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Abdominal Strength and Endurance Tests
Perform the following two tests on another dancer to estimate the strength and endurance of the
abdominal muscles.
Curl-Up Height Test (Muscular Strength)
Start with your partner supine with the knees bent to about 90° and the feet resting on the ground
(not held down). The elbows are bent with the fingers spread and the tips of the thumbs in contact
with the top of the head. Then, keeping the elbows back and in line with the ears, your partner should
very slowly curl up as high as possible without using momentum, without letting the elbows come for-
ward, and without letting the feet lift. Cue your partner to round the spine as much as possible (spinal
flexion) rather than raise with a flat back. Measure the perpendicular distance from the prominent
vertebra at the base of the neck (C7—vertebra prominens) to the ground using a tape measure, as
shown in A. The goal is to be able to come all the way up to a sitting position.Note: Due to differences in spine length and flexibility, the same measured distance will not reflect
the exact same angle of trunk flexion from individual to individual. However, this measure will give you
an approximate indication of strength (with stronger individuals able to come up higher) and provides
a useful tool to monitor improvement in strength within the same individual.
Curl-Up Repetition Test (Muscular Endurance)
Start with your partner supine with the hips and knees bent to 90° and the feet against a wall (B1).
The elbows are bent and face forward, and the fingers surround the ears. Cue your partner to curl upTESTS AND MEASUREMENTS 3.3
B1 B2
(continued)