From the FBGs: President’s Physical Fitness Test, Part 2

Last week, Erin shared her experience taking the President’s Physical Fitness Test. Today, it’s my turn to come clean.

The Test

Cardio
I didn’t want to be copy cat, so instead of walking on a track for my cardio portion of the test, I ran on a treadmill. We’ve had massive storms in the area, so running outside wasn’t really an option (Auntie Em! Auntie Em!). Thankfully, the test approves running on the treadmill. Because running on a treadmill is easier than running outside (the treadmill helps pull your feet back, thereby reducing effort), I bumped up my incline to 1 percent to compensate. The test doesn’t say to do this, but I couldn’t sleep at night knowing I was pulling one over on the Commander in Chief.

Because you’re on a treadmill that regulates your speed, you would think that you could maintain a steady pace. Well, that would be right if you weren’t talking about me. I ran the first mile at a 7.o mph, but quickly ran out of juice and had to slow to 6.5 mph for about a minute. Then I was back up to 7.0 mph and even 7.2 mph by the end. I’ve never been a fast runner, but I felt like I was sprinting my fit bottom all the way to D.C.!

Half sit-ups
I was most excited for the half sit-ups. Don’t ask me why. I’ve done crunches for years, and I felt confident in my ability to sit-up with the best of them. While I did well, clocking 86 sit-ups, I was feeling it the next day. My goodness,what a few crunches can do to a gal.

Push-ups
I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with push-ups. Full push-ups, wall push-ups, modified push-ups, I’ve tried them all. They hurt like a biotch, but because they’re such an effective exercise, I’ve been doing them on and off in my strength training for years. Thankfully, that experience paid off. I’m not a masochist, so I opted for the on-the-knees push-up variation and tallied 40 of the suckers.

Sit and Reach
I’m convinced that I just wasn’t born with the flexible gene. After three tries and much pain, my best score was 18.5 inches. Boo. This is mostly because I haven’t done yoga in months. Note to self: I should really do more yoga.

The Results
After completing the test, I, like Erin, entered my data online and got my results.

Cardio: Even though I hadn’t worked out in the previous 10 days due to a cold that left me stuffed up and lethargic as all get out, I was pretty happy with my results. I ran the 1.5-mile run in 12 minutes and 57 seconds, placing me in the 65th percentile. Like I said, I’m not a super fast runner, but I can get the jog done.

Muscular Strength: Like Erin, I also rocked out the sit-ups. My 86 pushed me into the 100th percentile, too. With our superior ab strength maybe we should consider renaming the site. Unfortunately, Fit Stomached Girls just doesn’t have the same ring to it. My push-ups were good as well. My solid 40 push-ups put me in the 85th percentile.

Flexibility: Erin asked if there were people who took the test who were less flexible than her. Erin, I’m here to tell you that I am one of those people. My measly 18.5 inches put me in the 55th percentile. I’m just barely better than the majority. Whew. Again, time to do more yoga.

Body Composition: Like Erin, my BMI and waist circumference were normal. People rarely call me normal, so yay!

Overall Score: 76st percentile. Erin wins. I blame my cold and my lack of the flexibility gene. So much for me being the more fitness-y of the two of us.

I realize that I’m not like most people, but I really enjoyed taking this test. It pushed my limits and let me know where I needed to improve (ahem, flexibility). I recommend taking the test if you’re bored, looking for a new challenge or wanting to measure your fitness gains. You could take the test now as a baseline, work out regularly for a few months and then take it again to see how much faster/stronger/bendier you are.

If you decide to try it, let us know how it goes at contact@fitbottomedgirls.com or below in the comments! —Jenn