pass the beep test
TRANSCRIPT
PASS THE BEEP TEST
1
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How To Beat The Beep Test Page 2
Table Of Contents
Introduction 3
Chapter 1: What Is The Beep Test 3
Chapter 2: Physical Requirements For Success 7
Chapter 3: Cardiovascular Training To Prepare For The Beep Test 8
Chapter 4: Strength Training To Prepare For The Beep Test 12
Chapter 5: Factoring Rest And Recovery In 18
Chapter 6: Your Beep Test Programs 24
Chapter 7: Nutrition Tips For Maximum Performance 32
Chapter 8: Game Day Preparation 37
Chapter 9: Injury Prevention 40
Conclusion 43
How To Beat The Beep Test Page 3
Introduction
Just like any other athletic endeavor that you undertake, proper presentation is key to
maximum success. Far too many people set a goal to train for a particular event but then fail to
take into account everything that’s involved in getting ready for that particular event.
Whether you’re training to complete your first half-marathon, prepping for a major hockey
tournament with your team, or looking to complete the beep test with the highest possible
score that you can, you need a plan of action.
That’s precisely what we’re going to provide you here today.
After you get through this guide, you’ll have all the tools and resources that you need to know
to not only successfully complete that Beep test but perform better than you ever imaged
possible.
We’re going to be covering what the beep test entails, the physical characteristics that you
need to possess in order to excel at the Beep test, the best form of cardiovascular training as
well as resistance training to be performing as you go through the beep test, as well as the
importance of rest and recovery along with what you can do to foster each of these.
Then we’ll provide you with some program specific information to ensure that you can get
started on the right foot and there are never any questions as to what you should be doing
throughout your training plan.
We’ll also discuss some important nutrition tips to keep in mind to ensure that you feel your
best both during training as well as on ‘game day’ and then we’ll finish up with some injury
prevention tips.
So without any further delay, let’s get right to it so that you can get started with your training.
Chapter 1: What Is The Beep Test
The beep test is most commonly known as a fitness test that is going to assess your endurance
performance as well as your power and agility levels. Essentially, it’s one of the most well-
rounded fitness tests that allows you to see exactly where you stand in terms of your physical
conditioning level.
Individuals of many different backgrounds can make good use of the beep test. This includes
those who are high level athletes trying to assess and monitor their performance
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improvements, those who are of school age who are taking part in gym classes and who need
to measure their physical capabilities, as well as adults who simply want to know where they
stand compared to the norm on their running ability.
Some people may refer to the beep test as the ‘Shuttle Run test’ or the ‘Yo-Yo’ test, so if you
often hear those names, realize that they’re referring to the same testing procedure.
In order to perform the test, you’ll need a flat 20 meter space, preferably done indoors where
the ground is completely level so there are no worries about divots in the ground causing a
rolled ankle or other injury.
You’ll also require some form of marking cone or indicator along with a timer or beep best CD
and a sheet to record the results.
The individual performing the test is going to perform continuous running between the two
cones (or objects) placed 20 miters apart, gradually increasing his or her speed as the test
carries on.
Their objective will be to reach the cone by the time the beep sounds, reverse directions and
then head back to the second cone to hit the next beep that comes about.
With each interval that takes place, the beeps will begin to be placed closer and closer
together, indicating a higher running speed that is required. If the individual does not make it
to the cone for the beeping sound, they are to keep going until they do and then increase their
pace faster to try and reach the next cone for the coming beep.
If they miss the beeps for two consecutive rows, this indicates the end of the test and the
individual must stop. If they happen to reach the cone before the beep sounds, they are to
stop and wait at that cone until it does and they can reverse directions and start again.
So as you can see, this test is just as much about mental preparation and coordination as it is
about physical performance. Obviously you may become limited by your running speeds as the
test carries on, but it’s going to take both good running capabilities as well as the ability to time
your running carefully in order to really perform optimally.
You will be rated on how many successful rounds you are able to complete while keeping up
with the beeps, so both factors will definitely come into play.
So now that you have a firm understand of what the beep test entails, we can look more closely
at physical requirements that you’ll need to possess in order to see the highest level of success
possible.
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Chapter 2: Physical Requirements For Success
When most people think of what’s required for the beep test, they may simply believe that you
need to be a fast runner. But, this is far from the case. While being a fast runner will definitely
help and improve your performance, it’s by far the only thing that you need to be concerned
about.
Being able to perform maximally on this test is going to require a number of different physical
characteristics, so making sure your physical training is focused around these will be highly
beneficial to bringing you top results.
Let’s have a look at the main physical requirements that you need to keep in mind as you
prepare to train for this testing procedure.
Running Endurance
The very first physical characteristic that you’ll need to have in place when getting ready to
perform the beep test is a good level of running endurance. Power is definitely important
(which we’ll discuss in a second), but endurance is what will allow you to sustain that intense
running performance with very little fatigue build-up.
Those who become very fatigued quickly when doing the beep test are not going to make it
through many lengths of the 20 meter course at all before they fall behind.
Having a high level of running endurance ability is also going to allow you to accelerate rapidly if
need be when you do need to catch up to the timer.
Those who have poor running endurance would find that upon accelerating, they’d begin to
develop a high amount of lactic acid build-up in the muscle tissues, which would instantly cause
fatigue and discomfort to set in.
When you have good running endurance and thus experience a lower overall level of fatigue,
this will also help to improve your mental focus and clarity as you perform the test, so you’re
less likely to become flustered if you do happen to get off track.
Balance And Agility
The second important physical requirement that you’ll want to possess if you hope to see
maximum results on the beep test is a high degree of balance and agility. Balance training is
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going to be important for you to focus on because this is what will enable you to quickly change
directions as you move through the test, reaching each pylon and then quickly progressing to
the next.
Those who don’t have good balance and agility will take more time as they pass each pylon,
which will really hinder their ability to keep up to speed. If you’re fast on your feet and well
balanced, you can create the turn in a very fluid movement, making sure that you don’t waste
any extra time during this process.
Balance and agility skill development is something that some people do have naturally or have
developed through years of previous sports training, but if not, it is something that can be
worked on and learned as well.
For some people it will be slightly slower to develop than some other elements of their fitness,
but if enough hard work is put in, you can still see fantastic results in terms of your progress
with it.
Lower Body Power
The next critical physical characteristic that will help you out when it comes to the beep test is
that you’ll have a high degree of lower body power. Lower body power is something that refers
to how fast you’re able to generate a given level of strength, propelling yourself into the
running activity.
Having a significant amount of lower body power development capability will help you make
those turns very quickly and then rapidly catch up to the timer so that you can hit the next
pylon by the time the beep goes off.
Those who lack this power generation are going to really struggle should they fall behind,
resulting in them garnering a lower overall test score.
Lower Body Strength
In addition to having a good level of lower body power, you also want to work on obtaining a
high amount of lower body strength as well. Your lower body strength level is what will be
necessary to help generate the power in the first place, so the two really do go hand in hand.
If anything, the power generation abilities you have will be fueled by your strength generation
ability, so strength is what you should be focusing on as a foundation to your training.
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Since power is defined by how much force you’re able to generate over a specific period of
time, the more force you exert, the greater your power level will be.
Lower body weight training is the perfect way to accomplish greater overall lower body
strength, so what we will be primarily focusing on when we get to the workout routines you’ll
be using.
Core Strength
In addition to having good lower body strength and power, you also need to be strong
throughout the core as well. While the core muscles are not going to directly fuel your running
performance, they will increase or decrease how agile you are as well as how easily you are
able to maintain good running form.
Those who have a weaker core may struggle around the turns and may also find that they
develop lower back pain as they go about their running training and test simulations.
Strong core muscles are important for keeping the spinal column in proper alignment, which
protects the back from injury.
