(EDITORIAL NOTE: Some of the reviews you will find here at AthleteInMe.com® are fairly lengthy and detailed. This is intentional, as we want to provide you with information that you can directly apply to your lifestyle or training routine. In this discussion, however, I will simply list recommended health and fitness "targets". Please consult with your personal physician when you have questions about medical issues.)

FITNESS STATS FOR THE "AVERAGE GUY"

The May 2004 issue of Men's Health magazine listed fitness stats for "the average guy" (sorry, no data were provided for women....). Although these measurements were obtained from males ages 18 - 24 years, at the very least, they give us some place to start.

With that in mind, here are the stats:

The "average guy":

• stands 5' 9" and weighs 181 lbs
• has a body fat percentage of 19.7%
• was in the best shape of his life at age 23
• works out at a gym 115 times per year
• can do 27 pushups
• can bench-press 93% of his body weight
• can do 36 crunches in 1 minute
• has a vertical leap of 19.5 inches
• has 13-inch biceps
• has a 41-inch chest
• has 20-inch thighs
• can run 1.5 miles in 12.5 minutes
• has a VO2max of 42.4
• can reach 1.5 inches beyond his toes while seated

The Men's Health article also mentions that the "average" guy will:

• lose 1 lb of muscle mass each year (if sedentary)
• experience a 1% drop in testosterone level each year after age 40

FITNESS DEFINED

So, do these stats define "fitness"? Too often the muscled-up body-builder is regarded as the epitome of fitness. However, can this person run a 5-K in under 25 minutes? What would his finish time be in an average triathlon? Can he bend at the waist and place his palms flat on the floor?

In fact, in terms of "health," there is evidence that weight-lifting can actually have detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system (DeVan AE, et al. 2005). And body fat percentages less than 7-8%, which some body-builders strive for, are also unhealthy. So, don't judge an "athlete" by how he or she looks.

"Fitness" is determined by assessing 4 different parameters:

• Cardiovascular (Aerobic) Fitness
• Muscular Fitness
• Flexibility
• Body Composition

Each of these parameters is reviewed in detail in the series "Measuring Fitness" (see Articles) so they will only be discussed briefly here.

CARDIOVASCULAR (AEROBIC) FITNESS

Heart rate is a very simple, yet very useful indicator of your level of cardiovascular fitness.

Resting Heart Rate

The normal range for resting HR in adults is 60-90 beats per minute (some sources define the normal range as 60-100 bpm). Athletes with a high level of aerobic fitness (eg., cross-country skiers, marathon runners, triathletes, etc.), often have a resting heart rate slower than 60 bpm.

In one study of female runners, the resting heart rate directly related to how far the women ran per week (Williams PT. 1996):

Miles run per week / resting HR:

• 0-10 miles per week: 69
• 10-20 miles per week: 66
• 20-30 miles per week: 65
• 30-40 miles per week: 63
• 40-86 miles per week: 61

The great tennis player Bjorn Borg was reported to have a resting HR of 38. Cyclist Lance Armstrong's resting HR is in the low 30's. This is not harmful; it simply means the circulatory system in these athletes is more efficient at delivering and using oxygen. But, even elite athletes have limits to how slow their HR can be before medical issues arise.

No age-related population norms exist for resting HR. A resting HR of 85 or higher appears to be the only value that has been associated with a poor level of fitness.

Recovery Heart Rate

How quickly your heart rate slows down after exercise ends is now regarded as an important indicator of health. This topic is discussed in detail in the related story "Exercise and Heart Rate".

MUSCULAR FITNESS

Muscular fitness is determined by assessing both strength and endurance. Unfortunately, there are no universal standards for defining strength. For example, a football player may be able to bench-press enormous amounts of weight. But a pole vaulter or gymnast might be able to do 3 times as many pull-ups as the football player. So, who is stronger?

The NFL uses a "standard" 225-lb bench-press test to assess strength. But, this test is not realistic for the average weekend warrior. Instead, a push-up test is used.

Obviously, as we age, it becomes more difficult to attain the same physical limits as we did when we were in our twenties. So, it is important to consider age when developing fitness targets for the general population.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has established population norms for men and women. These fitness charts are available in the excellent book ACSM Fitness Book (see below). "Average" values for men and women in the push-up test are:

FLEXIBILITY

The most common test for determining flexibility is called the sit-and-reach test. To perform this test, the person attempts to touch their toes while seated, with legs straight out in front of them, toes pointing up. A measurement is made by determining how far their fingertips reach on a scale. This measurement is compared to a table of population norms. These age-group norms can also be found in the ACSM Fitness Book (see below).

HEALTH TARGETS

We've already discussed heart rate. Measuring your heart rate before, during, and immediately after exercise can tell you a lot about not only your fitness, but, also, your cardiovascular health. It turns out that blood pressure, body composition, and just a couple lab tests also provide a lot of information about your general state of health:

Blood Pressure, Resting

In an otherwise healthy person, resting (ie., while sitting) BP should be no higher than 120/80. Medical treatment is instituted if the blood pressure reading is higher than 140/90. (NOTE: The cut-off that requires treatment is lower in patients with diabetes or kidney disease.) Blood pressure readings between 120/80 and 140/90 are regarded as "pre-hypertensive" and the person needs to institute lifestyle changes to avoid the need for drug therapy. (These recommendations come from JNC-7, published in the May 21, 2003 issue of JAMA).

Blood Cholesterol

Many people know their "cholesterol level". This number is likely to be their "total cholesterol". Total cholesterol is important, but it is also important to know the "LDL-cholesterol" value and the "HDL-cholesterol" value. LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, can be lowered by limiting saturated and trans fat in the diet. HDL, or "good" cholesterol, can be increased by regular aerobic exercise.

