Curl Up Test Administration

Curl Up Assessment Overview

The Curl Up Assesment is test of the strength and endurance of your abdominal muscles.  It is important to be strong in these areas because they help promote good posture and correct pelvic movement.  This assessment was created in an effort to isolate the abdominal muscles without putting a lot of stress on the lower back.  This assemessment is looked at as a more safer and effective test since it does not involve the assisstance of the hip flexor muscles and minimizes compression of the spine, when compared to a full sit up where the individual performing the sit up is held at the feet.

The Test in Action

Test Objective- To complete as many curl-ups as possible up to a maximum of 75 at a specified cadance that on a cd.

Test Prep and equipment

• Find yoga or training style mat
• Place a measuring strip of about 35 inches long and 4 inches wide about 2 ft above the end of the mat
• Circle up students and have them perform stretches that stretch out their lower back and hip flexors specifically.  You do not want to work yourself to hard seeing as this is a test of muscular endurance.

Instructions

1. Select a partner (this can be done by students or teacher)
2. Select which partner will go first.
3. Selected partner then lies in a supine position on the mat with the knees bent at an angle of 140 degrees with their feet flat on the floor, arms straight and parallel to the trunk, and their palms and head resting on the mat with their finger tips resting on the edge of the measuring strip while the other partner kneels down to prepare to count how many times they curl up keeping their hands on the mat with the fingertips slightly passing the opposing edge of the strip.
4. Remind the students that they are continuing until failure
5. Play the cadence cd
6. When everyone is done repeat these instructions with the partners switched

Evaluation of Criterion

Prior to the assessment the students were given an evaluation sheet that they will give to me at the end of the test.  For this test there are three types of criterion: Fit, Healthy and Needs Improvement.  The students criterion is determined by how many curl-ups he or she performs.

                           Boys                                                                                    Girls

0-23             Needs improvement                                    0-17            Needs improvement

24-44           Healthy                                                       18-35            Healthy

45-75+         Fit                                                                 36-75+         Fit

Of the 26 students that performed the Assessment, 23 were fit, 2 were, healthy, and 1 needed improvement.

Test Validity

In order to make a test valid a valid criterion must be set.To set a valid criterion-referenced standard, the scoring of the fitness gram assessments uses both scientific knowledge and measurement expertise. It set standards based on expert judgment and the relationship between the field test and the criterion measure.   The standard represents the level of risk for the health outcome related to the fitness component being tested.  The Fitnessgram uses a range of scores called the Healthy Fitness Zone for their tests.  It is hard to say whether or not the curl-up assessment is valid because there is more than one way to perform it, instead of using a measuring strip they can bring their fingertips to their bent knees.  So it is very difficult to validate this test.

Test Reliablity

I tried to control the reliabitly of the test as best i could by constantly reminding the students of the correct instructions.  My goal was for all of the students to have good posture and most importantly follow the cadence, and give maximal effort.  If not everyone gives a maximum effort, it is hard to say the test is reliable.  I had one female not perform any curl ups, other than that, my test was pretty reliable.

Class Performance as a whole

In reguards to the class's performance as a whole, except for one individual, i believe everyone performed to the best of their ability.  As stated previously of the 26 individuals tested 23 were fit, 2 were healthy, and only one needs improvement.  I believe this is largely due to the fact that the subjects tested were health and physical education majors.  Depending what type of environment you are teaching in, results may vary.  I believe that with elementary and middle schoolers, motivation may be a hard area to convey because even with a room full of phys ed majors, students just do the number they want and do not give maximum effort.

How you Can Improve on your Abdominal Strength and Endurance

In order to improve you core strength and endurance you should do a variety of core excercises at least 3-5 times per week.  There are a lot of core and abdominal excercises out there but for the purpose of improving a students scores in this asseessment i would tell them to do a set number of curl ups a day increasing by 10 each day.