Assessment
Assessment in group personal training is a filtering process: gather just enough data to train safely and individualize within one session, then re-test to prove progress.
Screening first
PAR-Q+ is the entry gate. A 'yes' answer triggers follow-up questions and, where indicated, medical clearance before exercise. Informed consent, health history and medication review come before any movement. In a group, collect these before the first session, not on the gym floor.
Movement and posture
Static posture from anterior, posterior and lateral views flags compensations. The overhead squat assessment (OHSA) is the workhorse: watch feet and ankles, knees, the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex, shoulders and arms. Common findings and usual suspects:
- Heels rise → limited ankle dorsiflexion
- Knees move inward → hip adductor and gluteus medius control
- Excessive forward lean → calf and hip flexor tightness plus core control
- Arms fall forward → latissimus and thoracic extension restriction
Single-leg squat, pushing and pulling assessments, shoulder mobility and rotational screens add detail when the OHSA shows asymmetry.
Worked example
A new member's OHSA shows arms falling forward and an excessive forward lean. Rather than labelling it bad posture, you note probable latissimus and hip flexor tightness with limited core control, place him at the back station with a dowel-assisted squat and an added foam-roll and static-stretch warm-up, and schedule a re-screen in four weeks.
Traps
Diagnosing injury or disease; turning a screen into a fatigue test; screening once and never re-testing; relying on the group warm-up as the only assessment.