Fitness Tests to Discover How Fit You Actually Are – Part 5 of 7: The Upper Body Test

When you do your fitness workouts, are you like most women and just concentrate on your triceps and biceps? If you are, then you’re missing out on exercising major muscles of the shoulders, upper back and your chest. These muscles prevent injuries, develop strength and improve posture. Rowing exercises work all those muscles and utilize your own body as resistance. This is why rowing machines make a terrific workout! Rowing moves determine the power of your upper body and those are the moves you’ll be doing for this test. So let’s get rowing with this fitness test to find out how fit you actually are!

The Test Performing a 3 Rep Inverted Row

If you don’t know what an inverted row is, well, it’s basically a push-up that’s upside down. Get down on the floor and lay on your back; your shoulders should be placed right under a secure barbell. When you’re holding the bar, your hands must be a bit wider than shoulder-width; likewise, your back shouldn’t remain on the floor when you grab onto the bar.

Inverted Row – Rep One: Modified – Begin by placing your feet flat on the floor and angle your knees at 90˚. Raise your hips so that you’re creating a level line with your body from your knees to your shoulders. Now, pull yourself up to the bar while maintaining good form. You can continue on to rep two if you’re able to get your chest to touch the bar.

Inverted Row – Rep Two: Basic – For this one you must straighten out your legs and let your heels rest on the floor; your body should then be in the form a straight line. Just as you did in the first rep, keep the proper form and pull your body up toward the bar. Proceed on to rep three if you’ve got the ability to tap the bar with your chest.

Inverted Row – Rep Three: Elevated Feet – For this rep, your legs must be aligned with your shoulders. Place your feet on an exercise bench if you have one; if you don’t, a wooden chair or sturdy stool will do—but remember it needs to be high enough to keep your legs level with your shoulders. Repeating what you did in the first two reps, retain the correct form and pull your body up and touch your chest to the bar.

The Results

Are you worn out or barely sweating? If you’ve managed to…

Not even perform one rep using the correct form, you’re below average.
Complete one or two reps in good form, you’re average.
Do all of the reps and stayed in proper form, you’re above average.

How did you do? Are you tone enough and as strong in your upper body as you thought you were?

Strengthening Your Upper Body

When you’re following your regular exercise program, throw in this combination two to three times per week. Start out by doing all the reps you can possibly achieve of the modified inverted row; next, complete as many push-ups as possible. You should take a breather for 60-90 seconds and then perform the combination again, rest again and, if it’s doable, accomplish a third rep. In every workout, strive to do more reps.

You’re almost done with these fitness tests—just two more left! Be on the lookout for the sixth one in our blog next week.