Mental Focus
Finally, the last important physical trait that you must encompass if you are to succeed with
doing the beep test is mental focus. When you’re taking part in the test and hearing the beeps
go off, this can turn into quite the stressful situation.
If the beeping sounds, along with you not making the pylon cause you to become unfocused
and falter in your running abilities, this will without a doubt influence the performance that you
give.
You won’t be mentally as focused to continue to push hard to reach the next pylon for the beep
that’s coming up and before you know it, the test will be over.
Like the balance and agility characteristic, mental focus can take a bit of time to develop, so it’s
important to have some patience with yourself. Some people don’t tend to be thrown off by
the sound of the beeper or falling off course at all, while others will find that it really causes a
large loss of concentration and their performance spirals downhill from there.
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Mental focus will be improved with constant practice and being in the position where you are
falling behind and have to keep up. Furthermore, the more practice you have executing the
beep test before testing day, the more confidence you will have in your abilities and that can
also help to assist with maintaining an improved ability to stay focused.
So there you have the primary physical characteristics that will go a long way to enhancing your
performance on the beep test. Those who encompass all of these are going to show far
superior performance compared to those who just possess one or two of these traits, so really
taking the time to zero in and work on each one individually will work to your advantage.
Each person will bring a different mix of these traits to the table. Some people will have terrific
muscular endurance levels but be very weak in terms of their overall strength. Others may
have the strength element down and will be incredibly strong, but yet have no endurance at all
and really have to work hard if they hope to improve this element of their fitness level.
The nice thing is that by taking part in a beep test, you will have the chance to work all these
various elements of your fitness level, thus developing a well-rounded physically fit body.
Now let’s move on to our next chapter and begin talking about the cardiovascular training that
you’ll be doing in order to prepare for the beep test.
Chapter 3: Cardiovascular Training
To Prepare For The Beep Test
The very first place to start when preparing for the beep test protocol is with your
cardiovascular training. Having that excellent cardiovascular base behind you is what will
enable you to put forth full effort with any leg power that you do possess and carry on with the
test despite the build-up of fatigue.
Cardiovascular endurance is something that will be developed
at a relatively quick rate, but also something that is lost quite
rapidly as well. For that reason, it’s imperative that once you
attain a certain level of cardiovascular fitness, you keep up
with your training on a regular basis if you hope to maintain it.
Let’s begin by going over the various types of cardio training
that you can perform and indicate how each is going to help
you excel when it comes to the beep test performance.
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Steady State Endurance Focused Cardio Training
The very first type of cardio training that you might want to consider performing is steady state
endurance focused cardio training. This form of training is going to be great for those who are
just getting started with their beep test training and who are new to fitness overall.
Since it doesn’t require as high of a fitness background to perform it and you can easily go at
your own pace that’s comfortable for you, it’s a good place to start.
The primary objective of steady state endurance focused cardio training is to perform
continuous activity that gets the heart rate up and holds it there for a period of time. Most
steady state cardio sessions will last anywhere from 20 minutes all the way up to an hour, but
for the beep test training, 20-30 minutes will be more than sufficient.
While there’s nothing to stop you from doing 60 minutes if you really desire, you don’t need
that level of endurance to complete the beep test optimally.
The good thing about using the slightly shorter end of the scale for your steady state cardio
session is that you will be able to work at a slightly higher intensity level (although it will still be
considered ‘moderate’ in nature), giving you greater overall fitness benefits.
Steady state cardio training done for endurance building purposes should be performed at
about a six or seven out of ten in terms of total exertion (ten being maximum effort) so that
should give you a good idea of precisely how hard you should be working.
Steady state endurance cardio training isn’t all that taxing on the body, so it is a form of cardio
that can be done on a regular basis, so don’t let yourself belief that you need extended periods
of time off.
If there’s one exercise that you can do for multiple days in a row, this would be it.
Interval Cardio Training
The second type of cardio training that you should be including to help build up your
cardiovascular base level is interval cardio training. Interval cardio training is what will help to
push your fitness level up a notch, really introducing the concept of fatigue to the body and
teaching you how to push through it.
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Interval cardio training is also going to work on your speed and power development as well, as
you’ll rapidly have to accelerate quickly when doing each interval. This form of training is going
to be much more similar to what you’ll actually be doing during the later stages of the beep
test, so is going to allow you to see some very direct benefits.
What you’ll be doing during interval cardio training is performing an all-out ‘work’ interval
that’s supplement with an active rest interval that’s two to three times the length of that work
interval.
So for example, if you were going to do intervals of 30 seconds in length, your rest interval
would then become 60 to 90 seconds in length. If you were doing 20 second intervals, your rest
interval would be 40-60 seconds. Those who are more physically fit will typically be more
comfortable using the shorter rest period length while those who aren’t should start with the
longer interval length and work their way downwards.
Also note that the shorter the interval is, the harder you should be pushing yourself as you
move through it. If you’re just doing very short fifteen second intervals, you really want to be
pushing your body to the limit, while if you’re using longer intervals, you can bring down the
pace slightly so that you can sustain the interval for the intended period of time.
Note however that at no time will interval training be considered to be a moderate intensity
activity, so you always should be pushing yourself hard.
Aim for an exertion level of between eight and ten on a ten point scale. The active rest
intervals that are added between the work intervals should have you at around a three to four
on that same ten point scale.
Interval training is going to be far more stressful on the body compared to steady state cardio
training, therefore you won’t be able to complete as many workouts total each week. One to
two workouts should be sufficient and will be all that most people will be able to handle.
These sessions should also only last for about 15-20 minutes or so, enough time for you to
complete six to twelve intervals (depending on the interval and rest period lengths).
Always make sure that you begin each session with a five minute warm-up as well as a five
minute cool-down.
Recovery Cardio Training
Finally, the last form of cardio training that you can perform as part of your training program is
referred to as recovery cardio training. The idea behind this form of training is not to bring
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about a huge improvement in your fitness level, but rather the goal is to simply improve the
recovery that you receive after all the other, more intense workouts that you perform.
Depending on your conditioning level prior to starting this program, you are likely going to
notice some degree of muscle soreness developing as well as resulting fatigue from the
workout sessions, so this form of cardio training can help to reduce the intensity of this.
What recovery training refers to is very light physical activity done at a recreational pace at
best. Think a light walk around the block or a 10 minute walk on a treadmill. Or, if you happen
to enjoy cycling, you might hop on a bike and go for a short twenty minute easy ride.
You are not trying to push the body at all during this time, but rather enhance the overall
circulation to the muscle tissues, which is what will help to deliver nutrients and oxygen,
speeding recovery while reducing any knots that have developed due to your training.
Recovery cardio training can be performed at any point throughout the week, either between
your workout sessions or after a workout has been completed.
Many people find that after a strength based workout for instance, especially when their legs
are quite fatigued, doing a 10-15 minute walk can really help out with how they feel afterwards.
While initially walking may feel like the last thing on earth that you want to be doing, give it a
try. You might just be surprised at the positive influence this will have on how you feel later on
in the day.
At no point should this recovery cardio tax your system and add to the recovery process, so just
stay constantly aware of what influence it’s having on your body and making sure that you are
able to keep up to your normal training schedule despite its implementation in your workout
routine.
So putting all this information together, how should you go about devising a cardio program to
prepare for the beep test?
The program that you develop will highly depend on where your fitness level is right now and
what elements of your fitness you most want to work on.
Some people may have good cardio endurance but have horrible performance at higher
intensities, as such, a higher focus on interval training will need to be used.
Others may find that they have good short-term performance but if they try and run for more
than two minutes straight, fatigue quickly sets in and their performance drops off significantly.
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This individual would want to place more emphasis on the moderate paced cardio sessions in
their workout routine, leaving the interval training to just once per week for maintenance
purposes.
Evaluating where you are now and where you need to be is going to put you in the base
possible place to make physical improvements.
