What is a Fitness Assessment, and What Are the 6 Key Areas It Covers?

Whether you're just starting your fitness journey or are a seasoned athlete, a fitness assessment can make a world of difference to your training goals. A fitness assessment provides the information you need to understand your current fitness level and how to improve it. It can help you set realistic and attainable goals, track your progress, and boost your performance. As part of the process, you'll also learn how to measure flexibility, which is key to identifying limitations and enhancing your overall mobility. Before you know it, you'll be on your way to better flexibility and other physical benefits.
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One way to gauge your current level of flexibility is to perform a fitness assessment specifically for flexibility. This will give you a clear understanding of your baseline performance so you can set goals for improvement and measure your progress over time. Pliability's mobility app can help you get started. With a simple flexibility assessment, you'll receive instant feedback on your performance and personalized routines to help you reach your flexibility goals.

What is a Fitness Assessment and How Can You Benefit From It?

A fitness assessment is roughly a 30–60-minute consultation with a health and fitness professional where you are tested on the five components of fitness: body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. Some assessments may also test for:

• Balance
• Mobility
• Sports performance-based, like power and agility

Fitness Components and the Prerequisite Assessment

But for the sake of this article, we are focusing on the five components of fitness. Generally, a health professional will want a client to undergo an assessment before they start any form of fitness program so they can best create a program that will work for them based on their goals and evaluation outcomes. 

After the initial assessment, it would be a good idea to reassess your progress three to six months later to see if you have made any progress and how you can continue to improve. 

Age, Gender, and the Power of Normative Data

Fitness assessments are also scored and evaluated based on your age and gender. After your evaluation, a health professional will discuss the results with you and compare them to normative data or age-adjusted charts to show you where you should be based on accurate research.

Below is a list of detailed fitness assessments, categorized by fitness component, with their purpose and application:

Why Are Fitness Assessments Important?

Fitness assessments serve as a baseline measurement that a personal trainer or health specialist can use to compare results over time. They also provide a source of information for a health specialist to build an exercise and/or nutrition program around. Assessments evaluate:

• Strength
• Endurance
• Cardiovascular health
• Flexibility
• Body composition assessments

These may shed light on how to reduce the risk of injury best. They can also increase a client's motivation to participate in an exercise program. Finally, fitness assessments help build trust between a client and a health specialist, which can cultivate great relationships.

3 Ways You Can Benefit from a Fitness Assessment?

One of the most significant benefits of a fitness assessment is that it gives you more information than your generic bathroom scale. This is not to say tracking your weight isn’t valuable, because it has its place, but a fitness assessment will allow you to see how you perform from a physical perspective. 

More data points show more change over time, which could lead to longer involvement in a fitness program and healthy habits.

The Assessment Will Help You Set Goals

Learning more about your body via the assessment allows you to dig deeper into creating more specific goals to benefit your overall health and longevity. This will enable you to be more intent with your fitness program, giving you something more specific to work towards.

The Assessment Will Help Keep You Safe 

There are so many ways to program for different types of people. A fitness assessment allows a health fitness specialist to discover what exercises they can incorporate and which may not be best for an individual. The evaluation will uncover any underlying issues that could worsen by engaging in a fitness program. 

Unveiling Your Fitness Profile Through Assessment

Before starting an exercise program, a fitness assessment can be beneficial in measuring the five components of fitness:

• Muscular strength
• Muscular endurance
• Cardiovascular health
• Flexibility
• Body composition

The results from the assessment will also help a health fitness specialist design your individualized fitness program. These assessments have many benefits and can help you uncover more about your body, how to keep it safe, and how to live healthier.

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6 Major Types of Fitness Assessments

1. Anthropometric Measures (Body Composition)

There are basic measurements that provide a good baseline. They enable trainers and clients to track progress. These measurements require minimal and inexpensive equipment, are quick to administer, and are easily interpreted. These anthropometric measures include:

• Height
• Weight
• Blood pressure
• Resting heart rate
• Waist circumference
• Hip circumference 

Minimal equipment is needed and can be completed quickly. Resting heart rate can then be used to calculate the client's target heart rate range as they exercise. Different methods exist, like:

