GUEST SERIES | Dr. Andy Galpin: How to Assess & Improve All Aspects of Your Fitness
Jan 18, 2023
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Dr. Andy Galpin, a professor of kinesiology and exercise science expert, dives into the nine unique exercise adaptations that can enhance both health and aesthetics. He shares evidence-based protocols to optimize strength, endurance, flexibility, and recovery. With practical, low-cost fitness assessments, listeners can evaluate their current level and tailor programs to reach their goals. Galpin also unpacks common fitness misconceptions and highlights the critical link between exercise and long-term health benefits.
Understanding one's level of fitness requires a comprehensive approach that encompasses various exercise adaptations, including skill development, speed, power, strength, muscle hypertrophy, muscle endurance, anaerobic capacity, maximal aerobic capacity, and long duration endurance.
Weight training and endurance training offer different benefits and adaptations, with endurance training improving cardiovascular fitness and weight training improving strength and muscle mass.
The field of exercise science is shifting towards a more comprehensive and movement-based approach to training, moving away from bodybuilding and muscle isolation.
Assessing movement skill can be done by evaluating joint symmetry, stability, awareness, and range of motion through representative movements like push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and deadlifts.
Assessing different aspects of physical fitness can be done through specific tests such as measuring power through broad jumps or vertical jumps, evaluating strength with grip strength tests or dead hangs, assessing muscular endurance by testing repetitions at 75% of one-repetition maximum, evaluating aerobic capacity through tests like the 12-minute Cooper's test or 1-mile walk test, measuring anaerobic capacity with maximum effort sprints, and assessing long duration steady state exercise through consistent work output tests.
It is recommended to perform a comprehensive battery of tests once a year, prioritizing testing based on individual goals and weaknesses, and starting each testing session with non-fatiguing tests.
Deep dives
Assessing Fitness Levels
When assessing fitness levels, it is important to consider both aesthetic goals (such as appearance) and functional goals (such as strength and mobility). Understanding one's level of fitness requires a comprehensive approach that encompasses various exercise adaptations. This includes skill development, speed, power, strength, muscular endurance, muscle hypertrophy, muscle endurance, anaerobic capacity, maximal aerobic capacity, and long duration endurance. Each of these adaptations plays a role in overall fitness and can be assessed through different tests and measures.
Physiological Adaptations
Exercise induces various physiological adaptations in the body. These adaptations can be categorized into nine major areas: skill or technique, speed, power, strength, muscle hypertrophy, muscle endurance, anaerobic capacity, maximal aerobic capacity, and long duration endurance. Each of these adaptations contributes to different aspects of fitness and can be targeted through specific exercise protocols. Understanding these adaptations allows individuals to tailor their training to achieve their desired goals.
Weight Training and Endurance Training
Weight training and endurance training offer different benefits and adaptations. Endurance training improves cardiovascular fitness, resting heart rate, blood pressure, and VO2 max. On the other hand, weight training improves strength, muscle mass, and explosiveness. Both types of training are important for overall health and functionality. However, focusing exclusively on one type of training may lead to limitations in certain areas. A combination of both strength and endurance training is necessary for optimal fitness and health.
History and Influence of Strength Training and Bodybuilding
The popularity of strength training and bodybuilding has grown significantly over the years. In the late 1970s and 1980s, strength training gained attention through figures like Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Nebraska football team. This helped shift the focus from solely endurance training to include strength training. However, a lot of exercise assumptions and training methods are still rooted in bodybuilding and muscle isolation. This has led to misconceptions and limitations in training approaches. The field of exercise science is now beginning to shift towards a more comprehensive and movement-based approach to training.
Assessment of Movement Skill
For movement skill, you can assess your joint symmetry, stability, awareness, and range of motion by performing representative movements like push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and deadlifts. Look for any asymmetries or instabilities.