Keep in mind that at most you’ll want to be doing cardio training four to five days per week. It’s
important that you do allow for a few days off each week for full recovery as this is what will
get you coming back stronger than you were before.
Push too hard for too long and you aren’t going to see performance improvements, but instead
likely wind up overtrained.
As you add more the other elements of your training program your cardio workouts may also
need to get shifted as well as these will take up additional time and physical energy.
Following the proper nutritional strategies that we’ll briefly touch upon later on as well can
help to further enhance your recovery so that you can get more of the training you need to be
doing in.
So now that we’ve covered the cardio element of things, let’s move on and discuss the strength
training that you’ll want to be doing when preparing to take the beep test.
Chapter 4: Strength Training To Prepare
For The Beep Test
The second key component to a good beep test prep program is strength training. Just as you
need the cardiovascular capability to sustain your running performance, you also need a good
degree of strength behind you in order to make sure that you can power through your run as
intensely as possible.
Those who are lacking in strength may not be able to run nearly as quickly, or control their body
around the tight corners and turns that they’ll be making.
When designing a strength training program for the beep test, there’s no question that the
predominant focus needs to be around the lower body. These are the muscles that you will be
using to carry out each run that you do, thus they are the ones being called most into play.
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That said, this doesn’t mean that you should completely neglect the upper body or core region
either. As we pointed out earlier, having good core strength is also a top physical characteristic
of those who excel at the beep test, so not something that you can afford to overlook either.
Let’s first talk a little about the exercise selection that you’ll use as you prepare for the beep
test and then move into a discussion about the specifics to keep in mind when performing each
of the various exercises.
Exercise Selection For The Beep Test
The very first thing that you need to get correct as you go about preparing for the beep test is
your exercise selection. Exercise selection can really make or break a strength training workout
program because it will have a direct influence on the primary muscles that you’re working as
you go about your plan as well as the level of strength that you receive.
Choose the wrong exercises and you might find that
you are hardly noticing strength gains at all, partly
due to the lack of ability to generate any serious
power with the exercises that you’re choosing to
use.
So what exercises will deliver you the best results as
you move on with your beep test strength
workouts?
Compound exercises will. These will be the movements that are going to call as many muscle
fibers into play as possible, ensuring that you get a full muscle contraction and therefore
resulting strength gain.
Contrast this to isolation exercises that will only have you working just a single muscle group at
once and you can see the stark difference. Isolation exercises won’t allow you to lift very much
weight at all, but rather just cause you to exhaust a small muscle group.
Compound movements will have you generating plenty of force, moving forward with your
strength building program.
Of particular importance when training for the beep test will be the lower body muscles
including the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves. Exercises for these muscles will form the
foundation of your program and be what you focus on the most.
The best exercises to be performing for these muscle groups include:
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Squats
Lunges
Leg presses
Deadlifts
Split squats
Step-ups
If you can add two of these moves in to each workout that you perform, you will be right on
track for seeing serious strength gains.
In addition to training the lower body, you will also want to train the core. When core training
is the goal, an exercise ball is a great piece of equipment to use. This ball is going to cause the
entire body to become instable, which is then going to get those muscle fibers deep within the
core contracting as hard as they possibly can.
Since the ab muscles are the dynamic stabilizers in the body, when you find yourself off
balanced, they’ll be the prime movers to get you back on track once again.
Good ab moves to include in your strength program will be (not all will use the exercise ball):
Crunches on the ball
Lying leg raises with the ball
Plank on the ball
Side crunches on the ball
Reverse crunches
Decline crunches
The bicycle
The ab muscles are quite fast to adapt to any program that you’re doing, so one of the most
important things that you need to be doing with them is making sure that you’re continuously
changing your program around, adding new moves into the mix.
This will keep them responding and ensure that you continue on moving forward.
Finally, you do still want to be doing some upper body workout simply for balance purposes and
to help to round out your strength level. It would be unwise to neglect your upper body
entirely, so the key is to know the most effective movements to use that will work as many
muscle fibers at once, reducing the total time that you have to devote to these muscle groups.
The best exercises to consider here include:
The bench press
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Bent over rows
Pull-ups
Push-ups
Pull-downs
Horizontal rows
Shoulder press
Incline bench press
Each of these exercises is going to work more than one muscle group at a time, which is what
will produce the accelerate results that you’re after. As long as you have one exercise that hits
each main muscle group into the program, this will be sufficient for the beep test training
procedure.
So there you have the information to consider when selecting your exercises. With careful
selection, you can choose 4-5 different exercises to include in each workout program and it
should yield you terrific strength gains and help to reduce the total time commitment that you
have to devote to each session that you complete.
You’ll notice that most of these exercises will be requiring you to use dumbbells as well as
barbells, which will be the most ideal way to train for maximum strengthening gains. While
there are other options that you can use such as resistance bands or bodyweight training, they
won’t be nearly as effective when it comes to boosting your overall levels of strength due to the
fact that they aren’t going to be providing nearly the same level of resistance as heavier weight
training would.
Unless you have some nagging injuries that prevent you from lifting as heavy of a weight as
possible, it’s going to be imperative that you do attempt to push yourself, using as much total
weight as you can to ensure optimal results.
Now let’s move on and talk a little more about some of the important factors to keep in mind
with regards to the number of reps, sets, and rest ranges you should be using with your
strength training program.
Reps
The very first thing that you’ll need to be taking into account is the rep range that you utilize as
you move through your lifting program. Your rep range is going to be a primary determinant of
the type of strength and fitness conditioning benefits you receive.
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Use the lower rep range with the heaviest weight possible and you’ll be focusing on building up
as much total strength as possible.
On the other hand, use the higher rep range, lightening the load slightly and you’ll be focusing
on muscular endurance.
When training for the beep test, you’ll ideally want to be using a good combination of each rep
range. This will allow you to see maximum strengthening benefits while still ensuring that you
get a good degree of muscular endurance taking place.
Since the beep test is going to be a test where your endurance capability is strongly influencing
the results you get, you need to approach both elements of your fitness level. Be sure to alter
the amount of weight you lift to corresponding with the rep range that you’re using.
Sets
The next thing that you need to consider is the number of sets that you should be performing.
The total number of sets completed is going to be influenced by how many exercises you’re
doing as part of the workout program (the more exercises you’re doing, the fewer sets you’ll
want to include), as well as what your own individual recovery rate is like.
Those who have very good recovery systems can complete more sets total since they won’t
take as much down time to repair their muscles from each set completed.
At minimum you’ll want to be aiming for at least two sets for each exercise as this is the
amount that will best allow you to see adaptations in strength taking place.
There’s also no real need to take the set range beyond the 5 set mark as this is the maximum
one should be doing or you could risk overtraining taking place.
You may wish to perform more sets total for your lower body lifts as these are going to be the
primary focus in your workout program and then reduce back on the number of sets that you’ll
use for the isolation exercises later on.
Balance will be key with your program and preventing overtraining so by ensuring that you
keep the total volume where it needs to be, you can prevent overtraining from taking place.
Rest
Finally, the last element that you’ll need to consider is the amount of rest that you are taking
between each set that you perform. Rest, like the rep range, is highly correlated with how
much weight you’re lifting total.
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Those who are lifting more weight as part of their program plan will need to use more rest
overall as this will ensure that they’re giving their muscles that time that they need to make the
good recovery between sets. Generally a good range to shoot for is around 2-3 minutes
between sets. For most people two minutes will be sufficient but for those who are really
lifting heavy and who aren’t in as great of endurance shape, 3 minutes may be needed.
In this instance, take however long you need to feel fully recovered before continuing on with
your workout session.
Those using lighter weights won’t be taxing their system to nearly the same extent; therefore
less rest can be used if desired. In fact, using shorter rest periods of around 30-45 seconds on
the lighter weight lifts can further help to boost your overall endurance level due to the fact
that you’ll be forcing the muscles to get used to the concept of working through fatigue and
being able to tolerate a higher overall lactic acid build-up in your body.
