GUEST SERIES | Dr. Andy Galpin: How to Assess & Improve All Aspects of Your Fitness
Dr. Andy Galpin, professor of kinesiology, explains 9 exercise adaptations for body transformation and health. He details zero-cost/low-cost methods to assess fitness levels in skill, strength, endurance, and more, providing a foundation for goal-directed training.
Deep Dive Analysis
17 Topic Outline
Introduction to Fitness Assessment and Adaptations
Nine Exercise-Induced Adaptations for Fitness
Fat Loss and Health as Byproducts of Adaptations
History of Exercise Science: Endurance vs. Strength Training
Impact of Cultural Figures on Exercise Trends
Evolution of Training Styles: Bodybuilding to CrossFit
Importance of Female Inclusion in Exercise Science
Designing Optimal Protocols Based on Specific Adaptations
Assessing Movement Skill and Injury Prevention
Assessing Speed and Power
Assessing Strength: Grip and Leg Strength
Assessing Hypertrophy and Muscle Mass
Assessing Muscular Endurance
Assessing Anaerobic Capacity and Heart Rate Recovery
Assessing Maximal Aerobic Capacity (VO2 Max)
Assessing Long Duration Steady State Exercise
Frequency and Order of Fitness Testing
5 Key Concepts
Exercise-Induced Adaptations
These are the nine distinct physiological changes the body undergoes in response to specific types of exercise, including skill, speed, power, strength, hypertrophy, muscular endurance, anaerobic capacity, maximal aerobic capacity, and long duration endurance. Understanding these allows for targeted training to achieve specific fitness and health goals.
Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI)
FFMI is a metric used to assess muscle mass relative to height and body fat percentage. It helps determine if an individual has sufficient muscle mass for health, independent of aesthetic goals, with specific target ranges for men and women to avoid physiological detriment.
VO2 Max
VO2 Max represents the maximum amount of oxygen an individual can utilize during intense exercise, reflecting their cardiovascular fitness. It is calculated by multiplying cardiac output (heart rate x stroke volume) by the arterial-venous oxygen difference, indicating the body's efficiency in oxygen delivery and uptake.
Heart Rate Recovery
This is a measure of how quickly your heart rate returns to normal after maximal exertion, serving as an indicator of anaerobic and cardiovascular capacity. A faster recovery suggests better fitness and a more efficient autonomic nervous system response.
Fast Twitch & Slow Twitch Muscle Fibers
Muscle fibers are generally categorized into fast-twitch (Type II) and slow-twitch (Type I). Slow-twitch fibers are endurance-oriented and activated by daily activities, while fast-twitch fibers are crucial for high-force, explosive movements and are selectively reduced with aging if not actively used.
5 Questions Answered
The nine major adaptations are skill/technique, speed, power, strength, muscle hypertrophy, muscular endurance, anaerobic capacity, maximal aerobic capacity (VO2 max), and long duration steady-state endurance.
No, fat loss and general health are not specific training styles but rather byproducts of achieving optimal levels in the nine specific exercise adaptations. The specific training required for health or fat loss depends on an individual's current status and limitations across these nine areas.
Endurance training gained popularity in the mid-1950s and 60s following feats like Roger Bannister's four-minute mile, while strength training was initially feared due to a proponent's early death. Strength training's popularity surged in the late 1970s and 80s, largely due to figures like Arnold Schwarzenegger, shifting focus from pure function to physique transformation.
For movement skill, one should assess symmetry (left/right, front/back), stability (control without shaking), awareness (understanding proper positioning), and full range of motion at major joints (shoulder, elbow, low back, hip, knee, ankle) during fundamental movements like squats, push-ups, pull-ups, and deadlifts.
A full battery of fitness tests should ideally be performed once a year, similar to an annual physical. For those seeking more frequent feedback, every six months is recommended. The frequency of re-testing specific areas should be higher for areas identified as weaknesses or 'performance anchors'.
