Accountability for Flexibility? YOU BET!

Excerpt From The BFS Flexibility Manual:

The BFS approach of striving to break personal records every workout keeps athletes’ motivation high. This strategy also applies to stretching programs that regularly measure progress – the athlete can see immediate and objective evidence of improvement. To measure progress with the BFS 1-2-3-4 flexibility program, we recommend that athletes perform the sit-and-reach test at least once a month. The sit-and-reach test measures flexibility in the back of the legs (hamstrings) and the lower back (erector spinae). The test was introduced to the physical education community in an article published in a 1952 issue of Research Quarterly by Wells and Dillon called “The Sit and Reach: A Test of Back and Leg Flexibility.” Since then the test has been extensively researched, and it has been adopted by many school, police and military organizations. As a result, there is considerable data available to determine standards.
To perform the test, sit on the floor with your legs together (putting your legs against a box will help to stabilize your position). Reach forward as far as possible and hold for three seconds. Keep the knees locked-bending the knees, even in the slightest, invalidates the measurement. Place a ruler with the six-inch mark at your heels and the one-inch mark closest to your body. Reach as far as possible and check results against the BFS standards for the sit-and-reach test, as shown below: