Do you feel like you're fit?

13

Replies

  • G33K_G1RL
    G33K_G1RL Posts: 283 Member
    I am fitter than I have ever been in my life, that is an undeniable fact.

    But until recently I didn't consider myself fit. But then, in the span of a few weeks, people have offhandedly commented about my being "athletic". Not as a compliment, as a fact in a conversation in which they weren't necessarily addressing to me. That was jarring. Am I actually fit, now? Feels weird to think that way...
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Not at ALL.

    VO2max is 31.

    Not fit.

    eh- I think mine's low 30's- I consider myself pretty well off.

    Just totally depends on your area of expertise and where you spend your time.
  • LLScho
    LLScho Posts: 12 Member
    I'm probably stronger than I ever have been, even though I haven't been lifting weights for that long. However my fitness levels aren't anything like when I was in the pool playing water polo and swimming 8 times a week, and slightly depressingly, probably never will be again.

    I want to be stronger than I am now. I also want to have better cardiovascular fitness. Short term all I want is to be fitter than I was last week.

    I don't think I will ever get to a point when I will say that'll do, I'm fit enough and stay at that level of fitness. There is always something I will be wanting to improve.

    But would I say I'm fit? No I wouldn't, but I also have no idea what I would need to achieve to say that I am fit.
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
    If I had to guess, I'd say I'm more fit and stronger than 90% of the people in my age range, but I wouldn't consider myself athletic. I have no skillz.
  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    Like several others here, it's hard for me to answer the question as a simple yes or no. I know I'm a lot fitter than I was a few years ago when I was quite sedentary (and the job I have now is somewhat physically demanding), but I know I'm far from being at any kind of top level fitness status.
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
    G33K_G1RL wrote: »
    I am fitter than I have ever been in my life, that is an undeniable fact.

    But until recently I didn't consider myself fit. But then, in the span of a few weeks, people have offhandedly commented about my being "athletic". Not as a compliment, as a fact in a conversation in which they weren't necessarily addressing to me. That was jarring. Am I actually fit, now? Feels weird to think that way...

    Exactly!


  • Mezzie1024
    Mezzie1024 Posts: 380 Member
    I'm not as fit as I was in my 20s or early thirties, but I'm fitter than a year ago. That's good enough for me, especially if I keep improving.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Yes I am fit. I try not to compare myself to others as someone will always be more fit. But I am lean and muscular, strong, flexible, with good capacity to do work and good endurance. I will always try to improve but I'm certainly happy with my current state.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    G33K_G1RL wrote: »
    I am fitter than I have ever been in my life, that is an undeniable fact.

    But until recently I didn't consider myself fit. But then, in the span of a few weeks, people have offhandedly commented about my being "athletic". Not as a compliment, as a fact in a conversation in which they weren't necessarily addressing to me. That was jarring. Am I actually fit, now? Feels weird to think that way...

    This I get
  • HASWLRS
    HASWLRS Posts: 8,001 Member
    I read this quote somewhere. "Fitness is not about being better than someone else....it's about being better than you used to be."
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Noelv1976 wrote: »
    I'm fit because the Army says so. I pass all the required physical training tests and height/weight measurements. BUT I feel like i am the best shape of my life.

    I've seen guys who were so out of shape pass what used to be the the battle fitness test...

    When I was in the Canadian army we had to walk 13k with webbing/weapon and ruck then turn around the next day and walk 16k with just webbing and weapon and do a 50meter fireman carry and run 1 mile do some push ups and bam...you were fit for duty.
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
    Interesting question. I think the point when I knew I was fit was a few weeks ago when I did the Grouse Grind for the first time this season. It's a local mountain hike that is known as "nature's stairmaster" and is quite tough; many people have to be carried off the mountain each year and there's the occasional fatality from heart attack. Anyways, my best time ever has been just over an hour and last year my time averaged 1 hour 20. When I did it this season my time was 57:45! I stood at the top of that mountain and realized that I'm fitter now that I've ever been. Great feeling!
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    OP - I got this off the lean gains site…might give you something to go by:

    Respective goals for women:

    For women in the 115-155-lb range, the corresponding advanced strength goals are 0.9 x body weight bench, 1.1 x body weight chin-up, 1.5 x body weight squat and 1.8 x body weight deadlift. Relative to men, women have much less muscle mass around the chest area and shoulder girdle (men have much higher androgen-receptor density in this particular area), but the lower body is comparativly strong to the upper body.

    A 135-lb woman that has been training consistently for 5-10 years should then be expected to:

    Bench press 120-125 lbs.
    Do 4-5 chin-ups with body weight or do one with an extra 10-15 lbs hanging from her waist.
    Squat 200-205 lbs.
    Deadlift 225-230 lbs.
    Thanks for this, great information

  • rileyes
    rileyes Posts: 1,406 Member
    I am sore everyday.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    Yes. I'm the fittest I have ever been in my life. In the past few years, I've started working out, lifting, quit smoking, cut back my alcohol consumption, went from vegetarian to adding seafood and fish into my diet (aka...getting adequate protein for the first time in 18 years), and am also in a better place mentally. I definitely consider myself fit.
  • VickiLogan11
    VickiLogan11 Posts: 99 Member
    Interesting question.
    I am fitter than I have ever been in my life. Have muscles in my 40's that I have never seen before. But whether I actually class myself as fit or not, I do not know haha.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    edited June 2015
    Good question.

