Physical assessment (Part 3)

....Bouncin Bobbin Bhuda on a Bungee Cord, i am incredibly sick of writing these last three post. i really hope someone reads them and in conjunctions finds them useful. and should that usually quiet and contented reader choose to leave a comment on the subject... it might make my effort worth while!

....part three.

Body Mass Index (BMI)
Purpose: BMI is a measure of body composition, i.e. muscle, fat, and other body tissues. This sounds more scientific than it truly is. The conventional wisdom is that there is a standard ratio of fat, muscle and the remaining tissues in all people. While this may be practically true, it is not representative of fact. A ratio score indicates a persons level of fitness. The BMI can be inaccurate, particularly with large and muscularly lean athletes scoring a high BMI level which incorrectly rates them as obese. When interpreting the result the higher the score is, the more overweight you likely are. Like any of these types of measures it is only an indication and other issues such as body type and shape have a bearing. Remember, BMI is just a guide – again, it does not accurately apply to elderly populations, pregnant women or very muscular athletes such as weightlifters. To have truly accurate BMI assessment seek a trained professional where you will be poked, prodded, squeezed in calipers, and drowned in an immersion pool.
Required Measurements: Height and weight measurements.
Procedure: BMI is calculated by taking a person's weight and dividing by their height squared and then multiplied by a constant of 703. For instance, if your height is 72 inches, the divisor of the calculation will be (72x72) = 5184. If your weight is 185lbs, then that is the numerator. Your BMI is then (185/5184) x 703 = 25 (approx.)
Scoring: Use the table below to determine your BMI rating. You can also use an ideal height and weight graph found online. Record your current score.

Hip waist ratio
Purpose: To determine the ratio of waist circumference to the hip circumference, as this has been shown to be related to fitness and overall health status.
Required values: Hips and waist measurements.
Procedure: A simple calculation of the measurements of the waist girth divided by the hip girth. Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR) = Gw / Gh, where Gw = waist girth, Gh = hip girth. It does not matter which units of measurement you use, as long as it is the same for each measure.
Scoring: There are tables online that give general guidelines for acceptable levels for hip to waist ratio. You can use any units for the measurements (e.g. cm or inches), as it is only the ratio that is important. Record your score.

Resting Heart Rate
Purpose: Once a normal resting heart rate has been established, it becomes easy to determine your physiological state. As you get fitter, your resting heart rate should decrease. This is due to the heart getting more efficient at pumping blood around the body, so at rest more blood can be pumped around with each beat, therefore less beats per minute are needed. See this resting heart rate chart which shows the expected heart rate for different ages and levels of fitness.
Equipment: a stopwatch.
Procedure: The measurement of resting heart rate (the number of heart beats per minute) should be taken after a few minutes upon waking whilst still lying in bed. Give your body some time to adjust to the change from sleeping before taking your pulse (2-5 minutes). Taking a radial or carotid pulse measurement (at the wrist or neck) is usually the easiest method. Counting the number of beats over a full minute is the most accurate method.
Scoring: Record you beats per minute (BPM) to establish you baseline resting heart rate.
Interpretation: During a period of training, small changes in resting heart rate can reflect adaptation processes, or just a normal response to the previous days training load. Resting heart rates can also be affected by ensuing illness, fatigue and overtraining. Also be aware that other factors such as smoking and caffeine, and some medications, can cause changes in resting heart rate. If your resting heart rate is 10 beats per minute or greater above normal and it persists you may want to see your doctor. So…what should it be? Normal resting heart rates range anywhere from 40 beats per minute up to 100 beats per minute. Ideally you want to have a resting heart rate between 60-90 beats per minute. The average resting heart rate for a man is 70 beats per minute, and for a woman 75 beats per minute.

Exercising Heart Rate
Purpose: Why measure heart rate during exercise? The heart rate during exercise is an indicator of intensity, or in other words how hard you are working. As your fitness increases, your heart rate should decrease for any given exercise workload. This is the basis of many of the sub maximal aerobic fitness tests.
Equipment: A stopwatch in conjunction with any treadmill, open track, or gymnasium may all be used.
Procedure: The method of exercise used to elevate the heart rate in inconsequential as long as the same test may be performed consistently. For example many employ a walking warm-up followed be a two minute run at a specific pace to elevate the heart. Following that use the same method used to obtain the resting heart rate. Although instead of counting for a full minute count the number of beats starting with zero for fifteen seconds and multiply the result by four.
Scoring: Record the BMP

Interpretation: During exercise, your heart rate will depend on the intensity of exercise, your fitness level, and your maximum heart rate (which may also depend on your age). Some training programs set the intensity of exercise using heart rate guides. Many of which are available online. Due to the constant movement of the athlete during exercise better results can be obtained using a heart rate monitor or similar device should you choose to use one.

Performance Appraisal
Purpose: This final value is entirely subjective to the individual. Its value lay in its ability to quantify the overall sense of improvement, and allow for assessment of a trend in development.
Equipment: None
Procedure: this scoring only applies to those tests requiring physical activity with exception of the resting heart rate. In other words, the tests listed in part one and the exercising heart rate test. For each test you will assign a score of 1-3. This score is based on how well you performed in each test and your general feeling of fitness during the test. 1: indicates more than one of the following: sloppy technique, poor muscle control, complete failure to perform and decreased mental confidence. 2: indicates one of the previous criteria. 3: indicates the test was performed confidently with good technique with the highest possible score achieved.

Score: Total the scores applied to each test. You should receive a score between 10 and 30. Then divide that score by 30 to receive your percent score. Record that percent with your other tests.

...so now that that's done get to training and use the tests to readjust your training appropriately.