The Cooper test is the common name for a series of tests for the physical fitness of the human body, created by the American doctor Kenneth Cooper in 1968 for the US Army. The most well-known variation is the 12-minute run: the distance traveled is recorded, and based on these data, conclusions are drawn for sports or medical purposes. Kenneth Cooper created more than 30 such tests, but this one is widely used in professional sports, such as football.

Kenneth Cooper does not recommend using these tests to evaluate physical fitness persons over 35 years of age, if they do not have good physical fitness. Before performing the test, it is necessary to conduct a 2-3 minute warm-up (general developmental exercises for basic muscle groups, you can also use walking and light running), and after doing it - a hitch (use calm walking).

The purpose of the warm-up is to increase the temperature in the muscles of the body, which, among other things, is a prevention of the development of injuries, as well as to cause an increase in the activity of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, to allow for easier break-in during subsequent test loading.

Test results will vary depending on the quality of the warm-up. Insufficient or no warm-up, as well as excessive warm-up, which caused fatigue of the body, will negatively affect the test results and its tolerance. Conducting a test without a preliminary warm-up can cause a sharp deterioration in well-being or provoke an exacerbation of an existing disease.

The 12-minute running test, developed by the American doctor Cooper, is designed to determine the capabilities of the person being examined in endurance exercises. During the test, you need to overcome (run or walk) as much distance as possible. The trickiness of the test lies in the fact that it requires the maximum calculation from the runner. In the absence of motivation, the test will, of course, give worst results. The test is terminated if the subject has signs of overload (severe shortness of breath, tachyarrhythmia, dizziness, pain in the heart area, etc.).

The test should not be done too often. When starting the test, a person should feel good. and after the test, a minimum of a day without recovery training is required. The Cooper test should be regarded as a stressful load on the body - within 12 minutes you work at the limit of your capabilities.

It is advisable to carry out the test on a stadium treadmill, where it is easy to calculate the distance traveled. If you are using a GPS device, then on the contrary, it is desirable to find a flat, straight section of road 3.5 - 4 km long. Considering that in the 5000 m run, the world record belongs to Kenenis Bekele and is equal to 12:37.35, then in a 12-minute run, he would overcome about 4800 m.

Footballers do not like this test. But for an athlete, an athlete - a sportsman, this test should not present any particular problems, since the third category at a distance of 3000 meters is 10:20. The master of sports runs this distance in 8:05!

Knowing your results in the Cooper test, you can indirectly calculate the maximum oxygen consumption (MOC) using the formula.

MIC ml/min/kg = (distance (m) - 505)/45

MIC ml/min/kg = (22.351 x km) - 11.288

The maximum oxygen consumption is perhaps one of the most objective indicators by which one can judge human health. The following table lists the American College of Sports Medicine's recommendations for MIC values. Having determined the IPC, get a general idea of ​​\u200b\u200baerobic performance. These data are a good guide for athletes. Between the MPC and the speed that the runner is able to develop, there is a direct relationship. The higher the athlete's MPC, the faster the average speed during the course. The following figure shows the proportional dependence of working capacity (running speed per marathon distance) from the IPC.

The Cooper test is widely used to determine physical fitness professional athletes and a special forces soldier. Many enthusiasts have tried the test on themselves. From this article you will learn how to perform running, swimming and cycling Cooper tests, what are the test standards and you will be able to independently determine the level of your physical training.

About the Cooper test

The Cooper test is a series of tests on the level of physical fitness and assessment physical condition person under a common name. The author of simple and functional tests is an American medical scientist Kenneth Cooper. Endurance tests were developed in 1968 for soldiers in the US Army.

The testing program contains about thirty tests, among which the most popular are running, swimming and cycling. Cooper's endurance tests are designed for people up to 35 years of age. However, this does not mean that older people cannot find out their level of physical fitness. Sufficient physical fitness and adherence to the recommendations of the test will help reduce the risk to health.

What is the Cooper test

Cooper's endurance tests are simple to perform, but give a comprehensive picture of a person's physical condition. A variety of Cooper's tests are widely used in the preparation of young men for special forces. For ordinary person of average physical fitness, the most acceptable would be a running test.

To conduct Cooper's running tests, it is enough to have a stopwatch and a flat treadmill at your disposal.

The test consists of:

• Mandatory warm-up;
• Running / swimming or cycling parts (12 minutes of work);
• Hitch.

