Basics of testing

 In the lower part of the page you may find tests and table which will explain you how you can calculate one repetition maximum(1 RM). 
A repetition maximum (RM) is the the most weight you can lift for a defined number of exercise movements.
A 1 RM, for example, is the heaviest weight you can lift if you give it your maximum effort. A 1RM is your personal weightlifting record for any particular exercise. It can be a deadlift, squat, bench press... This chart will be widely used for your own battery of tests.

Testing and evaluation

Testing is the only effective and objective way to evaluate a training program. The use of posttesting data permits accurate evaluation of many qualities. A coach will be able to see progress since the athlete’s previous tests or compare data with a previous group of players of the same age, position or experience. The effectiveness of the program can be checked by the amount of progress in the area of emphasis. For instance, if speed was the desired result, a decrease in speed data would indicate that the program design should be addressed, not the athlete. Injury prevention can be assessed through testing by equating an abnormal amount of injuries to an area of weakness, such as hamstring or quadriceps strength and fitness. In a broader scope, coaches can crossreference many of the scores as checks and balances to validate beliefs. For example, an increase in leg strength can be verified by an increase in vertical-jump scores and speed.

Testing also serves as a motivational tool for the hard-training athlete. When goals are established or a competition of sorts is set up, training and testing intensity seem to rise. When an athlete achieves or surpasses a goal, belief in the program occurs instantly and preparation for future progress begins. Although numerous tests are available, using a limited battery of tests simplifies the process, making it repeatable and realiable for interpretation and application.

The coach and athlete should work together to set goals. Abundant research in physiology tells us that linear progress through training is impossible. You cannot guarantee a 5 percent increase in physical qualities every test date. If you could, a 100-pound squat would become a 265-pound squat in 20 eight-week cycles, a little over three years. The same period would change a 500-pound squat into a lift of 1,263 pounds! Both scenarios are unlikely. The first might not take that long, and the second is impossible. Physical and genetic limitations will make goal setting a trial-and-error proposition. The coach and player should choose goals based on age, sex, training experience, and program emphasis.

You also wouldn’t expect to see improvement in technical skills every day. Instead, a player’s ball-handling skills will improve in cycles. A player might experience a long period of no apparent progress and then have a dramatic burst of improvement.

The following are some testing guidelines:

1. Follow testing procedures to the letter if you want to accurate test scores to compare with past or future scores.
2. For accurately averaged and standardized results, try to use electronic instruments and the same testing administrators.
3. During testing, update the athletes on current scores – highs, lows, personal records, and so on.
4. Be sure to designate testing dates ad times well in advance so that athletes can prepare properly. The schedule should be common knowledge because the training programs will point toward testing periods at the end of training cycles.
5. For accurate interpretation of scores and to prevent injury, athletes who have not dutifully completed the training cycle should not be allowed to test.
6. Players should warm-up and perform flexibility exercises before testing.
7. Perform each test no more than five to seven times per year. This frequency of testing allows sufficient training time for goal achievement and lessens the chance for overtraining or injury that might occur with more frequent testing.

We will later introduce to the description of the tests. Each test will be explained according to purpose and occasion. Make sure to keep accurate records of test scores so progress can be monitored. Make sure to use the ones, according to your opinion, that are the most significant, or create your own battery, just make not to change tests often, choose your own battery and push the story!

Evaluating test scores

Physical testing is used for three essential reasons: for gathering information, for comparing the data, and for determining training procedures based on the results of the testing. Initial results of an athlete’s skill tests are called the baseline scores. Evaluators can use these scores to compare one athlete’s results to other athletes’ results, or an athlete’s results can be compared to the same athlete’s data gathered at a later date. Evaluators can then make necessary adjustments to training regimens.

Soccer players generally range in age from 6 to 30, and the variety of skill levels within this age range has a great influence on physical testing data. However, in the case of the many age and skill-level categories for soccer, it would be misleading to follow guidelines that do not pertain to an athlete’s particular situation. That is why comparing an athlete’s test scores to the previous baseline test scores is a better way to evaluate a training program and its effects on each player. Even though the numbers for each athlete are different, the correct rate of progress can still be measured by the percentage of improvements made by other players or the percentage of increase in team averages.

Comparison means assessing similarities and differences between one vertical jump and another vertical jump, one leg press and another leg press, and so on. Evaluation is the interpretation of the comparisons. Finding that athlete A’s bench press result is lower than the results of other players at that position or lower than the team average is an example of evaluation. Or, finding that athlete B’s leg press is statistically excellent, but speed and vertical jump tests are below average, is another example. The final step is using the evaluation to determine training modifications for a more beneficial outcome before the next testing period.

Let’s go through an example of a full process:

                                           

                                         Leg press                  No-step vertical jump    60-yd sprint

Athlete A                         500lbs(227kg)                22’’(56cm)                    8.00 sec

Team average                   350lbs(159kg)               27”(69cm)                     7.40 sec

Comparison: Athlete A’s leg press is 150lbs(68 kilograms) higher than the team average, A’s no-step vertical jump is 5 inches(13 centimeters) lower, and A’s 60-yard(55-meter) sprint is .60 second slower.

