Performance tests are a great way to establish and track a performance baseline for your entire body. The performance test data can be used to generate and/or adjust your performance levels for each exercise or simply to record your strength and conditioning progress.
Ideally, you would complete performance tests when you sign up for WorkoutSmart and after every Very Easy week to establish a new baseline for each test. Performance tests, however, are not required to customize your workouts as WorkoutSmart is always learning and adapting based on your feedback.
It is important to remember that performance tests can either be used to simply track your performance levels or to both track your performance levels and establish new performance levels for each exercise.
In order to facilitate both of these functionalities, you have the option of adjusting all exercises related to the performance tests that you complete. If you choose this option, WorkoutSmart will recalculate your performance levels for each exercise and override ANY individual adjustments that you may have made to that exercise. If you do not choose this option, WorkoutSmart will still track your performance levels but will not adjust any individual exercises on your workouts.
Not all performance tests are required and WorkoutSmart will automatically handle everything on your workouts depending on what performance test data is available. If there is no performance test data available, WorkoutSmart will use sensible defaults and began adjusting your workouts based on your feedback.
Note: If you are experienced with strength and conditioning and you already know your advanced performance test data, just enter it into WorkoutSmart (i.e. your Barbell Bench Press or Barbell Squat one rep max) and WorkoutSmart will do the rest to create your customized workout program.
There are 2 types of performance tests, simple and advanced performance tests.
Simple Performance Tests
Simple performance tests use basic movements such as pushups and bodyweight squats to establish performance levels. These movements can be performed at home or at a gym without equipment. This allows for quick and easy performance tests that do not require more advanced movements such as the Barbell Bench Press or Barbell Squat. Simple performance tests are not as accurate as advanced performance tests but provide a great mechanism for anyone to quickly and easily establish a performance baseline.
Advanced Performance Tests
Advanced performance tests allow you to establish an accurate performance baseline utilizing more precise strength movements such as Barbell Bench Press and Barbell Squat. There are several exercise options for each advanced performance test depending on your skill and comfort level. The most advanced movements of the Power Tests (i.e. Power Clean, Power Snatch, Clean and Jerk) should only be performed by experienced weightlifters or under the guidance of a professional.
Rockport Walk Test
The Rockport Walk Test is used to obtain an estimation of your VO2 max or maximal aerobic capacity. Your VO2 max is used to calculate heart rate ranges for cardio exercises on WorkoutSmart workouts. To perform the Rockport Walk Test, walk as fast as possible for 1 mile, immediately take your pulse rate, and record your time to complete the mile. If you do not have a heart rate monitor, count the number of beats for 10 seconds and multiply by 6.