Objective progress must be measured numerically. Often times, you will use the scale in order to determine the effectiveness of your current health program. But at RxFIT, we care less about how much you weigh and more about what you can do with that weight.

For example, who’s the healthier individual?

• A 5’5″ female who weighs 110-lbs. She can’t perform a 100-lb deadlift without back pain, run 1-mile without knee pain, or perform one pull-up.
• A 5’5″ female who weighs 160-lbs. She deadlifts 300-lbs without back pain, runs 1-mile in 7-minutes with no joint pain, and can perform over 30 pull-ups in one set.

Most people would say the second female is healthier. Yet behind closed doors, they both would continue to chase the lower number on the scale.

Health is the capacity to do anything, anywhere, with anyone. Our data must reflect that pursuit. As long as you carry lean muscle mass, health does not care about the number on the scale.

Observable, Measurable, and Repeatable Data

Today’s workout, and every workout hereafter, will have a scoring component. It might be “total reps completed”, “time it took you to finish”, or “total meters traveled”.  There are an infinite number of ways I can ask you to score a workout–those are less important. What’s more important is that we are keeping a record of your performance.

These next 15 benchmark assessments test a wide range of time domains and workout modalities. We have carefully put together specific tests in order to determine 10 variables: your endurance, stamina, flexibility, strength, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy.

But these benchmark “tests” are only valid under three data assumptions:

• Observable: Data points must be plotted and viewed visually in order to see progress. In a workout, this means entering in your results to Wodify each time so we can pull up a line graph on your progress. If you are doing these on your own, record yourself performing each assessment and send them to me.
• Measurable: One data point must be recorded while all others are controlled. In aour assessments, this means that the if the map specifies a weight, distance, and/or time, you need to follow it. Record your score and send it to me.
• Repeatable: The test must have “standards” that can be replicated regardless of location. In a workout, this means that the barbell, type of rower, or clock are kept constant to ensure consistency across tests. In the future, every Monday will turn into “Benchmark Mondays” where you will redo one of these fifteen assessments.

Pocket Timer

To ensure accuracy in our record keeping, we recommend purchasing a Pocket Timer–a mini gym clock so small that you can keep it in your gym bag and bring it whereever you workout.

I use this every day because I don’t want to get distracted by messages and phone calls during my workout. And then the times I need to record myself, I obviously am unable to also use my phone timer.

Purchase your own before workout #1 here.

Tyler