FITNESS TESTING PROTOCOLS AND NORMS
SPORTS MEDICINE 2
AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL BE
ABLE TO…
▪ Understand the protocols for selected fitness tests
▪ Correctly administer the selected fitness test
▪ Attain valid and reliable measurements of your clients’ fitness levels and select
appropriate tests for individual clients
▪ Compare your clients’ results with normative data
TESTING HEART RATE
▪ Most adults have a resting heart rate (HR) or pulse between 60-80 beats per minute
▪ Equipment you need:
▪ Stopwatch
▪ Stethoscope
▪ Heart rate monitor
PALPATION PROCEDURE
▪ Most common and most cost-effective procedure for assessing both resting and
exercise HR.
1.
Use the tips of the index finger and middle fingers to palpate the pulse.
2.
Use the stopwatch to keep the time while counting beats, and if you start the
stopwatch simultaneously with the first beat count the first beat as zero but if the
stopwatch has been running count the first beat as one.
AUSCULTATION PROCEDURE
▪ This procedure requires the use of stethoscope. The bell of the stethoscope should
be placed directly on the skin of the third intercostal space just left of the sternum.
The sounds heard from the heart beating should be counted for either 30-60
seconds.
HEART RATE MONITOR PROCEDURE
▪ Digital display HR monitors are becoming increasingly popular because of the
validity, stability, and functionality. One drawback however is the cost of the HR
monitor equipment. Nevertheless, personal trainers may find that these monitors
are very efficient and convenient way to assess HR at rest and during exercise.
BLOOD PRESSURE
▪ This can be defined as the forces of blood acting against vessel walls.
▪ Korotkoff sounds – the sounds that are emitted as a result of vibratory forces
▪ Sphygmomanometer – the most commonly used field technique and as such
provides personal trainers, a convenient tool to evaluate their clients BP.
▪ Equipment – mercury or aneroid sphygmomanometer, air bladder-containing cuff,
and stethoscope
▪ 1 – tell client to not smoke or drink caffeince at least 30 min prior to BP testing
▪ 2 – have client sit up straight in a chair with either arm exposed
▪ 3 – select the approiate cuff size for the client
▪ 4 – place the cuff on the arm so that the air bladder is directly over the brachial
artery
▪ 5 – with the clients palm facing up, place the stethoscope firmly, but not hard
enough to indent the skin
▪ 6- position the sphygmomanometer so that the center of the mercury column or
aneroid dial is at eye level and the air bladder tuning is not overlapping.
▪ 7- once everything is ready, inflate the air either to 160mmHg or 20mmHg, upon
maximum inflation, turn the air release screw counterclockwise to realse the
pressure slowly at a rate of 2 to 3 mmHg per second
▪ 8- record both systolic blood pressures and diastolic blood pressures
▪ 9- upon the disappearance of the Kortkoff sounds, carefully observe the manometer
for an additional 10-12 mmHg of deflation to confirm the absence of sounds
▪ 10- after a 2 min rest measure BP again using the same technique and record the
average
BODY COMPOSITION
▪ Hydrostatic Weighing
▪ Body Mass Index
▪ Height
▪ Skinfold Measurements
▪ Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
▪ Waist to Hip Girth Ratio
SKIN FOLD MEASUREMENTS
▪ A skinfold indirectly measures the thickness of subcutaneous fat tissue. Skinfold
measurements are highly correlated with body density measurements from
underwater weighting. Percent body fat estimated from skinfold is valid and can
reliably measured by properly trained personal trainers.
Skinfold site
Gender
Chest
Men, Women
Midaxilla
Men, Women
Triceps
Men, Women, boys, and girls
Subscapular
Men
Abdomen
Men, women
Suprailium
Men, women
Thigh
Men, women
Medial calf
Boys, girls
PURPOSE OF FITNESS TESTING
▪ To educate the patient about their present fitness
relative to health-related standards as well as age and
gender matched norms.
▪ Providing the data that is helpful in writing
responsible and physiologically meaningful exercise
prescriptions & which is matched with the patient’s
pathologies
▪ Collections of data over time which provides evidence
of progress and training for the patient.
