Strength and Conditioning Coach Shares 7 Fitness Tests Every Man in Their 40s Should Be Able to Pass

So, you think you're truly fit? You might go to the gym every day, but that's about as one-dimensional of a measure of your fitness as it gets. In fact, being able to lift a bunch of heavy weights is only one piece of the puzzle. Things like balance, stability, muscular endurance, and core functionality all change—and often decline—with age. To get an idea of your current fitness levels, Jeff Cavaliere, MSPT, CSCS of Athlean-X, shared seven different tests and the benchmarks men in their 40s should aim for.

"Each exercise exposes a specific weakness that most people don't even know they have," Cavaliere said in a recent video. "If you can't pass them, the truth is, you're just not as fit as you think you are. But this isn't about calling you out. It's about showing you where you stand now so that you know what you have to fix to be better. And the good news is, all of these are trainable, so therefore, they're all fixable."

Try out the fitness tests below to see how you fare. You might just discover strengths you didn’t know you had, and weaknesses you can start improving on as soon as today.

Related: Enter Now for a Chance to Win a BowFlex Xtreme 2 SE Home Gym!

Fitness Tests for Men in Their 40s

How to Do Single-Leg Wall Sits

This challenges your hip and knee stability while putting muscular endurance and balance to the test under stress.

1. Lean your back flat against a wall, bending one knee at 90 degrees, and lift the opposite leg off the ground.
2. Focus on maintaining balance through your hips and ankle, keeping the position for as long as possible.
3. Goal: Hold for at least 30 seconds on each leg.

How to Do the Wall Splat Test

This assesses your ankle and hip mobility, shoulder range of motion, and thoracic spine extension, while also demanding control of the pelvis and lower back.

1. Stand facing a wall, with your toes a couple of inches away and slightly turned out, pushing arms straight overhead.
2. Lower into a full squat below parallel without leaning or touching the wall for balance. Hold for a few seconds.
3. Stand back up, maintaining proper spine and pelvis alignment.
4. Goal: Maintain position the whole way through. Avoid heels lifting, arms dropping, or lower back taking over.

How to Do Hand Release Pushups

Hand release pushups test upper body pushing power, endurance, core control, and your ability to sustain strong form as fatigue builds.

1. Lie face down, arms extended overhead, hands just outside shoulders.
2. Slide your hands down, bringing them to just outside of shoulder height.
3. Press up into plank before lowering chest all the way to the floor. Lift your hands briefly, and press back up.
4. Goal: Complete 40 unbroken reps.

How to Do Dead Arm Hangs

This will test your grip strength, which is a strong predictor of overall health and longevity, while simultaneously challenging scapular stability, shoulder control, and core endurance.

1. Grab a bar with your feet off the ground, keeping the hands about shoulder-width apart.
2. Depress your shoulders slightly and maintain a strong core as you hold.
3. Goal: Hold for 2 minutes.

How to Do Side Plank Leg Lifts

This fitness test works your lateral core, hip stabilizers, and overall trunk control, forcing your body to resist collapse while holding the position.

1. Lie on one side with forearm flat on the floor, keeping your elbow directly under shoulder.
2. Lift your hips. Create a straight line from shoulder to hip, and raise your top leg to about 45 degrees. Hold.
3. Goal: Maintain form for 30 seconds per side.

How to Do the Old Man Test

The "old man test" is one of Cavaliere's timeless favorites. It challenges single-leg balance, ankle and hip mobility, and proprioception, which is your awareness of the position and movement of the body.

1. Stand on one leg without support.
2. Put on your sock and shoe, tie it, keeping the foot off the ground the entire time. Repeat on the other leg.
3. Goal: Successfully complete without letting your foot touch the ground.

How to Do Pullups

The classic pullup tests your pulling strength in proportion to your body weight.

1. Hang from a bar with arms full extended at the bottom.
2. Pull yourself up, getting your chin over the bar at the top.
3. Reset to a full arm extension before moving into your next ep.
4. Goal: Perform 15 clean, unbroken reps.

Related: RPE vs. RIR: The No-Nonsense Way to Gauge Your Effort in the Gym