Physiotherapy – Fitness Testing and prescription lab
Part C
Muscular Fitness Field Based Assessment and Flexibility Testing (25 points)
Muscular strength and endurance
Muscular strength and endurance (MS&E) together define muscular fitness. Muscular fitness is
important through out the life span, in the management of chronic musculoskeletal disorders, and for
chronic pain. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the following should be taken
into consideration when performing any type of MS&E assessment:
•
•
•
•
•
•
The ability of the measurement device to assess fitness is limited due to limitations in
various devices (i.e. pads, design). Design limitations should be accounted for when testing
anyone for strength or endurance.
MS&E tests are specific to the muscle group tested. This should especially be a
consideration for athletes.
One should select muscular strength and endurance tests with care.
Try to express MS&E tests in relative terms when ever possible. For example, use kg / kg
body weight. Relative terms are useful for comparing women to men and comparing one
group to another.
One should try to control factors that effect muscular strength performance such as:
• Time of day
• Fatigue
• Medication use
• Motivation level
• Emotional state
Make sure that normative data is up to date
1. Find a subject between the ages of 18 and 25 (or low risk) who is not in this class to
perform these measures on.
2. All subjects should be relatively sedentary, and all subjects need to complete a PAR-Q
and Informed Consent before testing. If in doubt, please clear them through me.
3. These measurements will be used to develop an exercise program throughout the semester
for that individual.
4. Due by Dec. 3rd. I will check you off so that you can use this for your prescription.
Muscular Strength:
Testing the movement of the body or an external load is an assessment of dynamic strength.
The simplest most common test of dynamic muscular strength is the 1-RM. Tests include the chest
press, leg press, leg extension, and leg curl. This week, we will test isotonic strength using a grip
dynamometer.
The most common method used to assess isotonic strength is a dynamometer. This is a device
that measures force. Hand-grip and back-lift dynamometers are common. When the device is
compressed a steel spring moves a dial to a respective force setting. .
Muscular Endurance:
Several tests are available to assess muscular endurance. We will be using the one-minute
timed sit-up and the push-up test. Poor abdominal strength is thought to contribute to back pain
although scientific evidence is lacking. Upper body strength may be important in many activities of
daily living. For extra credit, try an isokinetic tool using a barbell. The YMCA bench press test
1
involves performing a 30/ repetitions per minute (1 every 2 seconds). Men use 80 lbs. and women use
35 lbs. The number completed is your score. This week we will be performing the push-up and curl-up
test.
To perform the curl-up test
• After a brief warm-up, have the subject lie on their back with their knees bent and the hands
/arms to the side. Follow ACSM Guidelines (see attached).
• Use the ACSM nomogram to determine your fitness category.
NOTE: You may want to modify this test to a half-sit-up for older individuals or those with chronic
low back pain or surgery.
To perform the push-up test:
• The push-up test is administered with male subjects in the standard “up” position (hands
shoulder width apart, back straight, head up) and female subjects in the modified “knee pushup” position (ankles crossed, knees bent at 90º angle, back straight, hands shoulder width apart,
head up)
• When testing male subjects, the tester places a fist on the floor beneath the subjects’ chest and
the subject must lower the body to the floor until the subject touches the tester’s fist. The fist
method is not used for female subject, and no criteria are established for determining how much
the torso must be lowered to count as a proper push-up.
• For both men and women, the subject’s back must be straight at all times and the subject must
push up to a straight arm position.
• Follow ACSM Guidelines for metronome pacing as well as counting.
• Determine your fitness rating using the ACSM nomogram
Flexibility:
Several techniques are used to assess flexibility and, of course, each method is specific to the muscle
group or area being tested. Leighton flexometers and various goniometers are used in a laboratory
setting to assess flexibility in terms of range of motion of a specific joint. A common-health and fitness
test used to assess flexibility is the sit and reach test. The idea being that poor hamstring and him
flexibility can lead to back injury. Individuals with chronic low back pain or surgery should probably
not perform this test.
To perform the SIT-AND-REACH test:
1. Participant should perform a short warm-up prior to this test. It also recommended that the
participant refrain from fast, jerky movements that may increase the possibility of an injury.
The participants’ shoes should be removed.
2. Follow ACSM Guidelines for procedures. See below.
3. The participant should breathe normally during the test and should not hold his/her breath at
any time.
4. Use your ACSM Guidelines for finding the appropriate fitness category.
2
Field testing: muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility
Muscular Endurance:
Administrator
Curl-up:
Push-ups:
Flexibility:
Administrator
Trial 1
Best of 3
Subject
%ile rank ():
%ile rank (Table 4- ):
Subject
Trial 2
%ile rank (Table 4- ):
3
Trial 3