About a Fitnessgram

Twelve student volunteers from San Diego State University were asked to participate in two different FITNESSGRAM tests. Six males and six females were asked for basic information, which included their height (cm), weight (kg), age, gender, red ID, and their BMI. The male's average age was 24.3 years old and their average BMI was 24.2. The female's average age was 22.2 years old and their average BMI was 24.9. The participants were also asked three questions about their physical activity level before the tests were conducted. The first question asked how many out of the past seven days did they participate in physical activity for 60 minutes or more in the span of one day. For this question, the average answer for the male was 4.5 days in the past week. For the females, the average was 4.2 days in the past week. The second question asked how many out of the past 7 days did they participate in exercises to strengthen and tone their muscles. The average answer for the males was 4.3 days out of the past 7 days. For the females, the average was 3.2 days. The third question asked how many out of the past 7 days did the participant do stretching exercises to relax as well as loosen up their muscles. The average male answer to this question was 3.7 days. For the female group, the average answer was 3.8 days. The numbers that were collected were analyzed to see whether they met the criterion-established HFZ (healthy fitness zone). These questions are important because they give a general idea on the fitness and activity levels of each group compared to the HFZ. After the general data was collected, the participants performed two different muscular strength tests using FITNESSGRAM. The two tests performed were the trunk lift and the 90-degree cadence push up. A 90-degree cadence push up test is when the participants get into a plank position with their arms fully extended and shoulder width apart. The shoulders, knees, hips, and feet are aligned, and the body is in a plank position with no arch in the back. The subjects were then instructed to perform a push-up by lowering their bodies until their elbows are at a 90-degree angle and then pushing back up to the original position. The subjects followed the FITNESSGRAM push up test cadence, which means that each participant performed their push ups at a rate of one every three seconds. According to PubMed, The standard cadence minimized influence of varying velocities of contraction on muscle performance (Cogley). The participants were instructed to maintain proper form and stay in cadence to make sure that the tests are both accurate and consistent. When looking at the HFZ for the push up test, females in the 17+ age range should be able to do 7-15 push ups in one set according to FITNESSGRAM'S criterion referenced standards.

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