Record fitness benchmark

Physical fitness is essential for safe backcountry exploration, personal confidence, and long-term health. Requirement 6a is not a pass-or-fail test; there are no minimum scores required to advance. Instead, it establishes an honest, objective baseline of your physical fitness across four essential areas: upper-body muscular endurance, core strength, flexibility, and aerobic endurance.

This baseline gives you a starting point so you can design a personal 30-day improvement plan in Requirement 6b and measure your real progress in Requirement 6c.

Proper Form and Testing Procedures

To make your 30-day comparison meaningful, you must perform each test using strict, correct form:

Push-Ups (Upper-Body Muscular Endurance)

• Starting Position: Lie face down with hands flat on the floor, slightly wider than shoulder-width, fingers pointing forward. Straighten your legs with toes tucked under, holding your body rigid in a straight line from heels to the crown of your head (a full plank). Do not allow your hips to sag or your buttocks to pike upward.
• Movement: Lower your entire body until your elbows bend to at least a 90-degree right angle (upper arms parallel to the ground). Push back up smoothly until your arms are fully extended.
• Scoring: Count the number of correctly performed push-ups completed in 60 seconds. (Resting is permitted only in the upright plank position).
• Training Modification: If you cannot yet complete full push-ups, you may practice knee push-ups (keeping your spine and thighs in a straight line), working up toward full plank push-ups for the official test.

Sit-Ups or Curl-Ups (Core Strength & Endurance)

Choose either sit-ups or curl-ups:

• Sit-Ups:
  • Lie flat on your back on a mat with knees bent at a 90-degree angle and feet flat on the floor, held securely by a buddy.
  • Cross your arms over your chest with your hands resting on opposite shoulders.
  • Curl your torso upward until your elbows touch your thighs, then lower under control until your shoulder blades touch the mat.
  • Count the total correct repetitions completed in 60 seconds.
• Curl-Ups (Alternative):
  • Lie on your back with knees bent and feet unheld, resting your hands flat beside your hips.
  • Curl your head and shoulders up, sliding your fingertips forward about 4.5 inches along the floor, hold briefly, then lower back down.

Back-Saver Sit-and-Reach (Flexibility)

This test measures the flexibility of your hamstring muscles and lower back safely, testing one leg at a time to prevent lower spine strain and hyperextension.

• Setup: Use a sturdy box approximately 12 inches high. Place a measuring ruler on top of the box with the 9-inch mark aligned with the vertical front face where your foot rests, and the “0-inch” mark closest to your body.
• Testing Position: Remove your shoes. Sit on the floor and extend one leg straight forward with the sole of your foot flat against the front face of the box. Bend your other knee with the sole of that foot flat on the floor, placed 2 to 3 inches to the side of your straight knee.
• Execution: Place one hand directly over the other, palms facing down with fingers aligned. Reach smoothly forward along the ruler four times. On the fourth reach, hold the position for at least 1 full second and record the distance reached in inches.
• Repeat for Both Legs: Switch legs and record your measurement for both your Right and Left legs separately.

One-Mile Walk/Run (Cardiorespiratory Aerobic Endurance)

• Course: Run on a standard 400-meter track (4 laps plus approximately 10 yards) or a measured, flat 1-mile route on a trail or quiet neighborhood street mapped with an adult leader.
• Execution: Complete the 1-mile distance as fast as you can safely manage. Pace yourself steadily from the start rather than sprinting and exhausting yourself early. You may alternate between running and brisk walking as needed to catch your breath.
• Scoring: Record your total elapsed time in minutes and seconds.

Warm-Up and Testing Safety