This content is imported from youtube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may find more information on their website.
As a bodybuilding trainer, Eugene Theo He regularly shares tips on how to build strength and muscle safely and sustainably through resistance training, but when it comes to the cardiovascular side of exercise, he’s the first to admit his experience is limited. In a new video on his YouTube channel, he steps out of his comfort zone with the progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance (PACER) runningalso known as the multi-stage fitness test, or beep test.
The PACER consists of a series of 20-meter random runs, with the goal of each length being to reach the line before the whistle is heard. The interval between each beep gets shorter and shorter as the test progresses, until you’re running. When you can no longer complete a full 20 meters before you hear the beep, that means you are out of the test.
“I feel like I’m getting PTSD because of gym class in high school,” says Eugene. “I sucked at anything physical.”
She was joined by trainer Sharelle Grant for the challenge. “I often find that I have more physical strength in my legs than in fitness,” she says. “I can go hard, but I will be absolutely destroyed at the end.”
After a brief warm-up and getting some pre-workout energy from high school in the form of Nerds candy, Eugene and Sharelle begin the test and fail level 6, which they attribute in part to the fact that they are carrying a good amount. of muscle mass between them.
“I just hate that burning sensation,” he says. “I could happily do low-intensity cardio for hours…but when my lungs start to burn, I mentally tap.”
Sharelle also points out that Eugene’s running form was inefficient. “You’re making it harder for yourself,” she says. “You’re very heavy on your feet, and you weren’t using your arms to their full capacity to be able to get your stride and rhythm.” However, she adds that the PACER test is a good challenge, as it’s pretty hard to get injured as long as you get hot enough.
“I did VO2 tests before riding a bike, which is easier because there is no skill,” says Eugene. “But running, whether it’s on a treadmill or outdoors or whatever, is very technical. I haven’t run in years. And even if I have run in years, a lot of people run, but they don’t have good technique. It’s a great skill. .”
Philip Ellis is a UK freelance writer and journalist who covers pop culture, relationships and LGBTQ+. His work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller, and MTV.