So there you have the primary things to note about the variables that go into creating a
successful weight lifting program that will help you take your results to the next level.
One final note is that must be mentioned is the overall workout split that you’re choosing to
use. For the absolute best results, you should opt for a full body workout program. the full
body workout program is going to be most ideal for ensuring that you work as many muscle
fibers in an instant as possible, while also ensuring that you have to spend less time overall in
the gym doing your workouts.
Since there are a number of different elements of fitness that go into succeeding with the beep
test, if you are spending too much time focused on your strength training workouts, this may in
turn leave too little time to focus on your cardio, agility, and balance focused exercises. Again,
balance must be strived for so by using the full body workout program set-up, you are able to
spend less time in the weight room while still seeing the success that you’re after.
In order to integrate your strength workouts into your cardio sessions, you’ll want to aim to
perform cardio training on the off days from your weight lifting, or at another time period of
the day. Some individuals may choose to do twice per day training sessions, and this is fine, but
to ensure optimal performance on both of these sessions, you will want to aim to have at least
four to five hours separating them, along with at least two solid meals.
This will give your muscles a chance to refuel and rebuild themselves so that you are fully
prepared for the next session to come.
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Most people will find that they’re best off performing their weights workout first and then
following that up with a cardio session, but if you are someone who strongly prefers to do
cardio first and then weights, that’s fine as well.
Just note that if you do have to include both forms of training in the same session for whatever
reason (again, this is not an ‘ideal’ set-up, but may have to be done at some point), then
weights should always come first.
This is simply due to the fact that weight lifting is going to require far more muscular
coordination and strength than any form of cardio training so you need to be at your best for it.
Starting off with cardio training will just cause fatigue and reduce your performance
dramatically, while potentially setting you up for an injury at the same time as well.
Despite the fact the beep test is more cardio focused than strength focused, having good
muscular strength is still a primary goal with your training strategies and that is accomplished
through weight lifting.
Now that we’ve covered the weight lifting element of things, let’s move on and talk about rest.
Rest is also integral to success with your beep test training, so something that you cannot be
overlooking.
Chapter 5: Factoring Rest And Recovery In
One big mistake that many people make as they go about their training is completely
overlooking the recovery element of things. They think that if some exercise is good, this must
mean that more will be better.
Only, that isn’t the case at all. While it’s great to be pushing your limits and really striving to
obtain the highest level of fitness possible, you must still keep in mind that if you aren’t resting,
you aren’t ever going to be growing back stronger than you were before.
Thus, you’ll actually get weaker and if anything, your performance will decline when you go to
perform the beep best.
Let’s look at a few of the main reasons why rest is key to success.
Restoring Muscle Glycogen Levels
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The very first reason why rest is vital to success is because by resting, you’re going to help to
restore your muscle glycogen levels, ensuring that you are able to perform optimally during
your next workout.
Your muscle glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrate in the body and will be what’s used
to fuel each of the intense muscular contractions that takes place.
When it becomes depleted, you’re quickly going to find that you rapidly become fatigued and
you may even need to stop your workout altogether.
The body is simply exhausted and can no longer continue on. This is one big reason why you
cannot cut all carbohydrates out of your diet, despite what the latest fat loss diet might have
you come to believe.
Carbohydrates are what will provide the nutrients to fill up your muscle glycogen stores, so
given enough carbs along with a time period of rest for this resaturation process to take place,
you will see muscle glycogen being restored to previous levels.
For optimal strength performance as well as maximum speed, you need to have full muscle
glycogen levels. Don’t underestimate just how destructive being depleted can have on your
progress.
Repairing Muscle Tissues
The next reason why rest is vital to success is because it will provide the time the muscles need
to repair themselves and grow stronger than they were before.
With each workout session that you do, you’re going to be creating tiny molecules in the body
that then must be built back up before you hit them again with another session. If you go back
into the gym before this recovery process has taken place and perform another workout, that is
going to just cause you to break down those muscle tissues further and further, digging yourself
down into that recovery whole.
Over time if this goes on long enough, you’re eventually going to come to find that you are
noticing that you’re getting weaker in the gym, indicating the loss of lean muscle mass.
Along with providing the muscles time to complete this rebuilding process, you also need to be
providing them with the amino acids, which supply the raw materials to build new muscle
tissue with, as well as carbohydrates for energy to complete the process.
Failing to provide either of these two nutrients will mean failing to make a good recovery.
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Providing A Psychological Break
Another reason why rest is imperative to success is because it’s also going to provide you with a
good psychological break as well. If you aren’t resting between your workouts and are
constantly placing such high demands on the body, eventually this is really going to wear you
down from a mental point of view.
All that tenacity you need to show to push yourself to the limit will start to fade and pretty soon
you’ll just be going through the motions with each workout session that you do.
A day or two off here and there can go a very long way towards refreshing your mind and
ensuring that come next workout, you’re ready to push yourself to the limit again.
Burnout can be a very serious thing as you strive to reach your fitness goals if you are dedicated
enough and are constantly pushing without ever letting up, so take caution against this. A
single day off is all most people need to get back into it and be ready to give full effort come the
next workout.
Resting The CNS
Finally, the last reason that taking periodic rest breaks from your training is essential to success
is because they will also help to rest the CNS as well. Each time you lift a weight or perform an
interval sprint, you’re going to be placing some stress on the CNS. Do this over and over again
without any rest and eventually the CNS is going to wear thin.
Just as you should never work any given muscle group within the same 48 hour period (you
should always make sure that you have at least one day off to rest between each full body
workout), you shouldn’t be working your CNS for days on end either.
The CNS is what will determine your power generating ability to a very large extent so as soon
as this declines, you are most definitely going to notice the impact on the results that you get.
By having that day or two off in your program plan, you will ensure that your CNS has time to
recover and relax so that you are continually able to give 100% in each and every workout that
you complete.
So there you have the primary reasons why rest and recovery will be paramount in importance.
If you shun rest, you’re essentially shunning results.
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What you do outside of the gym can be just as important as what you do while you’re inside of
the gym.
So how much rest do you really require? That might be the next question that you find yourself
asking.
Let’s take a quick look at a few of the factors that will influence how much total rest you should
be using as you go about your program plan.
Your Calorie Intake
The first element that is going to go into how much rest you should be using as part of your
program is what your total daily calorie intake is. Those who are on reduced calorie diets will
require more rest throughout the week simply because their recovery reserves will be lowered.
Remember that food provides fuel and exercises uses fuel at a very rapid pace. Therefore, the
more exercise that you’re doing, the more fuel you are going to be using.
Perform exercise daily and you are going to need more fuel coming in, but on a diet, that just
isn’t happening. Therefore, daily exercises sessions are just not supported by a reduced calorie
diet.
There always is a trade-off if weight loss is a goal along with training for the beep test. Either
you accept a slower rate of weight loss using a more moderate diet plan (that’s higher in
calories), or you accept a slight decline in your performance due to the fact that you are
restricting quite heavily.
To expect yourself to use a low calorie diet while also sustaining a high level of activity would
unrealistic, so you need to decide what is most important.
When training to maximize your performance on the beep test, if you are able to put off dieting
for the time being, you will be far better off because of it.
Your Carb Intake
The second factor that must be taken into account when
assessing how much rest and recovery time you require is what
your carb intake is. This also goes along with the overall diet
element of things as those who are using calorie reduced diets
will also often be using carb reduced diets, so that will have a
clear influence on your recovery.
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As we mentioned earlier, carbohydrates are the primary nutrient that is responsible for
restoring muscle glycogen levels and your muscle glycogen level is one of the primary
determinants of your performance ability.
If you are using a reduced carb intake, you are going to take longer to recover from each
session than if you weren’t.
