What is the True Benchmark for Being Fit?

Are you fit? How can you tell? What type of standards do most people use to say they are fit?

Through my travels as a fitness professional I have seen many people with a “six-pack.” Does this make them fit, healthy and vital? Ladies and gentlemen a “six pack” has nothing to do with health. Just because we can see your abs does not mean you are fit, nor healthy.
I have seen many runners who were tight like a board, bodybuilders who only do weights, athletes that just focus on their sports and do no cross-training. I have also seen people who perform Yoga not perform any other type of exercise, very flexible yes! Cardiovascular healthy?

No.

People who confine themselves to only one type of fitness activity usually develop muscular imbalances and injuries over the long run.

Benchmarks to Fitness

So how do you know when you have reached an optimal level of fitness? There are five basic forms of fitness

1) Muscular Strength – Bringing your muscles to maximum power output with a certain load. Muscular strength can be defined as the maximum tension that a muscle can produce in a single contraction. You must develop a program where you include a variety of strength training exercises

2) Muscular Endurance – this refers to sustained muscular contractions over an extended period of time. For example how many squats can you do in a minute? How many pushups can you perform before fatigue sets in? Make sure when performing weight training that you are performing exercises with lighter loads and increase the number of reps that you do, usually till muscular failure.

3) Cardiovascular Fitness – Cardiovascular Fitness refers to the ability of the circulatory and respiratory system to carry oxygen to the working muscles. The more oxygen can be carried to the working muscles over a period of time the more efficient that person’s cardio-respiratory system will be, and the longer that person can go without total fatigue.

4) Flexibility – refers to the full range of movement at a joint. Greater freedom of movement at each joint improves a person’s function and makes movement more efficient. Being efficient in movement is very critical. Most individuals think of stretching as an afterthought. The problem with this thinking is that a tight muscle cannot contract properly. When the muscles become tight, the ligaments tendons become tight as well, creating injuries and anatomical mis-alignment. Stretching should be the backbone of any good fitness routine

5) Core-Conditioning – The core refers to the lower back, the abdominal and the musculature around the hips. The “core” is where all movement begins. We cannot move without our “core” working. Try this: Place you left and on your stomach and lift your right leg off the ground. Do you feel your “core” engaging? A simple movement like this should teach you that the core is one of the most important components of fitness. If the core is your weakest link then all other aspects of your body are going to be weak. Here is a hint; crunches do nothing to increase your core’s capabilities. Why? Because your back is lying on the floor disengaged from the rest of the body. Core training refers to specific exercises designed to initiate the core first, not just the abdominals. True core work comes from engaging all your muscle fibers in the core, your lower back, hips and abdominals. The plank serves as the basis for developing a stronger core.

How Do We Measure each Component of Fitness?

I have put together some benchmarks for you to hit on your way to becoming truly healthy. Here they are

1) Muscular Strength – To be strong you must lift weights. Two key exercises for taking a look at how strong you are would be a) The Squat b) The Chest Press
Chest Press
Men – Be able to do a 1 Rep Max of your bodyweight
Women – Be able to do 85 percent of your bodyweight 1 Rep Max
***Authors Note*** - Use a spotter at all times and warm-up properly. Get a fitness professional to help you at http://www.achievefitnesscanada.com/

Squats – Men and Women 1 rep Max of your bodyweight minimum.
***Again use a spotter, proper form is critical on the squat*****

2) Muscular Endurance – To test for muscular endurance use the push-up and body weighted squat. Perform each exercise for a minute a record the number you did. (Women can do push-ups on the knees) An excellent score for push-ups? Men 45+ Women 40 plus excellent scores for squats? Men – 55 plus Women 50 plus

3) Cardiovascular Fitness – Road Races are excellent ways for one to test how fit ones cardio-respiratory system is. Here is a benchmark for a 5km race. Men – Under 19 minutes Women – Under 24 minutes For a 10 km race – Men 43 minutes or less, Women – 50 minutes or less.

4) Flexibility Test – Can you touch the floor and not bend your knees? Can you perform a proper sit and reach test? Do you have pain in your lower back when you get up in the morning? Do your shoulders feel tight and tense all day long? Tight muscles in the upper traps and neck can give way to migraine headaches. Tight hip muscles and tight hamstrings can give way to back injuries. Make sure to stretch after a workout for at least 10-15 minutes.

5) Core- Conditioning – Do you weight train and only use machines? Do you keep your back supported for most exercises? Do you wear a lifting belt when performing exercises? These are all things that will decrease the cores ability to engage. Make sure to perform 95 percent off all exercises without a machine. Perform exercises that challenge the body in more then one plane of motion. Do exercises that use the transverse plan, the frontal plane and the sagital plane. A plan refers to a direction of movement. Sagital plane divides the body into left and right, the transverse plane top and bottom and the frontal plane divides the body from front to back. You need to do exercises that move you through more then one plane of motion! This will help strengthen your core even more! Consult one of the trainers at Achieve Fitness Canada for more information http://www.achievefitnesscanada.com/

Remember to encompass ALL the fitness components to become truly fit and healthy!
For more information about our trainers and our services please contact Trevor at
Trevor@achievefitnesscanada.com

In True Health,

Trevor Folgering
President
Achieve Fitness Canada
http://www.achievefitnesscanada.com/