• The age-predicted HRmax equation
• The Karvonen method
• The Tanaka method

Waist-to-Hip Ratio

Waist and hip circumference can determine the client’s waist-to-hip ratio, an indicator of health risk. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a calculation based on height and weight. Trainers can use the BMI calculation, an online BMI calculator, or a BMI chart to determine their clients’ BMIs and then use the following categories:

• 18.5 = underweight
• 18.5 to 24.9 = healthy weight
• 25.0 to 29.9 = overweight
• 30.0 and up = obese

Understanding BMI

BMI has some advantages and some disadvantages. It is only based on height and weight, so it does not consider muscle or lean body tissue vs. fat tissue. The benefits are that you don’t need any special equipment, and it is easy and quick to calculate. While BMI is not as accurate as other measures, it is a good screening tool and can provide a baseline measurement.

Skinfold Calipers

If you have access to the necessary equipment, you can determine a client’s estimated percent body fat using skinfold calipers. These tend to be more accurate than BMI, but less precise than some more specialized and expensive measures. The equipment is affordable, requires minimal or some training, and is quick and easy to use. 

Advanced Body Composition

DEXA (dual x-ray absorptiometry), BodPod, and underwater weighing are more accurate but require expensive and specialized equipment, plus trained professionals to administer them, and they may not be an option for many trainers. Body composition assessment is one of the most sensitive aspects of fitness evaluation, with the following general criteria that qualify a person as fit:

• For Men: Men must have less than 17% body fat. 
• For Women: Women must have less than 24% body fat.

Unveiling Health Risks and Guiding Exercise Strategies

If your waist circumference is larger than your hips, you have a higher chance of working out and losing some weight. A larger waist circumference also puts you at risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It is essential to carry out a waist circumference test to ensure the right kind of exercise is assigned to a specific member. 

2. Muscular Strength

Muscular strength is the amount of force the muscles can produce (usually against resistance or weight) in a single repetition. One repetition maximum (1RM or one rep max) is a common assessment of muscular strength. A 1RM assessment measures the heaviest weight you can lift with correct form for one repetition of that exercise. 

A 1RM test for the bench press exercise is commonly completed. Make sure the client is warmed up before completing a 1RM assessment. If you do not feel comfortable completing a 1RM test with a client, you can also estimate their 1RM based on the number of repetitions they can complete to failure. 

3. Muscular Endurance

Muscular endurance differs from muscular strength in that it tests the endurance, or the able to complete several repetitions of an exercise rather than just one repetition. Muscular strength and muscular endurance are sometimes combined to describe muscular fitness. A few ways to test muscle strength and endurance are:

Push-up test

Pushups are a good way to test physical strength and endurance. Individuals must do modified push-ups on their knees if they’re just starting and traditional push-ups if they’re in good shape. 

Sit-up test

A sit-up test is a fitness level test conducted to assess the strength and endurance of abdominal muscles. In this test, an individual must do sit-ups with their knees bent at a 90-degree angle. The number of sit-ups varies according to the person's age. 

Treadmill Test

A treadmill test is conducted to monitor your pre-exercise heart and respiration rates, your post-exercise heart and respiration rates, and your oxygen supply while you exercise on the treadmill. This fitness testing can be done on a treadmill or stationary cycle, with a heart monitor and blood pressure cuff to monitor your vital signs during exercise. 

Upper Body Endurance

The push-up test is used to test the endurance of the upper body, primarily the upper arm (triceps), chest (pectoralis), and shoulders (deltoid). Men complete the test with their toes on the ground; women complete the test modified with their knees on the ground. The client completes as many repetitions as possible without stopping. 

Core Strength Assessment

The test ends when the client is fatigued or has poor form. The score is the number of push-ups completed and is used to compare with others of similar age and gender. The ACSM curl-up test assesses the endurance of the abdominal muscles, primarily the rectus abdominis. The only equipment needed is tape for the floor and a ruler or measuring tape. 

4. Cardiorespiratory Fitness

To determine cardiovascular fitness, the following fitness tests are used:

Cooper Run Test

The 12-minute run test requires the member to walk or run as far as possible within the 12 minutes. Results are then evaluated based on the distance the member covers in a specific time. This test is popular for measuring cardiovascular endurance. 

