FITNESS TEST

A great way to track you progress during the Doc's Diet program is to take our fitness test. Before you start a workout routine, print out our tracking table and record the date and results of your first workout. Test yourself again in four weeks and see how much you can improve.

Wall Sit
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart with your back 12-18 inches away from a smooth wall. Lean back so that your back is against the wall. Slide your back down the wall with both your knees and hips at a 90° angle. The timing starts when you get to this position. The time is stopped when you are unable to hold the position any longer.

Plank
Lay face down on a mat or carpeted surface. Place your palms flat on the floor about shoulder width apart. Curl your toes under and keep your feet slightly apart. Raise yourself up into a plank position as if you were about to do push ups. You should have your hands and toes touching the floor, your body, hips and legs should be in a straight line and your arms should be extended and at right angles to the body. Keep your hips level with your shoulders. The timer starts when you reach this position. It stops when any part of your body comes down to rest on the floor.

Push Ups
Start in the push up position - Keeping the back and knees straight, lower your body until there is a 90-degree angle at the elbows, with the upper arms parallel to the floor then push back up. A single push-up should be done every three seconds. Once you can not maintain this pace the count is stopped.

Standing Balance
Remove your shoes and place your hands on your hips. Stand on one leg then position the non-supporting foot against the inside knee of the supporting leg. You can practice for a minute before your start. Raise your heel up and balance on the ball of the foot. The time starts when you raise up. The time is stopped if your hands come off your hips, the supporting foot moves from the starting point, the non-supporting foot loses contact with your knee or drops to the floor. Go for as long as you can. Repeat with the other leg.

Sit Ups
Lie on a cushioned, flat, surface with knees bent at 90 degrees. Your feet should be about 12 inches from your buttocks and shoulder distance apart. Place your finger tips behind your ears (not behind your head as this allows you to pull on your neck). Next raise your trunk up in a smooth motion while curling your elbows to your knees. Next lower down to the floor so that your shoulder blades or upper back touch the floor. Count how many you do in 30 seconds.

2 Minute Cycle
Do a 10 minute warm up on your bike or stationary bike. You should ride hard enough so that you have sweat on your brow. Next, put yourself in a moderately hard gear and pedal as hard as you can for 2 minutes. Stop and check your pulse at the end of the 2 minutes. Do this by counting the number of beats in 10 seconds and multiply by 6. Next, count your pulse at one minute and two minutes after stopping and record this data.

20 Minute Cycle
Get on your bike or stationary bike and do a 10 minute warm up. Again, you should have sweat on your brow at the end of the 10 minutes. For the next 20 minutes, pedal at a taxing pace in which you push the limits on your muscle fatigue. This should be accomplished on a stationary bike. If done outdoors, please be cautious of outdoor hazards and obey all traffic laws. The goal is not to see how high your heart rate can get but how many miles you can bike. Spend 5 minutes to cool down after your ride. You can check your milage at the following website if you ride outside:

www.usatf.org/routes/map/