What to do with your fitness test score
So you’ve completed a brutal, sick in your mouth, why am I doing this fitness test and you’re thinking “okay, what now?”
Yes, fitness testing is done to give players a baseline to track progress down the line, however there is more to it than that when it comes to designing training. Fitness test scores can provide players individualised training stimuli to improve their fitness.
The Bronco, 1200m shuttle run tests, maximal 5 minute cycle tests, and alike all measure a person’s Maximal Aerobic Speed (MAS). MAS refers to the slowest speed at which VO2 max occurs. In other words - the speed at which your aerobic energy system is most optimally utilised.
Players need to train in this zone to improve playing performance; to play more quickly, efficiently, and keep skills high.
VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen the body can utilise during exercise.
It’s a vital component for rugby players as it helps their work capacity.
Once we have measured MAS we can more accurately design training to suit players’ individual abilities.
The premise of MAS training is that conditioning sessions are based on percentages of test pace by providing players with target running distances.
For short durations (15-30s) working at 100-120% of MAS is deemed ideal to improve aerobic power.
For long durations (1-3mins), working at 85-100% of MAS is said to significantly improve aerobic capacity.
Both these components of aerobic fitness are important for rugby - i.e. how fast can you run whilst still being aerobic, and how big your general engine is to keep working.
How to work out your MAS
Based on the equation speed = distance/time divide your total test distance (in meters) by the time it takes you (in seconds).
MAS = distance (m) / speed (s)
e.g.
1200 / 360 = 3.33 m/s
If you are completing test which involve a turn, minus your overall time by 0.8 per turn
For example, the Bronco has a whopping 25 turns! So multiply 25 by 0.8.
Therefore the equation is:
1200 / (360 - 20) = 3.53 m/s
Planning your training
So now you’ve got your MAS, it’s time to write some training sessions!
Firstly, decide what kind of session you want to do. Our advice to you is that you complete one short distance MAS and one long distance MAS per week. This will ensure you’re challenging the whole aerobic system and will assist in gradually adapting you to higher running volumes.
For example, if you are performing intervals and each rep is 30s, multiply your MAS by 30s to calculate your target distance.
based on the example above:
3.53 x 30s = 106m
This is your target distance per rep
- If you run this distance, you are running at 100% of your MAS.
The table below represents an example 4-week short MAS training block. Each week, the running volume and intensity go up to help you improve your aerobic power over 4 weeks. It’s tough going
This is typical for an accumulation phase in preseason or if you are trying MAS for the first time.
