We took a 55 year old FITNESS TEST anyone can try

Vo2 max testing - without the lab or the Garmins!

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[MarkLewisfitness]

Anyone else tried this one? Brutal but fun...sort of 😂

[mgrowbee]

Mark's transparency about this dip in motivation and fitness the past few months has been very inspiring to me (a probably below average person) who has ups and downs in health.

[junkming]

I calculated my VO2 Max recently by extrapolating how far I'd run in 12 minutes doing my parkrun PB (very easy maths). OK, a bit rough and ready as a measure, but it gave me a VO2 Max of about 40. Being 75, that put me in the 'excellent' category for my age, which I'll happily take...

[zombie]

Mark, I can honestly say you have become my favorite channel to watch. I don’t watch TV much, but watch a ton of YouTube. Your dry humor and willingness to see humor in all you do is very entertaining and refreshing. Also, Jen has inspired my wife to finally join my fitness journey (a year late but who’s counting!) along with me, so thank her for that. We wish you guys the best!

[magnussanggaard]

Did the Coopers test quite a few times while i was in the army. My best was a 3240 m, which equates a VO2 max for my age of just above 60.
Always enjoyed this test, as you feel great for the first few laps, and then you realise you have to hold that high pace for another couple of laps. Brutal but easy way to test your fitness.
Great video, once again Mark. Take care

[narapo]

The Cooper test is a staple in Finnish physical education as it is practised regularly in school and military to measure people's physical abilities. It was brutal and I was never very good at it. I remember it being quite discouraging for me as a young middleschooler, when I was not very active and seeing everyone run faster and several laps whilst I was struggling with the first ones 😂 It's interesting also how Cooper test result data is used to measure the Finns' health and it has been in a drastic fall along the years. Your results on the other hand were amazing! Your video inspires me to get on the track again and do a Cooper test after many years.

[workshopninjathest]

“I’ve had takeaways heavier than that” love it

[dantana]

showed up for the first day of soccer practice at ASU in 1972, and the coach said, "we're doing a Cooper test first thing- anyone who can't do at least 2 miles in 12 minutes is off the team". Coach was also head of the Human Performance Lab there. He did that every year- kept us from getting out of shape during the summer.

[somethingsomethingsomethingdar]

I dont know why, but seeing your wife following you on the scooter was one of the funniest things I have seen all day. Y'all are doing great. Thanks for these videos it really keeps me motivated to improve on my end. For reference my last 1 mile pace was 14 minutes so I got a LOOONNG way to go.

[tommyabrahamsson]

I ran Cooper-test yesterday. It was for applying to the Swedish fire department. 3 km run, and the time limit is 13 min and 15 sec. I came in on 13:10. 🎉😅 Really tough, but it was a great feeling that I passed the test.

Thx for the video, I'd love to be looking like you in my 50s. 🤜🤛

[oscarbellon]

Hey Mark! For the VO2 max calculation Garmin uses the max heart rate. In case Jenn wants it to be more realistic, she needs to adjust the heart zones in her Garmin profile so the VO2 is properly calculated

[hikerJohn]

Polar says my Vo2 Max is 54 (top 1%) and I cannot do what Jen did. Last mile I ran was 9 minutes. But I can do 15 min/miles all day on trails at 68 years old

[Namoraslife]

I remember the Cooper-Test from school days! It was pretty fun back then. Maybe I should try this again just for fun. I'm just about two months into my running journey after almost 6 years of not exercising, so saying that I am unfit is an understatement. Even granny next door with a walking stick can run faster than me. But it would be really interesting to see where I stand.

[hulkthedane]

Last time I did the Cooper run test was in 1994, as a soldier, age 20. I ran 3100 meters. Now, at 49 years of age, I have arthritis in both knees and hips, and had a hip replacement surgery 16 months ago - aka not running anywhere. In stead I drag a sled behind me during walking and/or hit a tyre with heavy hammers for cardio.
Great shape, both of you. 👍👍

[matthewlucas]

I'm 31 and watching your videos made me realize a couple things:
1. Pretty sure I have a borderline binge-eating disorder. Good to know because I've always struggled with falling off the wagon and going on weekend long benders that turn into three month long ones. Seeing you explain your experience has been invaluable for understanding those moments are likely to continue, I just need to be better about cutting them off and not spiraling too much.
2. My endurance and cardio health is rough right now, but that doesn't mean it will always be. Peaks and valleys are going to be a thing and it's okay to not be at your 100% best at all times. That amount of sacrifice and effort isn't worth the diminishing results of that last 10-20% improvement.

That being said, My diet has been pretty dialed in (aside the 2k in chips and queso I scarfed down at 9pm while on the couch a few nights ago, oops), and my training is coming around to being consistent as well. I'm going to give this a shot once the rain passes where I live and do it again in a couple of months to see my improvement. While my first result might mirror you running between light posts (I'm not 100lbs overweight, just very out of cardiovascular shape), the improvement I'll see over the next 8 weeks should be a solid reinforcement that I'm making progress.

Your story has resonated with me in many ways, and myself and my girlfriend (who is much like your wife; blessed with youth, luck, and good genetics) are both pushing to be above average in many things. She even signed up for a 5k with me. Never in a million years did I think she'd do that.

Thanks, Mark! You're a gem!

[sensam]

I've done a Cooper test every 3 months for the past year and a half as part of my attempts to track fitness. I also do a QuadTotal (max to test my strength, and GOWOD to test my flexibility. My Cooper Test has gone from 2.65km to 3.10km; my QuadTotal has gone from 1090 to 1305, and my GOWOD score has gone from 86% to 100%.

*for anyone who wants to test their QuadTotal, the pullup weights is your bodyweight PLUS additional weight (or MINUS assistance).

[mikew]

Would be good to see Mark dip under 19 min for a ParkRun. He has remarkable pace for a Clydesdale…💪

[madsleonardholvik]

I remember doing the cooper test when I was in secondary school at around 3200-3300 meters. Long time ago. These days I use the concept 2 rowing machine at the gym. It's very low impact. My knees and calf muscles and hamstrings and lower back don't tolerate running except in the forest or up hill. I can recommend the concept 2 rower for those with the same issues. Both longer distances like 10 000 meter row and 500 meter intervals or 2000 meters are great to do. Thanks for this nice video about the classic Cooper test.

[sheridanjamieson]

Felt inspired to try the Cooper Test out on my run today… went down to my local athletics track and there was a school athletics day on. Best laid plans and all that. Off to some quiet streets where I spent 12 mins dodging pedestrians - and recorded 3, 060m. Happy with that!! Will have another go at the track soon 😅

[LauraTryUK]

Brilliant video! Love it so much! Thanks guys, I am inspired to do this and compare to my Surrey University test result.
(I went to see David and his team inspired by you)