Fitness Standards ?

[J4CKO]

What should an individual be able to do to claim to be "fit" ?

Is there a standard ? Police/Army that kind of thing ?

Swim/run/cycle a certain distance in a set time

Height/Weight ?

Number of Pressups, Pull Ups etc ?

Bench, Squat etc as a percentage of body weight.

What else is included, or should be ?

Would be good to know how we measure up, and then endeavour to improve, or at least not drop outside of a standard.

[J4CKO]

Found this,

https://usarmybasic.com/army-physical-fitness/apft...

Seems like a good start, would be good to say could still join the army, might be worth seeing what we score ?

[J4CKO]

ajcj said:

Animal said:

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

Wow. Those are not easily achievable goals. Any one of them requires a lot of training. Being able to do all of them would make you very very fit indeed - I would think well inside the top 1% of the population.

Yeah, that is pretty hardcore, and relies on not having any spare poundage !

I guess all are achievable though if prepared to put the effort in, they are tough, way beyond what most can achieve but they are possible, suppose it wouldnt be a goal if it was "get out of chair without help" or "walk to car" I cant do any of them but they dont seem quite as pie int he sky as they used to, I can do ten reps at 80 kilos on the bench, I am 92 kilos now so lose a bit more weight and do some practice, that isnt far away, I can row 2000 meters in 8 mins, with practice I am sure I can take a minute out of that, only tried three times thus far. The running though....

Anyone on here reckon they can do all those ?


Do you have to drink Kool Aid when you are finished ?

[J4CKO]

gareth h said:

gregs656 said:

J4CKO said:

I can row 2000 meters in 8 mins, with practice I am sure I can take a minute out of that, only tried three times thus far. The running though....

I can row 2k is about 8.10 and when ever I do it I am always struck at how difficult it must be to take a significant chuck off that time. My short legs don't help though!

What he said, 8 minutes is easy pace, 1.45 / 500 to achieve 7 minutes is a whole different ball game, let us know how you get on.

I kind of meant if I focus on it, over a year or so I think I could get there, not the next go or anywhere near it, i.e. its possible, not outside the bounds of possibility, I could see how I could get there.

[J4CKO]

Smitters said:

I always aspired to the Royal Marines Officers standards. Never come close though. Similar to the hardcore list, but there's being quite fit, especially in one area, and there's being very fit in many areas. Lots of folks are quite fit - e.g. very strong or quick at running/rowing/cycling but not very many people can do it all.

RM Potential Officers Tests include:

2.4km in 12.5 mins as warm-up, one minute rest, then 2.4 again in a minimum of 10 mins. 10.01 equals a fail. 9.30 is satisfactory, quicker the aim.

Bleep test - pass is 10.5, 12 is satisfactory, 13+ is the aim.

Push-ups to a bleep - 30 is pass, 40 satisfactory, 60 is the aim.

Pull-ups - 3 is pass (shockingly low IMHO, not that I can do three proper ones), 12 is satisfactory, 16 is the aim.

Sit-ups (in a minute I think) - 60 is pass, 70 satisfactory, 85 the aim.

I would imagine a potential recruit who turns in 9.59, and other minimum marks would be properly on the radar during recruitment as weak/slow and underprepared, but getting all the minimum marks are way out of the average man on the street's league

I smell a PH Challenge brewing...

85 sit ups in a minute, seems a weird thing to do, just done 50 pressups, could have done a few more but a bit soon after tea.

Edited by J4CKO on Tuesday 2nd May 20:19

[J4CKO]

Monty Python said:

All these figures are fine, but they miss out one critical point - age. What passes for "fit" at 55 is not the same as at 25.

Here's a fairly basic idea: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitnes...

Is 15 Press ups a good result for 45 years old, that is a pretty low bar, suppose have to include those who couldnt do one to save their lives.

[J4CKO]

lrdisco said:

Well what is fit really?

I'm 6'2" tall, very broad. 45 years old, 19 stone and can still-
Lay 800 bricks a day.
Shovel concrete and finish it for 9 hrs solid.
Dig trenches with a shovel or use a jack hammer for a full day.
Man handle heavy concrete and steel beams in to place.
Play 1st team tight head prop at Rugby.
Run 10k no problem but at a very steady 8.5kph.
Ran a marathon in 5hrs 35.

So am I fit? Would the ones who can row or run fast be fit enough to work on a construction site for a full day, 5 days a week?
So really what is fit?

Were you in Auf Weidersehen Pet ?