4) Muskuloskeletal Fitness Assessment:

Muskuloskeletal fitness is an important part of everyday life, and increases in musculoskeletal fitness is linked with increases in mobility and function, decreased fat mass, a smaller risk of disease, and having less of a chance of being injured. Muscular fitness is composed of muscular endurance, muscular strength, and muscular power. Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle to contract repeatedly over time; it is an affordable, and easy component to assess. It is Canadian Physical Activity Fitness Lifestyle Approach (CPAFLA) to test muscular endurance using curl-ups and push-ups (Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, 2010). Muscular strength is the maximal force that can be produced by muscle groups during a single contraction; it is measured by a 1 repetition maximum test (1RM), which assesses the subjects greatest amount of mass that can be lifted during a single contraction, given they are using proper form. Another device that can be used for testing musculoskeletal strength is the handgrip dynamometer. Muscular power is the ability of a muscle to ‘explode’, and it can be assessed by performing a vertical jump test. To assess ones vertical jump abilities, we must use a Keir nomogram, and adjust it according to one’s height and weight. Maintaining musculoskeletal health is a critical component of the aging process, to keep independence, but we must not only engage in musculoskeletal health, as cardiovascular activity is also vital.

We have attached a sample of what a musculoskeletal fitness assessment looks like for clients at Dynamic Fitness!

For all of the data below, we show subject 1’s results first, and then subject 2’s data is listed behind.

Grip Strength (kg):

Push ups:

Partial Curl ups:

Vertical jump:

Peak leg power:

Dynamic Fitness