1. ACE Personal Trainer Manual
5th Edition
Chapter 8: Physiological Assessments
Lesson 8.3

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After completing this session, you will be able to:
Discuss, demonstrate, and evaluate the results of each muscular-endurance assessment: push-up test, curl-up test, and body-weight squat test
Discuss, demonstrate, and evaluate the results of the various assessments for muscular strength, and the appropriateness of each: 1-RM bench-press test, 1-RM leg-press test, and 1-RM squat test
Discuss the special considerations for 1-RM testing as well as the appropriate strength ratios for various muscle groups
Discuss and demonstrate the various sport-skill assessments, and the appropriateness of each: standing long jump, vertical jump test, pro agility test, and the 40-yard dash
Identify the various causes that contribute to the inaccuracy of fitness testing

3. MUSCULAR-FITNESS TESTING
Muscular fitness– encompasses both muscular endurance and muscular strength
Health-related benefits of muscular fitness:
Enhances the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL)
Increases self-esteem and a sense of independence
Provides for musculoskeletal integrity
Reduces common injuries
Enhances or maintains fat-free mass and positively impacts resting metabolic rate (RMR)
Guards against osteoporosis
Enhances glucose tolerance
Protects against type 2 diabetes
Reduces the cardiovascular response to resistance-type activities
Muscular endurance represents a muscle’s ability to resist fatigue and perform work for successive repetitions.
Muscular strength defines a muscle’s ability to overcome external resistance.
Both are essential health-related fitness components.

4. Consider the following for muscle-endurance testing:
MUSCULAR-ENDURANCE TESTING
Assesses the ability of a specific muscle group, or groups, to perform repeated or sustained contractions to sufficiently invoke muscular fatigue:
Simple to administer
Little or no equipment
Does not require advanced training
Consider the following for muscle-endurance testing:
Ensure proper form and posture is maintained with each repetition
Ensure no low-back pain or other orthopedic issues
Any pain merits immediate termination of the test and referral to a more qualified professional
When considering assessments for muscular endurance, trainers should always determine the relevancy and appropriateness of the assessments for their clients.

5. Measures upper-body endurance:
PUSH-UP TEST
Measures upper-body endurance:
The client completes as many repetitions as possible before reaching fatigue.
Women should perform the modified push-up due to variations in strength between genders.
Contraindications and considerations:
This test may not be appropriate for clients with shoulder, elbow, or wrist problems.
Alternate muscular-endurance tests or the Cooper 90-degree push-up test (where the elbows do not exceed a 90-degree angle) may be more appropriate.
A major problem associated with tests that require performance to fatigue is that the point of “exhaustion” or fatigue is highly influenced by an individual’s level of motivation.
Novice exercisers may not push themselves to the maximal point of exertion.
Clients who are sedentary or unaccustomed to working the upper body are likely lacking in upper-body strength and endurance. If the muscles of the upper body are weak, this can lead to poor posture and a variety of musculoskeletal problems.
In the fitness setting, there are a variety of strength-training activities that can be incorporated into a client’s training program that would help increase muscular fitness in the pectoralis, triceps, and deltoid muscle groups, individually or collectively. The push-up itself is a great exercise for developing muscular strength, endurance, and overall tone in the upper body. Push-ups can also be modified to accommodate a variety of clients (e.g., wall push-ups). Push-ups do not require any equipment and can be performed virtually anywhere. For these reasons, push-ups are a beneficial exercise to add to any client’s home exercise program.

6. Measures abdominal strength and endurance:
CURL-UP TEST
Measures abdominal strength and endurance:
The client completes as many repetitions as possible before reaching fatigue.
Easy and inexpensive
Most clients will be able to perform a curl-up.
Contraindications
The following issues should be considered prior to the performance of abdominal strength assessments:
Clients with low-back concerns should check with their physicians prior to attempting this test.
Clients with cervical neck issues may find that this exercise exacerbates their pain. All clients should be encouraged to relax the neck and rely on their abdominal muscles to do the work.
The curl-up is preferred over the full sit-up because it is a more reliable indicator of abdominal strength and endurance and is much safer for the exerciser. The full sit-up requires additional recruitment of the hip flexors, which places increased loads across the lumbar spine.