Step Test

Many trainers prefer this test, which involves stepping up and down on a platform for 3 minutes. This aerobic test increases the heart rate and evaluates the recovery rate in a minute after resting. Both tests are good for determining a person's cardiovascular fitness. Which one to use depends on the trainer's discretion. 

Lab-Based VO2 Max Testing

Specialized tests, such as treadmill or cycle ergometer tests, are usually completed in a laboratory. Measuring VO2 max requires expensive and specialized equipment and a trained professional, which can be uncomfortable for many clients. If a trainer has the resources available for these VO2 max tests, they are very accurate and informative.

The 12-Minute Run Test

Other tests can be done quickly to estimate VO2 max with little to no equipment. The Cooper Institute developed the 12-minute run assessment, which has been used for 50 years. After a brief warm-up, the client runs as far as they can in 12 minutes. If you are using a track, you can convert the laps to distance covered using a chart. 

The Rockport Walk Test

The completed distance is then used to estimate VO2 max. The Rockport Walk Test is also commonly used with clients of all ages. After a brief warm-up, the client walks a mile as fast as possible. The time to complete the mile in minutes and seconds is recorded. After completion, the client’s heart rate is immediately measured and recorded. 

YMCA Step Test Overview

Time, heart rate, sex, and age are used to estimate VO2 max and compare to other exercisers of the same age and sex. The YMCA three-minute step test is another commonly used assessment of cardiorespiratory fitness. The materials needed include:

• 12-inch step
• Stopwatch
• Metronome
• Stethoscope (optional, but gives an accurate reading of the client’s heart rate) 

YMCA Step Test Setup

Record the participant's resting heart rate before they warm up or begin the test. The client would complete a short warm-up before the assessment, then step up with one foot, up with the other, down with one foot, and down with the other to a cadence of 1 step per beat. The metronome should be set on 96 beats per minute, which equals 24 total steps each minute. 

YMCA Step Test Scoring

After the three minutes are up, the client sits down immediately, and their heart rate is taken for one minute. The one-minute heart rate is the score for the YMCA three-minute step test and is used to compare heart rate recovery by age group and sex. The categories range from very poor to excellent. 

5. Flexibility

Flexibility is one of the most crucial aspects of physical fitness assessment, yet it is frequently ignored. Muscles and joints would stiffen if they were not flexible, and mobility would be restricted. Flexibility training guarantees that your body can move freely throughout its range of motion. 

Two of the many ways to ascertain the flexibility of your members are sit-and-reach tests and zipper tests. 

• Sit and Reach Test: Lean forward and attempt to touch your toes to see how flexible you are. Those with high flexibility can generally touch their toes, but those with poor flexibility can't. The sit-and-reach test is a quick and easy technique to assess the flexibility of your lower back, hips, and legs. 
• Zipper Test: The flexibility and mobility of your shoulder joint are assessed during a shoulder flexibility test. 

Step-by-Step Protocol for the YMCA Flexibility Test

Flexibility is measured by the number of inches your hands are apart. The YMCA Modified sit-and-reach (YMCA) is commonly used to assess the flexibility of the lower back and hamstring muscles. You either need a special sit-and-reach box, or you can create your own with a box and ruler. 

‍How to test:

• The client sits against a wall with their back against the wall, knees extended, shoes off, and the box lined up with the soles of the feet. 
• The client should extend elbows and place one hand on the other (as shown above). The measurement starts from the tip of their fingers. 
• The client should reach as far forward as possible without jerky movements, lining up with the ruler. 
• Knees should not bend during the testing procedure. After a few practices reaching forward, the client should hold the position while reaching forward for a few seconds for the trainer to record the score to the nearest half-inch. 

Once the score is recorded, it can be compared against others of the same age and sex. 

6. Mobility/Stability

The Functional Movement Screening (FMS) was developed in the 1990s by a physical therapist and exercise physiologist. It is a series of seven movements and three clearing tests focused on mobility and stability. The FMS focuses on the quality of movement, not strength, endurance, or power, and uses a scoring system of one through three for each of the main movements. 

Some movement patterns include:

• Deep squat
• Hurdle step
• Active straight leg raise
• Shoulder mobility
• Rotary stability

The three clearing tests are flexibility assessments that identify pain or no pain during movement. The goal is to find weaknesses during these seven movements, identify any sources of pain, and use that information to make recommendations for the client. The FMS can be administered in about 10-20 minutes. It requires purchasing and using an FMS kit and guide, as well as practice/training before using it with clients.

