How Strong Are You Really? Test Your Functional Strength

How do you know if you are getting stronger and improving your fitness? By testing and assessing yourself.

Most surf and snow athletes don’t test their fitness as often as they should, if they do at all. I must admit, I don’t do it as often as I should, however when I do test myself, it gives me a shot of motivation to train harder to improve. Especially when I don’t score as well as I would have liked.

Below I am going to show you 2 functional strength tests you can do to assess your strength levels. One is for your upper body and one for your lower body. Make sure you do an adequate warm-up before you attempt these tests.

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Test #1 – Inverted Row Test

This test assesses your back and arm strength using a pulling movement.

Perform the test with your feet elevated on a bench or box and grip either a bar or suspension trainer. Make sure you keep a straight torso throughout the test and go through the full range of motion each repetition.

Scoring – How many reps can you do?

• <10  – Needs improvement
• 10-15 – Good
• 15-20 – Excellent
• >20 – Strong

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Test #2 – Single Leg Squat Test

This test assesses your lower body strength – glutes, quads, hamstrings and core.

Perform the test on a bench, box or step. Try and get your quad to parallel with the floor. Repeat the test on both legs to see if you have any imbalance.

Scoring – How many reps can you do?

• <5  – Needs improvement
• 5-10 – Good
• 10-15 – Excellent
• >15 – Strong

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Have a go at the tests and see how you compare. Doing regular strength and fitness testing should be an important part of your surf or snow training program you help track your progress and keep you motivated.

It is also really important to have a balanced training plan that addresses all the necessary fitness components needed to perform at your best such as core stability and strength, mobility, balance, anaerobic endurance, functional strength and power.

If you want to improve your athleticism and enhance your overall surf or snow fitness, download one of our step-by-step workout programs below and get started…

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Surf Fitness Plan – Total Surfing Fitness

Snowboarding Fitness Plan – Total Snowboarding Fitness

Ski Fitness Plan – Total Skiing Fitness

Windsurfing Fitness Plan – Total Windsurfing Fitness

Advanced Workouts – Surf ‘n’ Snow Fitness High Performance Club

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