Up here in the Northeast the cold weather finally broke and it is starting to get warm in the mornings (about time!) the warmer weather and relative lack of humidity up here is makes it very conducive for running. Consider that it is late May, and it is only 72 degrees and none of the humidity? yep, solid running weather.
For resistance training it is fairly easy to tell if someone lifts weights. They are bigger due to the increased muscle mass. Further evidence can be found in the weight room when they lift more and more weight. Statistically, measuring aerobic endurance is a bit tricker. You might look at someone and conclude they are a runner due to body composition, but how can you really tell? folks could just be skinny. Even watching someone run it can be hard to tell. I have seen fast people with shitty form; or if someone is focusing on shorter distances or long distances. The most surefire way to tell aerobic capability is either Vo2 max or Lactate threshold. This is where it can be complicated. Exact measurements are found in a lab hooked up to machines running on a treadmill for Vo2 max. For lactate threshold blood samples are given and analyzed before and after exercise. Seems complicated right? Yup.
In the words of Yoda from Empire Strikes Back, "There is another"
Vo2 max is how efficient your body's tissues are at processing oxygen. That is the talk to me like a 5th grader version. The nerdy fitness version is figuring out your cardiac output (Heart rate x stroke volume typically measured with the letter Q) times a-vo2 difference (oxygen content between arterial and venous blood (blood going away from heart and comes back)) (double parentheses in one point?) Yep, I'm just showing off). The nerdy fitness version requires blood draws and bougie lab equipment. I am willing to guess that most of us do not possess fancy lab equipment or have access to such equipment.
The much easier way to measure Vo2 max is through simple math.
Max heart rate divided by resting heart rate.
Thats pretty easy
Easier than counting cards (if you got the movie 21 reference with simple math)
First you figure out your Estimated Maximal heart rate. Sounds fancy, but all that goes into the formula is 220-age. With me so far? Let's go over an example. Let's use a 37-year-old. Adding 37 to the equation is 220-37 is 183. Meaning that a 37-year-olds estimated max heart rate is 183 beats per min. Ok, now we got the first portion of the equation
The next portion is a little bit more math but doable. Resting heart rate can be found in different ways. Find your pulse (neck, wrist, groin.... get permission first before getting the measurement from that location) and count for 60 seconds. That is one way, another way is to count for 10 seconds then multiply by 6. Keep in mind that when you pull this data may alter the results. Figuring out your resting heart rate within 5 min of waking up will produce low resting heart rate. Shot gunning two Red Bulls then going to the dentist for drilling will produce another result altogether. I just testing mine. Yes, just now. The kids are in school, the wife is at the gym-in terms of external stress that would throw of the reading is minimal. I did have a few cups of coffee this morning, so take the data at face value. I did the 10 second count down and counted to 10. 10 times 6 is 60. We will call it 60 beats a min for resting heart rate.
Plugging in 60 into the original equation we have 183/60 which equals. 3.05. This is where it can be a bit more complicated. I take that number then multiply by 15.3. 15.3 times 3.05 equals 46.665. For the sake of conversation lets round up to 47. That means that my Vo2 max is approximately 47 ml/kg/min. Per the NSCA charts for Vo2 max I would be in the 70% of adult males from 30-39 years old.
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