Tom Rowland Podcast

The Multistage Fitness Test, also called the Beep Test or even the Bleep Test in some places, is a simple test of fitness.  All you need is 20 m of open space and the audio linked in this article and you can test your fitness.  You simply follow the cues on the audio and at the sound of the beep, run 20 m to the other line.  Stop there and wait for the next beep which sends you to the other line.  You will continue doing this as the time between the beeps decreases.  When you can no longer keep up the test is over. A good score is over 9 for a regular individual, college athletes look for a 13 and pros are getting 17 or 18 rounds.   The importance of this test is not necessarily just to see how well you do running back and forth, rather it is a benchmark that gauges general fitness.  It is measurable, repeatable and can be done anywhere.  Benchmarks like this one help us to stay on track and continue to stay motivated because you see improvement.  Seeing improvement, even if it is just 1 second, 1 pound or 1