Client Assessment
Fitness Testing - the Good, the Bad & the Ugly
In this page we look at the purpose and benefits of fitness testing for your clients, and the unfortunate consequences of poorly performed testing.
Reviewing Progress with Clients
To ensure clients keep training you must highlight their progress and link it to their actions. Here we explain why this is critical for all clients, especially those that have just started training.
Validity and Reliability
Personal trainers should only ever use tests that are valid and reliable. In this page we explain what these guiding principles mean and how to apply them.
Fitness Testing: How to Select, Schedule and Order Tests
There is nothing 'random' about it - every fitness test must have a purpose and be correctly ordered to ensure a reliable result. This page will show you how...
Measuring Blood Pressure
The most important safety measurement you'll ever take is your clients blood pressure. Learn how to take blood pressure accurately with each and every client by reading this page and watching the example video.
Measuring Heart Rate
You can't always rely on a machine to measure your clients heart rate - this page explains how to take accurate heart rate measurements and then determine what the results actually mean.
Understanding Asthma
You will have a personal training client with asthma at some stage. This page explains the condition and its implications with exercise - a must know for all personal trainers.
Understanding Cancer
The earlier cancer is detected in people the greater the prognosis for treatment. Read this page to improve your understanding of this disease and its earliest signs and symptoms.
Understanding Diabetes
Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the developed world, typically in response to our 'self abusive lifestyles'. Understand the disease and its implications for exercise by reading this page.
Understanding Cardiovascular Disease
As a personal trainer you must be able to identify and act on the symptoms of cardiovascular disease when you see them. On this page we review the major cardiovascular diseases and their associated symptoms.
How do People Become ‘Diseased’?
Disease doesn't happen overnight...it happens over time in response to largely controllable factors. As personal trainers we need to ensure our clients are always moving along the 'health continuum' in the right direction.
Risk Factors and Exercise
As the intensity of exercise increases so does the risk of something nasty happening. This page looks at the information you must gather to enable you to train clients safely and effectively.
Managing and Responding to Exercise Risk
By reading this page you'll learn how to minimise the risk of harm for your clients prior to exercise and how to identify and respond appropriately when you see exercising clients demonstrating excessive exercise stress.
Taking Girth Measurements
Girth measurements are a great method of showing change in a clients body dimensions (or size) over time. Learn how to take these measurements correctly here.
Taking Height, Weight and ‘BMI’ Measurements
Learn how to take accurate height and weight measurements by reading this page, you'll also discover the pro's and con's of the controversial Body Mass Index.
Taking Skinfold Measurements
Skinfolds, calipers, the pinch test - call it what you like, but if you insist on putting your clients through it then at least learn how to take the measurements correctly by reading here.
Vertical Jump Test (Sargent Jump)
The Sargent jump test is used to measure a clients lower limb power. This page shows you how to conduct this test.
Seated Medicine Ball Throw Test
The seated medicine ball throw test is used to test a clients upper limb power. This page shows you how to conduct the test.
Sit and Reach Test
The sit and reach test is used to measure a clients flexibility (in particular their hamstring and lower back flexibility). This page shows you how to conduct the test.
Abdominal Curl Test
The abdominal curl (or crunch) test is used to measure the strength/endurance of a clients abdominal muscles. This page shows you how to conduct this test.
6RM Bench Press Test
The 6RM (rep max) bench press test is used to measure the strength of a clients pushing muscles. The same formula can be used for other resistance exercises. This page shows you how to apply the formula for the bench press.
Press-up Test
The press-up (or push-up) test is udes to measure the muscular strength/endurance of a clients 'pushing' muscles. This page shows you how to conduct the test.
The Harvard Step Test
The Harvard Step Test is used to measure a clients aerobic fitness. Specifically it is a 'predictive test of their VO2max. This page shows you how to conduct the test.
The Cooper 12 Minute Run Test
The Cooper test is used to measure a client aerobic fitness and is a predictive test of a clients VO2max. Thsi page shows you how to conduct the test.
The Astrand Treadmill Test
The Astrand test is used to measure a clients aerobic fitness, specifically it is a predictive test of the clients VO2max. This page shows you how to conduct the test.
Sprint Fatigue Test
The sprint fatique test is a predictive test of a clients anaerobic capacity and ability to repeatedly produce sprinting power. Read this page to learn how to conduct this test.
300m / 800m Sprint Test
Here are the guidelines for conducting a sprint test to measure either a clients anaerobic capacity or endurance depending on the length of sprint.
Fitness Testing: 'In-Session' Tests
Fitness testing doesn't have to be a formal, time consuming process. Here we show you how to incorporate testing into a regular PT session.
Reporting Test Results
On this page we talk about how to report fitness test results for maximum positive effect and get your personal training clients excited about their next training phase