    Some backstory, I was very fit but I took 5 solid years off and was very sporadic for the previous 5, but at least I did train. Last March I got back in the gym and I used the previous metrics of when I was very fit (25) as a baseline.

    Am I fit now?

    I'm about 80% of where I was once was in my physique and strength as compared to what I was when I was 25. (In some respects I am quite a bit stronger than I was in mid-90s - I didn't even leg day back then.)

    Of course, when I do make that "100%" back, I'll just move the goal posts and strive upwards to new levels.
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  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    What is it that tells you you're fit?

    I play competitive tennis. I can tell immediately how fit I am by how well or laggy I move on the court. Even 5 pounds can make a big difference, but conditioning is also a huge factor.

  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I am more fit than I was but not what I would consider fit yet. I don't know. I don't really have an end point in mind or something to compare to except what I was before.
  • DeterminedFee201426
    DeterminedFee201426 Posts: 859 Member
    not as fit as i wanna be but am fit enough
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
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  • Pittleydink
    Pittleydink Posts: 68 Member
    For me it has always had to do with how I perform athletically, and not so much with how I look physically. When I consider myself fit I usually have very good endurance and lots of energy and explosiveness when doing physical activity. Of course there is always room for improvement.
  • Pittleydink
    Pittleydink Posts: 68 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    OP - I got this off the lean gains site…might give you something to go by:

    Respective goals for women:

    For women in the 115-155-lb range, the corresponding advanced strength goals are 0.9 x body weight bench, 1.1 x body weight chin-up, 1.5 x body weight squat and 1.8 x body weight deadlift. Relative to men, women have much less muscle mass around the chest area and shoulder girdle (men have much higher androgen-receptor density in this particular area), but the lower body is comparativly strong to the upper body.

    A 135-lb woman that has been training consistently for 5-10 years should then be expected to:

    Bench press 120-125 lbs.
    Do 4-5 chin-ups with body weight or do one with an extra 10-15 lbs hanging from her waist.
    Squat 200-205 lbs.
    Deadlift 225-230 lbs.

    This is only relative to strength though. There are so many more aspects to being fit that could/should be considered, in addition to weight lifting numbers. Not everyone is a bodybuilder or weight lifter.
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
    I consider myself to be fit. I'm very lean, am a better than average athlete (nothing special, but better than average person my age), am strong, and have great endurance. Now, have I arrived at some ultimate fitness plateau? Absolutely not. I view fitness as a lifetime endeavor and will never be satisfied...its just not my personality. Always aim to go faster, farther, higher, lift heavier, etc.
  • RebeccaD22
    RebeccaD22 Posts: 202 Member
    compared to myself 30 days ago, yes! I live on the 3rd floor and i was SO out of breath when I'd get to the top, now, I am totally fine! I also can do it faster. Also when I am working out (specifically this one video I really like) I can EASILY do knees lifts so fast and easy. When I first started my leg felt like dead weight. I remember about a week ago, I did a leg lift and remember thinking how easy my leg just lifted right up! I was impressed with myself. I can also kick a lot higher too (measuring by the tv stand height)! I can't wait to be that much more fit! :)
  • Pittleydink
    Pittleydink Posts: 68 Member
    edited June 2015
    This could be looked at in many different ways, strength, endurance, athleticism, physical appearance, health numbers, etc. I suppose it depends on who you ask.
  • thatonegirlwiththestuff
    thatonegirlwiththestuff Posts: 1,171 Member
    This is hilarious to me. By all outward appearances, I'm fit as Fu(k. I have a lot of cuts and muscle development. But you put me on a treadmill or some sort of group class? Better have a barf bag waiting next to me. I'd likely puke. Or pass out. So in short, no, I do not feel fit.
  • andympanda
    andympanda Posts: 763 Member
    exersise, wise, i can walk a 10k at over 3.5 miles an hour,and can go farther. I can lift more then most people i know. I never plan on being ultra bulky, but i am always trying to improve myself.

    Weight wise, I still have about 20-30 ponds to go, out of 130 already lost.
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    What is it that tells you you're fit?

    Ignoring hard metrics I can tell I'm fit because I can do all the things I want to do, whether that's turning a planned 10km run into 21km (a half marathon) because it's a lovely day out and I've got the time, or doing a mountain trail run, cycling 55km, digging in the garden all day, always ready and eager to get out there and do things without worrying about whether I can do it / keep up / will get tired / etc.

    I still have some more weight to lose, but I'm fit already with room for growth there too. That's one of the big bonuses of working out from day one - you can get the fitness reward long before reaching goal weight.

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