The Relationship Between Upper Body Strength and Standard Fitness Assessments in Elementary School Children

This study examined the correlation of four measures of upper body strength (traditional pull-up, modified pull-up, flexed-arm hang, and push-ups), currently being used in physical fitness test batteries, as well as a grip strength test. Seventy-one male (mean ± SD: age 10.6 years ± 6.9 months) and 68 female (age 10.6 years ± 7.6 months) subjects enrolled in the fourth or fifth grade participated in the study. The testing took place during the subjects normal physical education class with two tests being given each class period. All testing as well as height and weight measures were completed in a three week period. Results indicate that the four fitness test items are moderately correlated (r=0.33 to 0.65; p<0.05) with each other. The grip strength test was not significantly correlated with the upper body strength tests except for the pull-up test for females. Weight and BMI (calculated by using height and weight measures) have a negative correlation (r=-0.28 to -.048; p<0.05) with the modified pull-up, flexed-arm hang, and push-up test. The traditional pull-up test, despite having no correlation with weight, produced the highest percentage of zero scores (56% males; 69% females) and the lowest percentage of passing scores (38.9%/43.1 % males; 30.4% females) using norm/criterion-referenced standards. The modified pull-up test produced the lowest percentage of zero scores (7% males; 4% females) and the highest percentage of passing scores (73.6% males; 69.6% females). Only criterion referenced standards are used with this test. The findings of this study suggest that elementary students are more successful at performing the modified pull-up test than the other measures of upper body strength. Factor analysis indicates that this is also the most reliable test.