Additional factors that can affect the test result are temperature and humidity.

Warm up before the test

To perform the test with maximum performance and avoid health problems, be sure to warm up before the test. Warming up is an important condition before starting any kind of testing, whether it be, or cycling. The timing of the warm-up for all individually. On average, 3 to 15 minutes may be enough.

It is important to remember that warm-up exercises are designed to prepare the muscles and body systems for the test, and not to tire you ahead of time.

Running warm-up

1. Walking at a fast pace around the stadium for 2-3 minutes;
2. 30 seconds
3. 30 seconds walking at a fast pace;
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 5 times.

Muscle warm-up exercises

• fold your hands into a “lock” and take them behind your head as far as possible, then try to touch your shoulder blades with your hands;
• lie on your back and rise without the help of hands;
• perform forward and backward bends, torso turns to warm up the back muscles;
• Legs together. Rotation of the knees clockwise and counterclockwise;
• do squats to alert the muscles of the lower leg and thighs;
• do a few push-ups to work out the muscles of the arms and shoulders.

How to do the Cooper test

After the warm-up, which is the first stage of passing the test, the test itself begins.

The Cooper test in running, swimming and cycling consists of running for 12 minutes.

Run

After the command “Start!” the subject begins to move on a flat treadmill. During the test, you can go to the step, but then it is unlikely that you will be able to pass the test with a good result. At the end of the time, the distance that the runner managed to overcome is measured. The test result is correlated with the table of standards, after which a conclusion is made about the level of physical fitness of the subject.

Swimming

The Cooper swimming test is done in a similar way. The distance covered by the swimmer in 12 minutes is taken into account and compared with the standard table.

A bike

It is desirable to carry out the Cooper test when cycling in calm weather, in the absence of wind and rain, in order to minimize the influence of the environment on the performance of the athlete. The test track must be flat, without descents and ascents. The distance covered in 12 minutes is compared with the table of standards.

A hitch after the Cooper test

A hitch in any exercise as important as the warm-up before or loads. Yours will be grateful to you for the fact that you treat it carefully and restore the pulse by gradually reducing the load. After running or cycling, it is enough to walk at a slow pace or for 5 minutes. After swimming, as a hitch, you can swim at a comfortable pace for 200-300 meters.

Tables of norms of the Cooper test

For each type of test, Kenneth Cooper developed the appropriate standards, taking into account the age and gender of the subject. With the help of tables of standards, it is possible to assess the physical condition of men and women from 13 to 39 years old. The distances in the tables are indicated in meters.

Table of norms in running

The fitness level of the runners is rated from very poor to excellent.

Table of standards in swimming

The Cooper Swimming Test Standards Table also lists six categories of test subjects, and for each a level of physical condition is determined from poor to excellent.

Table of standards in velo

The test standards for cycling differ from those for running or swimming only in the length of the distance that the subject must overcome.

Having determined the level of your physical fitness, you can proceed to the calculation of an important indicator - maximum oxygen consumption (MOC). Read more about it.

What is MPC and how to calculate it

Maximum oxygen uptake (MOC) is the maximum amount of oxygen expressed in milliliters that a person can consume in one minute. The result of the Cooper running test is used in the formula for determining the IPC:

MPKml/min/kg=distance (m)-50545

IPC allows you to get an idea of ​​the level of aerobic performance of the body. MPC directly affects the average speed of an athlete:

1. The higher the oxygen consumption ratio, the faster the heart will pump blood through the veins;
2. The faster the heart pumps blood, the more often the muscles receive nutrients;
3. The more often the muscles receive nutrients, the better they work;
4. The better the muscles work, the better long distance athlete will pass.

IPC rates are different for men and women. The age of the athlete also affects this indicator.

Average BMD of women

Average BMD of men

Tips for Passing the Cooper Test

The main condition for a successful test is good health. Testing is stopped immediately if during the test the person feels:

• arrhythmia;
• tachycardia;
• dizziness;
• weakness;
• pain in the region of the heart.

Testing is not recommended frequently. After passing the test, avoid additional training and physical activity - allow the body to recover. Immediately after the test, it is forbidden to go to the sauna or take a hot shower to avoid overheating.

1. Use a heart rate monitor to monitor your heart rate;
2. Follow correct technique running, swimming and pedaling;
3. Run, swim or ride at a steady pace;
4. Watch your breath, don't talk;
5. If necessary, use knee pads for running and a warming ointment for the joints.

Back in December, Sanya told me that he was trying to pass the Cooper test for strength endurance. In short: the test consists of alternately performing 4 exercises (push-ups, transition from squat to lying down and back, jumping out and something on the press). 10 repetitions of the first exercise are performed, then without stopping, 10 repetitions of the second, third and fourth. This is one cycle. Then, without rest, again 10 repetitions of the first exercise, then the second, and so on. The result is evaluated in two ways: you must either complete a certain number of cycles before you fall from fatigue, or complete a specific number of cycles in the minimum time.
Googling on this topic, I stumbled upon the Vityaz special forces website and became interested in the requirements for recruits. There are 7 tests (tests) in total, each is estimated at a maximum of 50 points, the minimum allowable total result is 295 points, that is, an average of 42-43 points for each test.
Now I want to fulfill part of these standards, not at the selection, of course, but for myself. I'm not eager for special forces, so I simplify my tasks somewhat. I will write for each test separately.
Test number 1. Endurance.
Continuous running for 12 minutes is evaluated by the distance that the subject covered in the specified time. By the way, this is also called the Cooper test. 42 points is 3200 meters. When you consider that at school I ran 3 km in 13 and a half minutes, the standard seems unrealistic. You have to start running. Summer. Yeah.
Test number 2. Strength endurance.
The same Cooper test for strength endurance. For 40 points, you need to complete 5 cycles, time is not taken into account. As “something for the press”, this exercise is: “from the starting position, lie down on your stomach and roll over on your back, raise your legs without bending at the knees, touch the toes of the floor behind your head, return your legs to initial position". I highly doubt that I will be able to do at least one repetition of such a press exercise. Normally, without choking and without a crunch in the joints, I can only do push-ups for now.
Test number 3. Power.
With some fright, it is estimated only by the number of pull-ups. Will not work. Instead, let there be power standards for the FSB special forces (by the way, they are tougher):
pull-ups - 25 (10-11);
push-ups from the floor - 90 (40-50, probably);
press (lying on the back, flexion-extension of the body) - 100 (I have no idea);
bench press, own weight - 10 (2);
jumping up with a change of legs - 90 (some kind of crap, I won’t do it).
In brackets are my approximate figures for today.
It seems that everything is very complicated, but it is not. For example, a bench press of 75 kg for 10 times is a hundred times (according to the online calculator). Now I press 80 at a time, so a hundred is quite achievable.
Test number 4. Speed.
Shuttle run 10 to 10 offered. Never liked it. So instead of it, a hundred-meter dash with the same FSB standards - 12.7 seconds. At school, and at the university, I ran for 14. Interestingly, is it still too late to try to improve the result?
Tests No. 5 (flexibility, splits, etc.) and No. 6 (agility, somersaults, walking on hands, etc.) will not pass. Although I want to learn to walk on my hands. Well, test number 7 (courage, yeah) - training fights according to the rules of boxing - I, of course, will not pass either.
These are the requirements, though truncated, but very difficult for me. I already go to the rocking chair, it remains to start running. It will be interesting to see what will change, say, over the next six months.
PS. Yes, I'm weak, don't tease me

FSB special forces standards

Requirements for newly arrived employees in combat and physical training

1. Pull up - 25

2. Push-ups from the floor - 90

3. Press (lying on your back, flexion-extension of the body) - 100

4. Run 100 m. (Shuttle run 10 to 10) - 12.7 s (25 sec)

5. Cross 3000 m - 11.00 min

6. Bench press (own weight, but not more than 100 kg) - 10 times

7. Hand-to-hand combat
- Demonstration of the technique of punches, kicks - 2 min. On a boxing bag
- Sparring according to free rules with throws and submissions - 3 fights for 3 minutes.

8. Jumping up with a change of legs - 90

9. Complex-strength exercise (performed sequentially 8 times: - 10 push-ups from the floor, 10 press times, 10 times crouching - lying down, 10 jumping up from the crouching stop). 8 reps (no pause)

All exercises are done one after the other without interruption.

Not all athletes, not to mention just lovers of physical education, know how to easily evaluate their own. You can independently come up with any exercises, performing them for a while, and then comparing the results with the achievements of other people. You can simply go to the doctors to undergo a complete medical examination. However, it is much more convenient, faster and easier to pass the Cooper test, which has already been developed in advance, the standards of which will show how strong your body is.

