3 Exercises for testing your physical fitness

You probably know your weight and how your clothes fit, but it might take a few fitness testing exercises to determine your physical fitness level.

The history behind these fitness testing exercises

If you attended a public middle or high school in America between 1966 and 2012, you may recognize these fitness testing exercises as part of the annual Presidential Fitness Test. The test aimed to assess and improve the overall physical fitness of young Americans, particularly in areas like strength, endurance, and flexibility. At the time, the government sought a way to assess and improve the fitness of American youth to prepare them for potential military service. While the program was replaced by President Obama in 2013 with the FitnessGram, these exercises remain a solid tool in assessing key fitness metrics.

Testing your fitness level with 3 simple exercises

Perform these simple tests to see where you rank, then repeat these fitness testing exercises every three months to evaluate your progress.

1. Push-ups

Push-ups are a multi-muscle exercise that engages the core and upper body. This is an excellent way to assess overall body strength and endurance.

One of the most effective ways to measure your push-up strength is to record how many you can do without resting (or modifying between full push-ups and modified push-ups). This is often called the "fatigue" model. Although not a timed test, try to do push-ups for a full minute. Here's a handy age-adjusted fitness-level chart for comparison, based on the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) standards.

Ratings for Men (Full Push-ups)

	20-29 years	30-39	40-49	50-59	60+
Excellent	> 54	> 44	> 39	> 34	> 29
Good	45-54	35-44	30-39	25-34	20-29
Average	35-44	24-34	20-29	15-24	10-19
Poor	20-34	15-24	12-19	8-14	5-9
Very Poor	< 20	< 15	< 12	< 8	< 5

Ratings for Women (Modified Push-ups)

	20-29 years	30-39	40-49	50-59	60+
Excellent	>48	>39	>34	>29	>19
Good	34-48	25-39	20-34	15-29	5-19
Average	17-33	12-24	8-19	6-14	3-4
Poor	6-16	4-11	3-7	2-5	1-2
Very Poor	< 6	< 4	< 3	< 2	< 1

2. The crunch test

To measure the strength and endurance in your abdominal muscles, you can't beat the crunch test. The goal is simple: do as many crunches as you can in one minute. To perform a proper crunch, keep your hands at your side on the floor with palms down throughout the test. Engage your abs to lift your head and shoulders away from the floor and crunch so that your fingers slide at least six inches from their starting position. Place a six-inch marker beside you and only count the crunches when you hit the marker. Have a friend help you determine a successful crunch. You can rest, but the timer never stops. The ACSM has published these age-adjusted guidelines for crunches:

Ratings for Men

	< 35 years	35-44	> 45
Excellent	60	50	40
Good	45	40	25
Mediocre	30	25	15
Needs Improvement	15	10	5

Ratings for Women

	< 35 years	35-44	> 45
Excellent	50	40	30
Good	40	25	15
Mediocre	25	15	10
Needs Improvement	10	6	4

3. YMCA sit and reach flexibility testing

This exercise measures tightness in the lower back and hamstring muscles. It is best completed after your muscles are warm.

Begin this fitness testing exercise by sitting on the floor with your legs extended into a V shape. Bend forward over your legs and reach your hands forward as far as you can. Repeat this test three times, and record the highest score. Flexibility is measured by how many inches your hands are from your feet when reaching forward.

Note that individuals with shorter arms or longer legs are at a disadvantage. Curious how you compare to others? Check out this link to see how your flexibility compares with others your age.

What next?

After completing these fitness testing exercises, you now have a baseline against which to track your progress. Monitor your progress with each exercise by creating custom trackers in MyNetDiary. Then, use this information on your own or hire a personal trainer to develop an individualized training program unique to you and your fitness goals.

Content updated on 7/11/2025 by Joanna Kriehn, MS, RDN, LDN, CDCES

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