Muscular Fitness: Assessment & Prescription

The strength of your training program depends on progress. One of the best ways to track progress is through functional assessments. To see how well you're doing, take any given assessment before training, during, and after to measure progress against the baseline.

Muscular fitness assessment

Static strength (no movement at the joint) and dynamic strength (movement at the joint) can both be measured. Strain gauges, load cells, and tensiometers are common tools to measure static strength.

Free weights and exercise machines are used to measure dynamic strength. Static strength tests measure maximum force against a contraction (MVIC), while dynamic strength tests measure one repetition max (1RM).

Listed below are the steps to take a 1RM test. The barbell bench press is best used for upper body measurements, while the leg press is used for lower body measurements. The steps below apply to both the 1RM bench and leg press tests.

1. Warm-up: 5-10 reps at 40-60% 1RM
2. Phase 1: 3-5 reps at 60-80% 1RM
3. Phase 2: 1st attempt at 1RM on bench press or leg press (if successful, rest 3-5 minutes and increase weight by 5-10lbs)
4. Record: 1RM value is the max weight lifted on last successful trial

Additionally, muscular endurance can be measured using separate tests such as the pushup or pull up tests. During these tests, you would perform either the pushup or pull up exercise with perfect form.

For the pushup, this means chin to the floor, neutral spine, and tight core. For the pull up this means pronated grip shoulder width, controlled tempo, and rock-solid core throughout the movement. The number of perfect reps for push up or pull-ups is recorded, and this number is then compared to age/gender norms to see where you rank.

Every test should have normal values to help you see if you need improvement in a certain area or if you need to focus your training on another area.

Norms 1RM Bench Press

AGE
Percentile rankings men	20-29	30-39	40-49	50-59	60+
90	1.48	1.24	1.10	0.97	0.89
80	1.32	1.12	1.0	0.90	0.82
70	1.22	1.04	0.93	0.84	0.77
60	1.14	0.98	0.88	0.79	0.72
50	1.06	0.93	0.84	0.75	0.68
40	0.99	0.88	0.80	0.71	0.66
30	0.93	0.83	0.76	0.68	0.63
20	0.88	0.78	0.72	0.63	0.57
10	0.8	0.71	0.65	0.57	0.53

AGE
Percentile rankings women	20-29	30-39	40-49	50-59	60+
90	0.54	0.49	0.46	0.40	0.44
80	0.49	0.45	0.40	0.37	0.39
70	0.42	0.42	0.38	0.35	0.33
60	0.41	0.41	0.37	0.33	0.31
50	0.40	0.38	0.34	0.31	0.27
40	0.37	0.37	0.32	0.28	0.25
30	0.35	0.34	0.30	0.26	0.24
20	0.33	0.32	0.27	0.23	0.21
10	0.30	0.27	0.23	0.19	0.20

90 = well above average, 70 = above average, 30 = below average, 10 = well below average

Men’s data: The Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research, The Physical Fitness Specialists Manual, The Cooper Institute, Dallas, TX, 2005. 

Women’s data: Women’s Exercise Research Center, The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington D.C., 1998. (weight lifted in LBS divided by body weight in lbs)

Muscular fitness exercise prescription

Frequency

• 2-3 days per week

Intensity

• 60-70% 1RM for novice to improve strength
• ≥80% 1RM for experienced lifters to improve strength
• 40-50% 1RM for older adults
• <50% 1RM for muscular endurance

Time

• No specific time has been scientifically proven to be best

Type

• Exercises involving each major muscle group
• Multijoint strength training exercises are recommended for all adults, single joint after multijoint
• Machines, free weights, body weight can be used for RT

Repetitions

• 8-12 for hypertrophy, improving power and strength
• 10-15 for strength in older adults
• 15-20 for endurance

Sets

• 2-4 sets for improvements to strength and power
• 1 set for maintenance, older adults
• ≤2 sets for muscular endurance
• 2-3 minute rest between sets, 48 hours between RT sessions

Progression

• Gradually increase resistance, repetition, or frequency over time (Garber et. al 2011)

SOURCES

1. Garber, C. E., Blissmer, B., Deschenes, M. R., Franklin, B. A., Lamonte, M. J., Lee, I. M., ... & Swain, D. P. (2011). Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 43(7), 1334-1359.