Different aerobic loads that are combined with the right breathing exercises are well known since antiquity. However, it was only at the beginning of the last century that it was possible to draw up a general picture and classify the results. A former United States military colonel and Oklahoma professor of medicine named Kenneth H. Cooper, while still in the army, began to use such exercises to maintain and improve health, both by example and for subordinates.

In 1968, Professor Cooper developed and repeatedly experimentally tested a test for physical fitness and general health. It was aimed specifically at the military personnel of the American army. Such a test fit in just twelve minutes, which greatly simplified the testing of beginners.

A brief look into the history of the discovery

Initially, the Cooper test determines physical qualities after three dozen studies. The idea to develop something similar to a military doctor came at the age of thirty, at the moment when he, already in the service, lost his form, gaining a rather large excess weight. Having discovered this, Kenneth decided to fight with the help of physical education, gave a big load and noted a general deterioration in his condition.

Today the connection between in a healthy way life and physical activity is obvious to everyone. But at the time of Dr. Cooper, research in this direction was just beginning to be carried out. It was he who had the honor to discover and prove a direct connection between mental state, physical activity, general health and fitness.

He found out that the less active a person is, the faster the processes of aging and wear of all systems occur. At the same time, the doctor managed to translate physical characteristics into numerical (quantitative) characteristics. Thus, a special system for assessing physical condition was developed by points scored in the process of performing various types of exercises intended for men and women of any age.

Features and application of Cooper tests

During the passage of such testing, the main condition that must be observed is the well-being of the subject. It is most often used for runners, cyclists, swimmers and other athletes over the age of thirty. However, older people can afford testing on this principle. So what allows you to evaluate the Cooper test, what idea can it give about the general state of health?

During testing, a person performs exercises that imply, which are at the same time the best antidepressants according to modern scientists. Then the cells begin to use the oxygen that is in them to the maximum. At the same time, oxygen starvation is completely excluded, which makes the study harmless even for an unprepared organism.

An important feature of the test is that the final score received by the subject directly depends on age. Whatever the result is, it must be correlated with the age data of the test person. Therefore, in each case, an objective assessment can vary significantly.

The simplest and most affordable testing option is running. Such experiments can be carried out on yourself to find out your own preparedness. To implement, you need a regular stopwatch and Treadmill. But swimming or cycling won't be a problem either. You just have to move to the pool or cycle track. However, you can also pass the test without difficulty, if you approach the matter correctly.

Proper preparation is half the battle

To get the most correct result, as well as completely eliminate the negative effects of excessive sudden loads, you must remember to warm up. For each time spent on preliminary preparatory exercises, will be individual. Here a lot depends again on age, initial state, preparedness. Running training very simple

• Walking around the stadium or treadmill for two to three minutes.
• Jogging for about half a minute.
• So much walking at a fast pace.
• Repeating the previous points, alternating them, several times (four to six).

It is necessary to perform or other selected exercises according to the rules. For some, three to five minutes is enough, while others are better off doing a simple complex for all fifteen. However, you need to remember that they should tone you up, prepare your muscles for future loads, and not exhaust you ahead of time.

Performing the Cooper test

12 minute run

After warming up, you can immediately begin to pass the test. Its essence is very simple: you need to run the longest possible distance in a measured period of time. It is better when you enlist the help of friends to pass the test. You need to start moving after the “Start” command. It is required to try to give all the best.

If you find it difficult to run, it is acceptable to go to a fast pace, but the test results are unlikely to surprise you then. At the end of twelve minutes, the distance that the runner managed to do is measured. The results obtained must be sought in a special table of standards, which is given below. Only after that you can already conclude what level of training you have.

12 minute swim

Similarly, this test is carried out in swimming. Not only the warm-up, but the test itself will have to take place in the water. It is optimal to choose a pool for these purposes. However, if one is not available, you can even test yourself in the nearest pond or river. The only drawback is that it will be quite difficult to accurately measure the distance, but if desired, this can also be solved.

The distance that a person swam in the same twelve minutes is taken into account. You don't need to use any special skills, just freestyle as fast as you can. The results are also checked against the table of standards.

