Simplified Conconi Test with Heart Rate Monitors
A progressive test in which running speed increases every minute while heart rate is recorded, so students can graph speed against heart rate and look for the point where it stops rising in a straight line. It introduces heart rate monitors and the idea of an aerobic threshold.
How to play
- Mark a 200 m loop with a cone every 20 m and prepare beep audio that speeds up every minute: start at about 8 km/h (5 mph) and add 0.5 km/h per stage (3 min).
- In pairs, one student wears the heart rate monitor and the other holds a sheet with two columns: stage and heart rate. Explain that runners must reach each cone as the beep sounds.
- Group one: half the class runs. At the end of every minute, the runner calls out their heart rate while passing their partner, who records it (about 9 min).
- Runners drop out when they miss the cone on two beeps in a row or when the partner sees signs of exhaustion. They then walk for 2 min with the monitor still on.
- Group two with roles switched (about 9 min).
- Each student graphs stage against heart rate on the sheet and marks where the curve starts to flatten: that is an estimate of their threshold (3 min).
Rules
- Stop the test for pain, dizziness, or unusual shortness of breath.
- Always run in the outside lane and call out before passing.
- Students who drop out step off toward the inside of the loop and keep walking without sitting down.
Variations
Easier
Use 2-minute stages with smaller speed increases and stop at 8 minutes.
Standard
Use 1-minute stages that keep speeding up until the runner cannot keep pace, recording heart rate at each stage.
Harder
Compare the graph with a previous test and calculate personal training zones from the threshold.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: complete the test on a stationary bike or in a wheelchair with gradual pace increases.
- Deaf or hard of hearing: a partner signals every beep and stage change with a flag.
- Heart or breathing conditions: participate only with medical clearance, stopping at a moderate pace.
Learning goals
- Complete a progressive endurance test while tracking heart rate.
- Use a heart rate monitor to collect reliable data.
- Read a heart rate graph to estimate an appropriate training intensity.
Equipment for a class of 25
- heart rate monitors: 13
- cones: 10
- portable speaker: 1
- recording sheets: 25
Teacher tip
The original test requires a lot of precision, so present it as an educational estimate.
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