Harvard Step Test
A simple test that assesses your physical fitness and aerobic capacity from how quickly your heart rate recovers after stepping on a platform.
By Jérémie NeubauerSite editor; runner, CrossFit and strength athlete for over 15 years · protocol checked against sources on
About the Harvard step test
The test was developed in 1943 at the Harvard Fatigue Laboratory by Lucien Brouha and colleagues, to assess the fitness of men for hard muscular work. It only needs a step, a stopwatch and a way to take your pulse. A known limitation: the step height is the same for everyone, so taller people are at an advantage.
How the test works
You step up and down a platform at a steady rhythm for a set duration (usually 5 minutes). Heart rate is then measured to see how the heart responds to exercise, and how quickly it recovers after the effort. The faster your heart rate returns to its resting state, the better your cardiovascular condition.
Calculator
Calculate your fitness index
Brouha formula (long form): (exercise duration in seconds × 100) / (2 × sum of the three 30-second counts). The calculator expects your pulse in beats per minute, i.e. each 30-second count multiplied by 2: the result is identical.
Why no rating scale? Two scales circulate for this same formula, with different cut-offs (“excellent” above 90 in one, above 96 in the other), and we could not trace a primary source that settles the matter. Compare your own index over time instead: if it rises from one session to the next, at the same step height, your heart-rate recovery is improving.
Equipment needed
- A stable step or platform of 50.8 cm (men) or 40 cm (women)
- A stopwatch to time the exercise and the recovery periods
- A heart rate monitor, or the ability to take your pulse manually
- Comfortable clothing suited to exercise
Protocol
How the test unfolds
- Starting positionStand in front of the step: 50.8 cm (20 inches) in the original protocol, 40 cm in the version for women.
- Steady steppingStart the stopwatch and step up and down at a constant rate of 30 steps per minute (one every 2 seconds).
- Test durationContinue for 5 minutes. The test stops early if you can no longer keep the cadence for 15 seconds: note the time completed.
- Recovery measurementSit down immediately. Count your heartbeats from 1:00 to 1:30, 2:00 to 2:30 and 3:00 to 3:30 after stopping, then multiply each count by 2.
Recommended gear
To run the test in good conditions
- Aerobic step platform View on Amazon →
- Heart rate monitor View on Amazon →
- Sports stopwatch View on Amazon →
Amazon affiliate links: if you buy, this site earns a commission at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ
What does "submaximal" mean for this test?
Unlike a maximal stress test, the Harvard step test does not require pushing to total exhaustion: the information comes mostly from how quickly your heart rate recovers after the effort.
What if I cannot last the full 5 minutes?
Note the time you actually sustained in seconds and use it in the formula instead of 300 seconds. The calculator above lets you adjust this duration.
What step height should you use?
The original protocol (Brouha, 1943) uses a 20-inch step, i.e. 50.8 cm, for men. The version for women uses 40 cm (16 inches). The cadence is 30 steps per minute in both cases.
Does the Harvard step test give you a VO2max?
No: it produces a fitness index based on how quickly your heart rate recovers after the effort, not a direct VO2max estimate like the Cooper test.