28 Actionable Insights
1. Define Fitness Goals
Clearly define your exercise goals, whether they are aesthetic (how you want to look) or functional (how you want to perform), to effectively guide your training program and ensure long-term adherence.
2. Prioritize Long-Term Health
Integrate immediate fitness goals with the overarching desire for a long wellness span, aiming to maintain fitness throughout your life, which ensures a sustainable and holistic approach to health.
3. Focus on Core Concepts
Understand that ’the methods are many, but the concepts are few’ in exercise science; concentrate on the fundamental principles of training rather than getting lost in the myriad of specific exercise techniques.
4. Combine Strength & Endurance
For optimal overall health and functionality, ensure your training program includes a combination of broad strength training and broad endurance training, as focusing solely on one type of exercise can lead to deficits in other crucial health metrics.
5. Maintain Fast-Twitch Fibers
Engage in high-force activities to preserve fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are vital for strength, speed, and preventing falls as you age, as these fibers tend to reduce selectively without consistent stimulation.
6. Question Training Assumptions
Challenge common exercise beliefs, such as avoiding training a muscle group on consecutive days or the idea that cardio ruins gains, as many of these assumptions originate from bodybuilding and may not apply to all fitness goals.
7. Prioritize Movement Quality
When exercising, especially in high-intensity or group settings, prioritize correct movement quality and technique over simply achieving higher scores or faster times to prevent injury and ensure effective, sustainable progress.
8. Customize Training Protocols
Develop personalized training protocols by selecting specific methods from various disciplines (e.g., powerlifting for strength, weightlifting for power, CrossFit for well-roundedness) to achieve precise adaptations tailored to your unique goals.
9. Assess Movement Skill
Perform a self-assessment of fundamental movements (e.g., push-up, pull-up, squat, deadlift) by recording yourself and evaluating each major joint for symmetry, stability, awareness, and full range of motion to identify and correct potential injury risks.
10. Test Power with Broad Jump
Assess your power by performing a standing broad jump (no running start) and measuring the distance from your starting toe to your furthest heel; aim to jump at least your body height (adjusting 15% lower for females).
11. Test Power with Vertical Jump
Measure your vertical jump by marking your standing reach on a wall (two hands overhead), then jumping as high as possible (two-handed touch) and measuring the difference; aim for 24 inches or higher (20 inches for over 50, 15% lower for females).
12. Measure Grip Strength
Assess grip strength using a hand grip dynamometer; aim for a minimum of 40 kg (males) or 35 kg (females), ensuring no more than 10% variation between your dominant and non-dominant hands.
13. Perform a Dead Hang Test
Test your grip and upper body endurance by performing a dead hang from a pull-up bar for as long as possible; aim for a minimum of 30 seconds, ideally exceeding 60 seconds.
14. Assess Leg Strength
Evaluate your leg strength by performing a one-repetition maximum (1RM) leg extension; aim to lift your body weight (reducing by 10% per decade after age 40) as a benchmark for lower body strength.
15. Estimate 1RM Safely
If uncomfortable with a true 1RM, estimate your maximum strength by lifting a challenging load for 1-5 repetitions, then use an online 1RM calculator, ensuring accuracy by staying within the 1-5 rep range.
16. Test Core & Leg Stability
Assess core strength and lower body stability by holding a goblet squat with approximately half your body weight for 45 seconds, focusing on maintaining good form throughout the hold (introductory target: one-third body weight for 30 seconds).
17. Standardize Warmup Protocols
Always use a standardized warmup protocol before any maximum strength testing to ensure consistent and accurate results, which is crucial for tracking progress over time and preventing injury.
18. Calculate Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI)
Assess your muscle mass sufficiency by obtaining a body composition test (e.g., DEXA scan) and using your body weight, body fat percentage, and height to calculate your FFMI; aim for 20+ for men and 18+ for women (assuming reasonable leanness).
19. Test Plank Endurance
Evaluate your core muscular endurance by holding a front plank for 60 seconds and a side plank for 45 seconds, establishing a baseline for core stability.
