Tests are useless without a program. Where is the program?
It is true that the PFT dates back to the mid-1950s when the results of the Kraus-Weber Testing for Minimum Strength and Flexibility conducted by Dr. Hans Kraus and Bonnie Prudden were published in 1953 and first appeared in the New York Daily Mirror, May 31st . The comparative study of thousands of American and European children showed that American children were the weakest and least flexible in the world. The test was failed by 57.9% of American children vs 8.7% of European children. 
The findings which also appeared in the Winged Foot at the New York Athletic Club was noted by John Kelly, Grace’s father, who brought it to the attention of Senator Duff of Connecticut and President Eisenhower. President Eisenhower subsequently invited Bonnie (known then as Ruth P. Hirschland) and Dr. Kraus to a White House luncheon to present their findings to him along with 30 sports “greats” including Archie Moore, Bill Russell and Bob Cousy. There was one woman, Barbara Romack, a golfer.
The Kraus-Weber Test, born at Columbia Presbyterian Posture Clinic in the 40s after 15 years of research, is medically valid and tests the key posture muscles. These are the muscles that carry you around all day: abdominals, psoas, upper and lower back and back and hamstring flexibility. Since it is a minimum test every healthy person should be able to pass it.
The test applies to all ages, sexes, weights, heights and groups because it is self-correlating. It tests your strength against your own body weight and size. As long as you walk you must manage your weight and your height with your key posture muscles. They are the ones tested and therefore no norms are needed.
The K-W test scores do not correlate with grip strength test scores because the K-W Test is a muscular test for strength and flexibility. No direct correlation with SOLE strength test can be expected. In addition, grip strength ALONE is not correlated with strength of posture muscles. Moreover grip strength only correlates about 25 percent with total strength.
The President said he was shocked and the report became known as The Report that Shocked the President. Eisenhower went on to form the Youth Citizen’s Advisory Committee which met for 3 years at the three different military sites, army, navy and air force.
Although Bonnie is credited with co-founding the President’s Council on Fitness, (not a designation she asked for) after serving on the Youth Citizen’s Advisory Committee for three years, she resigned. She is quoted in a New York Times interview 5/7/59. “For three years we have held conferences at which nothing was accomplished but a deluge of words. Obscuring the real issue…that our
children are in rotten physical shape…were great outpourings of rhetoric from ivory tower types and Little League thinkers. I do not expect results to come either from the politicians or self-styled experts.”
In another interview with the NYT she said, “The result of the committee’s “work” were negligible and after three years of waiting and trying I resigned because it was not addressing youth fitness or fitness of any kind.” She further wrote that she could not stay on the committee and keep her honor.
After resigning she did not work or have contact with any Presidential Fitness Council under any President…although in 2007 they did give her a Lifetime Achievement award.
Subsequent President’s Council Fitness Tests have in no way resembled the original K-W Test and Corrective Exercises. And there has never been a program to prepare someone to take the various Presidential tests and no follow up to help them pass if they fail. A test without a program is useless. Where is the program?
Our children are still in rotten shape as is the rest of the population. Today 85% of our population has back pain at one time or another due primarily to lack of abdominal strength and back and hamstring flexibility. And 85% of the population cannot pass the abdominal strength (one bent knee sit up, feet held down, hands behind head) and back and hamstring flexibility (feet together, knees straight, bend over, touch the floor and hold for 3 seconds) parts of the K-W test for Minimum Muscular Fitness.
A test without a program is useless. Where is the program?
If you have questions or need help, email me at enid@bonnieprudden.com. For more information about Bonnie Prudden®, Bonnie Prudden Myotherapy®, books, self-help tools, educational videos, NCBTMB Approved Courses, videos free, for rent or for purchase, blogs, vlogs and newsletters, visit www.bonnieprudden.com or call 520-299-8064 if you have questions or need help. Enid Whittaker, Managing Director, Bonnie Prudden Myotherapy®
