What should be a minimum fitness level?
likitisplit
Posts: 9,420 Member
I've been thinking a lot about fitness lately, and what it means. Strength/endurance/speed/explosive power/mobility/balance.
For example, as a runner, I realize that maximizing strength needs to happen in parameters. There's a certain point where adding to that dimension can start to inhibit speed, explosive power and mobility. On the other hand, if I'm below a certain fitness level, adding raw strength benefits my ability to run faster and farther.
I did a little digging to see if I could come up with physical fitness "minimums" that the average healthy adult should be able to meet. I think the discussion could shed some light on contentious issues. Basically, you could say, "It doesn't matter what you do in the gym as long as you are meeting your goals. IF you can run a mile in under 9 minutes and squat your body weight. If you can't do that, then you need to make sure that you have a basic fitness level in each area."
I came across the State of California's fitness measurement: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/pf/documents/healthfitzone09.pdf
This is the Healthy Fitness Zones (HFZs) to evaluate fitness performance. These zones are criterion-referenced standards established by The Cooper Institute of Dallas, Texas, and represent minimum levels of fitness that offer protection against the diseases that result from sedentary living.
This suggests:
- Run a mile in under 8:30
- Run at least a mile
- 24 Curl-ups
- 18 Push-ups
- 14 Pull-ups
- 15 second flexed arm hang
- Trunk lift of at least 9"
- Back Saver sit and reach of at least 8"
I would further add: being able to squat your body weight.
If you were going to suggest a general fitness standard, what would you add or take away from this list?
For example, as a runner, I realize that maximizing strength needs to happen in parameters. There's a certain point where adding to that dimension can start to inhibit speed, explosive power and mobility. On the other hand, if I'm below a certain fitness level, adding raw strength benefits my ability to run faster and farther.
I did a little digging to see if I could come up with physical fitness "minimums" that the average healthy adult should be able to meet. I think the discussion could shed some light on contentious issues. Basically, you could say, "It doesn't matter what you do in the gym as long as you are meeting your goals. IF you can run a mile in under 9 minutes and squat your body weight. If you can't do that, then you need to make sure that you have a basic fitness level in each area."
I came across the State of California's fitness measurement: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/pf/documents/healthfitzone09.pdf
This is the Healthy Fitness Zones (HFZs) to evaluate fitness performance. These zones are criterion-referenced standards established by The Cooper Institute of Dallas, Texas, and represent minimum levels of fitness that offer protection against the diseases that result from sedentary living.
This suggests:
- Run a mile in under 8:30
- Run at least a mile
- 24 Curl-ups
- 18 Push-ups
- 14 Pull-ups
- 15 second flexed arm hang
- Trunk lift of at least 9"
- Back Saver sit and reach of at least 8"
I would further add: being able to squat your body weight.
If you were going to suggest a general fitness standard, what would you add or take away from this list?
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Replies
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I don't think there is. I believe in trying to better yourself in all areas, because you can always better something. Idk...thats just me though.0
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That's minimal fitness level? Damn, I've got like 3 of those. That list is insane.
Edited for punctuation0 -
One of those fitness goals does not belong with the others.0
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That's minimal fitness level? Damn, I've got like 3 of those. That list is insane.
I have 2 of the strength ones(able to run for at least a mile and the crunches...possibly the flexed arm hang too) and could meet the mobility measures.
This is, however, the minimum standard for people 17 and older. It really shows what low standards most of us set for ourselves.0 -
That's minimal fitness level? Damn, I've got like 3 of those. That list is insane.
I have 2 of the strength ones(able to run for at least a mile and the crunches...possibly the flexed arm hang too) and could meet the mobility measures.
This is, however, the minimum standard for people 17 and older. It really shows what low standards most of us set for ourselves.
I've got the mile run, curl ups and push-ups. I know for a fact that I can't do an unassisted pull-up (tried on Tuesday) and never tried the rest.0 -
Good luck trying for 14 pull-ups
That's not a realistic goal for a woman. Certainly attainable for some, but not for most. 0 -
- Run a mile in under 8:30
- Run at least a mile
- 24 Curl-ups
- 18 Push-ups
- 14 Pull-ups
- 15 second flexed arm hang
- Trunk lift of at least 9"
- Back Saver sit and reach of at least 8"
Could probably do all of those except the 8:30 and the pullups.
I'm not a runner, but wow, 8:30' seems pretty fast to me. I know people who run all the time and barely get there.
A single set of 14 (wide-grip, dead-hang) pullups also seems quite advanced. At my best I could do five or six, though I could do a bunch of sets of these. 14 chin-ups would be much easier.0 -
The pull ups were so far off line with the other standards that I bothered to look that up.
It's talking about "modified pull ups": https://sites.google.com/a/delnorte.k12.ca.us/curriculum-and-instruction/home/testing/physical-fitness/modified-pull-up0 -
15 bosu ball squats
10 reps of .25 body weight bicep curls
10 kipping pull ups0 -
Hmm...I've got some work to do.0
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This is why I was always so discouraged with exercise. In school we had to do the "President's Physical Fitness Test" every year, which had minimum requirements for a number of things like this. I couldn't do any of it and never earned the 'reward." I never got any encouragement from PE teachers and certainly not from my peers, who preferred to laugh at my failures instead. I don't mean this as a 'sob story,' I just think we need to work harder at encouraging people to move at their own ability and to push themselves to meet new challenges and goals, regardless of where they are in skill or physical wellness.