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How to Do a Fitness Assessment Properly

Safety First: Ensuring Optimal Conditions for Flexibility Assessments

A personal trainer assessment should start with an initial fitness assessment and include:

• Health history questionnaire
• Personal training assessment exercises
• Structured fitness appraisal tests
• Comprehensive movement screenings

A well-organized personal training assessment template ensures consistent evaluation across different clients.

How Do I Perform a Basic Fitness Assessment?

Here are some general tips for performing basic fitness assessments. Fitness assessment manuals or references will have specific instructions for each assessment that you should become familiar with before using them with clients. 

Starting with a basic fitness assessment PDF is fine, but using fitness assessment software to automate the delivery will make your life easier and allow you to track advanced metrics over time. 

This will allow you to do what you do best and train clients vs. spending all of your time on data entry. 

• Practice with a friend or colleague if necessary.
• Instruct the client to dress comfortably.  
• Gather the materials needed for the assessment, including forms, equipment, a track, or the space required to perform the evaluation. 
• Before completing a fitness assessment, it is essential to have the client complete a PAR-Q (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire), informed consent, and any other health screening procedures that must be done before exercise.  
• You can choose the assessments you want to perform. This may depend on their fitness goals and age, or you can use general fitness assessments.  
• Gather personal information (date of birth and sex) that you may need to use to compare the client’s results to normative data or age-adjusted charts.  
• Ask about the client’s health, fitness, and weight management goals.  
• Give basic, yet detailed instructions.  
• Explain what the assessment is testing and how I will use the assessment information.  
• Gather the assessment data.  
• Enter the data into a software system if you are using one.  
• Compare the results to normative data or age-adjusted charts.  
• Share the results with the client, either in person, by email, or electronically, and explain what the results mean if necessary.  

Fitness Assessments for Specific Age Groups

Seniors/Older Adults  

The Senior Fitness Test (also known as the Fullerton Functional Test) focuses on the cardiovascular fitness, endurance, balance, strength, agility, and flexibility of adults aged 60 and up. 

The six assessments included in the Senior Fitness Test are:  

• Chair Stand Test for lower body strength and endurance.  
• Arm Curl Test for upper body strength.  
• Chair Sit-and-Reach Test for lower body flexibility.  
• Back Scratch Test for upper body flexibility.  
• 8-Foot Up and Go Test for agility and balance.  
• 6-minute Walk Test (or 2-minute Step in Place Test) for cardiovascular fitness. 

There are charts with normative data for comparison for ages 60 to 94.   

Children

The Fitnessgram, designed by the Cooper Institute in 1982, is used nationwide to assess children's health-related fitness in school settings. It assesses: 

• Aerobic capacity
• Body composition
• Flexibility
• Muscular strength
• Muscular endurance

The Fitnessgram scores are used to place students into one of three health risk zones: 

• The Healthy Fitness Zone
• Needs Improvement
• Needs Improvement

Things to Do Before Conducting a Fitness Assessment

Several things must be considered before a fitness evaluation. Personal trainers must consider clients’ age, medical history, past injuries, and desired goals. 

This information is essential in creating the right program for the member and determining the proper fitness assessment.   

• Age: The age will determine the intensity of the workout a member should do. The WHO updated the recommendation based on the age bracket of people working out:   
  
  • 18-64: People in this age bracket with no medical problems can do at least 150 to 300 moderate workouts or at least 75 minutes of intense weekly activity. A couple of days of muscle-strengthening workout that involves all muscles should also be done.  
  • 65 and over: WHO suggests a balanced workout of moderate or intense activity thrice weekly.  

• Past Injuries: People with past injuries are most likely to experience pain with the wrong workout; hence, the personal trainer will limit the exercises to a specific intensity. Creating a questionnaire at the start of the process is essential to determine a member's past injuries or health conditions.   
• Their Goals: Every person coming into a fitness studio has a plan and expects results. Therefore, the questionnaire will be very useful in helping them achieve their set goals. Knowing a specific member's goals will give you the right workout program to see the progress they want, whether it is muscle gain, weight loss, or preparing for a sport or competition.     

Related Reading

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