Client Assessment and Screening
Screening comes before testing, and testing comes before programming. This domain tests sequence and interpretation as much as protocol names.
Screening. Informed consent, a health-history questionnaire, and a readiness screen (PAR-Q+ style) identify red flags: chest pain, dizziness, uncontrolled hypertension, recent surgery, pregnancy complications. A positive screen means refer for medical clearance, not diagnose. Know the line between clearance and your scope of practice.
Baseline measurements. Resting heart rate and blood pressure, height and weight, circumference and body composition, static posture, and a movement screen such as the overhead squat. Static posture looks for compensation (forward head, rounded shoulders, anterior pelvic tilt) and should be paired with a dynamic check.
Fitness testing. Cardiorespiratory: submaximal step, cycle, or walk tests with heart rate extrapolation. Muscular: estimated 1RM or a rep test, endurance via push-ups or plank holds. Flexibility: sit-and-reach and goniometry. Reliability improves with standard instructions, consistent timing, and the same tester.
Traps: BMI does not separate fat from lean mass and misclassifies muscular clients; skinfold error grows with poor technique and in very obese or very lean clients; one test session is a snapshot, not a diagnosis.
Worked example (goal setting): a client says they want to lose weight. Convert it to: lose 4 kg in 12 weeks by resistance training three times weekly plus 150 minutes of walking, tracked by monthly circumference and weekly scale averages. Specific, measurable, time-bound, and inside your scope.