Life Fitness Fit Test
- The Life Fitness Fit Test estimates cardiovascular activity and can be used to monitor improvements in endurance every 4 - 6 weeks.
- The Fit Test is considered to be a submax VO2 (volume of oxygen) test and gauges how well the heart supplies oxygenated blood to the exercising muscles and how efficiently those muscles receive oxygen from the blood.
- Physicians and exercise physiologists generally regard this test as a good measure of aerobic capacity.
- Workout duration is 5 minutes total.
- Take the Fit Test under similar circumstances each time. For the most accurate Fit Test results, you should perform the Fit Test on three consecutive days and average the three scores.
- To receive a proper Fit Test score, the work done must be within a training heart rate zone that is 60% to 85% of the theoretical maximum heart rate (HRmax).
The user must grasp the hand sensors when prompted, or wear a Polar telemetry heart rate chest strap as the test score calculation is based on a heart rate reading.
Your heart rate is dependent on many factors, including:
- amount of sleep the previous night (at least 7 hours is recommended)
- time of day
- time you last ate (2 - 4 hours after the last meal is recommended)
- time since you last drank a liquid containing caffeine or alcohol, or smoked a cigarette (at least 4 hours is recommended)
- time since you last exercised (at least 6 hours is recommended)
Suggested exertion levels should be used as a guideline for setting up the Fit Test program. The goal is to elevate the user’s heart rate to a level that is between 60%-85% of their theoretical maximum heart rate.
| Inactive | Active | Very Active | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treadmill | 2 - 3 mph (3.2 - 4.8 kph) | 3 - 4 mph (4.8 - 6.4 kph) | 3.5 - 4.5 mph (5.6 - 7.2 kph) |
| Cross-Trainer |
L 2-4 men L 1-2 women |
L 3-10 men L 2-5 women |
L 7-15 men L 3-10 women |
| LifeCycle Exercise Bikes |
L 4-6 men L 2-4 women |
L 5-10 men L 3-7 women |
L 8-14 men L 6-10 women |
Within each suggested range, use these additional guidelines:
| Lower Half of Range | Upper Half of Range |
|---|---|
| higher age | lower age |
| lower weight | higher weight (in cases of excessive weight, use lower half of range) |
| shorter | taller |
After the 5-minute FIT TEST is completed, a FIT TEST score and rating will be displayed.
Please note that the estimated VO2 max scores achieved will be 10-15% lower on stationary exercise bikes than those achieved on other Life Fitness cardiovascular equipment. Stationary cycling has a higher rate of isolated muscle fatigue of the quadriceps when compared to walking / running on a treadmill or utilizing a bike. This higher rate of fatigue corresponds to lower levels of estimated VO2 max scores.
Relative Fitness Classification for MEN
| Rating | Elite | Excellent | Very Good | Above Average | Average | Below Average | Low | Very Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated V02 Max (ml/kg/min) per Age category | ||||||||
| 20 - 29 years | 55+ | 53 - 54 | 50 - 52 | 45 - 49 | 40 - 44 | 38 - 39 | 35 - 37 | <35 |
| 30 - 39 years | 52+ | 50 - 51 | 48 - 49 | 43 - 47 | 38 - 42 | 36 - 37 | 34 - 35 | <34 |
| 40 - 49 years | 51+ | 49 - 50 | 46 - 48 | 42 - 45 | 37 - 41 | 34 - 36 | 32 - 33 | <32 |
| 50 - 59 years | 47+ | 45 - 46 | 43 - 44 | 39 - 42 | 34 - 38 | 32 - 33 | 29 - 31 | <29 |
| 60+ years | 43+ | 41 - 42 | 39 - 40 | 35 - 38 | 31 - 34 | 29 - 30 | 26 - 28 | <26 |
Relative Fitness Classification for WOMEN
| Rating | Elite | Excellent | Very Good | Above Average | Average | Below Average | Low | Very Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated V02 Max (ml/kg/min) per Age category | ||||||||
| 20 - 29 years | 47+ | 45 - 46 | 43 - 44 | 38 - 42 | 33 - 37 | 31 - 32 | 28 - 30 | <28 |
| 30 - 39 years | 44+ | 42 - 43 | 40 - 41 | 36 - 39 | 31 -35 | 29 - 30 | 27 - 28 | <27 |
| 40 - 49 years | 42+ | 40 - 41 | 38 - 39 | 34 - 37 | 30 - 33 | 28 - 29 | 25 - 27 | <25 |
| 50 - 59 years | 37+ | 35 - 36 | 33 - 34 | 30 - 32 | 26 - 29 | 24 - 25 | 22 - 23 | <22 |
| 60+ years | 35+ | 33 - 34 | 31 - 32 | 27 - 30 | 24 - 26 | 22 - 23 | 20 - 21 | <20 |
Life Fitness developed this rating scale based on VO2 max percentile distributions referenced in American College of Sports Medicine’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (8th E. 2010). It is designed to provide a qualitative description of a user’s VO2 max estimation, and a means of assessing initial fitness level and tracking improvement.