| Measurement and Evaluation Applications for the Strength and Conditioning Profession |
| I. Purposes of Measurement and Evaluation a. Objectives of program Give direction to the training program b. Pre-assessment Measurement of an individual’s initial status prior to the star of a training period c. Training prescription Thoughtfully designed to achieve overall program objectives and forms the heart of the conditioning regimen d. Post-assessment Measurement of an individual’s progress after a training period e. Evaluation Analysis of test results f. Formative evaluation Testing performed at regular intervals to determine progress II. Parameters of Physical Fitness a. Muscular strength Force that muscle/muscle group can exert against resistance at a specified velocity b. Local muscular endurance Ability of muscle/muscle group to repeatedly contract against submaximal resistance c. Aerobic endurance (power) The rate of oxygen uptake during exercise d. Anaerobic endurance (power) The rate of performing work using primarily anaerobic energy systems e. Agility The ability to change the direction of body movement or body positions f. Speed The ability to move from one point to another as fast as possible g. Flexibility/range of motion The range of motion around a joint h. Body composition The measurement of relative proportion of fat and lean mass i. Anthropometry Measurement of body dimensions III. Test Characteristics a. Validity The extent to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure i. Content (face validity) The subjective determination that a test measures the desired variables ii. Concurrent Agreement between scores on test & scores from commonly accepted standards iii. Predictive Ability to use a rest performance to predict performance on a different task iv. Construct (criterion variable) The ability of a test to measure some part of an entire skill or trait b. Reliability Repeatability of a test performance c. Objectivity The ability of multiple scorers to agree on test performance IV. Test Selection a. Age b. Gender c. Experience d. Environment e. Event characteristics f. Bias V. Relationship to Athletic Ability a. Relevant to sport requirements b. Game-like situations c. Use good form d. One subject/athlete at a time e. Interesting/meaningful (face validity) f. Appropriate difficulty g. Able to discriminate h. Accurate scoring i. Adequate trials j. Statistical evaluation VI. Statistical Analyses a. Measures of central tendency i. Mean The average score of a distribution of scores ii. Median The middle score of a distribution of scores iii. Mode The most frequently occurring score in a distribution of scores b. Measures of variability i. Range The lowest and highest scores in a distribution ii. Standard deviation The score in the middle 68% of a normal distribution iii. Normal curve (distribution) Distribution characterized by bell-shaped curve (mean = median = mode) iv. Skewness c. Statistical techniques i. Frequency plot ii. Percentiles A rating system based on the percentage of scores below a specific score iii. Standard scores, T scores & norms This system designates the mean = 50, and each standard deviation = ±10 iv. Correlation The nature of the association of one variable with a second variable VII. Test Administration a. Planning b. Time constraints c. Test sequence d. Recording scores e. Training test administrators f. Preparing test subjects/athletes g. Instructions h. Supervision Test reliability is directly proportional to the quality of the test administrator i. Warm-up Reliability improves with pre-test warm-up j. Practice k. Motivation l. Safety m. Test batteries n. Cool down VIII. Example Test Protocols a. One Repetition Maximum (1 RM) i. Equipment ii. Proper warm-up iii. Proper progression Safety - Leg press - Bench press - Biceps curls - Seated calf raises (- not shoulder press because it is not safety) b. Maximum repetition test i. Adequate repetitions ii. Resistance used 1. Body mass 2. Weights 3. Proper form 4. Estimating 1 RM c. Aerobic capacity i. Estimating of oxygen uptake ii. Equipment iii. Example protocol iv. Impact vs. non-impact v. Test specificity d. Anaerobic power and capacity i. Different durations 1. Vertical jump a. Protocol b. Equipment c. Other protocols d. Power estimation 2. Shuttle runs a. Example protocol b. Equipment c. Evaluation e. Agility i. Definition ii. Different positions iii. Example protocol f. Speed i. Definition ii. Speed versus reaction time iii. Examples iv. Measurement considerations 1. Method of timing 2. Starts g. Body composition i. Definition ii. Tools 1. Calipers 2. Bioelectrical impedance 3. Infrared interactance 4. Ultrasonography 5. Hydrostatic weighting 6. Dual energy X-ray absoptiometry (DEXA) iii. Proper procedures iv. Equation selection 1. Gender 2. Age 3. Validity 4. Ease of administration 5. Number of measures 6. Type of equation v. Evaluation 1. Fat mass 2. Fat free mass 3. Relative fat (% fat) 4. Norms h. Anthropometry i. Definition ii. Equipment 1. Anthropometer 2. Tape measure 3. Stadiometer iii. Proper procedure i. Flexibility i. Definition ii. Equipment 1. Goniometer 2. Flex-o-meter 3. Sit & Reach box 4. Wooden dowel iii. Proper procedures |