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Samantha Kosmacki

SER 311 01 Testing and Exercise Prescription Laboratory

Module 4 Musculoskeletal Fitness

3 May 2021

Dr. Larouere
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Background

Musculoskeletal fitness refers to strength, endurance, power, and flexibility. Muscular

strength is the muscle’s ability to exert force. One way we tested it was the multiple repetition

maximum exercises. An everyday example of how we use muscular strength would be carrying

in groceries; specifically, more muscular strength is needed to lift a case of water and carry it

into the house. Muscular endurance is the muscle’s ability to continue to perform successive

exertions or many repetitions and it is the force exerted per unit of time. A muscular endurance

test we performed was the push-up test; the goal is to do as many consecutive push-ups as you

can with the correct form and no rest. An everyday example of muscular endurance is walking

up multiple flights of stairs. Finally, flexibility is the ability to move a joint through complete

range of motion. Flexibility depends on the distensibility of the joint capsule, proper warm-up,

muscle viscosity, and tightness of ligaments and tendons. One flexibility test we performed was

the sit-and-reach test. An everyday example of flexibility is bending over to tie your shoes.

We assess musculoskeletal fitness to determine how well an individual’s bones and

muscles work. This allows us to then compare this data to the norms for individuals of the same

age and sex. We can also create individualized exercise prescriptions, and help clients establish

reasonable goals as we monitor them over time. Musculoskeletal fitness is important in

improving and maintaining bone mass to limit the risk of developing osteoporosis, muscle mass

to limit the risk of developing sarcopenia, and glucose tolerance to minimize the risk of Diabetes.

Additionally, it is important to decrease the risk of injury, increase ability to do activities of daily

living, and manage weight.

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Data

Name: Sam Kosmacki Age: 21 Sex: Female Height: 70” Weight: 170 lbs

Table 1: Muscular Strength Tests

Test: Date of Test Interpretation of Score Confidence in accuracy of

Muscular Test Value test result
Strength
Grip 4/20/21 R: 48.1 Excellent Very high- Test was
Strength L: 39.0 properly administered and
Sum: performed with maximum
87.1 effort.

Grip 4/20/21 R: 48.3 Excellent Very high- Test was

Strength L: 41.8 properly administered and
Sum: performed with maximum
90.1 effort.
Multiple- 4/27/21 100 lb., 3 N/A Very high- Test was
RM Lateral reps properly administered and
Pulldown performed with maximum
effort.

Table 2: Muscular Endurance Tests

Test: Date of Test Interpretation of Score Confidence in accuracy of

Muscular Test Value test result
Endurance
Push-up 4/20/21 20 Good Low- I performed to my
maximum ability but
paused between push-ups
in the middle of the test.
Push-up 4/20/21 18 Good High- Test was correctly
administered and I
performed with maximum
effort.
Sit-up 4/20/21 40 67.5 %ile Very high- Test was
correctly administered and
I performed my maximum
number of sit-ups.
Sit-up 4/20/21 38 60 %ile Very high- Test was
correctly administered and
I performed my maximum
number of sit-ups.
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Test: Date of Test Interpretation of Score Confidence in accuracy of

Muscular Test Value test result
Endurance
Bench Press 4/27/21 20, 45 lb. No classification Very high- Test was
bar correctly administered and
I performed until fatigue.
Bench Press 4/27/21 20, 45 lb. No classification Very high- Test was
bar correctly administered and
I performed until fatigue.

Table 3: Flexibility Tests

Test: Date of Test Interpretation of Score Confidence in accuracy of

Flexibility Test Value test result
Sit-and- 4/20/21 27 cm Poor Low- Administrator did
Reach 27 cm Poor not correct me when my
top hand slid out further
than my bottom hand.
Sit-and- 4/20/21 27 cm Poor Moderate- I may have
Reach 30 cm Fair held back on effort
because I am not as
flexible.
Shoulder 4/20/21 R: -10 R: fail High- Test was properly
Flexibility cm L: fail administered.
L: -7 cm
Shoulder 4/20/21 R: -10 R: fail High- Test was properly
Flexibility cm L: fail administered.
L: -7 cm

Sources Used in Data Table:

1. American College of Sports Medicine. (2017). ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing

and Prescription (10th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

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Discussion of Test Results

I believe that all of the tests I performed accurately assessed muscular endurance,

muscular strength, and flexibility respectively. When the tests were administered correctly with

the standards and the client performed with maximum effort, the results seemed accurate. I had

low confidence in the first push-up test performed because I paused in the middle of the test,

which means that my push-ups were not performed consecutively with the metronome. Despite

this, my results were still similar to other tests. I also had low and moderate confidence in the sit-

and-reach tests because my top hand slid out further and the administrator did not correct me.

This caused me to reach a few centimeters further in each trial. In general, I believe that each of

these tests are appropriate assessments of the different aspects of musculoskeletal fitness.

Each of these tests can be modified to accommodate clients with lower and higher fitness

levels.

Test Very High Fitness Level Very Low Fitness Level

Grip Strength Use different type of grip / Use two hands
different angle with arms
Multiple RM – leg press and Increase weight or number of Decrease weight
shoulder press repetitions
Push-up One-handed On knees
Sit-up Feet not held down Half sit-ups
Bench Press Increase weight Lower weight
Sit-and-Reach Place box further away Bend knees
Shoulder Flexibility Place hands close together on Place hands far apart on a bar
a bar and determine how far and determine how far bar
bar can go down behind your can go down behind your
head head
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Learning

All of my peers observed that I administered all of the tests correctly. I am confident in

my ability to accurately assess clients with these tests. The more I administered the tests, the

more comfortable I became. This lab module was the easiest for me to complete, thus leading to

more confident and accurate results.

One thing I learned from this class is how to work with a client. This was my first time

truly interacting with a client one-on-one as an administrator. I learned the importance of

properly explaining how to perform tests, as well as what the results mean. You cannot assume

that the client knows as much as you do. Additionally, throughout this class I became more

comfortable working with clients. The repetitive nature of the lab modules made me confident in

my testing abilities. In senior synthesis, ability to interact with the client will be one of the most

important aspects. If the client is not comfortable or does not fully understand what they are

doing and why, they may not put their full effort into the program.

Another skill I learned in this class is the importance of organization and preparation.

When this class first began, the amount of paperwork seemed overwhelming. As it progressed, I

found that having everything printed out ahead of time was crucial. Each module seemed to get

easier as I determined helpful methods of organizing the paperwork. Additionally, for the

preparation aspect, I realized how important it was to have the equipment set up so that the tests

could run smoothly. These skills will be useful in senior synthesis so that you do not keep the

client waiting or seem disorganized.

A third thing I learned from this class is how to create an individualized exercise

prescription. These are dependent on factors such as health history, age, sex, motivation level,
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and fitness capabilities. Even if two individuals seem similar, they still may have very different

exercise prescriptions. In senior synthesis, it will be crucial that I understand my client based on

their health needs, as well as how they function in fitness settings. This will ease the process of

working with them and will allow them to be more comfortable and get more out of the program.

The client will have the best results when I am able to collect their baseline data, compare it to

the norms, and take into account their health history, age, sex, and goals to create an

individualized prescription.