HOW FIT ARE YOU?

 
Name: Joseph Economico Lab Section Time: L03

Green Highlight = do at home on your own

Yellow highlight = do in the lab

INTRODUCTION
Widespread interest in the role of exercise in the prevention and treatment of health disorders and
disease has led to a need for qualified exercise specialists to direct and administer physical fitness
programs.  The exercise specialist must have the knowledge and skill to appraise physical fitness status
and to design exercise programs based on scientifically sound principles.  It is vital that an objective
evaluation of an individual's present fitness level be made so that proper intensity, duration, frequency,
and type(s) of exercise can be prescribed.  This evaluation enables you, the professional, to set
reasonable goals and prevent any unnecessary physical or emotional stress on the participant's body.
The following is a sampling of the many simple, economical tests that have been used for years to
collect fitness data on thousands of individuals in non-laboratory, field settings.  Because of the many
variables found in these fitness tests (such as age, sex, height, weight, and flexibility) these tests should
not be considered precise measures and are subject to error.  (We will investigate other more accurate
laboratory tests in future labs.)  With this in mind; do not overemphasize the importance of test
standards.  They are to be used as general guide for an outline of a fitness program and how the
participant compares to other individuals of the same age and sex.
 
PURPOSE
The purpose of this lab is to introduce you to a variety of simple tests that can be used to evaluate an
individual's physical fitness.  The tests which follow are a sampling of methods currently used to assess
both the skill and health-related components of physical fitness.
Health-Related Fitness is those qualities that are more important to an individual's health and include
the following:
           1.  Cardio-vascular endurance
           2.  Flexibility
           3.  Muscular strength
           4.  Muscular endurance
           5.  Body composition**
Skill-Related Fitness includes those qualities which enable a person to perform motor (or sport-related)
tasks:
           1.  Coordination 4. Balance
           2.  Agility 5. Reaction time
           3.  Speed 6. Power
          
Physical fitness is only one aspect of total health and well-being.  Total health includes (among other
things) positive social, dietary, and emotional habits as well as physical fitness.  The fitness parameters
to be assessed in today's lab are designed to measure the health-related components of fitness.
*There are many similar tests in use today--the tests which follow are by no means a comprehensive
presentation of all field tests!!!
**Body composition assessment will be discussed in further labs and will therefore not be covered in
this exercise
MATERIALS NEEDED FOR THIS LAB:
          1.  33-40 cm step
           2.  Stopwatch
           3.  Meter stick
           4.  Metronome
           5.  Hand-grip dynamometer
           6.  Normative data scales and tables (also on Blackboard)

METHODS
Refer to the information at each station for a description of how to administer and interpret the various
tests.  EMPHASIZE ACCURACY IN ORDER TO OBTAIN VALID RESULTS. Be sure to include ALL UNITS IN
MEASUREMENTS!!
CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSE TO SUBMAXIMAL EXERCISE
1. Forestry (Sharkey) Step Test
The subject steps up and down on the platform at a rate of 22.5 steps per minute (metronome
set at 90) for 5 minutes or until exhaustion. Exhaustion is defined as when the individual cannot
maintain the stepping rate for 15 seconds. The athlete immediately sits down on completion of
the test, and the heartbeats are counted for 15 seconds from 5:15 (15 seconds after completion
of test) and stopping at 5:30.
Equipment required: step or platform 40 cm (33 cm for women) high, stopwatch,
metronome or cadence tape.
           Validity: correlation to VO2max approximately 0.6 to 0.8.
          Advantages: minimal equipment and costs involved, little time required, and can be self-
administered.
          Disadvantages: Biomechanical characteristics vary between individuals.
FLEXIBILITY ASSESSMENTS
1. Sit and Reach
This test involves sitting on the floor with legs out straight ahead. Feet (shoes off) should be
placed flat against the box. A partner needs to hold both knees flat against the floor. Participant
leans forward slowly as far as possible and holds the greatest stretch for two seconds. There
should be no jerky movements and fingertips should remain level while legs are flat.  The score
is recorded as the distance reached on the box.  Repeat twice and record the best score.
Equipment required:  Sit and reach box (or a ruler can be used, held between the feet).
Validity: This test only measures the flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings and is a
valid measure.
Reliability:  The reliability will depend on the amount of warm- up allowed, and
whether the same procedures are followed each time. Most norms are based on no previous
warm-up. Advantages: 
This is the most commonly used test of flexibility, so a vast amount of data is available for
comparison. Also, it is a cheap, easy and quick test to perform. Disadvantages:  Variations in arm, leg
and trunk length can make comparisons between individuals misleading.
Other comments:  Lower back flexibility is
important because tightness in this area is implicated in lumbar lordosis, forward pelvic tilt
and lower back pain.