12 minute bike ride

The best results can be shown in the gym, but the simulator must be well tuned, give out suitable loads. But you can also do it outside. It is advisable to choose a day when there will be fairly dry windless weather. Air movements can affect the result of "braking" or "accelerating" the subject.

There are requirements for the track: it must be completely dry, even, without sharp descents and ascents. For the street best solution will become an open stadium or a park with specially delineated paths. In the same way, you need to ride at maximum effort for twelve minutes, and then compare the numbers obtained with the table below.

Recovery after the Cooper test (hitch)

It is very important not only to pass the test, but also to complete it so as not to get deplorable health consequences. An abrupt end to the load can have a negative effect, so it is necessary to make a hitch. Otherwise, for the heart, such experiments may end in unpleasant effects.

It is necessary to gradually “reset” the pulse, restore breathing and the normal rhythm of the heartbeat. After the bike test, it will be enough to jog or even walk brisk pace just three to five minutes. The same should be done after the race. In the case of swimming, you can swim another 200 or 300 meters in a comfortable, unhurried mode.

Tables for assessing physical fitness

Professor Kenneth Cooper has developed for each version of his test, and they all show the same result (the level of preparedness of a person), tables for ease of reconciliation of the numbers obtained. It will be easy to deal with them. With the help of them, you can independently assess the condition of men and women different ages(up to 40 years).

Preparedness	Girls (13-19 years old)	Women (19-28 years old)	Women (28-39 years old)	Men (13-19 years old)	Men (19-28 years old)	Men (28-39 years old)
Very bad	1600	1550	1500	2100	1950	1900
Badly	1600-1900	1550-1800	1500-1700	2100-2200	1950-2400	1900-2100
Satisfactorily	1900-2100	1800-1900	1700-1900	2200-2500	2100-2400	2100-2300
Good	2100-2300	1800-1900	1900-2000	2500-2750	2400-2600	2300-2500
Fine	2300-2400	2100-2300	2000-2200	2750-3000	2600-2800	2500-2700

Preparedness	Girls (13-19 years old)	Women (19-28 years old)	Women (28-39 years old)	Men (13-19 years old)	Men (19-28 years old)	Men (28-39 years old)
Very bad	350	275	225	450	350	325
Badly	350-450	275-350	225-325	450-550	350-450	325-400
Satisfactorily	450-550	350-450	325-400	550-650	450-550	400-500
Good	550-650	450-550	400-500	650-725	550-650	500-600

Preparedness	Girls (13-19 years old)	Women (19-28 years old)	Women (28-39 years old)	Men (13-19 years old)	Men (19-28 years old)	Men (28-39 years old)
Very bad	2800	2400	2000	4200	4000	3600
Badly	2800-4200	2400-4000	2000-3500	4200-6000	4000-5500	3600-5100
Satisfactorily	4200-6000	4000-5600	3500-5500	6000-7500	5500-7100	5100-6800
Good	6000-7600	5600-7200	5500-6800	7600-9200	7100-8800	6800-8400

*All distances are in meters.
*Indicators that are higher than the results indicated in the tables are considered excellent and indicate excellent physical fitness and form.

As already mentioned, the most important condition for passing the Cooper study is good health. There is no need to start testing even with the slightest “malfunctions” in the body. A mild headache, fever, body aches, any unpleasant symptom may indicate the onset of the disease, and sudden exertion can aggravate the situation. Therefore, first you need to fully recover, only then check your fitness in the physical plane.

Prohibitions

If a person during the study felt some symptoms and ailments, then you should immediately stop testing.

• Arrhythmia.
• Dizziness.
• Tachycardia.
• Pain in the region of the heart.
• General weakness.

In addition, such measurements should not be carried out too often. Once a month is definitely enough. After testing, you need to abandon intensive strength training. After all, the body needs proper restoration. You should also avoid taking a hot bath, going to a Russian bath or sauna.

• To keep the situation under control, be sure to get a heart rate monitor. If you regularly measure your heart rate during training or tests, you can avoid risks to the heart.
• It is not recommended to make jumps and jerks, changing the pace of movement. It is best to conserve energy by taking the Cooper test at an even pace throughout the race.
• In the process of passing the test, it is better not to share your feelings, and indeed not to talk at all. This will lead to the fact that the breath will go astray and the results will be incorrect.
• If necessary, you can use additional funds: helmet and knee pads for running or cycling, cap. You can lubricate the joints with a warming ointment. The main thing that aids did not affect the result, as, for example, fins can do.

