7 Tests That You Need To Pass


Aug 5, 2024

 by Stephen Conca
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A few weeks ago, I attended a lecture on training for longevity, and the message couldn’t have been more relevant to what we do here every day. The speaker highlighted three factors most closely tied to long-term health:

  1. Cardiorespiratory fitness

  2. Strength

  3. Muscle mass

Sound familiar? It should—we spend our days helping adults build and maintain exactly these qualities so they can stay active and keep doing the things they love.

The cardio discussion was fascinating (and included some very unpleasant tests). But what really stuck with me was the research on strength standards for adults, especially over 60.

Two things matter a lot: grip strength and thigh strength.

That got me thinking—how do YOU measure up?

Here are 7 strength tests you can try (or at least imagine yourself doing):

✅ Hang from a pull-up bar for 2 minutes with straight arms.
✅ Farmer’s carry: walk 45 seconds holding half your bodyweight in each hand. (Ex: 180 lbs = 90 lbs per hand)
✅ Do 5 single-leg squats to a couch cushion on each leg.
✅ Deadlift 110 lbs from the floor (aka picking something up properly).
✅ Knock out 10 pushups with good form.
✅ Do 10 ring/TRX rows with feet elevated on a 12” box, legs straight.
✅ Goblet squat 50% of your bodyweight for 10 reps.

If you’re feeling strong—awesome! If you’re sweating a little—don’t worry. Strength naturally declines 1–2% per year as we age, unless we train to maintain it.

The good news? Every one of these standards is trainable.

We’ve seen it firsthand hundreds of times over the last 16 years

👉 Wherever you’re starting from, the key is to start. Like investing for retirement, the best time was 20 years ago… but the second-best time is today.