1. Shoulder and Wrist Elevation Test

Lay prone on the floor with arms fully extended overhead; grasp a yardstick with your hands
approximately shoulder width apart.  Raise the stick as high as possible. 
- Measure the vertical distance the yardstick raises from the floor to the nearest 1/2 inch. 
- Measure the participants arm length from the acromial process (top of shoulder) to the
tip of the longest finger (middle finger). 
- Subtract yardstick height from the arm length (arm length – stick height). (The lower
your score, the better.)
3. Trunk and Neck Flexibility Test
Lay prone on the floor with hand clasped together behind your head.  Raise the trunk as high as
possible while keeping your hips in contact with the floor.  An assistant can hold your legs
down.  Measure the vertical distance from the tip of the nose to the floor to the nearest 1/4
inch.
MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE
1. Push-Up Test    
Complete 1 set of as many consecutive push-ups as possible without breaking a
fluid cadence (1 push-up every 3 seconds) and/or stop.

Correct form: Tester begins face down with their hands one fist length out from their shoulders, arms
fully extended so that they are straight, palms flat on the floor, body straight, and toes of both feet on
the floor. Tester lowers their body, keeping the body straight until their sternum touches their partner’s
fist, then Tester pushes their body upward until their arms are again FULLY EXTENDED. Test is
terminated when the tester breaks cadence, is unable to fully complete a push-up and/or demonstrates
poor form, or fail to full extend their arms on the press up phase of the test.

Metronome will be set for 40 beats per minute. At the first beep, the subject will begin the downward
motion of the push-up. At the next beep, the subject will begin the upward motion. Subject will repeat
these steps as many times as possible.

1. Curl-Up Test
Complete as many curl-ups as possible without breaking form or cadence or when 75 curl-ups
are completed. 
Correct form: Subject lies supine on mat with knees bent at 90° and feet on floor. The arms are
extended to sides with fingers touching a piece of masking tape. A second piece of tape is placed 12 cm
beyond the first piece.
Set metronome at 40 beats per minute. At the first beep, the subject slowly lifts the shoulder blades off
the mat by flexing spine until finger tips reach the second piece of tape. At the next beep, the subject
slowly returns shoulder blades to mat by flattening lower back. Subject repeats curl-up in time with the
metronome (20 curl-ups per minute).
One repetition is counted each time shoulder blades touches the floor. Subject performs as many curl-
ups as possible without stopping, up to a maximum of 75 repetitions.  The test is terminated if the
cadence is broken. Make sure that the fingertips are not beyond the first line in the starting position.
2. Hand-grip Dynamometer      
Squeeze the handgrip with your dominant hand and record score in kilograms.  Squeeze the
handgrip with your non-dominant hand and record score.  To score this exercise, add your
dominant and non-dominant handgrip scores together and record on data sheet.
NOTE: Be sure to include proper units in the data table, do not just write a
number!

RESULTS OF FIELD TESTS (2 pts)

TEST SCORE NORM/PERCENTILE
5-Minunte Forestry Step Test # beats (15s)= 26s Super
(ml/kg/min)
VO2max= 56
Sit and Reach Flexibility 1) 18 Very Poor
(cm) Best: 18
2) 17
Shoulder & Wrist Arm length = 24.5 in Good
Elevation Test (in) Dowel height = 17 in
Arm length – dowel height = 7.5 in
Sit-up Test 38 60-70
(# completed)
Grip Strength 1) 90 Total Grip Excellent
Dominant (kg) 2) 63 Strength
3) 85 (dominant average + non-
dominant average)
Average= 79.33
Grip Strength 1)70 = 151
Non-dominant (kg) 2) 75
3)70
Average= 71.66
Push-Ups (# completed) 64 90

Trunk & Neck 17 in Excellent

Flexibility Test (in)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (Use complete sentences!) (8pts)
1. What are some limiting factors of the field tests used today and others like them?
Doing the test to find out our VO2 max seems like the answer would be skewed because we needed to
wear a mask which is going to to make your breath heavier and bring up your heart rate. We also did not
stretch at all before the tests so the sit and reach, trunk and neck flexibility, and the shoulder and wrist
elevation test may have had much different outcomes if we stretched first.

2. Do you feel that these tests are a true representation of your fitness level? Why or why not?

I believe the tests gave a good representation of my fitness levels. I believe I am pretty fit but I have bad
flexibility and that is what the outcomes of these tests showed.

3. Working as a professional in your specific field of study, how might you alter or change these fitness
tests? Why? (Provide examples)

For students I would make the tests more interactive and fun so the students can have fun while their
finding out how physically fit they are. Depending on the age group I can use decorations to make it
more interesting, or for an older group I can modify some of the tasks like the forestry step test.

4. Define VO2 Max in your own words.

VO2 max is volume oxogen maximum in simpler terms. VO2 max is the amount of oxygen that
your body uses while exercising.