Physical Fitness Assessments Chapter 5

Fitness Evaluation When assessing a persons level of fitness the following areas of fitness must be evaluated: Muscle endurance Flexibility Cardio respiratory endurance Body composition Special considerations

Fitness Evaluation Evaluation of your clients physical fitness is very important because an individual’s fitness baseline must be established This applies to the general public Thus a distinction must first be drawn between competitive fitness and general fitness

Fitness Evaluation Competitive Fitness – the strength, endurance, and mental well-being required to be competitive in sports activities General Fitness – the ability to perform daily activities with vitality and energy without stress or injury

Muscular Endurance Evaluation Muscular endurance can be measured by how many repetitions are performed continuously over a period of time or by how long a muscle contraction can be held

Muscle Endurance Bent Leg Sit-Ups Bent leg sit-ups measure the muscular endurance of the abdominal muscles. Poor development of the abdominal muscles can contribute to lower back pain. Bent leg sit-ups put less stress on the lower back.

Muscle Endurance Bent Leg Sit-Ups Assume the starting position – must lie flat on back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Arms should be folded across chest or beside the head. Chin tucked. Feet held down. Begin the sit-up – client should lift upper body away from floor, until elbows touch the thighs Complete the sit-up – release the curl slowly until shoulders return to the floor

Muscle Endurance 4. Repeat – perform steps 2-3 as many times as possible for 1 minute 5. Record the results – the number of sit-ups in 1 minute is _____. Figure 5-3

Muscle Endurance Push-Ups – test measures upper body endurance and allows the athletic trainer or instructor to evaluate muscular endurance in arms, chest and trunk Modified push-ups are used for women but not always

Muscle Endurance Push-ups Assume the start position – lie face down on floor with hands directly under shoulders. Legs straight and together Begin the push-up – keeping the upper body as straight as possible, push upper body off floor until arms are fully extended Complete the push-up – lower body until chest is one fist width above floor

Muscle Endurance Repeat – perform as many push-ups as possible Record – the number of push-ups completed is _____.

Muscle Endurance Modified push-up Start – lie face down, legs together and bent at the knee Begin – keep upper body straight, push upper body with palms Complete – lower in controlled motion keeping one fist width from floor Repeat – perform as many as possible Record – The number of push-ups completed is _____.

Muscle Endurance Bench Jump or Step Used to determine the muscle endurance of the lower extremities. A 16” high bench is used. Used by jumping from ground level to the top of the bench and back down again as many times as possible in a 1 minute period.

Muscle Endurance Bench Jump Start – stand and face the bench with arms held at sides Begin – client jumps on bench & plants both feet on bench, arms may swing freely but hands are not to be used Complete – jumps back to start position, both feet on ground. One rep is up and down. Repeat - one minute Record – the number of Bench Jumps in 1 minute is ______.

Flexibility Evaluations Flexibility is the ability to stretch a muscle through its full range of motion without pain or muscle tearing.

Flexibility Evaluations Sit and Reach Start – tape measure is extended on the floor, client should remove both shoes & sit with knees extended, tape measured between clients feet with 15 in mark positioned at the clients heels, & zero mark toward body Begin – extends arms forward with one hand on top of the other, finger extended and held together

Flexibility Evaluations 3. Complete – Reach as far forward as possible and touches tape measure. Make sure knees are straight and head down. Measure – When position can be held 5 sec the measurement is taken. Allow to do 3 times and record the highest number. Record – “Distance measured in the sit and reach is ______.”

Flexibility Evaluations Back Bend (trunk extension) This test helps the athletic or personal trainer to evaluate the ability of the abdominal muscles and the spine to extend backward. Client should be allowed to warm up back muscles before attempting this test

Flexibility Evaluations Start – client lies face down on the floor with fingers interlocked behind neck while the legs are held Perform – slowly, raise the head and shoulders as far from floor as possible. Must be held 5 seconds Measure – bend is the distance from the floor to the clients chin Record – “the distance measured in the trunk extension is ______ inches.”

Evaluating Cardiorespiratory Endurance Optimum muscular activity is possible only when the heart, blood vessels, and lungs are functioning effectively This exercise will enable you to evaluate your clients CR endurance by measuring his or her resting heart rate and recovery heart rate

Cardio-Respiratory Endurance Measuring the heart rate The pulse is determined by the number of heartbeats per minute The radial pulse & carotid pulse

Cardio-Respiratory Endurance Determining Resting Heart Rate Resting heart rate provides a baseline Should be taken while client is sitting and not during activity or after activity Best time to assess resting heart rate is in morning just after arising 60-100 bpm

Cardio-Respiratory Endurance The Pulse Recovery Step Test A.K.A. Kasch pulse recovery or 3 minute step test Measure a person’s recovery heart rate following 3 minutes of exercise To perform, take clients resting heart rate and record. Then using a 12” platform have the client face platform while standing 12” from it. The exercise consist of stepping up on the platform, one foot at the time. Need to perform 24 reps per min for 3 min Wait 60 seconds after completion then assess pulse

Body Composition To determine a person’s lean body weight you must first measure the amount of body fat Use a skin-fold caliper Always use the same part of the body on the same person for consistency

Body Composition Measuring Body Fat Take all skinfold measurements on the right side of the body Use the four anatomical landmarks to assess measurement Triceps (back of arm) Biceps (top of arm) Subscapula Supra-iliac Stand with arms resting comfortable

Body Composition Starting with first site, use thumb and index finger to pinch up a fold of skin Keeping a firm hold, apply caliper Read measurement on caliper in millimeters Repeat last 4 steps for remaining 3 sites Add the four measurements together Use Figure 5-21 in book to determine body fat percentage

Body Composition Once the percent of body fat has been determined, the amount of fat weight can be calculated Body weight x % body fat = fat weight Lean body weight is the determined Body weight – fat weight = LBW What’s yours???

Body Composition Recommended Ranges of Body Fat It is important to remember that less body fat is not always better Certain amount of fat is needed The minimum amount of body fat needed for protection is essential body fat Ex: no male should allow his body fat mass to fall below 3% of his total body mass Females essential body fat is 11%

Special Considerations Musculoskeletal Capabilities and Limits You can hold everyone to the same standard Athletes will be set at a higher level Limitation in strength, flexibility, and Cardiorespiratory fitness can result from injuries or congenital conditions Soft tissue injuries, surgeries, and illnesses often produce temporary limitations; whereas amputations, neural damage, and age may lead to permanent limitations.

Special Considerations Consider a client who has been paralyzed from the waist down due to a traffic accident; you must base your evaluation on activities he/she is capable of performing

Physical & Medical Considerations Pts with hypotension or hypertension require special consideration Must be evaluated by MD before beginning program Hypotension – will not pump blood efficiently Hypertension – danger of rupturing blood vessels Pregnancy – should not sit-up, or excessive abdominal exercise, MD must evaluate