If you, on the other hand, are including plenty of carbs in your lower calorie diet plan, then your
recovery should be much faster and this shouldn’t need to be a concern of yours. Recovery will
not be hindered at all due to diet and you shouldn’t have to worry about reducing your workout
frequency due to this factor.
The Amount Of Stress You Face
Moving along, another thing that will influence how much total recovery time you need
between workouts is the amount of stress you face on a day to day basis. Those who are
leading very high stress lifestyles and who find that they’re constantly feeling run-down and
tired will notice a significant influence on their rates of recovery.
Stress is not only going to cause you to feel slightly down and depressed, but it will have a
noticeable influence on your body as well.
Those who are highly stressed on a regular basis are not going to be able to tolerate higher
workout volume loads nearly as well and may find that they are quick to fatigue in their
workout sessions.
Thus, if you know that you are a high stress individual, you really have two choices. You can
either cut back on how much stress you experience on a day to day basis by using constructive
coping techniques, or you can reduce the total number of workout sessions you do to
accommodate to this increased recovery time demand.
If you are concerned with optimizing your results on the beep test, you should be looking to
choose the former option rather than the latter. Obviously reducing back on your workout
sessions is not going to be something that’s going to encourage better results, so aim to look
for ways to either cope with your stress better or reduce whatever it is that’s causing you stress
in the first place.
That would be your ultimate solution to this problem.
Your Sleep Habits
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Your sleep habits are yet another thing that you need to look at. Sleep is the ‘prime time’ when
the body goes into a deep recovery state so if you’re not getting enough sleep at night, this is
also going to seriously hamper the recovery that you’re able to make.
Sadly, we live in a world where there just isn’t enough hours in the day and sleep is very often
the first thing to fall by the wayside for most people.
If you notice that you aren’t bouncing back to each of your workout sessions as quickly as you
used to, sleep is what you should be immediately taking a look at.
Simply increasing your total sleep time by one to two hours each night could have a profound
influence on the recovery that you make after each session and get you pointed in the right
direction for faster results.
Remember too that quality sleep matters so make sure that you’re taking measures to ensure a
sound sleep such as reducing noise distractions, avoiding the TV right before you go to bed,
turning down the temperature, using a comfortable yet supportive bed and so on.
Sleep is not something that you want to be sacrificing when trying to improve your physical
performance.
Your Individual Recovery Factors
Finally, you have your own unique recovery factors as well. This refers to how well you recover
overall. Some people have very good recovery systems while others, don’t.
It’s as simple as that. Genetically you are built with a certain degree of natural recovery ability
and if you go the raw end of the stick, it’s not going to matter too much what you do, you
simply won’t recovery like some other people would.
Coming to understand your own body and how much recovery time you need will therefore be
one of the most important steps that you need to be sure that you are able to structure your
workout program correctly.
If you know you need more time to recover, build it into the overall workout set-up. This
doesn’t have to mean significantly reduced results as long as you’re smart in how you go about
things and adapt your program accordingly.
So there you have some of the primary factors that will influence the recovery that you see.
Some people will be fine taking just one day off from their training each week while others may
need more days off – two or three in order to feel optimal.
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Learn your body and accommodate to it. That’s the only way you’re going to get the results
that you’re after.
Also keep in mind that if you are participating in any other additional activities outside of your
beep test training program, these will also influence your rate of recovery because those will be
taxing the body as well.
Don’t overlook these activities but rather, factor them into your selecting of how much
recovery time you really do need.
So now that we’ve discussed the importance of recovery in your beep test programs, let’s get
you to your programs so that you know where to begin.
Chapter 6: Your Beep Test Programs
Now that we’ve covered the basics of what you should have in place for your beep test
program, let’s go on and provide you with the programs that you will be using.
We’ve structured these programs for beginner, intermediate, as well as advanced level of
training, so you can figure out what you’d classify yourself in terms of your fitness level and
then use the corresponding workout program.
A beginner would be someone who is just starting out and who doesn’t have any formal
training behind them. An advanced trainee would be someone who has been at a workout
program for some time but doesn’t consider themselves advanced to the point where they can
perform interval training with ease and who has a very high level of strength already built up.
Then, an advanced trainee would be someone who has been at their workouts for quite some
time and who is well accustomed to interval training and years of weight lifting experience.
Beginners will be doing two full body workouts per week, two steady state cardio sessions, and
one agility drill workout. Intermediate trainees will be performing three full body workouts per
week, one interval cardio session, along with one steady state cardio workout and one agility
workout. Finally, advanced trainees will perform three weight lifting workouts per week, two
interval cardio sessions, as well as one agility workout as well.
Let’s get you to your programs.
Note that you should allow for at least six weeks of prep time doing these programs before you
are to complete the beep test procedure.
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Beginner’s Workout
Day 1: Strength Training
Exercise Reps Sets Rest
Squat 8 3 60 seconds
Bench Press 8 2 60 seconds
Deadlift 8 3 60 seconds
Barbell Row 8 2 60 seconds
Reverse Crunch 10 3 60 seconds
Plank on an Exercise Ball
10 3 60 seconds
Day 2: Cardio Training
5 minute warm-up
30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise (6-7 on a scale of 1-2)
5 minute cool-down
Day 3: Agility Training
For this agility workout, you’re going to place 7 pylons all in a row across the length of a
gymnasium (or large field), about 10-20 meters apart depending on how far you want to run.
Once they are in position, you’re going to run to the first pylon, stop, and perform the first
exercise in the series listed below. Aim to complete 10-15 reps and then do one lap around the
pylon before running to the next. Once at the second pylon, perform 10-15 reps of the second
exercise listed and this time, run the opposite direction around the pylon.
Continue on until all 7 pylons have been completed and then repeat a second time throw. Note
that some pylons will require you to place a piece of equipment down beside them, so get that
prepared before you start.
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How To Beat The Beep Test Page 27
Exercise Sequence
Single leg deadlift holding an exercise ball
Push-Ups
Plank with alternating leg raise (30-60 second hold)
V-Sit Hold
Side to side shuffle (taking 10 shuffles in either direction and completing for 4 lengths)
Single Leg Squats (5 reps per side)
30 Second balance on either leg with the opposite leg extended in front
Day 4: Strength Training
Exercise Reps Sets Rest
Leg Press 8 3 60 seconds
Incline Bench Press 8 2 60 seconds
Step-Up 8 3 60 seconds
Pull-Up 10 2 60 seconds
Lying Leg Raise 10 2 60 seconds
Decline Sit-Up 10 2 60 seconds
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Cardio Training
5 minute warm-up
30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise (6-7 on a scale of 1-2)
5 minute cool-down
Day 7: Rest
Intermediate Workout
Day 1: Strength Training
Exercise Reps Sets Rest
Squat 8 4 60 seconds
Bench Press 8 3 60 seconds
Deadlift 8 4 60 seconds
Barbell Row 8 3 60 seconds
Reverse Crunch 12 4 30 seconds
Plank on an Exercise Ball
12 4 30 seconds
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Day 2: Cardio Training
5 minute warm-up
45 minutes of moderate intensity exercise (6-7 on a scale of 1-2)
5 minute cool-down
Day 3: Strength Training
Exercise Reps Sets Rest
Leg Press 8 4 60 seconds
Incline Bench Press 8 3 60 seconds
Step-Up 8 4 60 seconds
Pull-Up 10 3 60 seconds
Lying Leg Raise 12 3 30 seconds
Decline Sit-Up 12 3 30 seconds
Day 4: Agility Training
For this agility workout, you’re going to place 7 pylons all in a row across the length of a
gymnasium (or large field), about 10-20 meters apart depending on how far you want to run.
Once they are in position, you’re going to run to the first pylon, stop, and perform the first
exercise in the series listed below. Aim to complete 20-30 reps and then do one lap around the
pylon before running to the next. Once at the second pylon, perform 20-30 reps of the second
exercise listed and this time, run the opposite direction around the pylon.
