Lets come up with a test of basic fitness.

[PITTM]

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MensHealth's List of Things a Fit Man Can Do:

1) Bench 1.5 times bodyweight
2) Run 1.5 miles in 10 minutes
3) Touch the rim on a basketball goal
4) Leg press 2.25 times bodyweight
5) Swim 700 yards in 12 minutes
6) Do 40 pushups
7) Run 300 yards in one minute
8) Touch toes
9) Through a basketball 75 feet (from knees)

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i can do all but 1 [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]. I can bench like 135, asking me to do 300 is pretty outrageous. i think i can still touch rim, but i def couldnt dunk.

rj

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You're an in shape 200 lb guy and you can only bench 135? [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

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i rarely ever bench press and had to stop for 18 months after dislocating shoulder and tearing my acl(clavicular, not cruciate) and 2 other ligaments. id say im about 85% healed now, but healed != strong.

rj

[Klompy]

WOW this thread is making me feel out of shape.

[Madtown]

Just want to pop in and say that I seriously hate pullups and that stupid v-sit test you had to do that tested flexibility. Back in school, I could always crush every other test but these two were incredibly hard no matter WHAT shape I was in.

I realize that there's things you can do to improve flexibility, but it's always seemed to me that I'm EXCEPTIONALLY inflexible. Like, can barely reach my shins when reaching for my toes inflexible. And while I wasn't a great athlete or anything in HS, I was in sports or training for sports at LEAST 3/4 of the year.

[southerndog]

I was in Afrotc, and we had to do:

4 pullups,
600 yd. run in under 2 minutes
30 pushups
44 situps in 2 minutes
and a standing broad jump around 90 inches... I can't really remember that one... But these were the minimums to pass each event. You had to pass at least 4, but you also had to score 180 points... So, if you just barely passed each event, you would fail.. Most people had a strength somewhere that got them extra points..

THIS was all done WITHIN 15 minutes.. this makes the test hard.. Just after doing pullups, you have to do situps.. then rollover and do pushups.. Then, go do a semi sprint..
Its a tough test to do really well, but of course, it really doesn't matter, and everyone else has to follow the same rules..

To max points you needed
19 pullups
70 pushups
88 situps
broad jump 104 inches
600 run in 95 seconds.

[EricW]

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MensHealth's List of Things a Fit Man Can Do:

1) Bench 1.5 times bodyweight
2) Run 1.5 miles in 10 minutes
3) Touch the rim on a basketball goal
4) Leg press 2.25 times bodyweight
5) Swim 700 yards in 12 minutes
6) Do 40 pushups
7) Run 300 yards in one minute
8) Touch toes
9) Through a basketball 75 feet (from knees)

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This list is garbage. How in the hell am I going to touch a basketball rim, when I'm 5'3? I also think benching 1.5x your weight is hard for many people who work out regularly

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LOL @ that list. Most people who work will definately have problems benching 1.5x their body weight. That's not just "fit", it's pretty damn strong.

[Duke]

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To max points you needed
19 pullups
70 pushups
88 situps
broad jump 104 inches
600 run in 95 seconds.

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The only one I could do right now for sure is the broad jump.

[southerndog]

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To max points you needed
19 pullups
70 pushups
88 situps
broad jump 104 inches
600 run in 95 seconds.

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The only one I could do right now for sure is the broad jump.

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The one I couldn't do was the pullups.

[Blarg]

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Pull ups are very hard in this test. Jump rope component is ridiculous. Its far too skill based. Its marginal utility decreases greatly for getting in shape once you "master" the skill.

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I disagree re jumping rope. You can do it in quite a simple manner that can be learned within a few days at the most. In years of seeing people come into and out of martial arts classes, there was never anyone unable to master simple jumping, no matter how old or young.

I also disagee that the value drops off precipitiously once you "master" it. It's not really much of a skill to be mastered, the simple stuff, which is all you need as far as exercise goes. Jumping rope is supposedly 3x as hard aerobically as jogging. You can get a very good work-out in very quickly by jumping rope. It's also a fantastic exercise to work into a Tabata type protocol or circuit training. It's a tremendously useful exercise; I think one of the best and most time efficient.

And if you want to just do nothing but jump rope for a while, string 10 or 15 minutes of it together and see what kind of shape that gets you in; take a little break and do it again if you like. On its own or mixed in with other exercises, jumping rope really shines.

[Blarg]

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I think there should be some sort of flexibility aspect added to this test too. Many people do not consider flexibility important, but it keeps your joints healthy and allows you to challenge yourself more during weight training and cardio.

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I think flexibility is very underrated and often more important than strength. It prevents a lot of injuries entirely and keeps others from being much worse. That's pretty important all your life and extremely important when you're old and every injury is a chance to go to the hospital and catch pneumonia and other infections while you're there.

[TxRedMan]

complete a mile in < 9:00 minutes

50 pushups in three minutes OR five pullups in one minute

100 yard dash in < 16 seconds

35 situps in one minute

bench press your body weight 3 times w/ no assist

squat your body weight (on a bar obv.) 10 times no assist