True Keto BoostPosted by Ajia liona on February 24th, 2020 True Keto Boost In the past, I spent quite a bit of time assessing posture - to the point of taking specific measurements to gauge just how far off of "ideal" an individual is. Today, I have a much better method and it takes seconds. It involves a camera and 3 photos of the individual - front, side and back. Of course, they have to wear as little clothing as possible, but this method serves two purposes: It displays the before and after changes that occur in body composition, and Fitness Testing Here in Canada a popular method of testing fitness levels involves the Canadian Physical Activity, Fitness & Lifestyle Appraisal (known as the CPAFLA). Let's review some of the tests used in the CPAFLA. Push-Ups - First off this is a muscular endurance test, not a true test of strength, and no matter how you try to standardize the test, the reality is that most out-of-shape individuals perform it terribly! A push-away is a much better option that gives you a decent reading of upper body and core strength for the general population. You can use a power cage or Smith machine and start with the bar fairly high. Keep lowering the bar by one notch until the client is unable to perform the exercise with proper form. Record the height and that can be used as a benchmark. The other reason why I am not such a huge fan of push-ups is that it further encourages poor posture with many people. Why do we often test pushing strength but not pulling strength? Sit-And-Reach Test - This test does not really tell us anything. If you review the classic text Muscles: Testing & Function by Kendall, McCreary and Provance (1993), you'll notice that many different strategies are used when one tries to touch their toes - some accomplish the task with flexible backs, others with flexible hamstrings, not to mention limb-length discrepancies that exist among individuals, and so on. Furthermore, there is a low correlation between static and dynamic flexibility. And flexibility is joint specific - we are not testing overall flexibility, and we're not solely testing hip flexibility since the back and other variables come in to play, so what are we truly measuring during the sit-and-reach test? Step Aerobic Test - It's interesting how every single person that I've used this test on has improved over time without doing much aerobic work at all. Most have improved just through strength training alone. I'm a big fan of unilateral movements during the initial phases of training to improve left-right symmetry. The step-up is one of those movements, and I believe that it contributes to success on the step aerobic test. Functional Assessment Most people present with the following issues: tight hip flexors and weak lower abdominals, rounded shoulders and forward head syndrome, and left-right discrepancies. It's pretty much a given that these exist with the majority of people that request your services. These issues must be addressed in training assuming, of course, that it fits your client's goals. For example, you may have an individual with recurring shoulder pain and extremely poor posture approach you with the goal of entering a powerlifting contest in the next few months. You must train them to bench press as much weight as possible, even though it may further compromise shoulder integrity and deteriorate posture! Like it? Share it! |