The Fitness Junction

This week:

• Knowledge Corner: Benchmarks

• Monthly Challenge Update: 1000x KB swings in April

• Meme Center: Don't judge my workout music

Knowledge Corner: Benchmarks

How do you know if your fitness training plan is actually working? We can start with ye ol' scientific method, which tells us we should aim to track measurements over time to determine objectively if change is occurring. In fitness, the most effective measurements are done through benchmarks. These are workouts, events, or lifts that we initially complete to establish a baseline score and then attempt to improve on over time.

Having benchmarks is key to keeping our workouts and programming aligned with our goals. They are a great tool for keeping yourself honest and for proving that your hard work is paying off. There is nothing better than achieving a new personal best in a benchmark after working your ass off to improve.

I find that it's easy to drift away from benchmarks as you get further away from competitive sports. For most of us, that was high school. Even if we've stayed active since then, there isn't that added incentive to drive us to push past our limits from time to time. Benchmarks can bring that extra edge back into your workouts by giving you the opportunity to compete with your previous scores.

There are a million different workouts or exercises that you can use as a benchmark. You can narrow down your options by looking for ones that are most relevant to your fitness goals. Even if you're just exercising to maintain a general level of fitness for health and longevity, it is beneficial to have a benchmark to work towards. Here are a few of my favorites:

• For cardiovascular endurance:

  • 2,000m row

  • 5k run

  • 100x burpees

• For muscular endurance:

  • Max set of pullups

  • Max set of dips

  • Max time holding a plank

• For max strength: Can't go wrong with the powerlifter trinity - one rep max on deadlift, back squat, and bench press.

• For hating your life but really testing your mettle:

  • Murph: Run one mile, 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 squats, run one mile (can be done with a weight vest for an added challenge).

  • Complete five sets of burpees, kettlebell swings, and box jumps as fast as possible. The reps for each set are 50/40/30/20/10. Not sure if this one has a name but a buddy showed it to me several years ago and I've never forgiven him.

Trivia

Do kipping pullups count?

• A. No

• B. Nope

• C. Negative

• D. All of the above

April Challenge: 1000x Kettlebell Swings

Well I was off to a good start. This challenge honestly just slipped my mind this past week. The good news is, plenty of time to catch back up. I've decided to temptation bundle kettlebell swings with the theme song to Bluey. With the number of times I hear that song at home, I'll knock this challenge out easy peasy.

Meme Center

Trivia answer: Any answer that you picked was correct! Great job, high fives all around.

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