Is the POPAT Hard?

A few weeks ago, I posted "Is the PAREhard?" And in a nutshell I said it depends.

What's my take on the POPAT? You likely guessed right, it depends.

I will say this though: if you've done the PARE already and thought that was hard, wait til you try the POPAT. Depending on your fitness level, the POPAT can be twice as hard as the PARE, or 10 times harder if you're really lacking in fitness.

What makes it so damn hard for many? Off the top of my head:

- less time to beat (4:15 instead of 4:45)

- a longer mat (6 ft vs 5 ft)

- an extra step on the stairs

- 10 lbs heavier on the push/pull machine (80 lbs vs 70 lbs)

- no time penalties but you have to repeat the obstacle if you make a mistake, therefore slowing you down more than a time penalty, plus you have three chances on the obstacle

- you can only shuffle the feet on the push/pull

- vault is at the very end

- you can only use hands to touch the bar, no crawling over the bar, no using legs for assistance

- heavier bag carry at the very end (100 lbs vs 80 lbs), and you can't cradle it either

Reading all the above, you can see you can't get away with mediocre fitness on the POPAT. You have to be much more fit to be successful, along with having more strength to tackle the push/pull machine (and to certain extent the mat jump and vault). You also need to have a clean run through the test. A single mistake can cost you. Trust me, I've had a few clients go through this already.

Is the POPAT hard? Yes and no.

Yes if you lack strength and/or have below average cardio fitness. No if you're athletically inclined, especially if you've played high level competition in sports like soccer, running, basketball, hockey, etc. Although, if you have characteristics of a high level athlete, it doesn't always guarantee success. There's still the matter of practicing the course and obstacles, and the dreaded push/pull machine. That thing is as much technique as it is strength.

Is The PARE Hard?

That really depends on who you ask. Put that in any search engine and you'll be taken to either forums or comments made on blogs or youtube videos. What you'll find there are varying answers from "That was the hardest thing I've ever done!!!!" to "Man, that sh!t was easy, why shouldn't you pass it?"

Of course that doesn't help anyone.

Is the PARE hard? The answer, like many things in life, is it depends.

If you are a natural born athlete that has played at every competitive level in life, then the test is ridiculously easy (if you're going for the bare minimum).

If you have been a couch potato all your life, eating chips and playing Call of Duty and GTA into the wee hours of the morning, then this test will be hard (if you're going for the bare minimum).

For you natural born athletes who find athletic feats easy to come by, let me address you first.

As I mentioned, if going for the bare minimum, the test is easy. But the competitor in you is not going for the bare minimum. You want to be the best. You want to have the fastest time among your peers. And that means pushing your limits. When you do that, the test becomes a challenge.

For those not athletically inclined, let me explain what makes the test hard:

1) It's deceiving. You watch videos on YouTube and the test looks too simple that you think it can't be hard. On top of that, most videos you watch show people running at a slower than expected pace.

2) It's demanding on the cardiovascular system. That means you will be breathing so hard and your heart is beating so fast you think you're going to have a heart attack and pass out. By the time you hit your 3rd or 4th lap, your HR is reaching near max, if it hasn't already done so.

3) It requires tremendous focus. And that focus can only be developed through intense training. I have seen several people run through the test going the wrong way, cutting through cones, doing the wrong falls, and in general not hearing what the tester is instructing.

4) It requires sufficient strength. Males don't have to worry about this as much, but females certainly do, especially for the push/pull machine. But being strong does not mean much if you don't develop your cardio fitness. Guys, cardio training is not just lifting weights faster or performing 5 min of jogging on the treadmill. And ladies, lifting weights is more than high reps low weight, you need to lift heavy (and trust me when I say it won't make you look like Arnie).

For the athletes out there, you are likely to pass the test, and can get away with less than a month's notice of training. How well you will do depends on the kind of athlete you are. I typically find competitive soccer players and competitive runners (usually middle distance track athletes) do the best on this test. These athletes have the power endurance and the agility to get through the course quickly. They also have enough strength to tackle the push/pull machine. Strength and power athletes (ie sprinters, football players, wrestlers, etc.) will fare well, but often suffer from the high intensity nature of the course, which affects their ability on the push/pull machine. They'll get through it, but not as well as they think they will.

For the non athletes, how well you fare will depend on your starting fitness level. If you're starting from the bottom, you're looking at minimum 3-4 months of solid consistent training. That means running (or another form of cardio training) 2-3x/wk to start. That means lifting 2-3x/wk to have sufficient strength levels. If you're already active, it may mean upping the intensity level in one, maybe two cardio workouts. It may mean having to lift heavier and for less reps. Give yourself time to adequately prepare for the test.

One last thing. If there is a testing facility that you have access to, go to it ASAP. Get a feel for the test. Only then will you know what you're up against. And make sure you get a practice run done well in advance of your test date, don't leave it last minute. The sooner you know where you stand, the sooner you can make the right preparations for the test.