Fitness Is Life!
My promise to you all when you sign up to become a member of AFSCrossFit is to help you get fit. Now obviously as CrossFit is above the door things like Pull ups, Squats, Handstands, Snatchs and the dreaded cardio as well as a lot more exercises (didn’t want to set anyone’s PTSD off about burpees and box jumps so missed them out) are all integral to our programming. Many of which make our benchmark workouts such as Cindy, Fran and Murph to test our fitness. All these workouts are repeatable and give us a fair test to see if we have got fitter, faster and stronger. However, when I say fair is that actually true? We go through life and life beats us up pretty bad. We get injuries, we have tough times, stressful times that affect our training, affect our weight and affect our mental resolve to sometimes push hard in these workouts to constantly improve.
With all this in mind I have purchased over the years a shit ton of gadgets that I have thought were super cool but actually only ever really looked at them in isolation when implementing them into my business. I also, from a business point of view looked at these tools as a way to make money. Or at least I was sold the idea that these could make money. Some of you have been members for a little while and so don’t actually know yet that I’m pretty terrible when it comes to making money and would put helping people first before making a profit. And that lack of business acumen has led me to this decision.
From September we will be implementing a program of Fitness Testing available for all members on a 3-month basis to keep a track of a few key markers that allow us to track longevity. We all want to live forever, but spoiler alert, that just isn’t going to happen. What we can do however is try to resist for as long as possible and put up a bloody good fight. My mantra of “Building a Gym everyone is proud to be a part of, and everyone benefits from” has led me to re-evaluate how we best serve your needs and keeping you healthy and alive and giving you all the tools to achieve that is fundamental to AFSCrossFit’s philosophy.
How’s this going to work? I hear you all ask. Well, from reading this article you will be able to book an appointment with me, Kathryn, Dave or Brad to go through your Spirometry, Body Composition, Grip Test and Blood Pressure. All of which will give us a great snap shot of your general well being.
FEV1 - Forced Expiratory Volume in One Second
The first test will be the Spirometry. This will test your lung capacity and your lung strength. FEV1, which stands for forced expiratory volume in one second, measures the volume of air that you can exhale in a single second, and is measured by a device called a spirometer. FEV1 is a powerful test that has been identified, along with lung capacity as the second and third most significant indicator of biological age for females and males, respectively, in an upcoming aging clock.
Visceral Fat Levels
The second test is for visceral fat. Using the Inbody Body Composition scales we can get an accurate reading of body weight, bone density, skeletal muscle mass, fat mass and visceral fat levels. Visceral fat can’t always be seen, but it’s the fat that wraps around your organs and your abdomen, and it’s more likely to raise your risk for heart disease, Alzheimer’s, type two diabetes, stroke, and can lead to higher cholesterol numbers and ultimately a higher risk of mortality. Visceral fat increases with age, and depending on how healthy you eat and how regularly you exercise, you can keep it down.
Blood Pressure
The penultimate test is Blood Pressure (BP). This is a tricky one to be accurate as when we conduct the test plays a huge role. If you have eaten, drank a coffee, already exercised or have already had enough of what your day has served you and are pissed it can vary the results greatly. The reading of blood pressure is pretty simple. You may have heard of the terms Systolic and Diastolic. Systolic is the pressure when the heart beats, and Diastolic is the pressure in between beats, pretty simple really. The perfect BP is 120/80. Some of you machines may be lower then this around 110/60 but some may be as high as 140/100. For some who are higher with good programming and hard work you can easily get within back to the normal range. We have got you covered there.
Grip Strength
The final test we conduct in this 20minute appointment is for grip strength. As regular CrossFitters who lift this shouldn’t be a problem. We are looking for a grip strength of 72lbs for men and 44lbs for women. Not a problem for you beasts that can deadlift your own bodyweight. Grip strength is a popular measure of longevity, as researchers have shown that a powerful grip also correlates to longevity. A study of over 500,000 adults between 40 and 69 years old correlated grip strength to their rates of healthy outcomes for diseases ranging from heart disease to respiratory illness and even cancer. Grip strength has been shown to be a better predictor of cardiovascular disease than even blood pressure and physical activity levels.
BONUS MATERIAL
You will have seen the heart rates (HR) of some of our members on the big screen in the gym and wondered what is going on. The simple answer is that they are wearing a HR monitor and the uptivo system is keeping a track on the Calories burnt and the energy zones they are working in. The more complex answer is that many have taken advantage of our PNOE metabolic assessment and have run the testing and had their zones calculated and found out their VO2max and are now training in the appropriate intensities to improve their cardiovascular health.
What is VO2 Max?
VO2 max, also known as maximal oxygen uptake, is a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen that your body can utilize during exercise. It is considered to be a good indicator of overall cardiovascular health, as it reflects the efficiency of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. VO2 max test results have been shown to decline with age, which is one reason why regular exercise is important for healthy aging.
In one study, it was found that higher exercise capacity, measured by VO2 max tests, was strongly associated with a lower risk of mortality in men referred for exercise testing
Kodama et al. conducted a meta-analysis of multiple studies and concluded that higher cardiorespiratory fitness, assessed by VO2 max tests, was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events in healthy men and women.
A 2018 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology followed 5,000 middle-aged men for 46 years and found that those with the top 5% of VO2 max lived almost five years longer than those in the bottom 5%.
These studies demonstrate a significant correlation between higher VO2 max levels and increased longevity, as well as a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.
How will it work?
From now until the end of September 2023 I am now offering every member the opportunity to have a Vo2max Test for free*! All you have to do is login to Zenplanner and book an appointment with me. If you can’t find an appointment just message me or catch me in the gym and we can arrange a time. Once you have completed all the tests we will have a clear idea of where your health markers are, where you fitness currently stands and you will have all the information to better take control of your fitness to live a long and happy life.
Happy Training
Gareth
If you would like to find how we can help you achieve your Health and Fitness goals book a NO SWEAT INTRO here>>>