You joined Fitplan to achieve your workout goals and take your health to the next level. And when that motivation strikes, it’s tempting to want to jump in and try to keep up with your favorite trainer right away. Although that eagerness will go a long way toward making progress throughout your training program, it often distracts us from a key first step: testing our baseline performance.
The importance of establishing a proper baseline.
Imagine trying to label the best path to your favorite store on a mall directory without using the ‘you are here’ sticker. In fitness, it’s no different.
Evaluating your current fitness level allows you to build an informed plan to reach your ultimate goals. When looking to increase overall athleticism, if you’re naturally strong but can’t hold up during longer sessions, you’ll want to spend more time with endurance work. Without any testing, however, you’ll likely continue to train strength and endurance equally, resulting in an athletic imbalance. The data from this testing also allows you to set achievable goals, measure progress, and assess if your approach is effective. That is where Fitplan comes in.
How to test your current fitness level.
Identifying your current fitness level can be broken down into two categories: basic measurements and post-workout analysis. Basic measurements include weight, resting heart rate, body fat percentage, your personal bests, frequency of exercise, and so on. The basic measurements most relevant to your goals should all be tracked. Luckily, weight, reps, stats, and plenty more can all be tracked within your program on the Fitplan app. Tracking your progress throughout your training program will establish visual checkpoints along the way.
For baseline testing, choose a well-rounded Fitplan such as Body X by Michelle Lewin or Full Body Lifestyle Guide by Jen Selter. These programs are built to achieve a full transformation and provide a perfect jumping-off point. Push yourself through each of these sessions and track your results in the app. From there, you can take on more specific workouts or programs that further the pursuit of your goals and return to those benchmarks to track progress at any time.
The post-workout analysis takes things one step further. After you complete the baseline workouts, ask yourself a few questions:
- When did you begin to feel fatigued?
- What exercises felt the most comfortable?
- What did you struggle with?
- How long did it take to recover?
- What were the limiting factors that hindered your results?
Remember to keep track of your responses along with your measurements and you will begin to create the ultimate guide to your current level of health.
Using this approach, you eliminate the guesswork, allowing you to reach your goals faster and more consistently than ever before.
