ups ’till maxing out (’Average’ for men)
- 31 sit-ups in a minute (Average)
- 41 squats ’till maxing out (’Good’)
So I did these tests again – here’s how I’m doing now:
- Step test – 106 beats per minute in the minute (‘Below average’ – but better than ‘Poor’!)
- 33 push-ups ’till maxing out (Still ‘Average,’ but higher)
- 39 sit-ups in a minute (Above average!)
- 48 squats ’till maxing out (’Good’)
So there we have it: in four minutes a day across a few months, I already have improvement across the board in heart rate and stamina. Who knows, perhaps by the end of this year I’ll be able to submit one of these?
Well done, Mike! keep it up!
…you go, Michael-man!!!