Measurement of Power
To measure power, you can perform a broad jump and aim to cover a distance equal to your height. Alternatively, you can use a vertical jump test and reach as high as you can with a two-handed touch. These tests provide an estimation of your power.
Evaluation of Strength
Strength can be assessed by measuring grip strength using a hand-grip dynamometer. Ideally, aim for a score of at least 40 kilograms for males and 35 kilograms for females. Another test is the dead hang, where you hang from a bar and aim for a minimum of 30 seconds.
Assessment of Muscular Endurance
To evaluate muscular endurance, test yourself by doing as many repetitions as possible at 75% of your one-repetition maximum. Aim for at least 8 repetitions for upper body exercises. For lower body exercises like leg extensions, aim for a higher number of reps.
Measurement of Aerobic Capacity
To assess aerobic capacity, you can perform a 12-minute Cooper's test, running as far as you can in that time. Alternatively, you can perform a 1-mile walk test, where you walk a mile and record your time and heart rate. These tests can provide an estimation of your aerobic capacity.
Evaluation of Anaerobic Capacity
Measuring anaerobic capacity can be done through tests like a 30-second maximum effort sprint on a bike, treadmill, or rower. Aim to achieve a high heart rate during the test and monitor your heart rate recovery afterwards.
Assessment of Maximum Heart Rate
Testing maximum heart rate is best done in a laboratory setting, but you can estimate it using submaximal tests like the 12-minute run or the 1-mile walk. These tests give an approximation of your heart rate response to exercise.
Evaluation of Long Duration Steady State Exercise
To assess long duration steady state exercise, choose an activity that you can maintain for over 20 minutes without breaks, such as running, cycling, or swimming. Aim for consistent work output during the entire duration.
Frequency and Timing of Assessments
It is recommended to perform the full battery of tests once a year, preferably over the course of a week. However, you can prioritize testing based on your individual goals and weaknesses. Some tests may be done more frequently, like every month or every six months, depending on your focus. Start each testing session with non-fatiguing tests, and perform skill, maximum strength, and power tests at the beginning of the day, and fatiguing tests at the end.
Key Point 1: Assessing Strength and Grip Strength
One way to assess strength is by measuring grip strength, with rough numbers indicating that women tend to be better at grip strength. There are some standards to consider, such as being able to hang for at least 30 to 50 seconds, and for exceptionally large individuals, the grip strength may not scale perfectly. Another test to assess strength is the leg extension test, where the goal is to determine if you can do a leg extension with your body weight for one repetition. After the age of 40, every decade can see a decrease of about 10% in leg extension strength, with the aim being able to leg extension your body weight for individuals in their 40s to 50s.
Key Point 2: Assessing Hypertrophy and Muscular Endurance
To assess hypertrophy, it is important to focus on body composition tests and specifically the Fat Free Mass Index (FFMI). A target FFMI for men is around 20 or higher, and for women, it should be around 18. Having an FFMI above 24 or 25 for men, or having a high FFMI but also a high body fat percentage, may indicate excessive muscle mass. To assess muscular endurance, tests such as the plank, side plank, and push-ups can be performed. For males, a minimum of 25 consecutive push-ups is desired, while for females, it depends on the level of proficiency, ranging from zero to 15 or more consecutive push-ups.
In this episode 1 of a 6-part special series, Andy Galpin, PhD, professor of kinesiology at California State University, Fullerton and world expert on exercise science, explains the 9 different types of exercise adaptations that can be used to transform the functional capacities and aesthetics of our body, and benefits each adaptation has for our health. He explains the best evidence-based protocols to optimize your progress in building strength, endurance, muscle growth, flexibility and for optimal recovery, and he provides zero-cost and low-cost tests to assess all aspects of your physical fitness. This episode provides a foundation and tools for establishing a comprehensive assessment of your current fitness level, allowing you to select the ideal fitness programs to implement toward your goals. Subsequent episodes 2-6 in this special series explain goal-directed protocols to reach those goals.
