About FITNESSGRAM

The State Board of Education designated the FITNESSGRAM as the California Physical Fitness Test for students in California public schools. The FITNESSGRAM is a comprehensive, health-related physical fitness battery developed by the Cooper Institute. The primary goal of the FITNESSGRAM is to assist students in establishing lifetime habits of regular physical activity. 

View 2007-08 California Physical Fitness Report at California Department of Education website.

The FITNESSGRAM is designed to assess six key fitness areas that represent three broad components of fitness:

1. Aerobic capacity
2. Body composition
3. Muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility

The third component is divided into four areas:

1. Abdominal strength and endurance trunk extension
2. Strength and flexibility
3. Upper body strength and endurance
4. Flexibility

The FITNESSGRAM uses criterion-referenced standards to evaluate fitness performance.  These standards represent a level of fitness that offers a degree of protection against diseases resulting from physical inactivity. Performance on each of the fitness area tests are classified into two general areas:

• Healthy Fitness Zone
• Needs Improvement (i.e., not in the Healthy Fitness Zone)

The desired performance standard for each fitness area test is the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ). Test results within the HFZ reflect a reasonable level of physical fitness that can be attained by most students. All students should strive to achieve a score within the HFZ or each fitness area test. It is possible that some students score above the HFZ.

View FITNESSGRAM results.