•
Infectious diseases
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Serious increased blood pressure
•
Disorders (ex. of the heart or longs)
•
Infections
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Taking of medicines (betablockers)
•
When you aren’t feeling well
The most know endurance test which is used in
sports is the “Cooper test”. In this test you have to
run as hard as you can for 12 minutes and run as
much kilometers as you can on an flat underground.
Even it’s aim is not to stop, you can slow down and
walk. The covered distance is noted and compared
with the numbers in the Cooper chart. This chart
gives us more information about your performances.
The benefit of this test is that you can do the test
whenever you want and without assistance. You
only need a chronometer and a course with a fixed
distance.
The disadvantage of this test is that you need some
running experience to become a good result. You
may not take this test if you are not feeling well (pain,
tiredness, feeling unwell, etc;)
Cooper test
Cooper
Test
Data in km, M = male, F = female
Age
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
Very well
M 2,64-2,81 2,51-2,70 2,46-2,64 2,32-2,53
F 2,16-2,32 2,08-2,22 2,00-2,14 1,90-2,08
Well
M 2,40-2,63 2,34-2,50 2,24-2,45 2,10-2,31
F 1,97-2,15 1,90-2,07 1,79-1,99 1,70-1,89
Average
M 2,11-2,39 2,10-2,33 2,00-2,23 1,87-2,09
F 1,79-1,96 1,70-1,89 1,58-1,78 1,50-1,69
Weak
M 1,95-2,10 1,89-2,09 1,82-1,99 1,65-1,86
F 1,54-1,78 1,52-1,69 1,41-1,57 1,34-1,49
Too weak
M
<1,95
<1,89
<1,82
<1,65
F
<1,54
<1,52
<1,41
<1,34
You also can take another endurance test: the
“Harvard-Step-Test”. For this test you need a hear
rate monitor, a chronometer, a stair or bench. The
height of the stairs or bench depends on your length.
Harvard-Step-Test
Height in cm Height of the step
<152 cm
30 cm
< 160 cm
35 cm
< 175 cm
40 cm
< 180 cm
48 cm
> 180 cm
50 cm
To execute this test, step down and up the bench or
stairs every 2 seconds. This makes 30 times/minute
up the bench, which gives a total of 120 up –and
down steps. Whether you change leg or always use
the same leg, this has no effect on the result.
Measure your heart rate after 4 minutes. When you
are done with the exercise, take your pulse after 60
seconds, and again after 1 minute. In this way you
become 3 values which you have to use in the
following formula :
A + 3000 divided by heart rate B + 3000 divided by
heart rate C = endurance index.
Example: when your heart rate is 160 after ending
the exercise (heart rate A), 120 a minute later (heart
rate B) and 100 after 2 minutes (heart rate C), then
you have an endurance index of :
3000 : 160 = 18.75
3000 : 120 = 25.00
3000 : 100 = 30.00
Endurance index = 18.75 + 25.00 + 30.00 = 73.75
On the basis of the chart below you can adapt your
training and divide your powers better according the
result of this test. If you take the endurance index
from our example (73.75), you can see in the chart
below that this value is sufficiently for someone
younger than 35 and good for someone older than
35.
Endurance index
Less than 35
Over 35
< 50
Not sufficient
medium
51 – 60
medium
medium
61 – 70
medium
fair
71 – 76
fair
well
77 – 85
good
very well
86 – 90
very well
exceptional
> 90
excellent
exceptional
Training planning
Overload
Training means making an effort, using our energy
reserve. This effort will show a lower performance
afterwards. This effort can only be undone if we give
our body time to recover and to rest. So both effort
and rest are the ingredients of a perfect training.
Effort and relaxation are one.
To determine how long we have to rest is not simple
because it depends on a lot of elements such as the
number of executed exercises, the used weights, the
kind of exercise, how long we exercise…etc.
Furthermore, not every muscle needs the same time
to recuperate. A small muscle can already be ready
during practice, a big muscle can need extra time.
To set up an intelligent training, we recommend you
to use some constant parameters during a limited
training period. Based on these parameters it is much
easier to see if our body has enough time to
recuperate.