Thanks to a number of inspiring people who began encouraging me about a year ago, I've learned that it's never too late. I run 3 times a week and lift 2-3 times a week. I doubt I'll ever run a mile in 8 minutes (I'm currently at about 12 minutes per mile), but I'm more fit than I've ever been and continue to get stronger every day.0 -
The pull ups were so far off line with the other standards that I bothered to look that up.
It's talking about "modified pull ups": https://sites.google.com/a/delnorte.k12.ca.us/curriculum-and-instruction/home/testing/physical-fitness/modified-pull-up
Oh. Thanks for clarifying. That pull-up is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike a pull-up.0 -
An old decrepit woman like me loves reading about you young, strong folk. Awesome.0
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This is why I was always so discouraged with exercise. In school we had to do the "President's Physical Fitness Test" every year, which had minimum requirements for a number of things like this. I couldn't do any of it and never earned the 'reward." I never got any encouragement from PE teachers and certainly not from my peers, who preferred to laugh at my failures instead. I don't mean this as a 'sob story,' I just think we need to work harder at encouraging people to move at their own ability and to push themselves to meet new challenges and goals, regardless of where they are in skill or physical wellness.
Thanks to a number of inspiring people who began encouraging me about a year ago, I've learned that it's never too late. I run 3 times a week and lift 2-3 times a week. I doubt I'll ever run a mile in 8 minutes (I'm currently at about 12 minutes per mile), but I'm more fit than I've ever been and continue to get stronger every day.
GREATNESS!0 -
Seriously, I've never in my life been able to do even 1 pull up, even when I was training to TRY to do a pull up I never got there. I had the highest bench and leg press on the lacrosse team, could do more sit ups and more push ups than anybody on the team could run a 5K in under 27 minutes (don't remember the exact time, but that was the cut off). But one pull up? Nope, never.
Oh, and it's embarrassing being the only person who can't haul their @ss into the boat with their scuba gear on, so I really WANT to learn how to do pull ups.0 -
The pull ups were so far off line with the other standards that I bothered to look that up.
It's talking about "modified pull ups": https://sites.google.com/a/delnorte.k12.ca.us/curriculum-and-instruction/home/testing/physical-fitness/modified-pull-up
I remember doing those in elementary school.
They are to a pull-up as Prancercise is to a marathon.0 -
Seriously, I've never in my life been able to do even 1 pull up, even when I was training to TRY to do a pull up I never got there.
It's not something people can just whip off and start with "1". It took me nearly two months daily of sustained effort to get the full range of motion, through regressions. Maybe people in better shape could do it faster, but the people I know all took lots of time to get there.0 -
This is the Healthy Fitness Zones (HFZs) to evaluate fitness performance. These zones are criterion-referenced standards established by The Cooper Institute of Dallas, Texas, and represent minimum levels of fitness that offer protection against the diseases that result from sedentary living.
This suggests:
- Run a mile in under 8:30
- Run at least a mile
- 24 Curl-ups
- 18 Push-ups
- 14 Pull-ups
- 15 second flexed arm hang
- Trunk lift of at least 9"
- Back Saver sit and reach of at least 8"
I would further add: being able to squat your body weight.
If you were going to suggest a general fitness standard, what would you add or take away from this list?
I would take quite a lot away from that, especially for older people. I'm not wild about running, so I'd take that out. Brisk walking would be more feasible for a lot of people.
Push-ups and pull-ups were impossible for me even when I was young and very fit, so to have them as a minimum seems quite extreme to me. They are particularly hard for some groups, I think. Same with the flexed arm hang. Back saver and trunk lift, I'm not sure about - maybe more of a flexibility test? Again, older people might struggle as some people seem to be naturally less flexible. Squatting your own bodyweight would be particularly difficult with a high body fat %.
All of it seems really hard. It might be quite easy to achieve for a reasonably flexible, lean, healthy 20 year old man. For a fit, heavy, elderly woman? Probably impossible for most.
I'd think more of things like being able to walk briskly or go upstairs without getting breathless, if we're talking about a minimum rather than an ideal (and even that would still be difficult for some). It's hard to believe that improving fitness to this level would have no benefit over being sedentary.0 -
I was training towards doing one at the time, just never was able to get there. We had an assisted pull up machine in the gym, I got really close.... I don't know, right now I do lat pull downs and am working on increasing me weight there. My fitness level right now is kind of sad.0
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The pull ups were so far off line with the other standards that I bothered to look that up.
