Can anyone give me any insight to what kind of training would help to pass a bleep test, its a Goverment based job for a client. Is there a speed and limit what he could target for on the runner/crosstrainer to make sure he would pass the test.

Its been a long time since ive done or was involved in any kind of beep tests!!!

It's all about VO2 max. So any aerobic exercise that can improve this will be beneficial. There is no escaping this IMO.

The starting speed for the bleeps is 8.5kmh, increasing by 0.5kmh every minute. So you would need to actually practice this. No need to do it over the 20m course. This could be done on a track. Eg 1st minute = 175m, then 200 in the second minute and so on.

The top level (i think) is equivalent to 21Kmh. Some interval training at this speed would be beneficial as well.

So practice over the 20m course is also required to get used to changing direction every 20m. Poor turns can lose a lot of time.

Cleaver is on the money, when I was doing them the key was interval training, but make the rest periods shorter as the training goes on - train hard, fight easy.

Just train him with the bleep test. Nothing more specific than that.

Karlos wrote:Just train him with the bleep test. Nothing more specific than that.

No, no , no!

If you want to be better, you have to train harder - youngsters want it easy all the time. In my day (rambles on for hours!!!)

Karlos wrote:Just train him with the bleep test. Nothing more specific than that.

Disagree. The sharp turns really should not be executed on a constant basis. This would surely increase the risk of injury which would not be cool.

Agree with that as it would be far too easy to turn your ankle.

For practicing turns I would either:

1. Encorporate 180 Degree jumps into a Plyometric Routine.

2. Set up 4 markers to create a 5m square and run a Z pattern through it.

Some info here that will be of help

http://www.topendsports.com/testing/beepmax.htm

cleaver wrote:It's all about VO2 max. So any aerobic exercise that can improve this will be beneficial. There is no escaping this IMO.

The starting speed for the bleeps is 8.5kmh, increasing by 0.5kmh every minute. So you would need to actually practice this. No need to do it over the 20m course. This could be done on a track. Eg 1st minute = 175m, then 200 in the second minute and so on.

The top level (i think) is equivalent to 21Kmh. Some interval training at this speed would be beneficial as well.

So practice over the 20m course is also required to get used to changing direction every 20m. Poor turns can lose a lot of time.

Thanks for the insight, he needs to reach level 6 of the bleep test, this isn't my field what so ever but he just wanted any kind of help i could give.

Is level 6 hard?

level 6 is very easy. He should be able to do it straight off imo. If its a woman then the task might be slightly harder for them on average.

Pfft turning will cause injury? why have squash players got the most dense boney leg structures? Its like saying 'don't do weights, you'll hurt your muscles!'

I'm not saying don't do other forms of training, but several run throughs of the bleep test would be beneficial imo, and may even prepare the client kinaesthetically and structurally for the turns during actual test. Not training the turns for the bleep test would be way more risky.

Simon - how would training using the bleep test be too easy?

Karlos wrote:Simon - how would training using the bleep test be too easy?

Make the distance longer, but in same time, push the envelop, so when you do the tests it's easier. You only ned an additional metre but you'll notice the difference when you do the set size.

Level 6 is very easy

Its not the distance or the speed which gets you , its the deceleration -turn-acceleration -deceleration turn etc etc

Train doing the bleep test .

Worried about injury - wuss !!

Im not so sure using the bleep test as a training protocol would be any good as it is a max test after all.
Using a pyramid based interval session (running) would be better physiologically and psychologically. If the person wants to get to a high level on a short term basis peripheral training maybe useful but this cant be used for more the 2 weeks ideally.