7. Also used to gauge improvements in lower-extremity muscular endurance
BODY-WEIGHT SQUAT TEST
Assesses muscular endurance of the lower extremity when performing repetitions of a squat
Also used to gauge improvements in lower-extremity muscular endurance
Only suitable for those who demonstrate proper squat form
Contraindications:
While this test mimics a primary movement that most individuals perform on a daily basis, it may not be suitable for:
A deconditioned or frail client with lower-extremity weakness
A client with balance concerns
A client with orthopedic issues, especially in the knees
A client who fails to demonstrate proper squatting technique
It is permissible to allow individuals to move through a reduced range of motion and record that data on the testing form to be used for comparison later on in the program.

8. MUSCULAR-STRENGTH TESTING
Determines muscular fitness
Identifies areas of weakness or imbalances
Monitors rehabilitation progress
Assess training effectiveness
Absolute strength – the greatest amount of weight that can be lifted one time
Known as a one-repetition maximum (1-RM)
Relative strength – the maximum force a person can exert in relation to his or her body weight
Relative strength = Absolute strength/Body weight
Strength is dependent on variables, such as:
Muscle size (diameter)
Limb length
Neurological adaptations
Maintaining muscular strength is important for everything from performance of ADL to sports performance.
Always choose tests that are appropriate for the client and in line with their goals:
Does the client want to improve overall function or is he or she interested in precise performance gains?
Is the client interested in total-body fitness or is he or she interested in specific muscle fitness (e.g., to rehabilitate an injury)?
Does the client need to enhance muscular power, strength, and/or endurance? For example, 1-RM is not well-correlated to muscular endurance.
Strength tests will likely be incorporated into a comprehensive assessment session.
A client should warm up prior to strength testing to reduce the likelihood of injury and enhance overall strength.
Prolonged static stretching prior to strength testing should be discouraged, as it may decrease performance.

9. Proper form and control is critical:
CONSIDERATIONS FOR 1-RM TESTING
Proper form and control is critical:
Novice exercisers may not have the skill to handle heavier free weights
Breathe properly:
Avoid the Valsalva maneuver or holding the breath
Avoid 1-RM testing if individuals have:
Hypertension
A history of vascular disease
Beginning exercisers are often unsure of their abilities and tend to quit before their true maximum.
Special considerations for 1-RM testing:
When working with inexperienced exercisers or individuals with health considerations that would preclude them from performing a 1-RM test, it is appropriate to assess strength using submaximal efforts that do not exceed 10 repetitions. Submaximal tests that exceed 10 repetitions assess muscular endurance and not muscular strength.

10. Assesses fundamental upper-extremity strength
1-RM BENCH-PRESS TEST
Assesses fundamental upper-extremity strength
Only suitable for individuals who:
Can demonstrate proper bench press form
Do not have a history of shoulder problems
While Table 8-23 provides useful information, keep in mind that its widespread application is limited for several reasons:
Much of the research to establish the 1-RM repetition table was primarily based on research using trained male athletes.
This table is based on single-set research and the values may need to be lowered with multiple-set training.
This table is derived from bench press, squat, and power clean exercises and has not been effectively validated using other exercises.
This table is based on free-weight exercises and the values may need to be adjusted for machine-based exercises.
This table has demonstrated accuracy for loads greater than 75% 1-RM and is not as accurate for lower intensities.

11. Assesses lower-extremity strength Stable and supported movement
1-RM LEG-PRESS TEST
Assesses lower-extremity strength
Stable and supported movement
Only suitable for individuals who:
Can demonstrate proper leg press form
Do not have low-back or knee pain

12. Assesses lower-extremity strength Unsupported and functional movement
1-RM SQUAT TEST
Assesses lower-extremity strength
Unsupported and functional movement
Only suitable for individuals who:
Can demonstrate proper form when performing a squat
Do not have low-back or knee pain

13. Assessments can also determine:
STRENGTH TESTING
Assessments can also determine:
Left-to-right muscle balance
Appropriate ratios of agonist to antagonist muscle strength
Muscle imbalances occur from:
Improper training
Overuse of one side of the body (e.g., tennis serves or golf swings)
Structural imbalances caused by injury, poor posture, or body mechanics
Muscle balance is essential to prevent injury, enhance sports performance, and avoid chronic conditions later in life.

14. APPROPRIATE STRENGTH RATIOS

15. Dynamic or even ballistic movements
SPORT-SKILL ASSESSMENTS
Dynamic or even ballistic movements
Rapid phases of acceleration and deceleration
Balance
Power (anaerobic power and capacity)
Speed
Agility
Reactivity
Coordination
Appropriateness of the assessments must be determined in advance due to the significant stress throughout the kinetic chain.