Cooper strength test: 4 exercises

In addition to the study that we have already reviewed, there is another test by Professor Kenneth Cooper. It is a set of exercises performed for a while.

It must be taken into account that such a test gives a rather high load on cardiovascular system and the heart muscle itself, but not sudden, but gradual. In addition, it works well on almost all muscle groups. After it, it will immediately become clear what is normal for you, and with what you still have to work long and hard.

The proposed exercises will have to be performed ten times. In total, you need to do four circles.

• Push ups. After execution, you need to remain in the prone position.
• Jumping from an emphasis lying down. Next, roll over onto your back.
• Trunk raises or crunches (can be replaced with leg raises behind the head).
• Squats or jump squats.

The sooner you do the exercises, the better your preparedness.

• 3 minutes is great.
• 3.3 minutes is good.
• 4 minutes is satisfactory.
• 4.5 - bad.

If it suddenly turned out that this time is not enough, then you will have to work on yourself for a long time and hard. Perhaps such testing is simply not suitable for you, so you can return to the options presented above. However, it is better to just make an effort, because physical form, it's really important. This is a factor that directly affects the quality of life.

Workouts for the Cooper test at home and in the gym

Often different types tests are carried out sequentially one after another. It makes sense to consider in advance the options for preparatory sets of exercises that will help show nice results. If you have not been involved in sports before, then a long journey awaits you, which should start with the usual half-hour or hour-long walks. The running test can be started as soon as you can run for a minute and not start to get out of breath.

Complex for home

• Squats - 4 sets of 25 reps.
• Twisting (double) - 3 sets of 30 repetitions.
• Stepping onto the bench - 2 sets of 15 repetitions for each leg.
• Running in place (emphasis on the wall) - 3 sets of 1 minute.

Complex for the gym

• Hyperextension with additional weight - 3 sets of 20 repetitions.
• Leg press - 3 sets of 10 reps.
• Weighted lunges (dumbbells) - 4 sets of 10 repetitions for each leg.

At the same time, it is imperative to remember about the warm-up and hitch, otherwise you can harm yourself.

The Cooper Tests Are Science-Based Tests physical abilities person with the help simple exercises performed within 12 minutes. Tests typically include running, swimming, and cycling. It is necessary to run, swim or drive the maximum distance in 12 minutes. According to the distance traveled, the level of physical fitness of a person is judged. It is important that the test results are tied to the person's age. This eliminates the influence of age-related changes on the level of evaluation of test results.

General information about tests and their creator

Kenneth Cooper is a well-known American medical practitioner who has developed numerous tests to assess the physical condition of the body. Cooper's tests are simple and convenient, have been tested by thousands of enthusiasts and can be recommended to people of different ages and physical fitness.

An important feature of the evaluation physical performance, laid down by Cooper in his tests, is the dependence of the final indicators on the age of the test person. The same number of points, scored by people of different ages, in each case will mean a different assessment of physical performance.

Most of the loads imposed on the body during the Cooper tests can be attributed to "aerobic" - that is, performed through the use of oxygen. The intensity of these loads is such that it allows the cells to use the oxygen available in them and in the inflowing blood, and not to perform work in oxygen-free conditions, restoring the oxygen deficiency after it ends. Such loads are very useful for the body and can even be used by people with a weakened state of health.

In addition, the loads in the Cooper tests are of the so-called "global" nature, that is, when they are performed, more than 2/3 muscle mass. Thus, these loads have a significant impact not only on the muscular apparatus, but also on the systems that provide muscle activity, primarily on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Therefore, by evaluating exercise tolerance when performing Cooper tests, it is possible to indirectly assess the functional state of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

Below are three 12-minute Cooper tests: a running test, a swimming test, and a cycling test.
Kenneth Cooper himself does not recommend using these tests to assess physical fitness for people over 35 years old if they do not have good physical fitness (Cooper K. 1989).

How to run tests

Before performing any of the tests, it is necessary to conduct a 2-3 minute warm-up to prepare the body for physical work, and after performing a hitch.
For a hitch, you can use calm walking.

As a warm-up, general developmental exercises for the main muscle groups are suitable, you can also use walking and light running.

The purpose of the warm-up is to increase the temperature in the muscles of the body, which, among other things, is a prevention of the development of injuries, as well as to cause an increase in the activity of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems in order to ensure easier working out during the subsequent testing load.

