Trunk flexibility test

Hello, Tonight I am going to talk about trunk flexibility(flexion) and how to test yourselves. Above you will see two tables that you will need to refer to after you get your test number. By double clicking on the images you can get a better view.

First a disclaimer: Before I test a client for flexibility I have them fill out a fitness form, waivers, and many others that let me see my clients health history and possible limitations. Since I cannot do that with the readers of this blog I must caution that this flexibility test could cause further injury to individuals with diagnosed lower back issues or for issues that may let turn up. You should not try this flexibility test unless you have a doctors okay.

Before you test yourself make sure that you lightly stretch your low back and hamstrings. Make sure you perform the test slowly or you risk injury.

1. Place a yardstick on floor.
2. Place piece of tape at least 12 inches long at a right angle to the yardstick (with zero mark towards the body).
3. Clients feet should be about 12 inches apart, heels aligned with tape at the 15 inch mark of the yardstick.
4. Place hands one on top of the other w/ tips of fingers aligned.
5. Exhale and slowly lean forward (keep your knees straight), drop head toward or between the arms.
6. Your fingers should maintain contact with yardstick while you keep your knees straight.
7. Score is farthest point reached after 3 trials.
8. Compare to norms (displayed above - you will have to enlarge the image to see it clearly - if you cannot see them clearly send me an email to personaltrainernj@gmail.com and I will send you the files).
9. Evaluate where along spine bending takes place. This can give you clues to what muscle imbalances or other issues you may have.

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT

Trunk extension test

Okay today lets assess your trunk extension flexibility. Basically the test evaluates the amount of backward bend available to your lumbar spine. Most trainers test this because the loss of flexibility and extension in the lumbar spine can cause low back pain and increase injuries. I want to know if my client has the lumbar stability to handle over the head exercises as well as other types involving the lower back.

First a disclaimer: Before I test a client for flexibility I have them fill out a fitness form, waivers, and many others that let me see my clients health history and possible limitations. Since I cannot do that with the readers of this blog I must caution that this flexibility test could cause further injury to individuals with diagnosed lower back issues or for issues that may let turn up. You should not try this flexibility test unless you have a doctors okay.

Lie face down with your hands in position for a pushup. Then push your upper body up while letting your lower back relax as much as possible and attempt to keep the hip bones in contact with the floor. Keep rising till your arms are fully extended. Do not fight it if your hip bones want to raise.

Compare your results to the table below to see where you stand for trunk extension flexibility.

Good - The hips remain in contact with floor while the arms are fully extended.

Fair - The hips raise from the ground up to a tiny amount below 2 inches or less.

Poor - The hips raise from the ground 2 inches or more.

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT

Hamstring flexibility test

Okay, my last post until July 10th deals with Hamstring flexibility. The hamstring muscle probably has the most implications to your quality of life then most other muscles. One of the primary responsibilites of this muscle is stabilizing your knee. And if it is tight you are risking injury to your knee. You might be saying how can that be if it is in the back of my thigh. But if you know muscle anatomy you would see that the hamstring has primary control of the knee. If you are too tight or too strong you risk instability in your knee joint. Most people have much more strength in their quadtriceps (front of the thigh) and this causes inbalance and a host of issues. Your hamstrings should be no more then 60% - 70% the strength of your quadtriceps. Do the math. If you can lift 100 pounds during a hamstring curl you should not do more then 60-70 pounds in a leg raise.

So how do you test the flexibility of your hamstring muscle.
1) Lie on the floor with your face facing the ceiling.
2) Have a partner raise up one of your legs - that you keep knee locked and straight.
3) The minute your non-raised legs off the ground while your partner is raising your leg you fail.
4) To pass the hamstring flexibility you need to be able to raise you leg at least to a 80% to 90% angle without your non-raised leg rising off the ground.

Take the test and see if you have been working out incorrectly. Maybe your hamstring is too tight. If you find it is - why not reach out to me and I can suggest some really cool stretches to get you back in the game per-say.

I would not introduce my client to lower body work till they could show me they were flexible to take it. I could hurt their knee and cause them life long pain. You should be assessing yourself as well. These flexibility tests could save you from major injuries - please try them.

This is my last post until July 10th. I will be on vacation in Disney World with my family. Please do not forget me. I live to pass on my knowledge. And I beleive I am giving you a reason to come back - daily - to learn from me. Right?

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT

Shoulder flexibility test

When I am presented with a new client I go through a series of tests and assessments to see what my client is capable of. Based on tests and questionnaires I can get a pretty accurate picture on how to design a program that they will benefit from and not pose a risk to their health or risk injury. During the next couple of days I will write about the flexibility tests that I personally administer to assess my clients capabilities. I will then share some thoughts about what modifications I would make to their program design based on each assessment.

Try each test yourself and see just where your abilities lie.

Shoulder Assessment:
Sit or stand and place your right arm straight up, let the elbow bend so the hand comes to rest, palms down, between the shoulder blades. You should then reach back with the left arm so the palm is up. Attempt to touch hands.

Then reverse the procedure and test the opposite shoulder. If one or both shoulders fail then you fail.

If your fingertips are able to touch you have good shoulder flexibility.

If your fingertips are not touching but are less than two inches apart you have fair shoulder flexibility.

If your fingertips are more than two inches apart then you have poor shoulder flexibility.

One other shoulder flexibility assessment I do is have my client lie on his or her back with knees bent, back flat, and arms overhead. Adequate flexibility is demonstrated if the arms lie flat overhead. If the arms do not lie flat, a shortness in the pectoralis major(pecs), teres major(connects to the pecs and shoulder), and latissimus dorsi(lats) is indicated.

If my client has poor flexibility this tells me that it is VITAL to institute a flexibility program to stretch those muscles to a point where they exhibit good flexibility. I would lay off any shoulder and chest exercises till they can demonstrate adequate range of motion. Why? Because they would be risking injury and get limited benefits from anything I had them do that utilized those muscles. I could get their flexibility back within 3-4 weeks and it would be well worth the wait.

Where does your shoulder flexibility lie? If you fail these tests reach out to me about what stretches could increase your flexibility and range of motion. If you neglect to stretch your shoulder muscles you risk serious shoulder injuries - especially to your rotator cuff. If you injure your rotator cuff you will be left with pain - possibly for the rest of your life. Be smart.

As always - I am available for personal training either in person (if in NJ) or over the web. My rates are $75.00 per hour for in-person training and $25.00 per hour for email personal training. If you feel you have stalled in your pursuit of fitness and need some expert knowledge to get you on track reach out to me.

Regards,

Eddie Camaroto CPT