Essentials: How to Assess & Improve All Aspects of Your Fitness | Dr. Andy Galpin
Andrew Huberman · 2026-09-17 · 32 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjaPWC4VPPUVideo summary
Dr. Andy Galpin lays out nine fitness components, from grip strength and broad jumps to VO2 max and 20-minute endurance tests.
On Huberman Lab, Andrew Huberman asks exercise physiologist Dr. Andy Galpin how to assess fitness for both performance and long-term health. Galpin divides fitness into nine adaptations: movement skill, speed, power, strength, muscle size, muscular endurance, anaerobic capacity, VO2 max and long-duration endurance. His practical checks include filming squats and presses for symmetry, stability, awareness and range of motion; broad-jumping about your height; grip strength of at least 40 kg for men and 35 kg for women; and hanging from a bar for 30 seconds or more. He also suggests leg extensions near body weight, body-composition scans to calculate FFMI, and push-up or plank tests. For conditioning, he describes a 12-minute Cooper run or one-mile walk to estimate VO2 max, plus sustained exercise for at least 20 minutes. Galpin recommends a three-day annual testing battery, consistent warm-ups and prioritizing weak links without sacrificing training goals. He gives minimum VO2 max targets of 35 ml/kg/min for men and 30 for women, with higher targets for strong fitness.
Chapters
- 0:00Fitness Goals: Appearance, Functionality, and Lifelong Wellness
- 2:32Nine Fitness Adaptations: From Skill and Strength to 20–60-Minute Endurance
- 6:03Movement Quality Checks and When to Test Speed
- 10:15Standing Broad Jump: A Rough Power Benchmark of Your Height
- 11:36Grip Strength: 40 kg Minimum, 60-Second Dead-Hang Goal
- 13:35Leg-Extension and Squat-Hold Strength Tests with Safe, Consistent Setup
- 17:08Muscle Mass and FFMI: Targets of 20 for Men and 18 for Women
- 19:14Muscular Endurance: Planks, Push-Up Targets, and 75% Load Tests
- 20:44Anaerobic Capacity: Wingate, Bosco, and Maximum-Effort Tests
- 22:18Maximum Heart Rate and Recovery: Rough 220-Age Estimate, 30 Beats in One Minute
- 23:33VO2 Max: Lab Testing, the 12-Minute Cooper Run, and Rockport Walk
- 25:19Long-Duration Endurance: 20+ Minutes of Steady Work and Nasal Breathing
- 26:20Testing Frequency, Test Order & Training Priorities: Annual Three-Day Battery and VO2 Max Targets
What the full analysis includes
13 chapters · 55 key points · 13 section summaries · mind map
Preview of the first chapter · Fitness Goals: Appearance, Functionality, and Lifelong Wellness
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