6.5 Strength, Endurance, Power, and SAQ Assessments
Key Takeaways
- Performance assessments are layered ON TOP of movement and physiological screening only when the client moves and is cleared appropriately — never before.
- Muscular endurance is tested with bodyweight protocols (push-up test, prone/bridge holds); maximal strength uses 1-RM or a predicted 1-RM from a multiple-RM lift.
- Power is assessed with field tests such as the vertical jump, broad/standing long jump, and rotational medicine-ball throw; speed/agility with the 40-yard dash, pro-agility (5-10-5), and the LEFT.
- Match the test to the client's goal, training level, and OPT phase: most beginners do not need maximal-strength or high-power testing until they own stable movement.
Where performance testing fits
Performance assessments sit at the end of the NASM assessment flow. The order is deliberate: PAR-Q+ / health history -> vitals and body composition -> static and dynamic posture -> movement assessments (OHSA, SLS, push/pull) -> performance assessments. Strength, power, and speed tests are intense and only appropriate after the client is cleared and demonstrates competent, nonpainful movement. Testing a beginner's vertical jump while their knees cave on a bodyweight squat is both invalid and unsafe.
Select tests by the client's goal, training experience, and current OPT phase. A deconditioned new client needs muscular-endurance baselines, not a one-rep max. An athlete in OPT Phase 5 (Power) appropriately tests jumps and sprints.
| Capacity | Example NASM-aligned tests | Typical client |
|---|---|---|
| Muscular endurance | Push-up test, prone/side bridge holds, repetitions to fatigue | Beginners, general fitness |
| Maximal strength | 1-RM bench/squat, or predicted 1-RM from a multiple-RM lift | Experienced, strength goals |
| Power | Vertical jump, standing long (broad) jump, rotational MB throw | Athletes, Phase 5 |
| Speed/agility/quickness | 40-yd dash, pro-agility 5-10-5, LEFT, T-test | Sport-specific clients |
Endurance, strength, and power tests
Muscular endurance is the ability to produce force repeatedly over time. NASM-style field tests include the push-up test (max reps with good form, or timed) and core endurance holds such as a prone plank or side bridge. These suit beginners because they are low-risk and reflect the OPT Phase 1 emphasis on stabilization endurance.
Maximal strength is the maximum force a muscle or group can produce in one effort — the one-repetition maximum (1-RM). Because true 1-RM testing carries risk for novices, trainers commonly estimate it from a multiple-repetition max using a predicted-1-RM equation (e.g., lifting a load for a known number of reps to fatigue, then converting). Reserve heavy strength testing for clients with a strength goal and a solid movement base.
Power is the rate of performing work — force x velocity, or work over time. Field tests include the vertical jump (jump-and-reach displacement), the standing long / broad jump (horizontal distance), and the rotational medicine-ball throw (transverse-plane power). Power testing belongs with athletic, well-trained clients, aligning with OPT Phase 5.
Speed, agility, quickness, and matching the test
Speed, agility, and quickness (SAQ) tests assess linear speed and the ability to change direction. Common protocols: the 40-yard dash (linear speed), the pro-agility / 5-10-5 shuttle (deceleration and reacceleration), the T-test, and the Lower Extremity Functional Test (LEFT). These are sport-specific and demand mature movement competence, so they are inappropriate for early-stage clients.
The unifying principle is specificity and readiness: choose the assessment that informs the client's actual program and that the client is prepared to perform safely. A 55-year-old new exerciser with knee valgus and a low-back arch on the OHSA is tested for resting vitals and movement quality, then started in Stabilization Endurance — not max-tested. A 22-year-old field-sport athlete progressing through the OPT model is appropriately assessed with jumps and shuttles to baseline power and agility and to track progress.
As always, results inform programming within scope; any painful or abnormal response halts the test and triggers referral rather than a diagnosis. Common exam traps: ordering performance tests before movement screening, max-testing untrained clients, and applying sport tests to general-fitness goals where they add risk without value.
Defining the four capacities precisely
For the exam, keep the definitions clean. Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle to produce and maintain force over repeated contractions or time; it underpins the high-rep, stabilization-focused work of OPT Phase 1. Maximal strength is the greatest force a muscle or group can generate in a single maximal effort — quantified by the one-repetition maximum (1-RM). Power is the rate of performing work, the product of force and velocity; the same muscle can be strong yet not powerful if it produces force slowly.
Speed, agility, and quickness describe how fast the body moves in a straight line, how efficiently it changes direction, and how quickly it reacts. These map onto the OPT model: endurance to Phase 1, strength to Phases 2-4, and power and SAQ to Phase 5 and athletic preparation.
Standardize conditions and interpret in context
A test result is only useful if it is repeatable. Standardize the warm-up, the equipment, the rest intervals, the cueing, and the environment so that the 4-6 week retest is a fair comparison. Record exact conditions alongside the score.
| Pitfall | Better practice |
|---|---|
| Testing power/SAQ on an unscreened beginner | Screen movement first; defer high-intensity tests |
| Inconsistent warm-up or rest between tests | Fix a standard protocol and reuse it every retest |
| One number drives the whole program | Combine with movement findings, goals, and history |
Interpretation is always goal-referenced. A general-fitness client's push-up score guides starting volume; an athlete's vertical jump and shuttle times baseline power and agility and track progress toward sport demands. And the safety rule never changes: any painful, dizzy, or abnormal response halts the test and triggers referral rather than a diagnosis. Performance data informs the program within scope — it does not turn the CPT into a clinician.
Where do performance (strength/power/SAQ) assessments fall in NASM's assessment sequence?
Which test is most appropriate for assessing lower-body POWER in a well-trained athlete?
A new, deconditioned client shows knee valgus and a low-back arch on the OHSA. What is the most appropriate testing/programming decision?
By NASM's definitions, power is best described as which of the following?