Athleticism: Understanding, Testing, and Improving Your Physical Capabilities

How to test how athletic you are?

Assessing your athleticism involves evaluating a spectrum of physical attributes including cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, power, speed, agility, balance, and flexibility through a battery of standardized, evidence-based tests designed to provide objective insights into your current capabilities.

Understanding Athleticism: More Than Just Speed or Strength

Athleticism is not a singular trait but a complex mosaic of interconnected physical qualities that allow an individual to perform a wide range of movements efficiently, effectively, and safely. It encompasses the body's ability to generate force, sustain effort, change direction quickly, and maintain control. To truly test how "athletic" you are, we must look beyond isolated measures and consider a holistic assessment of these key components.

Key Components of Athleticism and Corresponding Tests

A comprehensive athletic assessment should touch upon the following critical areas:

Cardiovascular Endurance

What it is: The ability of your heart, lungs, and blood vessels to supply oxygen to working muscles during sustained physical activity. It's crucial for prolonged performance and recovery.

• Common Tests:
  • Cooper 12-Minute Run Test: Measures the maximum distance an individual can run in 12 minutes.
  • Beep Test (Multi-Stage Fitness Test): A progressive shuttle run test that measures aerobic power.
  • VO2 Max Test: Considered the gold standard, it directly measures the maximum rate of oxygen consumption during incremental exercise (often performed in a lab setting).

Muscular Strength

What it is: The maximal force a muscle or muscle group can exert against resistance in a single effort. This is foundational for power and injury prevention.

• Common Tests:
  • One-Repetition Maximum (1RM) Tests: Assesses the maximum weight an individual can lift for a single repetition in compound movements like the back squat, bench press, or deadlift. Requires proper form and spotters.
  • Grip Strength Test: Uses a hand dynamometer to measure the isometric strength of the hand and forearm muscles, often correlated with overall body strength and health markers.

Muscular Power

What it is: The ability to exert maximal force in the shortest possible time (Strength x Speed). This is critical for explosive movements like jumping, throwing, and sprinting.

• Common Tests:
  • Vertical Jump Test: Measures the height an individual can jump from a standing position, reflecting lower body power.
  • Standing Broad Jump Test: Measures the horizontal distance an individual can jump from a standing position, also indicative of lower body explosive power.
  • Medicine Ball Throw (Overhead or Chest Pass): Assesses upper body explosive power.

Speed

What it is: The ability to move the entire body or parts of the body as rapidly as possible. Often measured over short distances.

• Common Tests:
  • 10-Meter, 20-Meter, or 40-Yard Dash: Measures acceleration and maximal sprint speed over a defined distance.

Agility

What it is: The ability to rapidly change direction or body position in space while maintaining balance and control. It requires a combination of speed, coordination, and reactive ability.

• Common Tests:
  • T-Test: Involves sprinting forward, shuffling sideways, and backpedaling around a "T" shaped cone pattern.
  • Pro Agility Shuttle (5-10-5 Shuttle): Measures the ability to quickly change direction over a short distance.
  • Illinois Agility Run Test: A longer, more complex agility course.

Balance and Stability

What it is: The ability to maintain equilibrium while stationary or moving (balance), and the capacity of the body to control movement and maintain joint integrity (stability).

• Common Tests:
  • Single Leg Stance Test (Stork Stand Test): Measures static balance on one leg.
  • Y-Balance Test: A dynamic balance test that assesses reach in multiple directions while standing on one leg, often used to identify asymmetry and injury risk.

Flexibility and Mobility

What it is: Flexibility is the absolute range of motion at a joint, while mobility is the ability to move a joint through its full range of motion without restriction, integrating strength and control.

• Common Tests:
  • Sit-and-Reach Test: Measures hamstring and lower back flexibility.
  • Overhead Squat Assessment: A functional movement screen component that assesses full-body mobility and stability, revealing restrictions in ankles, hips, thoracic spine, and shoulders.
  • Shoulder Mobility Test: Assesses the range of motion in the shoulder joint.

Before You Test: Important Considerations

To ensure accurate and meaningful results, adhere to these principles:

• Safety First: Always perform a thorough warm-up before testing. Use proper form, and if attempting maximal lifts, ensure you have experienced spotters. Do not test if you are fatigued, injured, or unwell.
• Standardization: Conduct tests under consistent conditions (e.g., same surface, footwear, time of day, rest periods between attempts). This allows for reliable re-testing and comparison.
• Proper Technique: Understand and execute each test according to its specific protocol. Incorrect technique will yield invalid results and increase injury risk.
• Order of Testing: Schedule tests strategically. Perform maximal strength and power tests when fresh, typically before endurance or high-volume agility tests.
• Rest and Recovery: Allow adequate rest between different test components and between re-testing sessions.
• Individual Context: Remember that "athleticism" is relative. Compare your results against established norms for your age, sex, and sport, but primarily against your own previous scores to track progress.

Interpreting Your Results and Next Steps

Once you have completed your assessment, the real work begins:

• Identify Strengths and Weaknesses: Your test results will highlight areas where you excel and areas that require more focused attention. For example, high vertical jump scores combined with low beep test scores might indicate excellent power but underdeveloped endurance.
• Set Targeted Goals: Use the data to create specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for your training. Instead of "get more athletic," aim for "improve 40-yard dash time by 0.2 seconds in 8 weeks."
• Develop a Balanced Training Program: Your assessment provides a roadmap for your training. Integrate exercises that specifically target your identified weaknesses while maintaining your strengths. A truly athletic individual is well-rounded.
• Regular Retesting: Periodically re-evaluate your athletic profile (e.g., every 8-12 weeks) to track progress, adjust your training program, and maintain motivation. This objective feedback loop is invaluable for long-term development.
• Embrace the Process: Athleticism is a journey of continuous improvement. The tests are tools for self-discovery and guidance, not definitive labels. Focus on consistent effort, intelligent training, and a holistic approach to your physical development.

Conclusion

Testing your athleticism is more than just collecting numbers; it's a strategic process of self-assessment that provides actionable insights into your physical capabilities. By objectively evaluating your cardiovascular endurance, strength, power, speed, agility, balance, and flexibility, you gain a clear understanding of your current athletic profile. This data empowers you to design a more effective, targeted training program, mitigate injury risk, and ultimately unlock your full athletic potential. Embrace these tools as a cornerstone of your fitness journey, and you'll be well on your way to a more robust, resilient, and high-performing body.