2017 strength and fitness competition

[ORD]

Anyone want to take up this challenge or say they have already beaten it?

By the end of this year, you have to have met the following standards:

(1) Strength standards:

(a) Barbell squat: EITHER 2 x bodyweight for 1 rep OR bodyweight for 25 reps

(b) Bench press: 1.25 x bodyweight for 3 reps

(c) Pull ups / chin ups: EITHER 3 reps with 50% of bodyweight added OR bodyweight for 20 reps

(2) Aerobic fitness standards:

(a) Row 2000m in 7:30

(b) Run 10km in 45 minutes.

(c) Swim 1km in 30 minutes.

I have tried to make all the tests roughly equivalent in terms of difficulty. If you disagree, you can suggest alternatives.

[J4CKO]

If I can shift 50 kilos in weight by then, Im in

[V8mate]

Have you decided to take up cross-fit, ORD? ;-)

[ORD]

Nah, just tired of it being contended by friends and family (wrongly, I would say...) that I am no longer fit. I used to very fit - e.g. I could comfortably hit all the above cardio targets without specific training or practice.

I think I am actually reasonably fit still, but I just hate cardio. It would help me to have a set of goals to try to hit. I think the targets above should be achievable.

I added the strength targets to stop a bunch of 10-stone 22-year-old weaklings telling me the cardio targets are too easy.. I am just waiting for Marcus to turn up and tell me that the cardio targets are ridiculously low and that he benches 150kg. But I doubt they would be very easy for a lot of the guys on here who like lifting heavy stuff.

[ORD]

A mate who swims says 30 mins for 1km is ridiculously slow and that I should be aiming for around 20 min. I think he overestimates me, but I am adjusting the challenge to be 25 mins.

[J4CKO]

ORD said:

Nah, just tired of it being contended by friends and family (wrongly, I would say...) that I am no longer fit.

Who is saying that and why ? is it because you have gained muscle ?

[Greenie]

Be up to give this a try.

Was considering the following from another thread but as a longer term project as it won't be happening in 2017 so your targets would be a good stepping stone:

Some of Gym Jones' Standards are as follows:
Pull-up x 15
2,000m row in 7 mins or less
400m run in 1 min or less
5,000m run in 22 mins
10,000m run in 50 mins
Deadlift twice bodyweight
Back squat bodyweight for 20 reps
Bench press bodyweight for 10 reps

From your suggestions I don't have access to a pool so will have to look at an alternative. From your suggestions the strength stuff looks tough which I assume is probably more your strength.

[V8mate]

J4CKO said:

ORD said:

Nah, just tired of it being contended by friends and family (wrongly, I would say...) that I am no longer fit.

Who is saying that and why ? is it because you have gained muscle ?

A someone who has weight-trained for about 4 years or so now, I would no interest in running 10km in any time at all - I'd just take the car - and a 7:30 row is equally high aerobic to disinterest me. My best is 7:45, but I happily run around the 8:00 mark when I feel that my heart needs a wake-up call. Else, the pounding heart from a big lift suits me just fine.

On weights alone, whilst I do set myself goals, I wouldn't go into a 'league' type thing based on the above, as i disagree with the link between body weight and lifting capability. I think it plays some role in some lifts but none whatsoever in others.

[ORD]

V8mate said:

A someone who has weight-trained for about 4 years or so now, I would no interest in running 10km in any time at all - I'd just take the car - and a 7:30 row is equally high aerobic to disinterest me. My best is 7:45, but I happily run around the 8:00 mark when I feel that my heart needs a wake-up call. Else, the pounding heart from a big lift suits me just fine.

On weights alone, whilst I do set myself goals, I wouldn't go into a 'league' type thing based on the above, as i disagree with the link between body weight and lifting capability. I think it plays some role in some lifts but none whatsoever in others.

Not sure about that last bit - muscle mass is extremely well correlated with strength (after the beginner stage), so heavier people should be stronger. Height also plays a role, of course (or, more specifically, absolute and relative limb and torso lengths).

The problem with your first comment is that it is too easy to get into the "I dont like cardio" mindset and end up able to lift and sprint but not much else.

Also, aerobic fitness helps you recover during and between workouts. Just ask Marcus - that bugger is so fit that he can repeat high effort sets over and over again...which certainly helps with getting stronger.

[mcelliott]

ORD said:

Anyone want to take up this challenge or say they have already beaten it?

By the end of this year, you have to have met the following standards:

(1) Strength standards:

(a) Barbell squat: EITHER 2 x bodyweight for 1 rep OR bodyweight for 25 reps

(b) Bench press: 1.25 x bodyweight for 3 reps

(c) Pull ups / chin ups: EITHER 3 reps with 50% of bodyweight added OR bodyweight for 20 reps

(2) Aerobic fitness standards:

(a) Row 2000m in 7:30

(b) Run 10km in 45 minutes.

(c) Swim 1km in 30 minutes.

I have tried to make all the tests roughly equivalent in terms of difficulty. If you disagree, you can suggest alternatives.

You forgot cycling I cycled 411km last year in 19 hours with 9,000m of climbing. So I reckon that's at least the equivalent of a 1km swim

[ORD]

Greenie said:

Be up to give this a try.

