VIII.5.2. Description of NETFIT tests
It is a carefully designed program that tests body mass index - BMI, percent body fat - PBF and waist-hip ratio (WHR). The process should be started with body mass and height measurements as these data are necessary for calculating the body mass index. This phase is followed by measuring the circumference of the hip and waist. These results are used for the calculation of the waist-hip ratio. Finally the measurement of percent body fat is done with the help of a bio-impedance analyzer. This method has been developed by the Hungarian Students Union.
- Scheduled abdominal muscle test
Aim: to measure abdominal- muscle strength and power
Required resources: listening material of the test, audio player, mat, meter strip
Number of attempts: maximum 75
Starting position: the student lies supine on the mat, bends his knees at 140 degree angle, feet remain on the mat slightly apart, and arms are behind the torso, palms are pointed towards the direction of the floor, fingers are straight and the head is on the mat. Then the partner puts a meter strip around his/ her under the bent knees to be able to touch the nearest edge of the strip.
Task: the student does a series of abdominal pressure exercises according to the dictated pace (1 abdominal pressure/ 3 sec), the knees are bent, the scapula is lifted off the floor, fingers are sliding forwards and the student intends to touch the far edge of the strip while the heels remain on the floor. The test lasts until the student has repeated the task for 75 times or he/she is not capable to continue the exercise with the appropriate technique and misleads the beat/ tempo for the second time. The partner counts the technically well executed exercises and warns him/ her of the errors.
Assessment: the result of the test is the number of attempts.
- Torso lift test
Aim: to measure back muscle strength/ power
Required resources: measuring rod (cm), mat, check point
Number of attempts: two
Starting position: the student lies on the floor, his/ her toes are tucked on the floor and hands are under the thighs.
Task: the student lifts the torso off the floor while focusing on an object, holds the head as an extension of the torso. He/she remains in this position until his/her partner has measured the distance between the student and the floor. Students should be careful not to overdo backwards bending.
Assessment: this test should be done twice and the better result must be recorded with cm accuracy (the result better than 30 cm it should be recorded at each centimetre).
- Scheduled push up test
Aim: to measure the dynamic strength-endurance/ stamina of the shoulder- and arm muscles
Required resource: listening material of the test and an audio player
Number of attempts: maximum 86
Starting position: the athlete is in push up position, hands pointed forwards, fingers and legs are straight and stretched, support is on the toes. (Before starting listening to the test material the athlete positions his/ her body in kneeling support).
Task: The athlete tries to execute as many arm bends and stretches according to the dictated pace as he/she can (1 arm bend-stretch/ 3seconds). His/ her body should stay straight and elbows are pulled back at 90 degree angle when repeating the exercise. The test lasts until the athlete reaches the maximal number of the exercise. Or he/ she is incapable to use the appropriate technique, and misleads the beat/ tempo for the second time. The partner counts the technically well performed exercises and warns him/ her of the errors.
Assessment: the result consists of all the completed exercises.
- Hand grip strength measurement
Aim: to measure the maximal strength of forearm muscles
Required resource: hand dynamometer
Number of attempts: 2 + 2
Starting position: the athlete uses his/ her dominant hand to apply as much grip pressure as possible. The hand and the forearm should be in straight line.
Task: the athlete performs a series of squeezes on the dynamometer for at least 2 seconds. The test is performed with straight wrist and strong, quick movements. During the test the arm must not be lifted and/ or the dynamometer must not be pressed against the body. The test should be performed twice and have a short rest between each squeeze to allow optimal recovery. The athlete uses both his/ her dominant and the less dominant hands.
Assessment: out of the two attempts only the better result should be recorded with 1 kg accuracy.
- Jumping from standstill position test
Aim: to measure the dynamic strength/ force of the feet
Required resource: tape measure
Number of attempts: two
Starting position: athlete stands behind the marked line, knees are bent, and hands are in front of the body, parallel with the ground, toes just touch the line.
Task: the athlete jumps off, rocks the arms back and forth, bends at the knees, rises up onto the toes and bends the arms so that he/ she could generate forces to be able to land as far as he/ she can.
Assessment: two attempts can be done, and the better result is recorded. The shortest distance between the points where the athlete started jumping and his/ her heels touched the ground is recorded. The distance is given with cm.
- Flexibility test
Aim: to assess the range of motion of joints and the stretching power of knee flexor muscle.
Required resource: meter ruler
Number of attempts: two + two
Starting position: the student sits with their legs fully extended with the bottom of his/her bare feet against the box, places one hand on the top of the other, slowly bends forward and reaches the top of the ruler as far as possible while holding the stretch for few seconds. The test must be repeated by alternating legs at the opposite direction.
Assessment: the results of both sides/ directions must be measured with 0, 5 cm accuracy. This test differs from the traditional “sit and reach” test as this process of measurement is done only at one side/ direction at the same time. In this way it is easier to calculate of the average of the distances.
- Shuttle run test
Aim: to measure aerobic capacity
Required resource: listening material of the test, audio player, buoys
Number of attempts: maximum 147 length.
Starting position: students line up at the marked line; their partners are in Turkish sit position and watch the others’ performance.
Task: the test involves running between two points that are 20 meters apart from one side to side. These runs are synchronized with the recorded audio tape etc. which beeps at set intervals. The test dictates progressive intensity thus the beginning of the exercises is easier. As the test is proceeding the interval between each successive beep decreases, forcing the students to increase the speed over the course of the test.
The recording is structured into 21 levels each of which increases with every minute. In the first level there are 9 seconds for covering the 20 meter distance, which decreases with 1, 5 seconds at each level. The progression from one level to the next is signalled with three beeps. The student has performed the task if he/she touches at least with one of his/ her feet the line at the same time with the beep. If the student reaches the line earlier than the beep signals, he/she has to wait until it starts signalling again. The test should be finished if the student has failed to do the task twice.
Assessment: the test is evaluated on the bases of the attained levels with the help of a chart/ format.