▪ To provide motivation to the patient by establishing
reasonable and attainable fitness goals.
YMCA TEST
▪ This test is basic, inexpensive cardiovascular endurance test that can easily
administered individually or to large groups
▪ 1 – 12 minute run/walk
▪ 2 – 1.5 mile run
▪ 3 – Rockport walking test
▪ 4 – 1 mile run
MUSCULAR STRENGTH/ENDURANCE
▪ This is an important component of physical fitness.
▪ 1 – Repetition maximum bench press
▪ 2 – Repetition maximum leg press
▪ 3 – YMCA Bench press test
▪ 4 – Partial curl up test
▪ 5 – One minute sit up test
▪ 6 – push up test
FLEXIBILITY TEST
▪ This refers to the range of motion around a joint or a series of joints. It is believed to
be related to the development of a number or musculoskeletal disorders, for
example low back pain. There is no single test that can measure the whole body's
flexibility.
▪ 1 – Sit and Reach – people may believe that the sit and reach test is a measure of
hip and low back flexibility. However, it may not be and adequate measure of low
back functions because it determines only the distance reached.
STUDY QUESTIONS #1
▪ A 52 year old male client’s resting blood pressure was 130/82 during the intial
assessment. When measuring his blood pressure one month later, to what level of
mercury should the bladder be inflated?
▪ A) 130 mm
▪ B) 150 mm
▪ C) 170 mm
▪ D) 200 mm
ANSWER
▪ B) 150 mmHG
The mercury level slowly goes up due to the client not resting anymore, they rest
during when the blood pressure is being taken.
STUDY QUESTION #2
▪ Which of the following skinfold sites should a personal trainer select when applying
a three-site SKF equation to a 45 year-old female client?
I.
Triceps
II.
Subscapular
III.
Suprailum
IV. Thigh
A. I, II, and III only
B. I, III, and IV only
C.
II, III, and IV only
D. I, II, and IV only
ANSWER
▪ B) I, II, and IV
This is the correct answer because women can be measured by all of these except
subscapular due to it taking a fold on a diagonal line coming from the vertebral border
to one of the two centimeters.
STUDY QUESTION #3
▪ A 39 year old female client performed a submaximal bicycle ergometer test and had
her VO2 max estimated as 30.2 ml * kg-1 * min-1. She weighs 136 pounds and is 66
inches tall. Her body fat is 24% and resting blood pressure is 124/84 mmHg. Which
of the following should be her primary exercise goal?
▪ A) lowering body fat
▪ B) increasing aerobic endurance
▪ C) Increasing lean body mass
▪ D) lowering BMI
ANSWER TO #3
▪ B) Increasing aerobic endurance
Aerobic endurance refers to the ability of the body to continuously transport oxygen
throughout its various systems for extended periods of time. By maintaining the flow
of oxygen, an individual is able to exercise continuously for longer periods of time
without wearing down.
STUDY QUESTION #4
▪ A 21 year old male client had the following results during his initial assessment:
Height: 72 inches
Body Weight: 210 pounds
Bench Press 1RM: 200 lbs.
Leg Press 1RM: 400 lbs.
Sit-ups (1 minute): 50
Sit and reach (using S & R box): 15 inches
Which of the following should he make his primary goal?
▪ A) upper body strength
▪ B) lower body strength
▪ C) muscular endurance
▪ D) hip/low back flexibility
ANSWER TO #4
▪ A) Upper Body strength
This is because he has a really tight core and leg press is pretty high he should focus
on what is low and for his height and weight he could have more upper arm strength
APPLIED KNOWLEDGE
A personal trainer assessed the aerobic endurance of male client using the YMCA Cycle Ergometer test
with these results:
Body weight: 167 pounds
Age: 36
Resting BP: 122/76
Test data:
Stage
Work
Rate
Elapsed
HR
Average
HR
BP
RPE
1
150
2:00
80
184
130/76
6
1
150
3:00
84
82
134/78
8
2
600
5:00
128
156
142/78
10
2
600
6:00
132
130
148/78
13
3
750
8:00
156
154
150/72
11
3
750
9:00
160
166
152/74
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