Achievement goal theory research presumes that a classroom goal structure influences students' adoption of achievement goals and related cognitions and behaviors. Motivational climate plays a significant role as a determinant of sports participation and behavioral patterns in relation to reasons for continuing to contribute to a task or sport. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of motivational climate on boys' and girls' improvement on the Presidential Fitness Test following participation in an eight-week strength training program. The research hypothesis stated that youth in a mastery-oriented climate would have greater positive changes in health-related fitness scores than youth in a performance-oriented climate when controlling for goal orientation (TEOSQ), attitude toward physical activity (CATPA), gender, initial performance score and age. The study assessed 206 fourth through eighth grade physical education classes in four North Alabama schools. Classes were randomly assigned to a mastery or performance climate. The mastery climate focused on individual improvement while the performance climate emphasized norm-referenced performance outcomes. The study utilized a randomized control group pretest-posttest design. Prior to and following the eight-week strength training program students' health-related fitness components were measured via the Presidential Fitness Test. Goal orientation and attitude toward physical activity were measured with the Task and Ego Orientation in Sports Questionnaire (TEOSQ) and the Children's Attitude toward Physical Activity Questionnaire (CATPA), respectively. Multiplicative interaction terms were constructed using the variable representing the groups, age, gender, goal orientation, physical activity attitude, and pretest score. The extent to which there were interaction effects was tested using hierarchical regression. Unstandardized partial regression coefficients and their level of significance were examined to assess the contribution of the main effects. The hypothesis was rejected. Results of this analysis revealed that when controlling for goal orientation (TEOSQ), attitude toward physical activity (CATPA), gender, initial performance score and age, there was not a statistically significant effect of group assignment on change in performance from pretest to posttest (F (1, 17) = 0.06, p = 0.81). Conclusions revealed that improvement in health-related fitness measures might be more dependent upon the school than motivational climate. In this study neither motivational climate, participant's attitude toward physical activity, nor individual goal orientation had a significant effect on posttest Presidential Fitness scores. Determining the contribution of motivational climate to exercise performance is pertinent in developing programs that develop optimal motivation to be physically active.