The beep test is used by many organizations and employers to assess an individual’s fitness and involves a roundtrip run of more than 20 meters. The test is done on a flat surface and is a maximally progressive test, meaning it starts out easy and gets progressively more difficult.
Those who have taken the test know full well how difficult it is, as you are expected to put in 100% effort.
The key to improving your score is to work on developing your lungs to cope with the stress of this all-out event and one of the best ways to do that is to get out there and run some hills.
Interval sprint training on a hill is the best way to get a higher score on the beep test and should be part of anyone’s workout who wants to improve cardiovascular endurance.
Hill Sprints consist of finding a hill, the inclination of which can vary, depending on your current fitness level, of about 100 meters in length.
You start the training session by running at 100% effort to the top, once you reach the top you start a timer and jog slowly to the bottom, giving yourself a full one minute rest.
When you get to the bottom, turn around, run to the top again, and repeat this about eight times.
This will take around twelve minutes to complete and will really jumpstart your body and build your cardiovascular endurance.
Watch out! This type of training really wears you out, so I suggest you don’t do hill sprints more than twice a week.
Other ways to improve your score involve your technique.
You only need to place one foot across the line at the end of each shuttle, so don’t cross the line with both feet. Also, be sure to turn sharply and not run in a small arc at either end of the shuttles.
If you could leave footprints, then they should be in a straight line.
If you can keep getting out twice a week for some hill sprints, expect your beep test score to improve a couple notches. It is by far the best way to train your body to work at high levels of physical exertion and to prepare your body for the exertion of a beep test.