It's talking about "modified pull ups": https://sites.google.com/a/delnorte.k12.ca.us/curriculum-and-instruction/home/testing/physical-fitness/modified-pull-up
Thanks for doing that! Wow. Not what I was thinking. Of course...I did those last night and was only able to do 6
I've also completed a 10k and I absolutely can't run a mile in less than 9 minutes.0 -
Yay, I meet all of those...I am moving to California. In regards to the different areas, explosiveness, strength, etc. you listed, I would say that it's good to dable in everything unless you have a specific goal. For example, I am into long distance events; half marathons and soon to be marathons, triathlons at mainly olympic distance, but moving up to HI next year. Of your list, I have specific areas I care to focus on greatly, where as others, such as explosiveness, is not something I care about. Maybe if I become pro...haha...I'll care about that a little. But I care about wicked amounts of length strength, killer core, and endurance. Anything that inhibits those is bad, but anything additional is just gravy. Mmmm, gravy.0
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Ok, with the MODIFIED pull up I would say, that after losing some weight and getting my self back in shape, I SHOULD be able to meet those standards. Right now I can:
Run well over a mile
Do the curl ups and push ups
And meet the flexibility standards.
Maybe I'm not as bad off as I thought!:happy:0 -
The pull ups were so far off line with the other standards that I bothered to look that up.
It's talking about "modified pull ups": https://sites.google.com/a/delnorte.k12.ca.us/curriculum-and-instruction/home/testing/physical-fitness/modified-pull-up
I remember doing those in elementary school.
They are to a pull-up as Prancercise is to a marathon.
I thought these were called body rows. Same thing?0 -
I would take quite a lot away from that, especially for older people. I'm not wild about running, so I'd take that out. Brisk walking would be more feasible for a lot of people.
Push-ups and pull-ups were impossible for me even when I was young and very fit, so to have them as a minimum seems quite extreme to me. They are particularly hard for some groups, I think. Same with the flexed arm hang. Back saver and trunk lift, I'm not sure about - maybe more of a flexibility test? Again, older people might struggle as some people seem to be naturally less flexible. Squatting your own bodyweight would be particularly difficult with a high body fat %.
All of it seems really hard. It might be quite easy to achieve for a reasonably flexible, lean, healthy 20 year old man. For a fit, heavy, elderly woman? Probably impossible for most.
I'd think more of things like being able to walk briskly or go upstairs without getting breathless, if we're talking about a minimum rather than an ideal (and even that would still be difficult for some). It's hard to believe that improving fitness to this level would have no benefit over being sedentary.
I really hear what you're saying and definitely agree that there would need to be revised standards after we start losing muscle mass in our 50's (sigh). Definitely, anything is a +1 from completely unhealthy and sedentary. I'm all for small, sustainable gains.
However, a lot of the strength tests that they mention were impossible for me when I was fit, healthy, 20 years old, and going to the gym four days a week. I'm working up to it now. Because I'm not accepting excuses anymore.
I have yet to do more than five push ups at a time and have NEVER been able to do a pull up. I used to cry when it was time for the Presidential Fitness test in school. I'm only now learning how to work up to them by doing push ups off a plyo box and starting to build up to pull ups with regressions. Why nobody taught me about this when I was 10, I'll never know.
Any human being without a physical limitation is *capable* of running, even if we don't like to. As a part of daily life, any adult should be *capable* of running a single mile without losing a lung.
I was completely sure I'd fail the Couch to 5k program at some point. My real goal was to be able to walk a 5k again. I finished a 10k in June.0 -
15 bosu ball squats
10 reps of .25 body weight bicep curls
10 kipping pull ups
I like the bosu ball squats. Great test of core strength and balance.0 -
Yay, I meet all of those...I am moving to California. In regards to the different areas, explosiveness, strength, etc. you listed, I would say that it's good to dable in everything unless you have a specific goal. For example, I am into long distance events; half marathons and soon to be marathons, triathlons at mainly olympic distance, but moving up to HI next year. Of your list, I have specific areas I care to focus on greatly, where as others, such as explosiveness, is not something I care about. Maybe if I become pro...haha...I'll care about that a little. But I care about wicked amounts of length strength, killer core, and endurance. Anything that inhibits those is bad, but anything additional is just gravy. Mmmm, gravy.
If you ever have to chase down a two year old, explosiveness becomes phenomenally important 0 -
The pull ups were so far off line with the other standards that I bothered to look that up.
It's talking about "modified pull ups": https://sites.google.com/a/delnorte.k12.ca.us/curriculum-and-instruction/home/testing/physical-fitness/modified-pull-up
I remember doing those in elementary school.
They are to a pull-up as Prancercise is to a marathon.
I thought these were called body rows. Same thing?
Mostly, except I think you're supposed to get your chest up to the bar with body rows. This "modified pull up" thing has a strap 6-8" below the bar, so you don't even have to get to the bar. Basically just bending your elbows a bit, looks like.0 -
So, let's talk "real" pull ups...how many?0
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So, let's talk "real" pull ups...how many?
ZERO!:grumble:
Ok, I still really want to be able to do 1, but right now I'm not sure I could even hold my thirty extra pounds up in the air long enough to do the arm hang....0 -
So, let's talk "real" pull ups...how many?
Martin Berkhan suggests 5 as a reasonable goal for a woman who has been training consistently for some time. [replace V with "u" in the link below]
http://www.leangains.com/2011/09/fVckarounditis.htmlhttp://www.leangains.com/2011/09/fVckarounditis.html0
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