Continue on until all 7 pylons have been completed and then repeat a second time throw. Note
that some pylons will require you to place a piece of equipment down beside them, so get that
prepared before you start. (refer to page 26 for diagram)
Exercise Sequence
Single leg deadlift holding an exercise ball
Push-Ups
Plank with alternating leg raise (30-60 second hold)
V-Sit Raises
Side to side shuffle (taking 10 shuffles in either direction and completing for 4 lengths)
Single Leg Squats (5 reps per side)
30 Second balance on either leg with the opposite leg extended in front
Day 5: Rest
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Day 6: Strength Training
Exercise Reps Sets Rest
Squat 8 4 60 seconds
Bench Press 8 3 60 seconds
Split Squats 8 4 60 seconds
Barbell Row 8 3 60 seconds
Bicycle 12 4 30 seconds
Plank on an Exercise Ball
12 4 30 seconds
Day 7: Cardio Training
5 minute warm-up
30 seconds RPE (rate of perceived exertion) 8
60 seconds RPE 3
30 seconds RPE 8
60 seconds RPE 3
30 seconds RPE 8
60 seconds RPE 3
30 seconds RPE 8
60 seconds RPE 3
30 seconds RPE 8
60 seconds RPE 3
30 seconds RPE 8
60 seconds RPE 3
5 minute cool-down
Advanced Workout
Day 1: Strength Training
Exercise Reps Sets Rest
Squat 10 3 60 seconds
Lunge 10 3 60 seconds
Bench Press 10 2 60 seconds
Deadlift 10 3 60 seconds
Barbell Row 10 2 60 seconds
Twisting Decline Sit-Up
15 3 30 seconds
Lying Leg Raise 15 3 30 seconds
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Crunch On The Ball 15 3 30 seconds
Day 2: Cardio Training
5 minute warm-up
30 seconds RPE (rate of perceived exertion) 8
60 seconds RPE 3
30 seconds RPE 8
60 seconds RPE 3
30 seconds RPE 8
60 seconds RPE 3
30 seconds RPE 8
60 seconds RPE 3
30 seconds RPE 8
60 seconds RPE 3
30 seconds RPE 8
60 seconds RPE 3
5 minute cool-down
Day 3: Strength Training
Exercise Reps Sets Rest
Leg Press 10 3 60 seconds
Split Squat 10 3 60 seconds
Incline Press 10 2 60 seconds
Deadlift 10 3 60 seconds
Pull-Up 10 2 60 seconds
Side Crunch on the Ball
15 3 30 seconds
Hanging Leg Raise 15 3 30 seconds
Reverse Crunch 15 3 30 seconds
Day 4: Agility Training
For this agility workout, you’re going to place 10 pylons all in a row across the length of a
gymnasium (or large field), about 10-20 meters apart depending on how far you want to run.
Once they are in position, you’re going to run to the first pylon, stop, and perform the first
exercise in the series listed below. Aim to complete 25-30 reps and then do one lap around the
How To Beat The Beep Test Page 31
pylon before running to the next. Once at the second pylon, perform 25-30 reps of the second
exercise listed and this time, run the opposite direction around the pylon.
Continue on until all 10 pylons have been completed and then repeat a second time throw.
Note that some pylons will require you to place a piece of equipment down beside them, so get
that prepared before you start. (refer to page 26 for diagram- note that you’ll be using 10 not 7
pylons this time)
Exercise Sequence
Single leg deadlift holding an exercise ball
Push-Ups
Plank with alternating leg raise (30-60 second hold)
V-Sit Hold
Side to side shuffle (taking 10 shuffles in either direction and completing for 4 lengths)
Single Leg Squats (5 reps per side)
30 Second balance on either leg with the opposite leg extended in front
Burpees
Lateral Raises while standing on one leg (10 reps each side)
Stationary Lunges With A Side Twist While Holding An Exercise Ball
Day 5: Rest
Day 6: Strength Training
Exercise Reps Sets Rest
Squat 8 5 60 seconds
Deadlift 8 5 60 seconds
Bench Press 8 3 60 seconds
Barbell Row 8 3 60 seconds
Shoulder Press 10 3 60 seconds
Plank 1 minute hold 5 30 seconds
Day 7: Cardio Training
5 minute warm-up
30 seconds RPE (rate of perceived exertion) 8
60 seconds RPE 3
30 seconds RPE 8
60 seconds RPE 3
30 seconds RPE 8
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60 seconds RPE 3
30 seconds RPE 8
60 seconds RPE 3
30 seconds RPE 8
60 seconds RPE 3
30 seconds RPE 8
60 seconds RPE 3
5 minute cool-down
So there you have your various beep test training procedures. Make sure that you give
everything to each and every workout you complete and you will be well on the way to
dramatically improving your performance.
Now let’s move on and go over what you need to know from a nutritional point of view to
improve your performance level and make sure your body is getting everything that it needs
throughout your training.
Chapter 7: Nutrition Tips For Maximum Performance
While your physical training is what will provide the stimulus for the muscles to react to,
allowing you to make clear gains in strength, endurance, and speed, it’s your nutrition that
provides your body with the raw materials to develop lean muscle tissue, help speed the
recovery process, and provide the energy to do those workouts in the first place.
If you’re someone who does feel they have a few pounds to lose and would notice an improved
score ate a lighter body weight (since a higher body weight will mean more mass to transport,
which can slow you down), then you might consider taking a little extra time to prepare for the
beep test, using a lower calorie diet first to shed those few pounds and then resuming with a
higher calorie approach onwards to support your training objectives.
It’s a big mistake to try and couple an intense diet program with the workouts that we’ve
outlined above because, as we mentioned earlier, doing so is going to cause you to experience
a higher overall recovery time that will make it that much harder to carry on with your
workouts.
So what do you need from a nutritional point of view?
Let’s look at the primary things that you need to note.
How To Beat The Beep Test Page 33
Your Calorie Intake
The very first thing that you’ll want to be thinking about is your calorie intake. In order to get
through each workout session, you need to be providing enough calories for your body to burn
as fuel.
For most individuals who are looking to maintain their body weight and support the training
programs we’ve outlined above, about fifteen calories per pound of body weight will be
sufficient.
If you lead a very active lifestyle outside of this training (such as if you have a labor intensive
job), then you may wish to take your calorie intake up slightly higher. If you find that you are
growing quite fatigued as you go about your training, this is a clear sign that you aren’t getting
enough calories and would benefit from adding more in.
On the other hand, if you are someone who is looking for modest weight loss without having to
sacrifice performance that much, then thirteen calories per pound is a good range to shoot for.
Remember that you always should adjust this number based on the real world results you
experience. If you find that you are gaining weight on that intake or you are losing weight
without the intent to do so, this means that you’re either eating too few or too many calories.
Constant assessment and adjustment is key to ongoing results.
Assessing Your Protein Intake
The second important part of your diet that you need to be taking into account is your protein
intake. Apart from getting your calorie intake down correctly, your protein intake is the next
important thing that you must make sure you’re doing if you are going to see optimal results.
Protein is what will supply the building blocks to build new muscle tissues out of and repair the
ones that you’ve broken down after your workout session.
Protein will also help to stabilize your blood glucose levels as well, making sure that you don’t
experiences highs and lows as you go about your day. If you’ve ever experienced a blood sugar
crash before, you know just how detrimental this can be to how you feel and function. It is not
going to allow you to be at your best.
For best results, you should be aiming to consume around one gram of protein per pound of
body mass. Assuming you aren’t using a very strict diet, this will provide enough to support
your lean muscle mass and all the training that you’re doing.
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The top choices of protein to choose from include chicken breasts, turkey breast, lean red
meat, egg whites (the odd whole egg can also be included), fish and seafood, low fat dairy
products, as well as whey protein powder.
