1.2.a. Components of fitness GapFill

Components of fitness should be carefully monitored and measured to assess the progression of an individual. This can be important for recreational athletes as well as professional athletes and can be achieved by fitness testing. There are fitness tests available which measure each component of fitness; however, there are limitations to fitness testing which should be considered. Let's investigate these further:

•  CoordinationReaction timeSpeedMuscular endurance is measured by the ruler drop test and requires the subject to hold their hand steady level with the 0 cm line of a ruler, catching it once it is dropped by the test conductor. The measurement (in cm) where it is caught is used as a gauge of their ability of this component, with lower scores indicating a greater ability.
• Flexibility is measured by the  one-rep max teststork stand testsit and reach testIllinois agility test, which requires subjects to be seated with their legs straight against a box, reaching forward across as far as they possibly can and recording their score (in cm) from a ruler located on top of the box. More flexible individuals achieve higher scores.
•  SpeedMuscular enduranceBalanceCoordination is measured by the wall throw test, which requires an individual to throw a ball against a wall using one hand and catch it with the other. This is repeated for   151204530 seconds, during which the number of times the ball is thrown and caught is counted, with higher scores indicating a greater ability in this component.
• Agility is measured by the  vertical jump teststork stand testmultistage fitness testIllinois agility test, in which the performer begins lying down on their front and is timed on their ability to complete a short course around a set of cones which includes a variety of twists and turns. The greater their agility, the less time it takes them to complete the course.
•  StrengthCoordinationMuscular enduranceBalance is measured by the stork stand test, in which an individual stands upright with their hands on their hips before lifting one leg off the ground and placing the foot on the inside of the standing leg, holding the position for as long as possible. Longer times evidence a greater ability in this component.
• Power is measured by the   Illinois agility testsit and reach testpress-up testvertical jump test, in which the individual starts with their side against a wall and reaches up to leave a mark with chalk or similar to indicate their standing reach height. They then complete a maximal vertical jump and mark the wall at the peak height of their jump with their outstretched arm.  Seated heightLeg lengthStanding reach heightPeak height –   standing reach heightleg lengthseated heightpeak height = jump height, where greater jump heights indicate a greater power of the individual.
•  Muscular enduranceCoordinationStrengthCardiovascular endurance can be measured by either the press-up test or the sit-up test. An audio track is played to which the individual must perform one press-up/sit-up for every two beeps, one for the upwards phase and one for the downwards phase. The bleeps get faster as the test progresses, and the longer an individual lasts, the greater the ability they display in this component.
• Speed is measured by the  multistage fitness testgrip strength dynanometer testIllinois agility test30 m sprint test, which is a simple test where the individual is timed from a flying start to cover the specified distance. Quicker times are evidence of greater speeds.
•  Cardiovascular enduranceCoordinationStrengthMuscular endurance can be measured by the Cooper  12120814-minute run, in which the individual must run as far as they can in the specified time. Those who demonstrate an advanced ability in this component cover a greater distance. This component can also be measured by the   Illinois agility testmultistage fitness testpress-up teststanding jump test, also known as the 'bleep' test, owing to a protocol whereby the individual must cover a 20 m distance to keep in time with the ‘bleeps’ given on an audio track. The time between the bleeps gets shorter as the test progresses; thus, the individual has to run faster to cover the 20 m distance. The performer continues until they cannot keep up with the pace of the bleeps, and they are given a level as indicated by the audio track. The higher the level, the greater the ability in this component.
• Strength can be measured by either the grip strength dynanometer test or the   standing jump testone-rep max testpress-up testwall throw test. Both require the individual to make the greatest effort they possibly can within a very short space of time. The grip strength dynanometer uses the hand to squeeze an instrument displaying a score in kg or lbs, whereas the score for the latter test is given by the amount of mass shifted in either a bench press or a squat, divided by the individual's body weight. In both tests, the greater the score the greater the strength.