How to Test Your Strength
How Important is Strength Training?
Strength training has become a must no matter who you are.
From men to women, from old to young- it makes no difference.
Increasing muscle strength not only helps you look better, but it is vital for overall health.
Push ups and bench presses are some of the common exercises most people think determines how strong you are.
This is a myth that has been perpetuated by many fitness “experts.”
A much better indicator of muscle strength and stability are exercises that focus on pulling muscles.
Pulling muscles are your muscles that are predominantly involved in pulling exercises. That includes your rear shoulders and back muscles.
This strength translates to better functional fitness, which helps with posture, balance, and protects you from injury.
And if you’re an athlete it will help to give you a competitive advantage by boosting your athletic performance.
The Test to Measure Strength
We have created a test so you can get a baseline measurement of your strength. We encourage you to do this every 2 weeks and compare it to your baseline results to see how you’re progressing.
☛ What You'll Need:
- Towel (any hand towel or bath towel).
- 2 uninterrupted minutes.
- Space on floor to spread your arms and legs.
STEP 1: Grab a hand towel or bath towel.
STEP 2: Lay down with your belly on the floor.
STEP 3: With both feet together and on the floor, extend your arms out in front of you. As you pull the towel in toward your chest, slightly elevate your chest off the ground.
STEP 4: Perform as many as you can nonstop, until your form breaks (i.e. you stop pulling the towel) or you just can’t go any further. Don’t go fast. You should keep a pace of 2 seconds as you extend and 2 seconds as you pull in.
STEP 5: Count your total reps and fill in your answers below to get your results.
