Rockport Fitness test

[Brew_master]

For years struggling to get to 9:10 on the bleep test, as i am a big lad who weights 15 and a half stone (not all fat ,mainly muscle). Also suffering from various common sporting injuries mainly the old runners knee. I finally got light blue on my fitness test, but not on the bleep but on something far better, the Rockport fitness test. As this takes into account your weight, age, sex, & average heart rate & not just how quickly you can run and do a 180 on a six pence.

Its a shame its not open to everyone who is not downgraded or injured.

 

[timaloy]

Bleep test is only used as its a way of getting a lot of people through in a oner, you are obviously quite cardio fit, its a weird test that Rockport one,

 

[Studley dangerfcuk]

Don't be fooled its fecking hard to pass it. The mirror techs say it's the hardest one to pass and I've seen a lot fail since I started doing it. I got ostio arth in my knee's.

Studley DT_Xtremez_30:DT_Xtremez_15:

 

[timaloy]

It's a better measurement of fitness than the msft

 

[endgame]

Having never done the rockport fitness test I couldn't comment on it's difficulty, however it seems unlikely that they would instigate a test for those that can't pass the msft for whatever reason and make it harder than the one it's there to replace.
I can understand if there is a higher percentage fail the rockport than fail the msft because the people that take the rockport have underlying problems that stop them passing the msft.

The rockport is over 1 mile which is 1.6Km, this equates to level 9.11 (1.66km) on the msft. Level 9.11 is completed in 9 min 32 secs. What sort of time is the rockport expected to be completed in and is this determined by age etc?

 

[timaloy]

You have to walk as fast as you can, it takes resting pulse and pulse after the mile walk, and weight, its not just a wee stroll round the footy pitch, some people say its to easy for the very fit but it does give an accurate vo2 max measurement

 

[Brew_master]

I must be quite strange then, as i managed to walk the mile in 12 min 41 but then when it worked out my Vo2 it was 50.2 which was light blue. But the thing is to get the same on the bleep test you have to get to level 11 and i struggle to get to 9:10.

 

[timaloy]

It's the stopping and turning that wrecks people on msft, I could smash out a mile and a half in 10 minutes but struggled with msft, bigger lads and lassies struggle with the turning

 

[Brew_master]

It's the stopping and turning that wrecks people on msft, I could smash out a mile and a half in 10 minutes but struggled with msft, bigger lads and lassies struggle with the turning

Thats exactly what i told my mirror tech,that i would be rather smash out a mile and a half. because at least then you can go at your own pace so you down have to start off slowly and then speed up towards the end.

The bleep test is a joke. Wasnt it initially designed to be on a 400m track so you were running to round but stopping on 20m steps? But now just made it so that you have to stop turn on a sixpence and run off again. Not soo good if you weight more than 14st because your using more energy to stop & then putting alot of strain on your knees turning.

 

[endgame]

Thats exactly what i told my mirror tech,that i would be rather smash out a mile and a half. because at least then you can go at your own pace so you down have to start off slowly and then speed up towards the end.

The bleep test is a joke. Wasnt it initially designed to be on a 400m track so you were running to round but stopping on 20m steps? But now just made it so that you have to stop turn on a sixpence and run off again. Not soo good if you weight more than 14st because your using more energy to stop & then putting alot of strain on your knees turning.

Have a look at the wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-stage_fitness_test

With all these different agencies using it I'd guess it must be fit for purpose.

Since joining I've experienced the following fitness tests

1. 1.5 mile aerobic run to be completed in less than 10.5 mins in trainers
2. 1.5 mile warm up in 15 mins as a squad, a 2 minute break then 1.5 mile in under 11 mins ( in boots)
3. 800 metre warm up followed by 1.5 mile run in trainers to be completed in less than 10.5 mins
4. Bicycle test (what a joke)
4. Multi stage fitness test.
5. 6 mile cft (now 8 mile)

Personally the easiest out of all these without a shadow of a doubt is the msft, however I'd be interested for others to add their experiences.

 

[XVR RA RA RA]

It's the stopping and turning that wrecks people on msft, I could smash out a mile and a half in 10 minutes but struggled with msft, bigger lads and lassies struggle with the turning

The bleep test is a joke. Wasnt it initially designed to be on a 400m track so you were running to round but stopping on 20m steps? But now just made it so that you have to stop turn on a sixpence and run off again. Not soo good if you weight more than 14st because your using more energy to stop & then putting alot of strain on your knees turning.

What I heard was the bleep test was designed to be a triangle course, running around 3 cones. So you don't have to turn 180. Each side of the triangle the same length as what the msft is.

 

[Climebear]

2. 1.5 mile warm up in 15 mins as a squad, a 2 minute break then 1.5 mile in under 11 mins ( in boots)

Now there's a blast from the past! There is a new version of this in the Army's OFT1. Same distances but wearing PCS/CS95 and helmet and carrying 15kg. IIRC the times are 18mins as squad followed by 15 mins individual effort. I don't claim to be especially fit but - for a bloke in his late 40s - I can easily cope with the MSFT (11.1) and the CFT (now AFT) is just a case of turning the brain off for a couple of hours; however, this OFT is quite a stretch.

 

[Max]

I'm not too fussed about the whole fitness test thing as surely the priority should be people who are capable of doing their job as well as being able to cope, It rather seems to be the fitness test which is a priority these days.

It's the same as the BMI readings they're very general rather than accurate so don't really tell anyone anything important.

 

[Jamstercat]

It's a better measurement of fitness than the msft

I have taken the Rockport Walk 3 times now and today I passed with flying colours.

It is not easy, I managed to reduce my time from 13.38 HR 153 (fail) to 12.45 HR 155 (training) to 12.04 HR 150 (pass)

To be honest, there is a technique and practice is required. You have to walk like the long distance walkers and at a full out pace.

The heart monitor does not lie! Far better indication than the MSFT of an individual's fitness (or not!) in my opinion.

 

[Mug?]

Well done.

Well done.

I have taken the Rockport Walk 3 times now and today I passed with flying colours.

It is not easy, I managed to reduce my time from 13.38 HR 153 (fail) to 12.45 HR 155 (training) to 12.04 HR 150 (pass)

To be honest, there is a technique and practice is required. You have to walk like the long distance walkers and at a full out pace.

The heart monitor does not lie! Far better indication than the MSFT of an individual's fitness (or not!) in my opinion.

That's walking at 8K/ph I think? I can only get up to 7.5 on the treadmills with a slightly lower heartrate than you. I have short legs though so they are going a lot faster than most. ha ha

 

[MrMasher]

I found going absolutely balls out for the first two laps, slightly slower in the third helps lower your heart rate for the last lap.

Don't go too slow though, it's a fine balance between heart rate and time!