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When I see physical fitness exams for different occupations, the emphasis seems to be heavily skewed toward running and upper body strength.
Almost every test involves some combination of push ups, sit ups, pull ups and some sort of running test. Why are there no tests of lower body strength/endurance? If you are in a physically demanding profession, I would think that lower body power and endurance would be important. Can you carry heavy weight on your back? Can you transfer lower body power into an explosive total body movement?
I have never thought about this but I would think running would be a reasonable test of endurance and recovery from exertion.
If this is for some occupation like working as a courier or shipping items from a warehouse I can see upper body strength being useful, but mechanical aids like fork lifts or dollies would make it unnecessary to carry heavy weights on your back. That brings to mind an image of people carrying sacks of coal or flour or bundles of sugarcane, not a current reality in most parts of the world.
Usually the tests simulate activities performed on the job. Police, firemen, rescue workers.. running or moving your body from point A to point B is a common necessity. Pushups and pullups when you need to climb over and thru obstacles.
Those tests are basic. The results are just a comparison of the contenders. If you pass you may get your chance to carry heavy weight on your back. Either in training or on the job.
There's another reason; the tests are easy to administer given nothing more than a stop watch, some grass, and a 2 mile course. With the Army for example you're looking at giving dozens to a hundred or more people the test twice a year. 10 graders with 1 guy doing the stopwatch can get 100 test takers graded on pushups in about 20 minutes. Another 20 minutes for the situps and 20 min for the run and you've gotten 100 people through a fitness test in 1 hour.
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