16. POWER TESTING: FIELD TESTS
Field tests that assess power measure how fast the body can move in a short time period:
Anaerobic power – a single repetition or event; represents the maximal amount of power the body can generate
Power is also sport- or activity-specific
Human power is defined as the rate at which mechanical work is performed under a defined set of conditions. Power correlates to the immediate energy available through the phosphagen energy system.
In contrast to anaerobic power, anaerobic capacity represents the sustainability of power output for brief periods of time.
Personal trainers must keep in mind that power tests are designed for clients interested in performance training (phase 4 of the functional movement and resistance training component of the ACE IFT Model). Therefore, the majority of normative data presented with these tests has been obtained from studies involving college and professional athletes. Little, if any, data exists for middle-aged or older adults. The results of these tests are perhaps best utilized as baseline data against which to measure a client’s future performance.
Contraindications for field tests of power, speed, agility, and quickness:
Because these tests are intended for athletes and those interested in advanced forms of training, individuals in “special populations” are not likely candidates. When working with a client who is still recovering from an injury, it is wise to omit these tests.

17. Assesses explosive leg power:
STANDING LONG JUMP TEST
Assesses explosive leg power:
Simple to administer
Does not require much time or equipment

18. Assesses the vertical jump height:
VERTICAL JUMP TEST
Assesses the vertical jump height:
Very simple
Quick to administer
Appropriate for athletes whose sport requires skill and power in jumping

19. Speed and agility tests:
SPEED, AGILITY, AND QUICKNESS TESTING
Speed and agility tests:
Require maximal effort while assessing speed and quickness
Are useful in predicting athletic potential
Require swift limb movement and proper technique
As with power tests, tests of speed, agility, and quickness are designed for clients interested in training at phase 4 of the ACE IFT Model, or for high-level athletic performance. Therefore, the majority of normative data presented with these tests has been obtained from studies involving college and professional athletes. Little, if any, data exists for middle-aged or older adults. The results of these tests are perhaps best utilized as baseline data against which to measure a client’s future performance.
To perform well and avoid injury, it is imperative that the client warms up adequately.
A sample warm-up includes a five- to 10-minute jog or light cardiovascular activity combined with some short sprints. Light, dynamic stretching should be included for the involved muscle groups (i.e., quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and hip flexors).
For a trainer working with an individual interested in improving his or her performance in a timed sprint, it is important to not only focus on drills that will increase overall muscular speed, but to also work on sprinting techniques, including optimal start positioning, body position during acceleration and during the sprint itself, and breath control.

20. PRO AGILITY TEST
Measures the ability to accelerate, decelerate, change direction, and then accelerate again:
Quick and simple to administer
Sometimes called the “20-yard agility test” or “ shuttle run”
The National Football League and USA Women’s Soccer Team use this assessment as part of their battery of tests.

21. Determines acceleration and speed:
40-YARD DASH
Determines acceleration and speed:
Simple to administer
Does not require much time or equipment
Weather conditions and running surface can greatly affect the speed of the client. On follow-up assessments, it is important to test on the same running surface and in the same conditions as in the initial test.

22. FITNESS TEST INACCURACY
Most personal-training clients are motivated by improvements in their fitness assessments. Clients like to see that the hard work and dedication to their health and fitness have paid off. There may be test inaccuracies, but repeating the same test, in the same environment, and at the same time of day will ensure that test results can be compared to earlier test outcomes. For example, even if optimal results are not always attainable, a client who sees his or her performance assessment move from “below average” to “above average” will likely be thrilled with the results and motivated to maintain a regular exercise regimen.

23. SUMMARY
Assessment information is important for goal setting, determining health risks, and even in helping to establish rapport with the client.
When conducted properly, assessments for muscular endurance and strength, and power, speed, agility, and quickness can provide valuable fitness and performance information for the trainer to use in exercise program planning and implementation.
Not all tests are suitable for all populations. It is up to the trainer to decide the timing and most appropriate battery of tests for each individual client.
Additionally, various causes may contribute to the inaccuracy of a fitness test, including the client, the technician, the equipment, or the environment.
Periodic reassessments are also important to gauge progress and continue to foster the client–trainer relationship.