Through two episodes, we have tested health metrics, mobility and physical literacy. This time it’s all about strength: both lower and upper body strength.
To do this, our expert and overall competition designer Adrian Lightowler (head strength coach at the University of Toronto) picked the 10-rep max deadlift and max-inverted rows as the challenges for the third episode.
Here Lightowler explains why:
“We chose the deadlift for 10 reps because it is a lifting pattern which is incredibly common in day-to-day life and requires full body strength and stability.
Having good strength and deadlift technique will not only be useful when it comes to being a good friend and helping your friends move, but it also reduces your chance of a back injury.
WHAT’S YOUR FITNESS AGE?: Physical literacy
It is common to think that squatting is the way to lift things from the floor, but that isn’t correct. People should think about the deadlift pattern when picking things up and putting things down.
We chose the inverted row with your feet on the ground for the body weight strength test because it, again, requires the whole body to work to stabilize while you do the movement and it is common to have to stabilize your trunk when you are pulling.”
If you’re watching at home and want to try testing your own strength, you can follow the scoring graphic above for this episode.
In this video, Adrian Lightlowler and University of Toronto women’s hockey player Kiyono Cox explain and show how to complete each strength movement.
Be sure to check GlobalNews.ca next Friday for the final episode.