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Sit-And-Reach Test: “This assessment doesn’t test overall flexibil- ity, and we’re not solely testing hip flexibility since the back and other variables come in to play. So what are we truly measuring with the sit-and-reach test?”
height, and use it as a benchmark. The other reason why I am not a huge fan of push-ups is that it further encour- ages poor posture with many people. Why do we test pushing strength so often but not pulling strength?
Sit-And-Reach Test – I don’t be-
lieve that this test really tells us any- thing. If you review the classic text Muscles: Testing & Function by Kendall, McCreary and Provance (1993), you’ll notice that many different strategies are used when people try to touch their toes. Some accomplish the task with flexible backs and others with flexible hamstrings. Furthermore, there is a low correlation between stat- ic and dynamic flexibility. And flex- ibility is joint specific. This assessment doesn’t test overall flexibility, and we’re not solely testing hip flexibil- ity since the back and other variables come in to play. So what are we truly measuring with the sit-and-reach test?
Step Aerobic Test – I’ve noticed
that every person I’ve assessed with this test has improved over time with- out doing much aerobic training. Most have improved just through strength training alone. I’m a big fan of uni- lateral movements during the initial phases of training to improve left- right symmetry. The step-up is one of those movements, and I believe that it
32 Fitness Business Canada May/June 2013
contributes to success on the step aer- obic test. To support my theory, here is an ex-
cerpt from the book Body By Science by Dr. Doug McGuff and John Little (2009).
Another pertinent example of the lim-
ited specificity of aerobic exercise oc- curred when I was in the air force in Ohio. The air force had these minimal fitness requirements that you had to meet every year, and the powers that be devised this silly formula for using an ergometer exer- cise bicycle to back-calculate your VO2 max based on your heart rate at a certain workload. Well, in my group, there were a couple
of people who were competitive 10k and marathon runners who thought, "Oh, my aerobic fitness is great. I'll just show up and do the test." We also had an over- weight and deconditioned fellow take part in the test who was very smart. In the two weeks leading up to when we had to have this test done, he went over to the gym every day aſter work and used the exact bicycle that was going to be used in the testing; he practised his cycling against exactly the resistance that was going to be used for the testing, for the exact amount of time that the test would take. He got the highest score of anyone, and the two competitive runners who were supposedly extraordinarily aerobi- cally fit failed the test. The reason for this outcome was that
the overweight fellow realized that what you had to do was train for the test in ex- actly the same way that you would be tested. You don't, for instance, go into a math test having studied only English be- forehand, and he made that connection. As a result, an obese and deconditioned fellow, just by practicing the test, passed it with flying colors, whereas the people who believed that they already had this central cardiovascular adaptation and would ace it actually failed it. All they had gained through their efforts was a spe- cific motor skill set or metabolic adapta- tion for running that did not transfer onto the bicycle.
Functional Assessment Most people who I assess present
with tight hip flexors and weak lower abdominals, rounded shoulders and forward head syndrome, and left-right discrepancies. It’s pretty much a given that these exist with the majority of people that request our services. These issues must be addressed in training assuming, of course, that it fits your client’s goals. For example, you may have an in-
dividual with recurring shoulder pain and extremely poor posture approach you with the goal of entering a power- lifting contest. You must train him or her to bench press as much weight as possible, even though it may further compromise shoulder integrity and de- teriorate posture! When it comes down to it, fitness
professionals are not really qualified to assess dysfunction nor is that what most people are looking for from us. The bottom line is that you can at-
tempt to correct dysfunction through appropriate training and without an assessment. It’s safe to assume that most of your new clients will have short, tight hip flexors, pectorals and anterior deltoids. So emphasize the stretched position on exercises such as split squats and lying dumbbell presses. Then, strengthen the long, weak lower abdominal and posterior deltoid mus- cles by emphasizing the contracted po- sition on exercises such as pelvic tilts and one-arm elbow-out dumbbell rows. The options are endless, but the
point remains the same: guess the dys- function, don’t assess the dysfunction. Work within your scope of practice and then do what you do best – train your clients. By constantly monitoring their progress, you can refine the pre- scription to suit their individual needs.
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