It's not just about looking & feeling better or getting toned. A personal trainer can greatly reduce your risk of injury, increase flexibility and help straighten your posture. Not to mention getting to and maintaining your desired weight! A healthier life is a longer life! Level 1 Assessment What To Expect: First, you will need to fill out an Informed Consent, which explains that you agree to a fitness evaluation and exercise testing. Next, we will ask a series of questions, known as a Health History Questionnaire, as well as take your height, weight, resting heart rate and blood pressure. These first steps are required to see if you have any major risk factors and if we can continue with the testing. We will take 3 skin fold measurements with a caliper. From the sum of these measurements we can determine your body fat percentage and see where you fit in with the average. Circumference measurements of your biceps, forearm, thigh, calf, chest, waist, abdomen, iliac, and hips will then be recorded. These measurements are important to record a starting point for gaining or losing inches where we want along with risk factors. Once we determine there are no major risk factors, there will be a step test. This is done to get a post exercise heart rate and consists of 3 minutes of stepping up and down on a 12” step to a count. Once done, your pulse is taken to determine your cardiovascular endurance level. Upper body endurance is determined by a push up test. Basically, we see how many push-ups you are able to complete and compare that number to others in your age group. The bent knee curl-up test is done to measure abdominal strength and consists of performing as many abdominal crunches as you can. Stand and reach test measures hamstring length. A series of flexibility tests will be performed to determine joint limitations. Overhead squat is a more dynamic assessment to look for limitations in an active movement. Testing for Plyometrics: Plyometrics is part of working with a trainer that may include jumping onto a box or throwing a medicine ball. Before these exercises can be introduced into a training program you must be able to pass these tests. Keeping a food diary can be done manually or through our online meal-planning program. A weight loss readiness test can be given where applicable. All of these assessments are important to design the right workout for you. We can determine where your strengths and weaknesses are. Some may need more time stretching hamstrings or strengthening a weak muscle. Health and fitness is different for everyone. Once we have done an assessment, we can start going in the right direction.