The Level Method MAP began with one core question: What should we measure to get a true snapshot of functional fitness?
The Foundation MAP answers that question – 15 carefully chosen categories, balanced, inclusive, and calibrated across 1.8 million data points. It became the universal baseline for functional fitness because it works: broad enough to capture the full picture, specific enough to be actionable, and adaptable to nearly any gym rooted in functional fitness.
But as fitness continues to evolve, so must the way we measure it.
The Foundation MAP: A Universal Baseline, Not a Universal Solution
The Foundation MAP was built to be the broadest snapshot of functional fitness. The design principles behind it are simple but demanding:
- Balanced, inclusive design
- The fewest necessary categories, with maximum overlap
- Smooth calibration across all levels
- General-population (gen pop) standards (not specialist standards)
Every level had to make sense. Every progression had to be verifiable. Every category had to serve the whole.
This calibration – years of work – became the core of Level Method’s measurement system. But no single system can fit every goal. As the industry matures, different fitness philosophies have emerged, and each approach requires different measurements.
The Four Worlds of Fitness
Even before someone walks into a gym, they’re usually aligned with one of four philosophical “worlds”:
- Function
What you can do with your body; practical capability. - Aesthetic
How you look; composition, hypertrophy, symmetry. - Longevity
Durability, resilience, feeling good long-term. - Performance
Work capacity, output, and competitive expression.
These worlds are not trends -- they are foundational orientations. They define what matters. And what matters determines what must be measured.
The Foundation MAP is grounded firmly in the functional fitness world – a blend of function & performance. But more function or performance-minded athletes, longevity-focused members, or aesthetic-driven clients can all have different priorities. A single MAP cannot speak sufficiently to every world.
As Fitness Diverges, Measurement Must Diverge With It
Fitness today is not what it was pre-2020. Gyms have differentiated. CrossFit gyms have splintered into dozens of directions. Individuals have clearer, specific goals. The definitions of “success” have changed.
Some see success as work capacity, or vitality.
Others want an aesthetics or functional-strength focus.
Most want a blend.
This natural fracturing happens in every maturing technology.
This is why Level Method developed the next logical evolution: Custom Categories and Custom MAPs.
The Power of Calibration: Why Level Method Can Do What Others Can’t
Because Level Method has gathered millions of data points over nearly a decade, it can calibrate almost anything.
A Red 5 deadlift or a Red 5 mile run is elite-level for normal people, not elite for competitive specialists.
This calibration philosophy will apply to every new category and every new MAP. There will be:
- General population standards
- Consistent logic across “worlds”
- Repeatable, defendable levels
This prevents the chaos of specialist bias and keeps the system accessible and safe.
Defining Worlds Through Measurement
A MAP is not just a list of tests.
A MAP is a philosophy expressed through what it chooses to measure.
- Function → practical strength, foundational movement
- Performance → output, capacity, power
- Longevity → mobility, resilience, durability
- Aesthetic → hypertrophy, composition
- Custom → any combination you choose
What goes onto a MAP defines the world.
What gets removed defines the world.
What is weighted more heavily defines the world.
For example:
In Hyrox, success hinges on compromised running. So a Hyrox MAP might include multiple running elements.
That’s relevance-driven measurement.
What You Measure Must Be Relevant
This is the governing principle behind every MAP:
Relevance-Driven Measurement
Is the category relevant to the goal?
Is the MAP relevant to the person?
Is the testing relevant to the class or gym?
Different goals demand different measurements. Now we can reflect that truth.
How Custom MAPs Work at the Gym Level
Every gym starts with the Foundation MAP.
But you can now create additional MAPs:
- Performance-leaning MAPs
- Longevity-leaning MAPs
- Strength tracks
- Endurance tracks
- Hyrox Style MAPs
- Specialized class MAPs
- Or fully custom MAPs for personal training clients
Members inherit the gym’s default MAP, but you can adjust an individual’s MAP at any time -- ideal for:
- PT clients
- Hybrid members
- Specialty cohorts
- Seasonal training blocks
- Goal-specific programs
Switching MAPs on digital displays is instant. Switching a member to a new MAP takes seconds.
Why This Matters for Gym Owners: The Value Hierarchy
Custom MAPs redefine how gyms package and deliver value:
Baseline Value:
Members follow the standard gym MAP (by default Functional Fitness, but you can change it).
Higher Value:
Members can join specialty classes with a dedicated MAP for performance or longevity etc.
Highest Value:
Personalized MAPs built through goal-setting sessions, assessments, and custom programming.
This unlocks new, high-ticket services:
- PT + custom MAP assessment packages
- Specialty 8-week blocks
- Hybrid class + custom programming
- Seasonal performance tracks
- Pathway-specific training groups
Members don’t just see where they are in “fitness.”
They see where they are in their world, moving toward their goals, measured by what matters to them.
The Big Idea
Fitness is evolving.
People are evaluating success differently.
Gyms are differentiating.
Philosophies are diverging.
And now, measurement can finally diverge with them.
Level Method started with one universal MAP.
Now it expands into a system that can support any sport, any goal, any philosophy, any world -- built on the same meticulous calibration that made the Foundation MAP trustworthy.
The future of fitness measurement is not one MAP.
It’s a framework capable of supporting hundreds of calibrated categories and an unlimited number of tailored pathways.
This is the evolution of Level Method, built for everything that comes next.