It should be noted that the test results will differ depending on the quality of the warm-up. Insufficient or no warm-up, as well as excessive warm-up, which caused fatigue of the body, will negatively affect the test results and its tolerance. Conducting a test without a preliminary warm-up can cause a sharp deterioration in well-being or provoke an exacerbation of an existing disease. An optimally performed warm-up will positively affect not only the test results, but also its tolerability.

12 minute running test

The 12-minute Cooper Running Test assesses the body's fitness status based on the distance (in meters) a person can run (or walk) in 12 minutes. It is assumed that during the entire test the person runs. If the test-taker does not cope with this requirement, you can go to the step, the stopwatch, counting 12 minutes, does not stop. The longer the time when performing the test a person will walk, and not run, the worse result test. After a 12-minute movement, the distance covered in meters is measured and physical fitness is assessed according to the table.

Cooper's 12-minute running test

Physical preparedness	Distance covered, m
	Girls 13-19 years old	Women 20-29 years old	Women 30-39 years old	Youths 13-19 years old	Men 20-29 years old	Men 30-39 years old
very bad	< 1600	< 1550	< 1500	< 2100	< 1950	< 1900
bad	1600-1900	1550-1800	1500-1700	2100-2200	1950-2100	1900-2100
satisfactory	1900-2100	1800-1900	1700-1900	2200-2500	2100-2400	2100-2300
good	2100-2300	1900-2100	1900-2000	2500-2750	2400-2600	2300-2500
excellent	2300-2400	2100-2300	2100-2200	2750-3000	2600-2800	2500-2700
excellent	> 2400	> 2300	> 2200	> 3000	> 2800	> 2700

12 minute swim test

The 12-minute swim test assesses the body's fitness status based on the distance (in meters) a person can swim in 12 minutes. The swimming style during the test is arbitrary. This test by Kenneth Cooper is best done in a pool where it is easier to measure the distance covered. During testing, you can take rest breaks, during which the stopwatch continues to count 12 minutes. The more breaks, the worse the test result will be.

Physical fitness assessment table
on the 12-minute Cooper swim test

Physical preparedness	Distance covered, m
	Girls 13-19 years old	Women 20-29 years old	Women 30-39 years old	Youths 13-19 years old	Men 20-29 years old	Men 30-39 years old
very bad	< 350	< 275	< 225	< 450	< 350	< 325
bad	350-450	275-350	225-325	450-550	350-450	325-400
satisfactory	450-550	350-450	325-400	550-650	450-550	400-500
good	550-650	450-550	400-500	650-725	550-650	500-600
excellent	> 650	> 550	> 500	> 725	> 650	> 600

12 minute cycling test

The 12-minute cycling test allows you to assess the state of physical fitness of the body and it based on the distance (in meters) covered by a person on a bicycle in 12 minutes. This Cooper test is recommended to be carried out in light weather on a track with good coverage, excluding steep ascents and descents.

Physical fitness assessment table
on Cooper's 12-minute cycling test

Physical preparedness	Distance covered, m
	Girls 13-19 years old	Women 20-29 years old	Women 30-39 years old	Youths 13-19 years old	Men 20-29 years old	Men 30-39 years old
very bad	< 2800	< 2400	< 2000	< 4200	< 4000	< 3600
bad	2800-4200	2400-4000	2000-3500	4200-6000	4000-5500	3600-5100
satisfactory	4200-6000	4000-5500	3600-5500	6000-7500	5600-7100	5200-6700
good	6000-7600	5600-7200	5200-6800	7600-9200	7200-8800	6800-8400
excellent	> 7600	> 7200	> 6800	> 9200	> 8800	> 8400

Speaking about the merits of his tests, Kenneth Cooper, among others, names the following:

Cooper's test scores motivate exercise

Observations of the dynamics of test scores are good incentive to continue classes and increase interest in them.

The test helps determine the risk of heart disease

As already mentioned, the Cooper tests are based on physical exercise, making sufficient demands on the cardiovascular system. Therefore, if the body copes well with such loads, we can talk about a good functional state of the cardiovascular system and its high resistance to the development of diseases. On the contrary, an organism that does not cope well with these loads has a weakened, poorly trained cardiovascular system, which is prone to various pathologies.

Healthy people can do the Cooper tests themselves.