Prepare · Train · Review
A complete 12-week example with three aerobic sessions, two strength sessions and clear recovery days.
Choose the correct test adaptation, start at a manageable level and repeat weeks when needed. A completed plan is not a pass prediction.
Check your starting point
Who these examples are for: adults aged 19–64 preparing for an assessment, able to meet the starting criteria below, with no symptoms or restrictions that make these activities unsuitable. They are general exercise examples, not individual prescriptions or rehabilitation plans. If you have not exercised for some time, have a health condition, are returning after injury, are pregnant/postnatal, or are unsure about suitability, get individual advice before starting. Follow any clinician or occupational-health restrictions.
Stop exercising if you develop chest pain, feel faint, have unusual breathlessness or develop sharp/worsening pain. Seek medical advice; severe or persistent chest pain, collapse or severe breathing difficulty needs urgent emergency help. Do not train through illness or symptoms to meet a deadline.
Plan selection is based on current ability, not just the time until your appointment. Compare the 8-week plan. These original example schedules apply general exercise principles; they have not been validated as a Chester pass programme.
Know how hard to work
| Session | How it should feel | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Easy, 2–3/10 | Comfortable breathing; full sentences are easy. | Warm-up, recovery and most longer sessions. |
| Steady, 4–5/10 | Breathing is deeper; you can still talk. | Controlled aerobic work once comfortable. |
| Controlled harder, about 6/10 | Purposeful work; short phrases remain possible. Never all-out. | Only the later work intervals, when earlier weeks are comfortable. |
Effort varies with heat, fatigue, health and the activity. Reduce pace or incline when needed. These effort descriptions guide training; they do not replace an assessor’s test-specific RPE scale or stopping rules. Do not aim for a Chester heart-rate stopping threshold during training.
For each exercise session, add a gradual 5–10 minute warm-up and about 5 minutes of easy movement to cool down. The aerobic minutes below are the main exercise block, excluding these additions. For interval sessions, the easy recovery is included after every repetition, including the final one.
Strength A and B: home or gym
Use the exercise instructions and home/gym substitutions before starting. Select a variation you can control, breathe throughout and finish each set with about 2–3 good repetitions still possible. Rest 60–90 seconds between sets, longer if you need it. These are controlled sets, not a race or an exhaustion circuit.
| Session | Exercises | Prescription |
|---|---|---|
| Strength A | Chair squat; wall/incline press-up; supported light row; calf raise; dead bug. | Use the week’s set and repetition target. Row each side; dead bug is 5 slow repetitions per side per set. |
| Strength B | Low step-up; glute bridge; wall/incline press-up; supported light row; bird dog. | Step-ups and rows are per side. Bird dog is 5 slow repetitions per side per set. Use the week’s target for the other exercises. |
Start with bodyweight or a light load. Increase repetitions before resistance, and only within the stated range when movement remains controlled. Use the easier option if a movement is unfamiliar. Arrange instruction for gym equipment. Avoid a demanding leg session immediately before a harder aerobic session.
Your complete weekly plan
Use Day 1–7 as a sequence you can fit around your week. The default spacing separates the aerobic sessions. Day 4 and Day 7 are recovery days. If strength work leaves your legs tired, reduce it or move it to preserve recovery before the next aerobic session.