20. Assess Push-up Endurance
Measure upper body muscular endurance by performing as many full-range-of-motion push-ups as possible without pausing; aim for over 25 for males and over 15 for females (if unable to do 1-3, focus on strength first).
21. Gauge Muscular Endurance with Reps
Determine muscular endurance by performing an exercise (e.g., leg extension) at 75% of your 1RM for as many repetitions as possible; aim for 8-12 repetitions, with fewer indicating a need for endurance improvement.
22. Measure Heart Rate Recovery
Assess anaerobic capacity by performing a maximal effort exercise for 30-60 seconds, then measure your heart rate recovery; aim for a drop of 30 bpm in 60 seconds, 60 bpm in 120 seconds, and 90 bpm in 180 seconds.
23. Estimate VO2 Max (Cooper’s Test)
Estimate your maximal aerobic capacity (VO2 max) by performing a 12-minute run for the maximum distance you can cover, then use an online calculator; aim for >50 mL/kg/min for men and >50 mL/kg/min for women.
24. Estimate VO2 Max (Walk Test)
For a gentler assessment of VO2 max, perform a one-mile walk test, recording your time and heart rate at the end, then use an online calculator to estimate your aerobic capacity.
25. Test Long-Duration Endurance
Assess your long-duration steady-state endurance by selecting a non-walking activity and maintaining consistent work output for a minimum of 20 minutes without breaks or reductions, ideally breathing only through your nose.
26. Annual Fitness Assessment
Conduct a full battery of fitness assessments at least once a year (or every six months for more detailed tracking), prioritizing more frequent testing for areas identified as weaknesses.
27. Structure Assessment Week
Arrange your fitness assessments over 2-3 days: start with non-fatiguing tests (body composition, movement skill) when fresh, then combine power, strength, and muscular endurance tests, and finally perform fatiguing aerobic and anaerobic tests on separate days.
28. Prioritize Reliability in Testing
For real-world progress tracking, prioritize the reliability and standardization of your assessment tools and protocols over perfect scientific validity, as consistent measurement allows for accurate tracking of improvement.
3 Key Quotes
The methods are many, but the concepts are few.
Dr. Andy Galpin
If your VO2 max is below 18 milliliters per kilogram per minute, it's very hard for you to live by yourself.
Dr. Andy Galpin
Show me one man who wants to be strong, and I'll show you ten who want to look strong.
Joe Weider (quoted by Dr. Andy Galpin)
8 Protocols
Self-Assessment for Movement Skill (4-Step)
Dr. Andy Galpin- Perform representative movements (e.g., push-up, pull-up/bent row, squat, deadlift).
- Record frontal and side views (3-10 repetitions per angle, slow and controlled).
- At each major joint (shoulder, elbow, low back, hip, knee, ankle), observe for:
- 1. Symmetry: Are movements balanced front-to-back and left-to-right?
- 2. Stability: Can the movement be performed slowly and controlled without shaking or unwanted sliding?
- 3. Awareness: Is the individual conscious of proper joint positioning and can they correct flaws when prompted?
- 4. Range of Motion: Is a full, uncompromised range of motion achieved at each joint?
- Score each joint/movement as: 0 (high acute risk), 1 (minor flaw, caution with load/volume), or 3 (good, proceed with reasonable protocol).
Broad Jump Power Test
Dr. Andy Galpin- Stand at a still position behind a line.
- Jump out as far as possible, swinging arms and bouncing as desired.
- Measure the distance from the starting line to the furthest point back of the back heel where you land (if hands touch ground, mark that point).
- Aim to jump at least your body height (e.g., 5'5" jump 5'5"). For females, this target is approximately 15% lower.
Vertical Jump Power Test (Cost-Free)
Dr. Andy Galpin- Stand facing a wall, place two hands together with middle fingers touching, and reach as high as possible. Mark this standing reach height on the wall.
- From a still position, jump as high as possible, using arm swing and dip, and touch the wall with both hands at the peak of the jump. Mark this jump height.
- Measure the distance between the standing reach mark and the jump height mark.
