Measuring your fitness shouldn’t stop in grade school. Staying physically active becomes increasingly important as we age, yet it can be a struggle to keep up. Focusing on key components like grip strength, core tension, and real-world power builds year-round readiness and sharpens your ability to make better decisions under stress. Consistent, functional fitness ensures you’re performing at your best, no matter the challenge.
On a recent episode of the Huberman Lab podcast, DJ Shipley, a retired Tier 1 Navy SEAL, shared a fitness test built to test true physical readiness. Based on the Navy SEAL Physical Screening Test, it can be done anytime and requires minimal equipment. It includes broad jumps, bench presses, pullups, trap bar deadlifts, farmer’s carries, 800-meter sprints, and planks. Each exercise has tiered standards, allowing anyone to gauge and build to elite physical performance year-round.
“Most people can meet the standard in a few areas, but not all, so you work on those sticking points,” Huberman wrote on X. “You test everything on the same day.”
Related: Former Navy SEAL Team 10 Member Shares His System for Peak Mental & Physical Health
DJ Shipley’s Performance Standards
Broad Jump
- Standard: Jump your own height
- Elite: 1 foot past your height
- Pro: 2 to 4 feet past your height
Bodyweight Bench Press
- Standard: 10 reps with bodyweight
- Elite: 15 reps
- Pro: 20+ reps
Pullups
- Standard: 10 reps
- Elite: 15 reps
- Pro: 20+ reps
Farmer’s Carry
- Weight: 50 percent of your bodyweight in each hand
- Standard: 175 feet
- Elite: 225 feet
- Pro: 250 feet
Trap Bar Deadlift
- Standard: 1.5× bodyweight for 5 reps
- Elite: 1.75x bodyweight
- Pro: 2× bodyweight
Plank
- Standard: 2:00
- Elite: 2.30
- Pro: 3:00+
800-Meter Run
- Standard: 3:15
- Elite: 3:00
- Pro: 2:45
Related: Could You Pass the Army’s New Fitness Test? Here’s What It Takes
