Over the 20+ years the coaches at Fit By Fire have been helping candidates prepare for job application fitness testing there have been some common problems we have seen.
1- Candidates fail to prepare for the tests by practicing the skill-based tasks beforehand.
No matter your strength, conditioning, or confidence, a new skill/task in a high-stress environment can get the better of anyone. Simulating the tasks and the test overall beforehand will give you the muscle memory to blast past problems as they come up. You should simulate carrying tools, raising ladders, dragging dummies, or whatever the test requires as close to the test parameters as possible.
2- Don’t train to be fit, train to pass.
What this means is there are specific fitness factors for each test. We have seen many strong athletes fail tests because they put all their training time into the wrong ‘buckets’. As an example, knowing that most tests will have either a max or sub-max VO2 test performed on a treadmill means you should be working on this 2-3x or more a week depending on your level. This also means you should be on a treadmill, in the gear you will be wearing the day of the test. Knowing how to train and what areas you are weak in relation to the test you are taking is the difference-maker for a lot of candidates.
3- You should have a plan!
So many great candidates spend countless hours and thousands of dollars taking courses and hiring experts, just to fail one part of the fitness test. Find a local strength and conditioning coach who has worked successfully with applicants before. Get an assessment, have a plan created, and stick to it. Or if you need some direction online feel free to reach out to us directly, we can work with you remotely, create a custom plan and make sure you’re heading in the right direction.
Remember ‘those who fail to plan, should plan to fail!’
