Test the same way. Every time.

3–5 rep max

1. Warm up: 5 min easy, then your normal mobility for the lift.
2. Ramp up in 4–6 sets: bar × 10, ~50% × 5, ~70% × 3, ~80% × 2, ~90% × 1. Rest 2 min between.
3. Test set: pick a weight you can lift 3–5 times. Rest 3–4 min, then go. Stop with about 1 rep left in the tank, not a grinder to failure.
4. Got more than 5 clean reps? Rest 4 min, add 2.5–5%, and do one more set. Two test sets maximum per lift.
5. Same standard every time: same depth on squats, chest touch on bench, full lockout, no bounce. A rep that wouldn't count last time doesn't count now.

Record: weight and reps of your best clean set. The profile works out your estimated 1RM.

5K run

1. Warm up: 10 min easy jog, then 4 × 20 s strides (quick, relaxed) with a walk back.
2. Pace it evenly. First kilometre should feel controlled, not fast. Most people go out too hard and fade; the even runner always wins.
3. Last kilometre: empty the tank.
4. Cool down: 5–10 min walk or easy jog.

Treadmill: set 1% incline and use the same treadmill next time. Parkrun is ideal: measured, timed and repeatable.

Record: finish time. Note the route, and if you wear a heart-rate strap, your average HR for the last 20 minutes.

2K row

1. Set the damper to 4–6. Drag factor 110–130 if you can check it (More Options → Display Drag Factor). Write it down and use the same next time. Damper 10 is not "harder", it's just slower.
2. Warm up: 8 min easy, then 3 × 20 strokes building to race pace, 1 min easy between.
3. Set the monitor to 2000 m (Select Workout → Standard List).
4. Pace it: pick a target split, hold it for the first 1500 m, then lift the rate and push for the last 500 m. Don't sprint the start.
5. Rate 26–32 strokes per minute. Power comes from the legs, not pulling harder with the arms.

Record: finish time and average /500 m split. Note the drag factor.

2K SkiErg

1. Damper 4–6, drag factor around 80–110. Note it and use the same next time.
2. Warm up: 8 min easy, then 3 × 20 pulls building to race pace, 1 min easy between.
3. Set the monitor to 2000 m.
4. Pace it like the row: steady first 1500 m, push the last 500 m. Hinge at the hips and drive down with the body, not just the arms; arms-only pulling blows up by 800 m.

Record: finish time and average /500 m split. Expect it to be slower than your row, often by 20–30 s.

Bike FTP (20-minute test)

FTP is the power you can hold for about an hour. We estimate it from a 20-minute all-out effort. You need a bike that measures power (smart trainer, Wattbike, power meter). Assault and air bikes don't work for this; their watts aren't comparable.

1. Warm up 15 min: 10 min easy, then 3 × 1 min hard with 1 min easy between, then 5 min easy.
2. Optional opener: 5 min hard, then 5 min easy. This gives a more accurate result, but use it every time or never.
3. 20 min all-out, evenly paced. Start a little under what you think you can hold. After 10 minutes, if you feel good, nudge it up. Last 2 minutes: everything.
4. Cool down: 10 min easy.

Record: your FTP = average watts for the 20 minutes × 0.95 (e.g. 263 W average → 250 W FTP). Enter your bodyweight too; FTP is scored per kilo. If you wore a heart-rate strap, send me your average HR for the 20 minutes; it sets your training zones.

Use the same bike every time. Different bikes and power meters can read 5–10% apart.

Waist & bodyweight

1. Weigh in first thing, after the toilet, before food or drink, in underwear. Do it 3–7 mornings across the week and use the average. One weigh-in can swing 1–2 kg on salt and carbs alone.
2. Waist: same morning conditions. Tape at your navel, level all the way round, relaxed, after a normal breath out. Don't suck in. Measure twice; use the average.

Record: average weight (kg) and waist (cm).

Recovery questions

• Answer for the past two weeks, not just today.
• Be honest. A low score isn't failing; it tells me where to adjust. Inflated scores mean I'll push you when I should be pulling back.
• Use a sleep tracker average if you have one; otherwise your best estimate.