1. Physical Fitness Assessments
Chapter 5

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

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

12. 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 _____.

13. 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.

14. 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 ______.

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

16. 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

17. 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 ______.”

18. 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

19. 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.”

20. 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

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

22. 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
bpm

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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???

28. 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%

29. 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.

30. 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

31. 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