Evaluation: The leg strength is excellent but the power tests are low compared to leg strength. With a leg press that strong, there is an indication that the power tests should be better than the team average.

Determination: There is a need to focus on plyomethric training to improve the jumping and sprinting numbers as well as a need to reevaluate Athlete A’s running technique and conditioning. The leg press program should remain the same with a slight reduction in volume if necessary. This will reduce the possibility of fatique so that Athlete A is fresh for plyomethric drills and is likely to improve his speed.

1 pound = 0.45359237 kilograms
1 kilogram = 2.20462262 pounds

                   2               3              4             5             6             7            8            9          10

135           143           147          151         156         159         163        167        171       176

145           154           158          162         167         171         175        180        184       189

155           164           169          174         183         188         192        197        202       207

165           175           180          185         190         195         200        205        210       215

175           186           191          196         201         207         212        217        222       228

185           196           202          207         213         218         224        229        235       241

195           207           213          218         224         230         236        242        248       254

205           217           223          230         236         242         248        254        260       267

215           228           234          241         247         254         260        267        273       280

225           239           245          252         259         266         272        279        286       293

235           249           256          263         270         277         284        291        298       306

245           260           267          274         282         289         296        304        311       319

255           270           278          286         293         301         308        316        324       332

265           281           289          297         305         313         321        329        337       345

275           292           300          308         316         325         333        341        349       358

285           302           311          319         328         336         345        353        362       371

295           313           322          330         339         348         357        366        374       384

305           323           332          342         351         360         369        378        387       397

315           334           343          353         362         372         381        391        400       410

325           345           354          364         373         384         393        403        413       423

335           355           365          375         385         395         405        415        425       436

345           366           376          386         397         407         417        428        438       449

355           376           387          398         408         419         430        440        451       462

365           387           398          409         420         431         442        453        464       478

375           398           409          420         431         443         454        465        476       488

385           408           420          431         443         454         466        477        489       501

395           419           431          442         454         466         478        490        502       514

405            429           441          454         466          478        490         502       514       527

415            440           452          465         477          490        502         514       527       539

425           450            463          476         489          501        514         527       540       552

435           461            474          487         500          513        526         539       552       565

445           471            485          498         511          525        538         551       565       578

455           482            496          510         523          537        550         564       577       591

460           476            497          513         529          543        561         577       593       610

465           481            502          518         535          549        567         584       600       616

470           486            508          524         541          555        573         590       606       623

475           492            513          530         546          561        580         596       613       629

480           497            518          535         552          566        586         602       619       636

485           502            524          541         558          572        592         609       626       643

490           507            529          546         564          578        598         615       632       649

495           512            535          552         569          584        604         621       639       656

500           518            540          558         575          590        610         628       645       663

505           523            545          563         581          596        616         634       651       669

510           528            551          569         587          602        622         640       658       676

515           533            556          574         592          608        628         646       664       682

520           538            562          580         598          614        634         653       671       689

525           543            567          585         604          620        641         659       677       696

530           549            572          591         610          625        647         665       684       702

535           554            578          597         615          631        653         671       690       709

540           559            583          602         621          637        659         678       697       716

545           564            589          608         627          643        665         684       703       722

550           569            594          613         633          649        671         690       710       729

555           574            599          619         638          655        677         697       716       735

560           580            605          624         644          661        683         703       722       742

565           585            610          630         650          667        689         709       729       749

570           590            616          636         656          673        695         715       735       755

575           595            621          641         661          679        702         722       742       762

580           600            626          647         667          684        708         728       748       769

585           605            632          652         673          690        714         734       755       775

590           611            637          658         679          696        720         740       761       782

595           616            643          663         684          702        726         747       768       788

600           621            648          669         690          708        732         753       774       795

605           626            653          675         696          714        738         759       780       802

610           631            659          680         702          720        744         766       787       808

615           637            664          686         707          726        750         772       793       815

620           642            670          691         713          732        756         778       800       822

625           647            675          697         719          738        763         784       806       828

630           652            680          702         725          743        769         791       813       835

635           657            686          708         730          749        775         797       819       841

640           662            691          714         736          755        781         803       826       848

645           668            697          719         742          761        787         809       832       855

650           673            702          725         748          767        793         816       839       861

655           678            707          730         753          773        799         822       845       868

660           683            713          736         759          779        805         828       851       875

665           688            718          741         765          785        811         835       858       881

670           693            724          747         771          791        817         841       864       888

675           699            729          753         776          797        824         847       871       894

680           704            734          758         782          802        830         853       877       901

685           709            740          764         788          808        836         860       884       908

690           714            745          769         794          814        842         866       890       914

695           719            751          775         799          820        848         872       897       921

700           725            756          781         805          826        854         879       903       928

705           730            761          786         811          832        860         885       909       934

710           735            767          792         817          838        866         891       916       941

715           740            772          797         822          844        872         897       922       947

720           745            778          803         828          850        878         904       929       954

725           750            783          808         834          856        885         910       935       961

730           756            788          814         840          861        891         916       942       967

735           761            794          820         845          867        897         922       948       974

740           766            799          825         851          873        903         929       955       981

745           771            805          831         857          879        909         935       961       987

750           776            810          836         863          885        915         941       968       994