The Cooper test is a fitness test that was developed with the US military in mind, but quickly gained popularity among athletes. The purpose of the Cooper test is to determine your fitness level based on the distance you run in a 12-minute run. Not only professional runners, but also amateur athletes can check their fitness, so it's worth learning all the rules of the Cooper test and checking your fitness level.
Contents:
- Cooper test: running test
- Cooper test: swimming
- Cooper test for runners in Poland
Cooper's Testis an endurance test developed by the American physician Kenneth H. Cooper in 1968, involving a 12-minute continuous run. The Cooper test was originally developed to determine the physical condition of US Army soldiers. Currently, it is commonly used to determine the form of a player, and specifically his individual maximum aerobic capacity (V02 max), which is an important feature in endurance training and an indicator of the athlete's physical condition.
Cooper test: running test
The running test should be performed on a soft surface (e.g. on a treadmill, in a gym) or on a running track at an athletics stadium. Distances traveled by the tested person should be marked every 100 meters. The runner's task is to cover the longest possible distancein 12 minuteswithout interruption. This distance will be taken as a measure of a runner's physical condition.
Before the Cooper test, as before any strenuous effort, we warm up and concentrate as much as possible on achieving the goal of running the longest distance possible in a given time. At the beginning of the run, we do not impose too high a pace, but increase it with each minute. During the run, it is worth maintaining the same pace all the time to accelerate sharply at the end.
The assessment of the organism's endurance level is based on specially developed tables. These results take into account the sex and age of the test person. Professional athletes are judged by others, highercriteria.
For example, a 30-year-old woman who ran 2200 meters in 12 minutes achieved a very good result in the Cooper test. In turn, her peer, who ran 1700 meters, has a poor organism efficiency. In turn, the best professional runners can run 3,900 meters during this time.
A 30-year-old man who covered 2700 meters in 12 minutes achieved a very good result. A man of the same age who ran 2,300 meters is much weaker physically - then his form is only satisfactory and he should work on it. The most experienced runners during the Cooper test cover a distance of 4,400 meters.
Cooper test: swimming
The Cooper test for swimming should be done in undisturbed water with moderate temperature - the best place to do it is in the swimming pool. A swimmer must swim continuously for 12 minutes to test his fitness level. Distance is measured with an accuracy of 25 meters.
The condition of a woman in her twenties who swim over 550 meters, according to a specially prepared table, is very good. A woman who has swim 250 meters or less has the lowest capacity.
In turn, the form of a 30-year-old man who has swim more than 575 meters, according to Cooper's chart, is very good. He should start working on his condition when he swim only 400 meters - it is a satisfactory result. The result of 300 meters shows the very poor efficiency of the body.
Cooper test for runners in Poland
In Poland, Cooper tests are organized every year by the Academic Sports Association. Everyone, regardless of gender and experience, can take part in the free test. Each competitor receives a bib number, a certificate with the test result and a bottle of water. Registration for the Cooper test usually takes place online. Whoever does not make it, can register on the test day at the place where the race is organized.