Fitness Testing

Fitness Testing > Tests > Strength > Abdominal Strength/Endurance

Curl Up / Sit-Up / Crunch Test

This is a general description of a sit up test to measure abdominal muscle endurance. The procedures and technique can vary depending on which specific test you are performing. There is also test instructions for specific abdominal endurance tests: President's Challenge Curl Up, NCF Abdominal Conditioning Test, Home Sit Up Test, and the 2-minute tests used for the US Army, US Navy and US Marines.

purpose: The curl up test measures abdominal muscular strength and endurance of the abdominals and hip-flexors, important in back support and core stability.
equipment required: flat, clean, cushioned surface, stopwatch, recording sheets, pen. Some variations will also require a metronome (or audio tape, cd, drums).
sit-up technique: Described here are the commonly used methods and some general guidelines. The subject lies on a cushioned, flat, clean surface with knees flexed, usually at 90 degrees. Some techniques may specify how far the feet are from the buttocks, such as about 12 inches. A partner may assist by anchoring the feet to the ground. The position of the hands and arms can affect the difficulty of the test. They should not be placed behind the head as this encourages the subject to stress the neck and pull the head forward. The hand may be placed by the side of the head, or the arms crossed over the chest or reaching out in front. The subject raises the trunk in a smooth motion, keeping the arms in position, curling up to touch their hands or chest to the knees. The trunk is lowered back to the floor so that the shoulder blades or upper back touch the floor.

test procedure: The maximum number of sit ups performed in a certain time period (such as one or two minutes) is recorded. Alternatively, the test may be performed at a set tempo, and the maximum number of total situps is recorded. For this method, a metronome may be set at the desired tempo, or a audio tape or cd with a recording of the pace may be used.
scoring: The completion of one complete curl up (up and back) counts as one. The situp must be performed correctly for it to be counted. For the tempo tests, the test is continued until the subject cannot maintain the rhythm or has reached the target number for the test.

advantages: this test is simple to perform requiring minimal equipment, and large groups may be tested at once.
disadvantages: a curl up with the feet held increases the involvement of the hip flexor muscles, making the test less valid as a measure of abdominal strength. It is sometimes difficult to determine if a correct sit up is performed, and there may be dispute about the total number. When using the tempo method, the instructor should have clear guidelines of when they terminate the test.
comments: Make sure that the subject does not "bounce" off the floor - only correctly performed curl ups should be counted. The partner may assist by counting aloud the number of repetitions. It is important that the correct technique is used as described for accurate comparison to the norms. If using a variation of the test, the actual technique and procedure should be recorded with the results, and appropriate norm tables consulted.
guidelines: before conducting any fitness test, you should review each person's medical status to identify medical, orthopedic or other health problems that should be considered. Before starting, make sure the correct techniques for all tests are explained. (see the Fitness Testing Guidelines for more info)

About Abdominal Testing
buy the Abdominal Curl Conditioning Test from Coachwise Ltd, the trading arm of The National Coaching Foundation (known as sports coach UK).
other speed and power tests
President's Challenge Fitness Awards.
Videos of Sit Up Fitness Tests
simple sit up test that you can do at home
The Eurofit 30 seconds Sit Up Test
sit up tests procedures for the US Army and US Marines and US Navy
sit up exercise at the beach or at home
all fitness test list
Sit Up World Records