Published by the American College of Sports Medicine, this authoritative manual teaches health fitness professionals and students how to appropriately conduct fitness assessment testing.

The goal of this Fourth Edition of ACSM’s Health-Related Physical Fitness Manual is to provide a comprehensive overview of why and how to perform assessments of the five health-related components of physical fitness, namely body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory fitness.

Features of the Fourth Edition include:

· Reorganized and expanded information, including discussion of unique assessment principles and the major limitations of some assessment methods

· Step-by-step instructions for assessment of health-related physical fitness and resources for interpretation of test results.

· Updated references to ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, Ninth Edition.

· More than 110 boxes, tables, and figures to help the reader understand the concepts of health-related physical fitness.

· Case study analysis at the conclusion of each assessment chapter and suggested laboratory activities to help students master the concepts of health-related physical fitness.

· Available instructor resources include fully searchable online text, an image bank, PowerPoint slides, and a Test Generator.



The American College of Sports Medicine, founded in 1954, is the world’s largest sports medicine and exercise science organization with more than 45,000 national, regional, and international members and certified professionals in more than 90 countries. With professionals representing more than 70 occupations, ACSM offers a 360-degree view of sports medicine and exercise science. From academicians to students and from personal trainers to physicians, the association of public health, health/fitness, clinical exercise, and health care professionals is dedicated to helping people worldwide live longer, healthier lives through science, education, medicine, and policy. For more information, visit www.acsm.org, www.acsm.org/facebook, and www.twitter.com/acsmnews.

CHAPTER 1 Introduction
◾Defining Health-related Physical Fitness
◾Components of Health-related Physical Fitness
◾The Importance of Measuring Health-related Physical Fitness
◾The Relationship of Physical Fitness to Health
◾The Relationship of Physical Fitness to Function
◾Fundamental Principles of Assessment
◾The Physical Fitness Professional
◾References

CHAPTER 2 Pre-Assessment Screening
◾Rationale for Preassessment Screening
◾Informed Consent
◾Objective: Risk Stratification
◾Other Health Issues to Consider
◾Summary
◾Laboratory Activities ◾Risk Stratification Using a Comprehensive Health History Questionnaire
◾Risk Stratification Using the AHA/ACSM Health/Fitness Facility
◾Preparticipation Screening Questionnaire
◾Administering an Informed Consent


CHAPTER 3 Risk Factor Assessments
◾Resting Blood Pressure
◾Blood Test
◾Obesity
◾Physical Activity
◾Other Diseases and Conditions
◾Summary
◾Laboratory Activities ◾Resting Blood Pressure Assessment
◾Body Mass Index Assessment
◾International Physical Activity Questionnaire Assessment


CHAPTER 4 Body Composition
◾Why Measure Body Composition?
◾What Is the Gold Standard Test?
◾Clinical Measures
◾Tests of Body Volume
◾Anthropometry
◾Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
◾Interpretation
◾Estimation of Goal Body Weight
◾Laboratory Activities ◾Skinfold Estimation of Body Fat Percentage


CHAPTER 5 Muscular Fitness
◾Unique Assessment Principles
◾Muscular Fitness Continuum
◾Strength Assessments
◾Endurance Assessments
◾Interpretation Issues
◾Laboratory Activities ◾Assessment of Muscular Strength
◾Muscular Endurance Assessment


CHAPTER 6 Flexibility
◾Flexibility as a Component of Health-related
◾Physical Fitness
◾Unique Assessment Principles
◾Methods of Measurement
◾Distance Tests for Assessment of Flexibility
◾Range of Motion Defined
◾Goniometers-Tools to Measure Range of Motion
◾Range-of-motion Assessment Overview
◾Interpretation
◾Laboratory Activities ◾Range-of-motion Assessments
◾Distance Tests for Flexibility Assessment


CHAPTER 7 Cardiorespiratory Fitness: Estimation from Field and Submaximal Exercise Tests
◾Why Measure Cardiorespiratory Fitness?
◾What Is the Gold Standard Test?
◾Pretest Standardizations for Cardiorespiratory Fitness Assessments
◾Field Tests for Prediction of Aerobic Capacity
◾Submaximal Exercise Tests
◾Interpretation
◾Summary
◾Laboratory Activities ◾Field Test Assessments of Cardiorespiratory Fitness
◾Submaximal Exercise Test Assessments of Cardiorespiratory Fitness


CHAPTER 8 Cardiorespiratory Fitness: Maximal Exercise Testing
◾Risks
◾Monitoring
◾Personnel
◾Selecting the Mode for Testing
◾Protocols
◾Test Procedures
◾Measured and Estimated V.O2max
◾Interpretation
◾Summary
◾Laboratory Activities ◾Maximal Exercise Tests


Appendix A Conversions

Appendix B Forms

Index