Andy Galpin

Andy Galpin categorizes all physiological adaptations from exercise into nine areas: skill/technique, speed, explosive power, strength, muscle hypertrophy, muscular endurance, anaerobic capacity, maximal aerobic capacity, and long-duration endurance.

Strength measures the maximum weight one can move in a single effort, whereas push-up tests only reflect consecutive repetitions of the triceps, pectorals, and deltoids, representing local muscular endurance rather than strength or cardiorespiratory endurance.

Movement skill self-assessment uses a four-step screening method, selecting four movement categories—upper-body push, upper-body pull, lower-body push, and lower-body pull—recording slow, controlled movements from the front and side to check symmetry, stability, awareness, and range of motion.

The qualifying benchmark for the standing long jump is the ability to jump beyond one's own height, with approximately a 15% reduction for women.

For the grip strength test, the minimum for men is 40 kg and the ideal is above 60 kg, with a difference of no more than 10% between left and right hands.

Galpin recommends using 3–5RM for 1RM conversion because the Epley or Brzycki formula is most accurate in that range, with errors typically within 5%, and conversion errors expand rapidly beyond 10 repetitions.

The FFMI health threshold is above 20 for men and above 18 for women, with men below 17 and women below 15 entering a zone of serious physiological damage from insufficient muscle mass.

Muscular endurance standards require a 60-second plank, a 45-second side plank, and more than 25 push-ups for men and more than 15 for women.

Anaerobic capacity assessment should focus on heart rate recovery rather than absolute values, with recovery of approximately half a beat per second and a drop of 30 beats/min within 60 seconds.

VO2max benchmarks are a minimum of 35 ml/kg/min for men and 30 for women, with Galpin preferring to see above 50 for men and around 50 for women.