| Week | Day 1 easy | Day 3 main block | Day 5 easy | Strength A/B | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 min | 15 minutes easy aerobic work | 20 min | 1 × 8 | Build a comfortable routine. All three aerobic sessions are easy. |
| 2 | 18 min | 18 minutes easy aerobic work | 22 min | 1 × 10 | Add a little time; keep the effort easy. |
| 3 | 20 min | 20 minutes easy aerobic work | 25 min | 2 × 8 | Introduce a second strength set only if the first two weeks were comfortable. |
| 4 | 18 min | 18 minutes easy aerobic work | 22 min | 1 × 10 | An easier consolidation week. Review comfort and technique. |
| 5 | 25 min | 5 × (1 min steady + 2 min easy). | 28 min | 2 × 8 | One controlled session; steady means 4–5/10. |
| 6 | 28 min | 6 × (1 min steady + 2 min easy). | 30 min | 2 × 10 | Use the same effort and practice mode as last week. |
| 7 | 30 min | 5 × (2 min steady + 2 min easy). | 32 min | 2 × 10 | Longer steady portions; no increase in step height or incline is required. |
| 8 | 25 min | 4 × (1 min steady + 2 min easy). | 28 min | 1 × 10 | Consolidate. If progress is limited, repeat this easier week. |
| 9 | 30 min | 5 × (2 min controlled + 2 min easy). | 35 min | 2 × 10 | Only use about 6/10 if steady work is comfortable; otherwise keep 4–5/10. |
| 10 | 32 min | 6 × (2 min controlled + 2 min easy). | 38 min | 2 × 10 | Keep the same controlled effort. Reassess whether this dose fits work and recovery. |
| 11 | 30 min | 4 × (3 min controlled + 2 min easy). | 35 min | 2 × 10 | Consolidate rather than chase a score. An assessor-led review replaces a session. |
| 12 | 20 min | 15 minutes easy aerobic work | Recovery | Optional light A only | Assessment week: easy activity early in the week; no intervals or hard strength work. |
Choose a start date for dated weeks and calendar export. You can download an undated training log.
Weekly checklist: open a week to see each session. Tick marks are temporary unless you enable “Remember my progress on this device” below. You can also download the log to keep a separate copy. The page does not submit your selections or training entries to us. A downloaded file stays wherever you save it.
Optional: save this plan’s start date and tick marks in this browser. They are not sent to us or shared across devices. Use your own device; saved progress expires after 90 days without an update. Turning this off removes the saved copy.
Remembering is off unless you previously enabled it for this plan.
Week 1: Build a comfortable routine
Build a comfortable routine. All three aerobic sessions are easy.
Days 4 and 7: recovery. Gentle everyday movement is fine if comfortable. No catch-up workouts.
Week 2: Add a little time; keep the effort easy
Add a little time; keep the effort easy.
Days 4 and 7: recovery. Gentle everyday movement is fine if comfortable. No catch-up workouts.
Week 3: Introduce a second strength set only if the first two weeks were comfortable
Introduce a second strength set only if the first two weeks were comfortable.
Days 4 and 7: recovery. Gentle everyday movement is fine if comfortable. No catch-up workouts.
Week 4: An easier consolidation week
An easier consolidation week. Review comfort and technique.
Days 4 and 7: recovery. Gentle everyday movement is fine if comfortable. No catch-up workouts.
Week 5: One controlled session; steady means 4–5/10
One controlled session; steady means 4–5/10.
Days 4 and 7: recovery. Gentle everyday movement is fine if comfortable. No catch-up workouts.
Week 6: Use the same effort and practice mode as last week
Use the same effort and practice mode as last week.
Days 4 and 7: recovery. Gentle everyday movement is fine if comfortable. No catch-up workouts.
Week 7: Longer steady portions; no increase in step height or incline is required
Longer steady portions; no increase in step height or incline is required.
Days 4 and 7: recovery. Gentle everyday movement is fine if comfortable. No catch-up workouts.
Week 8: Consolidate
Consolidate. If progress is limited, repeat this easier week.
Days 4 and 7: recovery. Gentle everyday movement is fine if comfortable. No catch-up workouts.
Week 9: Only use about 6/10 if steady work is comfortable; otherwise keep 4–5/10
Only use about 6/10 if steady work is comfortable; otherwise keep 4–5/10.
Days 4 and 7: recovery. Gentle everyday movement is fine if comfortable. No catch-up workouts.
Week 10: Keep the same controlled effort
Keep the same controlled effort. Reassess whether this dose fits work and recovery.
Days 4 and 7: recovery. Gentle everyday movement is fine if comfortable. No catch-up workouts.
Week 11: Consolidate rather than chase a score
Consolidate rather than chase a score. An assessor-led review replaces a session.
Days 4 and 7: recovery. Gentle everyday movement is fine if comfortable. No catch-up workouts.
Week 12: Assessment preparation
Assessment week: easy activity early in the week; no intervals or hard strength work.
Days 4 and 7: recovery. Gentle everyday movement is fine if comfortable. No catch-up workouts.
