The study of the physical development of pupils in the last 50 years has allowed to establish some features of the formation of morphological and functional parameters of schoolchildren. The studies were conducted by longitudinal and transverse methods, contributing to the more detailed analysis of the results. Questionnaire method studied lifestyle of Moscow students and the factors that influence the physical capacity of adolescents. The practical results of the study were updated standards of physical development of pupils and modern standards of functional characteristics.