Make sure that you choose a lean source of protein with each and every meal and snack that
you eat and you should have no problem getting in what you need.
Choosing Your Carbohydrates
After you have your protein all set up and ready to go, the next thing to consider is your
carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates will be vital to be eating around each workout that you
complete and can still be included throughout the day in minimal amounts as well.
The key thing to always keep in mind with regards to your carbohydrate choices is that you
want them to be as least processed as possible. The more processed that carb is, the faster it’s
going to cause an increase to your blood glucose levels, potentially causing a crash down the
road.
This is then just going to cause intense hunger as well as a feeling of weakness to set in, which
is not something that is going to help you on the road to success.
The best choices of non-refined carbohydrates to choose from include oats, brown rice, barley,
millet, quinoa, sweet potatoes, as well as very grainy breads.
Fruits can also be included in moderation but keep in mind these aren’t as complex as the
above listed carbs so will not sustain physical performance quite as well. They are generally
lower in calories however, so can be worked into your daily diet without too much trouble.
Vegetables should also be consumed in very high quantities as these will supply you with
important nutrients that you cannot be missing out on and dietary fiber to help keep your
hunger levels down.
Vegetables typically do not need to be counted as part of your total calorie intake due to the
fact that they will provide so few calories total. Eat them to your heart’s content (just don’t
slather them in butter or high calorie sauces beforehand).
Carbohydrate calories from the starch based carbs do add up quickly, so make sure that you are
adamant about monitoring your serving size. If you aren’t, you might find yourself taking in far
more than you intended to.
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Factoring In Facts
Finally, last but not least, the third macronutrient that you need to think about is your fat
intake. Fats aren’t quite as important for physical performance as protein and carbs are as they
won’t be used to fuel high intensity activity, but this doesn’t mean that they don’t need to be
included as part of your diet plan.
Fats are still important for providing some essential nutrients that the body requires for
maximum results and for keeping hunger levels down lower. Fats help to extend the time it
takes for your food to be digested so by adding a small amount to each of your meals, you will
feel satisfied for a longer period of time, thus you will be able to go longer between each meal
that you eat.
Fats will also have no impact on your blood glucose levels, so for those who do struggle to
maintain proper blood sugar, they will be very helpful to consume.
As they are the most calorie dense nutrient of the three at nine calories per gram while
proteins and carbs contain four, you do need to be very careful about how many you are
eating.
Eat too many fats and your calorie intake will shoot up quickly. Always measure out your fat
serving size initially until you have a very good idea of how many you need to be taking in that
you can ‘eyeball’ it.
The top choices for healthy fats include olive oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, flaxseeds, nuts,
natural nut butters, avocados, as well as fatty sources of fish. Choose these over saturated fats
that will only cause health problems down the road.
Finally, the last thing to be mentioned about dietary fats is that you should never consume
them before or after the workout. At this time you want the carbs and proteins to be delivered
to the muscle tissues at top speed and fat will only slow down the process. Save them for later
on during the day and make those meals or shakes as fat free as possible.
Thinking About Meal Timing
Finally, the last thing that you need to think about when structuring your diet plan is the meal
timing approach that you’ll use.
The most important time in the day when you absolutely must be eating if you want to see
good success is right before as well as after your workout sessions. Skip over your meals at this
point and you will be setting yourself up for problems down the road.
How To Beat The Beep Test Page 36
It’s at this time that your body is crying out for food and the muscles are most in need of
nourishment, so it’s a must that you’re giving them what you need.
Furthermore, you may also want to keep in mind that you should be placing the largest amount
of calories at this time period as well.
Far too many people avoid eating too many calories after a workout or before because they
believe by doing so, they will burn fat faster. This, however, isn’t the truth. It’s the total daily
calorie intake that you use that determines whether or not you gain or lose body fat, not the
time in which you eat those calories.
Additionally, since you’re aiming for optimal performance here anyway, fat loss should always
come in second (if it’s even a consideration).
Beyond the pre and post workout period, try and space your meals and snacks out over the
course of the day, consuming one every two to three hours to keep your hunger levels lower
and prevent unstable blood glucose.
Finally, the last thing that we must note before ending off on this section on nutrition is that
you need to stay well hydrated as well. Even minimal amounts of dehydration can have
devastating impacts on your performance and energy levels, so making sure that you are
replacing any fluids you lose will be of critical importance.
You should always be aiming to consume at least ten, eight ounce glasses of water or other
caffeine-free beverages per day, adding more to that number if you are very physically active.
If you get to a point where you are very thirsty, this is your first indication that you’re already
on your way to becoming dehydrated.
Finally, as another reason to make sure that you are drinking enough, dehydration will cause a
reduction in your metabolic rate and that will prevent further weight loss results from
occurring.
So not only is it vital that you maintain adequate hydration from a performance and optimal
energy point of view, but it’s also important from a lean body composition point of view as well.
This concludes the nutrition section of preparing for the beep test. Now let’s talk a little bit
about your game day preparation.
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Chapter 8: Game Day Preparation
As the big day draws near, it’s important that you’re taking steps to ensure that you are fully
prepared. Many people often let their nerves get the best of them and this can completely
derail their performance and lead to a high level of disappointment.
Fortunately, if you keep a few key strategies in mind, you can prevent this from occurring.
So what should you be doing to prepare for the big day? Let’s have a quick peak at a few things
that you need to be doing.
Keeping Your ‘Routine’ The Same
The very first thing that you must do for optimal performance is aim to keep you routine as
similar to what it normally is as possible. This s going to give you a sense of comfort and
security, two things that will go a long way towards keeping you calm and easing your nerves.
When you get up and go about your morning (and afternoon depending on when the test is)
just as you normally would, nothing will feel different and you’ll be more likely to perform as
you have during your practice trials.
In addition to keeping what you do the same, another very critical thing that you must do is
keep what you eat the same. Don’t attempt to carb load or do anything different than what you
normally do.
By this point you should have figured out a good pre-exercise meal to consume that leaves you
feeling energized and not weighed down so you should continue to consume that same meal so
that your body knows exactly what to expect.
It is important that you are not carb depleted going into this test, so make sure that you are
eating a higher carb diet in the days leading up to it. Just do not carb load the night before
because this will just leave you feeling bloated and potentially sluggish as well.
If you sustain a moderate carb intake in the week leading up to the test, you should have fully
stocked muscle glycogen levels and not have to worry about being depleted when you go into
the test.
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Using Visualization To Promote Better Performance
The next strategy to use to help enhance your game day performance is visualization. Many
professional athletes use visualization to boost their results and you should be making use of it
as well.
What you’ll be doing during visualization is sitting some place that you can relax quickly and
closing your eyes, picturing yourself going about the test and successfully completing it as you
have hoped for.
Picture yourself performing to the best of your abilities while staying calm and focused
throughout the entire time. Imagine what it feels like and what the environment around you is
like as well.
This is going to help bring you greater overall confidence in your abilities, making sure that you
feel that yes, you can complete this race successfully.
Those who lack self-confidence may quickly falter should their performance start to decline for
whatever reason as they lose focus entirely and are left struggling to keep up.
Since this test is largely about mental focus and the ability to control your pace and body, you
must maintain good concentration the entire way through.
Some people may wish to use this visualization strategy for the week leading up to the event,
making sure that they are really preparing themselves and making the most out of their training
sessions, while some others may just do it on the day of the actual event.
The choice is yours but making sure that you do use this technique is important as it will
significantly influence your performance. Don’t underestimate the power of your mind.
Reducing Your Stress
Another thing that you should be doing to help to prepare for game day is lowering your overall
stress level as much as possible.
Those who are highly stressed out are going to feel more drained and fatigued than those who
aren’t and may also have a more negative mindset as well.
Try and create as stress-free of a life as possible in the week leading up to the event so it’s not
having any influence on you and then also make sure that you do everything in your power to
make the event day as relaxed as possible.
