Aim: To measure local muscular endurance in the abdominal region through a sit-up test. Muscular endurance is the ability to work a muscle for long periods without developing high levels of fatigue.
Equipment: A gym mat and a stopwatch
Method: 1.In your groups of three (from the previous activity), nominate the order of testing and who will be the first subject, who will be the first timer and who will be the first counter
2. The subject should lie on their back on the floor with the knees bent at 90 degrees and their feet flat on the mat. Arms are folded across the chest. Palms should be open and rest on the front of the shoulders. Elbows are close together. The counter should hold the subjects feet firmly on the floor. In the sit-up the trunk of the body is raised off the mat and the elbows brought to a position between the knees. The body then returns to the mat and the total movement is counted as one sit-up.
3. Practice this technique to warm up and to ensure the technique is correct.
4. Perform the test when the timer says "go" and perform as many correct sit-ups as you can in 1 minute (for girls) or 2 minutes (for boys). The counter should be counting out loud.
5. Record your name and number of sit-ups on a piece of paper
6. Change roles and repeat the process for the other members of your group and record their results on the same piece of paper
7. Determine the rating using the table below:
| Classification | Number of sit-ups | |
| Boys | Girls | |
| Excellent | >79 | >38 |
| Very Good | 69-78 | 33-37 |
| Good | 62-68 | 28-32 |
| Average | 52-61 | 23-27 |
| Fair | 44-51 | 17-22 |
| Poor | 35-43 | 12-16 |
| Very Poor | <35 | <12 |
Table adapted from Fitzgibbon, et al.(1992)
8. Transfer these results into a table using an Excel Spreadsheet similar to this:
9. Collect your whole classes results and add them to your spreadsheet
10.Because there are different readings for boys and girls, you need to edit your spreadsheet. If you are female you will be creating a graph of all of the girls results and if you are male you will be focusing on the boys results
11. Once you have completed your table you are ready to graph your results
12. Highlight all of your cells and then click on the chart-wizard icon and follow the steps:
Step 1:Choose a column graph (Clustered column with a 3-D effect), press 'next'
Step 2: Data series and range, press 'next'
Step3: This step allows you to customise the look of your graph, you can change the names of the axes and title, change the legend etc. Play around with this step until you find settings to your liking. When you are satisfied press 'next' (You can always change them again later)
Step 4:Select a location for your chart. Choose 'as object in Sheet 1' so you can still see you original table of data. Press 'finish'
Your chart will now appear as part of your spreadsheet. If you wish to alter it further then you can point the mouse on the section you wish to change and wait for the box to pop up telling you what it is then right click and choose the format option.
You should now have something similar to this:
13. You now have another way of viewing your results as a group and also as an individual.
14. Write a short conclusion on what you have learned from this activity and also a discussion on your results compared to your classmates and compared to the classification table. Compare your findings with you classmates and teacher.
Home Useful Links Creating A links Page Activity 1 WebQuest Activity 2
Reference of Table: Fitzgibbon, L., Cross, T., Ruskin, R. (1992) Outcomes. Sydney: Jacaranda Press
