Modern Life and The Slow Decline

Part II— A Solution

The Athletic Combine

There isn’t a single, defined standard for athletic excellence in adults. So I decided to try and create one:

• First, I found a range of the most widely used athletic benchmarks (you’ll find them listed at the end of this article) but they include tests like the NFL Combine, the Navy SEAL fitness exam and the ‘benchmark’ Crossfit WODs.
• Second, I recorded every type of exercise used in each of the benchmarking tests to try and identify what they were actually testing.

Broadly, they all rely on a mixture of agility, power, strength, endurance and speed.

Agility — the ability to change the body’s position efficiently.

Power — the ability to apply force and velocity.

Strength — the ability to exert force on physical objects using muscles.

Endurance (Muscular/Cardiovascular) — the ability to exert oneself through strength/effort for a long period of time

Speed — how quickly you can move between two points.

• Third, I synthesised the most popular tests for each benchmarking into a single test.
• I sent a draft of the test to everyone I know who had an educated opinion on this kind of thing. These people included strength & conditioning coaches for professional sports teams, former professional athletes (golf & rugby), former military personel, crazy friends who row from California to Hawaii, Crossfitters and ultra-marathoners.
• Finally, using all the feedback I received, I narrowed the list down to a final, single benchmarking test.

The Test V1.0

1. Agility

• The 20 yard shuttle — For time.

2. Power

• Vertical Leap — For height.
• Broad Jump — For distance.
• 20lb Overhead Medicine Ball Throw — For distance.

3. Speed

• 40 yard dash — For time.

4. Strength

• Barbell Squat — AMRAP, Fixed Weight
• Bench Press — AMRAP, Fixed Weight
• Pull-Ups — AMRAP
• Farmer’s Walk — Fixed weight, for distance.

5. Endurance

• The Beep Test

Bonus Test: Flexibility

• Sit & Reach Test

Leaving Out

One of the hardest things about this test is what to leave out. For the sake of debate, here are some tests that were considered, but not included:

• Deadlifts (most controversial omission).
• Power Cleans
• 10m Sprint
• Push-Ups
• Overhead Press
• Explosive Smith Machine
• Illinois Agility Test
• 2k Row
• 100m run
• 100m swim
• 400m run
• 100 calories on an Airdyne (a Gym Jones special).

Naming It: SYNAPSES

It’s easier to talk about things when they have a name. I’ve called this the SYNAPSES test.

First of all, ‘SYN”

prefix: syn-

united; acting or considered together — “synchrony”

Origin: from Greek sun ‘with.’

‘Syn’ refers to acting together.

‘APSES’ refers to the elements being tested:

• Agility
• Power
• Strength
• Endurance
• Speed

And SYNAPSES is what brings it together.

In Part III of this article, I document the process of completing a SYNAPSES test for the first time.

Read Part III Now.

Or, if you missed it, you can go back and read Part I of this article here.

Addendum: Common Athletic Benchmarking Tests

1. Crossfit (Cardiovascular and Respiratory endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, and Accuracy).

The benchmark Crossfit WODs are:

• Angie: (For Time) 100 Pull-Ups, 100 Push-Ups, 100 Sit-Ups, 100 Squats
• Barbara: (5x, 3 minutes between sets) 20 Pull-Ups, 30 Push-Ups, 40 Sit-Ups, 50 Squats
• Chelsea: (Each minute, on the minute, for 30 minutes) 5 Pull-Ups, 10 Push-Ups, 15 Squats
• Diane: (21–15–9 reps, 3 rounds for time) Deadlift 225 lbs, Handstand push-ups
• Elizabeth: (21–15–9 reps, 3 rounds for time) Clean 135 lbs, Ring dips
• Fran: (21–15–9 reps, 3 rounds for time) Thruster 95 lbs, Pull-ups

2. The NFL Combine

• 40-yard dash
• Bench press (225 lb repetitions)
• Vertical jump
• Broad jump
• 20 yard shuttle
• 3 cone drill
• 60-yard shuttle
• Cybex Test (for agility)

3. SPARQ (Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction and Quickness)

• 40 Yard Dash
• 20 yard shuttle
• Kneeling power ball toss
• Vertical jump

4. RealFit Score (Power, Speed, Strenth & Endurance)

• 40 Yard Dash
• Agility
• Kneeling power ball toss
• Vertical jump
• Jump 60 Yard Shuttle
• Max Bench Press
• Max Pull Ups
• 400 Meter Run
• Wall Sit
• Burpee
• 5K Run
• Medicine Ball Overhead Toss
• Plank Hold
• Max Push Ups
• Max Squat Press

5. United States Army Ranger Physical Fitness Test

• Push-Ups
• Sit-Ups
• Chin-Ups
• 5 Mile Run

6. ‘Endurance’ — Earle Liederman (1926)

“Every man should be able to save his own life. He should be able to swim far enough (800m), run fast and long enough to save his life (200m) in case of emergency and necessity. He also should be able to chin himself a reasonable number of times (15), as well as to dip a number of times (25), and he should be able to jump a reasonable height and distance (waist-height).”

7. Navy SEALs Fitness Exam

Minimum:

• 500 meter swim in 12:30
• 42 push-ups in two minutes
• 50 sit-ups in two minutes
• 6 consecutive dead hang pull-ups
• 1.5 mile run in “boots and trousers” in under 11:30

8. The Gym Jones ‘300' Workout

• 25 pull-ups
• 50 deadlifts at 135 pounds
• 50 push-ups
• 50 box jumps on to a 24-inch box
• 50 floor wipers at 135 pounds
• 50 clean and presses at 36 pounds
• 25 pull-ups

9. The AFL Fitness Test

• Strength: Grip strength, 1RM Bench Press .
• Power: Vertical jump test.
• Speed: 20 meter sprint.
• Agility: AFL agility test.
• Anaerobic Capacity: anaerobic sprint-recovery test.
• Endurance: Beep test, 3 kilometer time-trial.
• Flexibility: Sit and reach test.

10. The World’s Strongest Man

Multiple events, which test:

• Squatting
• Deadlifting
• Clean & Press
• Loading
• Carrying
• Flipping/Pulling

There are many others, including the foundational Starting Strength benchmarks.

Bonus: Metabolic Benchmarking?

Something interesting to do in parallel with athletic benchmarking would be tracking your metabolic markers. For example:

• Weight, including a body fat test — either skinfold or Bodypod (there are currently no DEXA scans available in the Bay Area ☹).
• A basic Wellness FX panel “measures 25+ biomarkers including a basic lipid panel, complete blood count, glucose, and thyroid”. You may want to measure more, including testosterone and Vitamin D. Lots of options here.
• And a range of other ‘optionals’: CBC, Electrolytes, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Magnesium, Liver Function and Thyroid.

In Part III of this article, I document the process of completing a SYNAPSES test for the first time.

Read Part III Now.

Or, if you missed it, you can go back and read Part I of this article here.