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Try and perform any errands or tasks you need to do to be ready for the test the day or two
before so that come race day, all you need to do is relax and focus on your performance.
Getting Sufficient Rest
Finally, the last thing that you must be doing to ensure that you are feeling your best as you
prepare to complete the beep test is make sure that you are well rested.
It would be a very good idea to consider cutting back slightly on your training program the week
leading up to the test. This is going to help ensure that you don’t have a build-up of fatigue
occurring that would potentially take away from the progress that you’re able to give.
If you’ve done your training well, reducing the total volume and intensity slightly in the week
leading up to the event should have no influence over your conditioning level and will only
work in your favor.
This will not only help to promote better muscular recovery, but also keep your mind feeling
fresh and be completely ready to push hard when you take the test.
It would be a good idea to take one or two days off three days before the test is to be taken and
then just perform a light run for 20-30 minutes on the day before the test. This will get you up
and moving, increasing the blood circulation to the muscle cells.
This run should not cause any fatigue but if anything, just leave you energized going into your
test.
Finally, in addition to cutting back on your training volume, also take care to ensure that you
are sleeping well each night also. Sleep is hugely important for recovery and if you’re not
getting a good rest, it will influence how you perform.
Practice good sleep habits such as taking a hot bath before bed, sipping on some chamomile or
herbal tea, using a stress journal to write down whatever is stressing you so that you can free it
from your mind, as well as making sure to have a light meal before bed to help induce sleep and
prevent waking up hunger, but not a heavy one that will sit in your stomach and keep you
awake all night long.
Focus on protein rich foods with a small dose of carbohydrates if you have difficulty sleeping
because these will cause serotonin to be released in the body, which is a feel good hormone
that will promote a calm state.
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If you don’t have trouble sleeping, then you may opt for a protein and fat based snack as these
can help to control your blood sugar levels slightly better.
Taking the time to get all of these factors in place before you arrive on your testing day will help
to significantly enhance the results you see and make sure that you feel your best going into
the event.
Most of these take minimal effort on your part, so there’s no reason why you can’t be including
them as part of your prep process.
Now let’s wrap up this guide by speaking a little bit about injury prevention so that you can be
sure an injury doesn’t get in your way of a successful training plan.
Chapter 9: Injury Prevention
Perhaps one of the most devastating things that could occur as you go about your beep test
training procedure is suffering from an injury. Things may be going along perfectly – you’re
seeing the progress you had hoped for, are feeling confident that you are on top of your game,
and then one day, it just happens.
One minute you’re fine and the next, you’re in excruciating pain that will just not let up.
Immediately all hopes of successfully complete the test on your intended date vanish and
you’re left feeling disappointed and discouraged.
Taking steps to prevent the above from occurring is one of the most important things that you
can do. Let’s look at what these steps are that you should be taking so that you can stay injury
free.
Warm-Up
The very first must-do to prevent injuries from occurring is making sure that you get a good
warm-up in. Spending ten minutes at the start of your workout to loosen up the muscle tissues,
get the blood circulating throughout the body, and increasing your mental focus and
concentration will be a must.
Your warm-up should ideally consist of five minutes or so of light cardio-based activity, either
using the cardio machines, marching in place, doing some light skipping, or other movements
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that utilize a large range of motion and loosen up the muscles and joints, and then from there
you should go on and perform some gentle stretching activities.
Remember to maintain a steady and controlled breathing pattern as you do this as that will
help to increase the circulation throughout the body, delivering fresh oxygen to the working
muscle tissues.
If you are working out first thing in the morning, you may want to spend an additional five or
ten minutes doing your warm-up because at this point your body will be in its coldest state and
you will be slower to prepare.
Maintain Good Form
The second tip to stay injury-free is to make sure that you maintain good form at all times. If
your form starts to go, you’re immediately putting yourself at risk for an injury as you won’t be
executing the exercise in the movement pattern that you should.
You’ll may be placing additional strain and tension on the muscle tissues, causing them to react
in ways that are not natural for the body, potentially causing a tear or strain in the process.
If you don’t understand what proper form is for any of the exercises that we mentioned above,
then you should be booking a session with a personal trainer who will be able to show you how
to execute each movement correctly.
Furthermore, if you are someone who is going to be lifting much heavier weight in an attempt
to build up your strength as high as possible, make sure that you are also using a spotter while
at the gym as well.
These will help give you the peace of mind in knowing that if you do start to falter at any point
while performing the lift, they will be right there to help you out.
One wrong move when you’re lifting an incredibly heavy weight and that may be the end of
your training for months or longer depending on just how badly you injure yourself.
Don’t Workout When Highly Fatigued
Another quick tip to help reduce your injury risk that you’re experiencing is to make sure that
you never workout when you are highly fatigued. While there are times when pushing through
a bit of fatigue is alright and necessary if you want to make training progress, recognize when
fatigue is extreme and is demanding that you just take time off.
If you’re so fatigued that the thought of exercise is enough to make you feel even more tired,
going to the gym likely isn’t in your best interests.
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You aren’t going to be able to put in a good performance anyway – one that would lead to
optimal progress, so you might as well just stay home, rest up, and make sure that you can give
a good effort the next session you have scheduled.
Going to the gym, especially when you have a weights workout scheduled, when you are highly
fatigued will really up your chances of injury because not only will you not be as mentally
focused to sustain proper form, but your muscles may begin to give out during a lift, causing
the weight to come crashing down.
This can place your body in very awkward positions, causing that injury to quickly set in. Some
fatigue is okay but too much and you had better skip the session.
Know When To Quit
In addition to learning to recognize when you are better off just skipping the gym, also make
sure that you learn when to quit. Don’t push yourself so hard that you’re not maintaining good
form or start to feel light-headed and dizzy.
Here again, pushing yourself hard is good but overexerting yourself to the point where you can
hardly stay focused and possibly even ‘up’ for continuing on your workout is not a wise move.
At no point should you be feeling very unwell in your training, so if you do often find that you
are starting to experience these types of feelings, that’s a good sign that it may be time to let
up a bit.
You really don’t have to kill yourself in training to make good progress and often staying one
step back from the point of maximum fatigue is what will yield the best results anyway.
Use Proper Equipment
Finally, last but not least, make sure that you’re using proper equipment as well. Using poor
equipment or worse yet, malfunctioning equipment is a very fast way to get yourself injured.
This not only refers to the actual pieces of equipment that you use to execute your exercises on
(such as treadmills, weight machines, barbells, etc.) but also your running shoes and any other
equipment or clothing on your body as well.
You need to make sure that you are in a good pair of running shoes that are going to provide
the support and cushioning that you require or else you’re going to find that you are starting to
suffer from knee and back pain as you move throughout your workouts.
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Many people who exercise indoors forget to change their shoes regularly due to the fact that
they stay looking like new. But, don’t neglect the fact that with ongoing use comes wear and
tear and the support system is going to become more and more worn out.
Getting yourself a new pair of shoes every so often can go a long way to minimizing joint pain.
So there you have some of the key things to remember about preventing injuries as you go
about your beep training program.
Many of the concepts that apply to any workout program will apply here as well, so use some
common sense and be smart as you go about your workouts.
Conclusion
This concludes your guide to training for the beep test. Hopefully you now feel ready to take on
the test and perform to the best of your abilities. Remember that nothing good comes without
some hard work, so be prepared to put in the work necessary to see success.
The more effort you put in – while staying wise at the same time and not neglecting your
recovery needs, the better the results you will see.
Make sure that you do take the comprehensive approach that we’ve outlined in this manual,
not just relying on only cardio training because it’s what you ‘prefer’.
If you want to see the best possible result, you need to be taking multiple elements of your
fitness into account. Fail to do so and you’ll only be failing yourself.
So there you have it – work hard, work smart, and you will succeed as you had hoped you
would.