Match the practice to your assessment
| Test | How to use the controlled work intervals | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Chester Step Test | Practise on a stable exercise step at a height you can control. Use a comfortable repeatable rhythm. Choose level walking if balance or movement is not secure. Ask your assessor to teach the actual test rhythm and confirm the assessment step height. | Stacked books, unstable furniture, jumping, weighted vests, or repeated unsupervised full tests. Training step height does not change the official assessment. |
| Chester treadmill walk | Use a safe treadmill after instruction, with the safety clip. Choose a speed and modest incline that fit the prescribed training effort; recover on an easier setting. With no treadmill, use a safe gentle outdoor incline for general conditioning. | Jumping to the final test gradient, removing safety equipment, or training at a speed that forces you to hang on the rails. Outdoor hills are not an accepted substitute test. |
| Chester treadmill run | Use this adaptation only if already comfortable running. Keep the work portions at controlled running effort, with easy walk/jog recoveries. New runners should build up gradually; see the NHS Couch to 5K route. | Treating walking fitness as running readiness, all-out sprints, or using an eight-week deadline to skip a gradual running build-up. |
| Unknown, cycle or another test | Confirm the exact test with the assessor. Easy walking/cycling may support general fitness if suitable. These plans do not supply a cycle-test protocol or a substitute assessment. | Choosing a different test because its score looks more favourable. |
The formal test follows its authorised protocol. Practise the movement and build fitness without extending test stages, manipulating heart rate or treating training sessions as accepted assessment results.
When to progress, repeat or change a week
- Progress only when ready: complete the sessions with controlled technique and the intended effort, and return to your usual day-to-day comfort before the next session. If not, repeat the week or reduce it. Calendar weeks may take longer.
- Change one variable: when a table increases duration, keep your pace, step height and resistance stable. Do not also add extra sessions or heavier loads.
- Missed one session: skip it and resume the schedule when recovered. Never double the next day to catch up.
- Missed a week: return to the last comfortably completed week at an easier level. After illness, injury or a longer break, seek advice where needed and rebuild from a suitable point.
- Existing sport or physical work counts: substitute an equivalent session for this plan; do not add the plan on top of a demanding routine. Keep at least one recovery day between harder sessions.
- Shift work: move the sessions while keeping the order and recovery gaps. A demanding shift or poor sleep may mean replacing training with recovery.
- Near the assessment: if time is short, use the final-week guidance and speak to your assessor. Do not compress several weeks of training into a few days.
Review your actual minutes, perceived effort, sleep and recovery each week. A lower heart rate on a watch or a higher watch VO₂max estimate cannot establish that you meet an occupational threshold. If your result is below the requirement, ask the assessor whether further training, a repeat assessment or another review is appropriate.
Prepare for the appointment
Arrange the last week around your actual appointment. Use only familiar, comfortable activity early in the week. Avoid hard intervals, heavy leg training and repeated practice tests in the final 48 hours; follow your assessor’s instructions if they differ. Keep the day before restful or gently active. Do not fit in a missed workout.
Ask the provider about food, caffeine, alcohol, smoking, hydration, medication and illness before the appointment. Follow their specific instructions, keep normal sleep and eating routines, and bring suitable clothing and footwear. Do not stop or change prescribed medication, deliberately dehydrate, use stimulants or attempt rapid weight loss to alter the result. Tell the assessor about symptoms, illness, medication and any difficulty during the test.
Your next step
Choose your preparation route · 12-week foundation plan · 8-week active plan
Book through the employer or medical examiner if they require a nominated service. Our provider directory is accepting applications; it does not yet contain published providers. Confirm acceptance before paying for a test.
Organising assessments? See our Chester service setup guide, CST2 software and practitioner training and competency.
Sources and scope
- NHS adult activity guidance — general aerobic and strength principles; it does not validate this schedule or a Chester pass standard.
- NHS strength exercises — accessible movement instructions and gradual progression.
- NHS Couch to 5K — a separate gradual running route for people who are not ready for the running adaptation.
Sources checked 19 October 2026. Employer and examiner instructions can change. These pages provide general preparation guidance; they do not award a pass, certification or medical clearance.