Was considering the following from another thread but as a longer term project as it won't be happening in 2017 so your targets would be a good stepping stone:

Some of Gym Jones' Standards are as follows:
Pull-up x 15
2,000m row in 7 mins or less
400m run in 1 min or less
5,000m run in 22 mins
10,000m run in 50 mins
Deadlift twice bodyweight
Back squat bodyweight for 20 reps
Bench press bodyweight for 10 reps

From your suggestions I don't have access to a pool so will have to look at an alternative. From your suggestions the strength stuff looks tough which I assume is probably more your strength.

I think those are also good standards.
15 pull ups is a good level (and I will almost certainly not reach 20 this year).
5 k run in 22 mins is quite fast. 50 mins for 10k is probably a bit easy unless you are fat. I ran that a few years ago with no training.

[ORD]

mcelliott said:

You forgot cycling I cycled 411km last year in 19 hours with 9,000m of climbing. So I reckon that's at least the equivalent of a 1km swim

Cycling, schmycling, mate. No offence. You would cruise any of these cardio standards.

[J4CKO]

Did my first 100 kilo deadlift, am 96 kilos, wasnt that hard but not going to try much heavier for a while, will just get used to it, not sure when I will get to twice my 96 kilo bodyweight, bench press 80 kilos, bit windy about going heavier without a spotter, squat, progressing slowly and working on form, main issue was my pants getting rucked up and annoying me.

[ORD]

Bodyweight standards are a bit cruel to heavier guys, but I would (without being unkind) say that this is often because the heavier guys in question are a bit overweight. Big lean guys normally do OK (although, I accept, not as well as smaller lean guys) against bodyweight standards.

Maybe I should lower the strength standards a bit. I'll have a think whether my challenges are skewed too far towards strength and, in particular, relative strength. A double bodyweight deadlift at 96kg would be a big lift.

[J4CKO]

ORD said:

Bodyweight standards are a bit cruel to heavier guys, but I would (without being unkind) say that this is often because the heavier guys in question are a bit overweight. Big lean guys normally do OK (although, I accept, not as well as smaller lean guys) against bodyweight standards.

Maybe I should lower the strength standards a bit. I'll have a think whether my challenges are skewed too far towards strength and, in particular, relative strength. A double bodyweight deadlift at 96kg would be a big lift.

Would be a big injury more like !

Could drop another ten kilos maybe but would still be 85 ish.

[Greenie]

ORD said:

I think those are also good standards.
15 pull ups is a good level (and I will almost certainly not reach 20 this year).
5 k run in 22 mins is quite fast. 50 mins for 10k is probably a bit easy unless you are fat. I ran that a few years ago with no training.

Maybe 48 for 10km or 23 for 5km. Still I'd rather the 5km option.

Think alround fitness should include speed as well. 28s 200m or 65s 400m.

Be good to see the strength tapered...if I tried to lift double my body weight I'd snap in half!

[ORD]

Greenie said:

Maybe 48 for 10km or 23 for 5km. Still I'd rather the 5km option.

Think alround fitness should include speed as well. 28s 200m or 65s 400m.

Be good to see the strength tapered...if I tried to lift double my body weight I'd snap in half!

You've persuaded me on the two runs: 23 mins for 5k and 48 for 10k. I'll choose the shorter run on that basis!

On strength, how about this:

Multiply your BW by 5.5 That's your target for the total of you 1RM (or estimate 1RM) across the four lifts: deadlift, squat, bench press and pull up/ chin up.

That should level things up a bit in terms of allowing for different body types. It also means that, even if you're weak on pull ups and bench (so get BW on each), you only need 1.75 BW on squat and deadlift.

[Greenie]

ORD said:

You've persuaded me on the two runs: 23 mins for 5k and 48 for 10k. I'll choose the shorter run on that basis!

On strength, how about this:

Multiply your BW by 5.5 That's your target for the total of you 1RM (or estimate 1RM) across the four lifts: deadlift, squat, bench press and pull up/ chin up.

That should level things up a bit in terms of allowing for different body types. It also means that, even if you're weak on pull ups and bench (so get BW on each), you only need 1.75 BW on squat and deadlift.

Think we're getting there.

But need an option for the weights that isn't 1 rep. At my age and without a spotter I would go for a multiple rep option. Tweek that a bit and we're good to go (just need a few more victims volunteers.)

[Greenie]

ORD said:

You've persuaded me on the two runs: 23 mins for 5k and 48 for 10k. I'll choose the shorter run on that basis!

On strength, how about this:

Multiply your BW by 5.5 That's your target for the total of you 1RM (or estimate 1RM) across the four lifts: deadlift, squat, bench press and pull up/ chin up.

That should level things up a bit in terms of allowing for different body types. It also means that, even if you're weak on pull ups and bench (so get BW on each), you only need 1.75 BW on squat and deadlift.

Think we're getting there.

But need an option for the weights that isn't 1 rep. At my age and without a spotter I would go for a multiple rep option. Tweek that a bit and we're good to go (just need a few more victims volunteers.)

[ORD]

Greenie said:

Think we're getting there.

But need an option for the weights that isn't 1 rep. At my age and without a spotter I would go for a multiple rep option. Tweek that a bit and we're good to go (just need a few more victims volunteers.)

Thats why I included the possibility of using an estimated 1RM. If you plug the reps and weight lifted into a 1RM calculator, it will give you an estimated 1RM. In my experience, the estimates are spot on for most lifts.

http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/OneRepMax.html