A good way to find out your fitness level is to take a fitness test that assesses your physical endurance, your body strength, and helps you understand the basic relationship between body strength and fitness. One of the best known methods for this is the Kraus-Weber Test (KW Test).
Components of the Kraus-Weber Test (KW Test).
A KW test known as the Minimum Muscular Fitness test has six different components, and this test is capable of measuring various muscle groups in terms of their physical strength and inherent flexibility. The higher the grades; the higher your fitness level.
This same aptitude test was first used to investigate the progress of treatment given for back pain problems. More than eighty percent of the people who take this test did not pass it on the first try.
The first test in the series of six KW Tests is used to assess a person’s general fitness. In this test you have to keep both feet on the ground; do squats keeping both hands bent on the back and the body lying on the floor.
The second part of the KW Test series is similar to the first in posture, but the only change is that in this test the person’s knees remain bent and the ankles are as close to the buttocks as possible; while doing sit-ups..
The third part of the KW Test series requires the person to lie on their back and keep their hands behind their neck and their legs straight and raised, for about ten seconds at a time.
Quarters of the person in the KV Test series lie face down; and keeping your feet firmly on the ground, you have to lift your head and shoulders along with your chest off the ground for about ten seconds. Test stance number five is similar to test 4; the only addition is that one needs to lift the knees off the ground for ten seconds.
Finally, in the last test, that is, number six; one should stand up straight barefoot while both feet should be placed together firmly on the ground; then, keeping your knees straight, slowly bend to touch the ground with your fingertips. One has to hold in the same posture for about three seconds. This test is really helpful in assessing fitness level and understanding what needs to be done to improve the fitness level of a person taking this test.