Fitness
4 Fitness Standards To Determine How Fit You ArePart 1
How fit are you?
That’s a tough question to answer.
Because who are you comparing yourself to? Your favorite fitness influencer or Karen at the station next to you?
Or are you comparing yourself against your former self?
I recently had a conversation with a client and I asked her, “what do you wish you knew more about when it comes to health and fitness?”
She said, “I wish I knew more about what my strength goals should be? Like, what should an average person use when doing bicep curls? What about bench press? Am I at a good level or am I going really light or really heavy? I wish I knew more about what a general level of fitness looks like.”
This was a big eye opener for me.
This is basically never taught. How strong is strong? How strong should you be?
Or how fast is fast? And how fast should you be?
So today, I am going to mention 4 different fitness standards to assess how fit you really are. And next week I will share 4 more. In total there will be 8 standards:
- 2 Cardio Standards
- 2 Upper Body Standards
- 2 Lower Body Standards
- 2 Core Standards
Are these all the standards that matter? No.
I wanted to give you a comprehensive review of how I view fitness in a succinct way.
*URGENT WARNING BEFORE READING*
A few things:
1. From left to right these metrics are “Baseline, Intermediate, Advanced”
2. These are metrics for people who DO HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE with fitness.
3. If you have no experience with fitness, these are probably not relevant to you…at least not yet.
4. If you are not able to hit any of these, are you a failure? No.
5. Is there specific science behind how I came up with these numbers? No.
6. Will performance vary by size and age? Yes.
I simply find it helpful to have some simple frame of reference about how fit you are and what your stepping stones could look like.
4 Fitness Standards To Determine How Fit You Are - Part 1
1. 1-Mile Run (Speed and Cardio)
Males: < 9:00, < 7:30, < 6:00
Females: < 10:00, < 8:30, < 7:00
A 1-mile run is something that a lot of us did back in grade school.
It’s a good test of cardiovascular endurance and speed.
When it comes to running, the 1-mile run is a relatively short run. But it still requires cardiovascular endurance to perform well.
Why is the 1-mile run important?
I believe that man was born to run. (and woman)
I believe that cardiovascular health is largely determined by your heart’s ability to efficiently pump blood (oxygen) throughout the body.
A 1-mile run will communicate to you how well or not well your heart is able to do this.
Improve your 1-mile run; improve the strength of your heart.
2. Dumbbell Bench Press x 5 Reps (Upper Body Push Strength)
Males: 40lbs, 60lbs, 80lbs
Females: 15lbs, 25lb, 40lbs
This one will vary a lot based on your body size and age.
But this is my general recommendation regardless of body size.
This means that I believe an advanced level, fit male, should be able to do 80lb dumbbells in each hand and bench press them for 5 reps.
In contrast a basic level, fit female, should be able to do 15lb dumbbells in each hand and bench press them for 5 reps.
Why Dumbbell Bench Press for 5 reps?
The bench press works a lot of your upper body “pushing” muscles. In particular the pectoralis muscles (chest), the anterior deltoids (shoulders), and the triceps (back of the arms).
I believe everyone would benefit from having solid upper body push strength for activities like moving furniture, pushing a dead car, pushing a human in self-defense, and pushing themselves up from off the ground just to name a few.
3. Plank Hold (Core Endurance)
Males: 1:00, 2:30, 4:00
Females: 1:00, 2:30, 4:00
A plank hold is a good test of your core endurance. Challenging your abs and your lower back muscles.
Why a plank hold?
Well, what is one of the primary roles of your core? To help us maintain posture and balance as we go throughout our day.
It is helpful for our core muscles to have endurance so they are able to carry our bodies with good posture throughout our day and allow us to live pain free.
Before diving into the 4th and final standard, I want to invite you to participate in one of our FREE offerings:
In this 1-Week Trial, you will get 3 free workouts, my goal-setting framework, and a weekly meal plan.
Or, if you’re in Nashville:
I’d love to work with you soon.
4. Dumbbell Goblet Squat x 5 Reps (Lower Body Strength)
Males: 60lbs, 80lbs, 100lbs
Females: 30lbs, 50lbs, 70lbs
Once again, this one will vary a lot based on your body size and age.
But this is my general recommendation regardless of body size.
This means that I believe an advanced level, fit male, should be able to grab one 100lb dumbbell, hold it in front of his body at shoulder height, and do 5 squats with good form.
In contrast a basic level, fit female, should be able to grab one 30lb dumbbell, hold it in front of her body at shoulder height, and do 5 squats with good form.
Why Dumbbell Goblet Squats for 5 reps?
The goblet squat is a great test of primarily lower body strength but also core strength.
Whether it’s carrying groceries up some stairs, reaching down to pick up something heavy, or carrying around heavy boxes, there are so many real life scenarios when we benefit from having lower body strength.
Conclusion
What should you do with these numbers?
I’d recommend you start by simply gaining awareness around where you are strong and where you are weak.
Then, you can take action in 2 different ways.
- Pick where you are weak, and set a goal to improve it
- Pick one of the standards you most desire to improve, and work on it
Your fitness performance doesn’t dictate your self-worth, but it might dictate the quality of your life.
Fitness is not just about looking a certain way; it’s not even primarily about looking a certain way; it’s about becoming the type of person who’s fit. Becoming the type of person who is strong, has endurance, and is willing to push themselves out of their comfort zone to become an upgraded version of themselves.
If you are in the middle of your 10-Week Transformation and would like to specifically work on one of these standards, then let me know and we’ll come up with a plan.
If you’re not in a 10-Week Transformation, the next one starts January 22nd, 2024. Mark your calendar.
To becoming faster and stronger and improving your quality of life,
Nick
Follow Nick on Social:
Start Your Virtual 10-WT FREE Trial!
1. Learn the 5 Steps to Goal Success2. Complete 3 Video Workouts
3. Learn How to Plan Your PILS
Start Your Virtual 10-WT FREE Trial!
