How Fit Are You Really?

[vc_row 0=””][vc_column][vc_column_text 0=””]Rationale

So, you engage in some form of physical activity. Well done you. You’re staving off all sorts of health risks and maximizing your chances of living a happy, healthy life. But how is that fitness regimen of yours paying off in terms of your overall functional fitness?

 

After all, it’s no good being able to bench press a small car if you’re out of puff after jogging a few hundred yards. Or, conversely, running half marathons without being able to execute a single pull-up.

 

Overall functional fitness means having a certain base level of athleticism across a range of different movements – and, I would suggest, is something we should all aim to attain before we get bogged down in pursuing more specialised fitness goals.

 

The challenge

To find out where you stand, this week I challenge you to take the Marine Corps Personal Fitness Test (PFT). I recommend the PFT for three reasons. First, it is specifically designed to assess general fitness: upper-body strength; core strength; lower-body strength; and general cardiovascular fitness. Second, it is simple to do: you don’t need much by way of equipment and it should take you no more than an hour to complete. Finally, it is extremely quantifiable: your result is precisely scored out of a total of 300 points based on benchmark performances. This not only allows you to conveniently benchmark your performance in individual aspects of the test, but also to retake the test over time to see how you have improved.

 

The test procedure

The PFT has three components:

 

(a)  Pull-ups – as many as possible without dropping off the bar. Push-up alternative also added in recent overhaul.

(b)  Abdominal crunches – as many as possible in 2 minutes.

(c)  Timed 3-mile run.

 

The movements and scoring are explained in depth here.

 

And here are the benchmark standards:

 

1. Pull-ups/push-ups

 

Male – Pull-ups Maximum and Minimum Passing Scores

Age Groups	17-20	21-25	26-30	31-35	36-40	41-45	46-50	51+
Max Reps	20	23	23	23	21	20	19	18
Min Reps	4	5	5	5	5	5	4	3

Maximum Points is 100 and Minimum Points is 40 for each age group

 

Male Push-ups Maximum and Minimum Passing Scores

Age Groups	17-20	21-25	26-30	31-35	36-40	41-45	46-50	51+
Max Reps	82	87	84	80	76	72	68	64
Min Reps	42	40	39	36	34	30	25	20

Maximum Points is 70 and Minimum Points is 40 for each age group

 

2. Abdominal crunches

 

Male – Crunches Maximum and Minimum Passing Scores

Age Groups	17-20	21-25	26-30	31-35	36-40	41-45	46-50	51+
Max Reps	105	110	115	115	110	105	100	100
Min Reps	70	70	70	70	70	65	50	40

Maximum Points is 100 and Minimum Points is 40 for each age group

 

3. 3-mile run

 

Male – 3 Mile Run Maximum and Minimum Passing Scores

Age Groups	17-20	21-25	26-30	31-35	36-40	41-45	46-50	51+
Max Time	18:00	18:00	18:00	18:00	18:00	18:30	19:00	19:30
Min Time	27:40	27:40	28:00	28:20	28:40	29:20	30:00	33:00

Maximum Points is 100 and Minimum Points is 40 for each age group

 

Calculating your result

Scores are awarded out of a total of 300 points and divided as follows: First Class; Second Class; Third Class; Fail.

 

Stick your numbers into this calculator to get your score.

 

What next

Once you’ve taken the test, you should have a better idea of your general fitness level. Your score might flag up certain strengths and weaknesses: if you’ve aced the run but failed on pull-ups, for instance, you might want to work specifically on your upper-body strength. Whatever your score (even if you failed everything), a bit of generalized training will quickly improve your outcome, and the great thing is that you can retake the test later on to see exactly how you’ve progressed. Try making it a goal to move up a class from where you are, and let me know how you get on in the comments![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default” css=”.vc_custom_1501342957633{margin-top: 20px ;margin-bottom: -20px ;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_hidden-lg vc_hidden-md”][vc_single_image image=”4047″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” > [/vc_cta][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column offset=”vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][vc_single_image image=”2948″ img_size=”full” >