Blog post:  August 31st, 2025
https://round1fitness.com.au

Starting September 1st, we’ll be running our End of Block Testing sessions across the Functional Fitness program at Round 1. You’ll see familiar lifts like front squats and push presses, pull-ups, rows, and maybe even that one movement you’ve been avoiding (yes, we see you). But here’s the thing—testing isn’t a gimmick, a one-off, or a break from training. It’s the beating heart of long-term strength and conditioning.

Let’s talk about why.

1. Testing Is Not Optional in a Serious Training Program

If you’re not measuring, you’re guessing.
If you’re guessing, you’re not improving—at least, not deliberately.

Testing provides data, and data gives context to your effort. If you’ve been showing up consistently, eating well, and hitting your reps—your testing numbers should reflect that. If they don’t, we dig in and ask why. That’s what real programming is: not random workouts, but a cycle of plan → train → test → adjust → repeat.

2. Benchmarking Reframes Progress

Progress isn’t just “getting fitter.” That’s vague and unhelpful. Testing turns abstract effort into concrete progress.

• Did your 5RM back squat increase?

• Did your 500m row time drop?

• Can you hold a barbell overhead with more stability?

• Are your strict pull-ups smoother than they were eight weeks ago?

Suddenly, it’s not about how tired you felt or whether a session “felt hard.” It’s about being measurably better. And that’s powerful.

3. It’s an Opportunity for Reflection

Testing doesn’t just measure your lifts—it helps you reflect on your habits:

• Have you been skipping leg day?

• Have you been scaling too far down or pushing too hard?

• Have you been sleeping enough? Eating enough? Prioritizing recovery?

Every number tells a story. Some of those stories will be triumphant. Others will be honest wake-up calls. Both are useful. Both help us move forward with more clarity.

4. Testing Builds Identity

When you walk into a testing session and see a number you’ve never lifted before… and then lift it anyway? That does something to you. You start to see yourself differently—not as someone who just trains, but as someone who is strong, resilient, improving.

You build a new story about yourself. You become the kind of person who shows up and does hard things.

5. It’s About Way More Than PBs

We love seeing personal bests fly up on the whiteboard. But they’re not the only wins. Maybe you match your old PB—except this time it feels controlled, easy, repeatable. Maybe you move better. Maybe you finish a test you couldn’t complete last time.

Progress takes many forms, and testing week helps us zoom out and see all of it.

So, What Should You Do This Week?

• Show up. Don’t skip testing because you “don’t think you’re ready.” That’s the whole point—you find out where you are now so we can plan what’s next.

• Bring your best effort. Doesn’t mean going full send with bad form. But it does mean approaching each movement with intent.

• Log your results. Numbers only help if you remember them. Use your app, your phone, a notebook, the whiteboard. Track it.

• Stay open. Whether you PR or not, the information is gold. Use it.

Final Thought: Testing Isn’t the End, It’s the Start

This isn’t graduation week. It’s assessment week.

We’re checking in so we can keep pushing forward, with better information and more purpose. Whether you’re here to get stronger, leaner, more athletic, or just feel better—we’re here to help you keep climbing.

Let’s get after it.
Testing starts September 1st. See you in the gym.