- Aim for a jump height of 24 inches or higher (20 inches for those over 50 years old). For females, targets are approximately 15% lower.
Strength Assessment (Grip & Leg)
Dr. Andy Galpin- **Hand Grip Strength Test:** Use a hand grip dynamometer to squeeze maximally with the right and left hand. Aim for a minimum of 40 kg for males (ideally 60+ kg) and 35 kg for females (ideally 50+ kg), with no more than 10% variation between hands.
- **Dead Hang Strength Test:** Hang from a pull-up bar (thin enough for full hand wrap) for as long as possible. Aim for a minimum of 30 seconds, ideally 60+ seconds (standards similar for women).
- **Leg Extension Strength Test:** Perform a one-repetition maximum (1RM) leg extension. Aim to lift your body weight for one repetition (for individuals under 40). Alternatively, perform as many repetitions as possible (under 5 reps) at a challenging load and use an online 1RM estimator.
- **Goblet Squat Hold Strength Test:** Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell (approx. half body weight) in front of the chest, squat to the bottom position, and hold for 45 seconds. An introductory target is holding one-third body weight for 30 seconds.
Muscular Endurance Assessment (Push-Ups & 75% 1RM Reps)
Dr. Andy Galpin- **Push-Up Test:** Perform as many full-range-of-motion push-ups (chest to ground, full elbow lockout) as possible without pausing. Aim for 25+ consecutive push-ups for males (10-25 is work-to-do, sub-10 is severe red flag). For females, aim for 15+ (5-15 is work-to-do, sub-5 is severe red flag).
- **75% 1RM Repetitions Test:** Take a strength test (e.g., leg extension) and load it to 75% of your one-repetition maximum. Perform as many repetitions as possible. Aim for more than 8 repetitions; if below 8, it indicates a muscular endurance problem.
Anaerobic Capacity & Maximal Aerobic Capacity Assessment
Dr. Andy Galpin- **Anaerobic Capacity (Heart Rate Recovery Test):** Exert maximal effort for 30-45 seconds (e.g., sprinting, air bike, rower) to reach near your predicted maximum heart rate (220 - age). Immediately after, measure your heart rate recovery. Aim for a recovery of approximately 30 beats per minute within 60 seconds (half a beat per second).
- **Maximal Aerobic Capacity (VO2 Max) - Cooper's 12-Minute Run Test:** Run for 12 minutes as far as possible, recording the total distance covered. Use an online calculator to estimate VO2 max based on this distance.
- **Maximal Aerobic Capacity (VO2 Max) - Rockport 1-Mile Walk Test (Submaximal):** Walk one mile, recording the time taken and your heart rate at the end. Enter these values into an online calculator to estimate VO2 max. This is a gentler alternative for those unable to run maximally.
Long Duration Steady State Exercise Assessment
Dr. Andy Galpin- Choose a continuous movement activity (e.g., running, cycling, rowing) that is not walking, unless very unfit.
- Maintain consistent work output for a minimum of 20 minutes without breaks, intervals, or reductions in pace.
- Ideally, perform this test while breathing through the nose only.
Annual Fitness Assessment Schedule
Dr. Andy Galpin- Perform a full battery of fitness tests once a year (or every six months for more frequent feedback).
- Prioritize non-fatiguing tests first: Body composition scan (DEXA, bioelectrical impedance) and movement skill assessments should be done after at least 48 hours of rest to ensure accuracy.
- Schedule power, maximum strength, and muscular endurance tests early in the day when fresh. These can often be combined (e.g., broad jump, then leg strength, then leg muscular endurance on the same day). Allow 15-20 minutes rest between different strength/endurance tests.
- Schedule anaerobic capacity and maximal aerobic capacity (VO2 max) tests on separate days due to their fatiguing nature. The long duration steady-state test can be done on a separate day or after an anaerobic test as a 'big warmup'.
- If a specific area is identified as a 'performance anchor' (a severe weakness), re-test that area more frequently (e.g., monthly) to track progress, while less critical areas can be re-tested annually.