LDL-Cholesterol:

• Less than 100: Optimal
• 100-129: Near Optimal
• 130-159: Borderline High
• 160-189: High
• 190 and above: Very High

Total Cholesterol:

• Less than 200: Desirable
• 200-239: Borderline High
• 240 and above: High

HDL-Cholesterol:

• Less than 40: Low
• 40-60: Desirable
• above 60: Protective (ie., offsets other risk factors)

Triglycerides:

• less than 150: Normal
• 150-199: Borderline High
• 200-499: High
• 500 and above: Very High

Blood Glucose

Insulin and glucose metabolism is often abnormal in the obese and in people with hypertension (Reaven GM, et al. 1996). Thus, it is important to know your blood glucose:

• Fasting: 75-115 mg/dL
• 2-hr postprandial: less than 140 mg/dL

BODY COMPOSITION

Forget the bathroom scale. The following measurements will give you a much better idea of your overall health.

Body Mass Index (BMI): Body mass index compares weight to height. A high BMI value has been shown to predict a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease, especially in men (Calle EE, et al. 1999). But, while BMI is an important measurement in obese and deconditioned people, it is not very useful in the heavily-muscled body-builder. This is because the value does not discriminate between fat weight and muscle weight:

• Less than 18.5: Underweight
• 18.5 - 24.9: Desirable
• 25 - 29.9: Overweight
• 30 - 39.9: Obese
• 40 and above: Extreme Obesity

NOTE: The BMI limits listed above do NOT apply to children.

Body Fat Percentage: Upper limits of body fat percentage have been established to define obesity:

• Men: more than 25% body fat is considered obese
• Women: more than 32% body fat is considered obese

Lower limits for body fat percentage have also been established. Following the deaths of 3 college wrestlers in 1997, the NCAA established a 5% body fat minimum for collegiate athletes. The National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) set the following limits for high school wrestlers:

• Male high school wrestlers: not less than 7% body fat
• Female high school wrestlers: not less than 12% body fat

Waist-to-Hip Ratio: This is simply the circumference of the waist divided by the circumference of the hips.

Recently, the waist-to-hip ratio has been found to be an important predictor of health problems and the medical community has gradually shifted away from the BMI value in favor of the waist-to-hip ratio as a better indicator of health problems related to overweight and obesity. Obesity is linked to hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and many other diseases. Losing weight can often get these diseases under control.

The values are different for men and women:

•Men:

• Greater than 1.0: High Risk
• 0.9 - 1.0: Moderately High Risk
• Less than 0.9: Lower Risk

•Women:

• Greater than 0.85: High Risk
• 0.80 - 0.85: Moderately High Risk
• Less than 0.80: Lower Risk

RECOMMENDATIONS

Regular exercise will improve both your health and your fitness. But, before beginning a new exercise routine, keep the following in mind:

• Consult your physician: If you (a) have any medical conditions (in particular, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, asthma), (b) have not exercised in a long time, or (c) are more than 40 years old, you need to discuss your exercise plan with your physician.

• Consider hiring a personal trainer: A good certified personal trainer can be very helpful if you have not exercised regularly. Make sure the trainer you hire understands and recommends aerobic exercise as well as strength training.

• Monitor your progress: Learn how to monitor your heart rate during each exercise session. Stop exercising if your heart rate gets too high, or, if you feel faint or have sensations in your chest. Also monitor your progress, but don't set unrealistic goals and don't try to progress too fast (this is where a personal trainer can be helpful).

FOR MORE INFORMATION

The single best book I can recommend for people who want to get serious about their fitness is ACSM Fitness Book. This book contains many tables and charts that help the reader determine their level of fitness and track their progress. It also contains dozens of color photographs demonstrating the proper position for various stretches and exercises. This book is reviewed in our Book Reviews section.

Many of the health targets listed above can be found at the web site for the National Cholesterol Education Program.

For those who are interested in track & field, performance standards for masters athletes can be found at: National Masters News.

Readers may also be interested in these related topics:

• Balance: An Overlooked Element of Fitness?
• Exercise and Heart Rate
• How To Choose A Personal Trainer
• Measuring Fitness: Aerobic Fitness (coming soon)
• Measuring Fitness: Body Composition
• Measuring Fitness: Flexibility (coming soon)
• Measuring Fitness: Muscular Fitness (coming soon)

PERSONALIZED FITNESS and WELLNESS COUNSELING

If you'd like some help designing your personal fitness program, or have questions regarding exercise, or simply want some regular motivation, sign-up for our Fitness Counseling Service. It may be the best investment in your health that you'll ever make.

REFERENCES

Calle EE, Thun MJ, Petrelli JM, et al. Body-mass index and mortality in a prospective cohort of US adults. N Engl J Med 1999;341:1097-1105. Abstract

Chobanian AV, Bakris GL, Black HR, et al. The seventh report of the Joint National Committee on prevention, detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood pressure. The JNC-7 Report. JAMA 2003;289:2560-2572. Abstract

DeVan AE, Anton MM, Cook JN, et al. Acute effects of resistance exercise on arterial compliance. J Appl Physiol 2005;98:2287-2291. Abstract

Reaven GM, Lithell H, Landsberg L. Hypertension and associated metabolic abnormalities - the role of insulin resistance and the sympathoadrenal system. N Engl J Med 1996;334:374-381. Abstract

Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. J Am Coll Cardiol 2001;37:153-156. Abstract

Whelton PK, He J, Appel LJ, et al. Primary prevention of hypertension. Clinical and public health advisory from the National High Blood Pressure Education Program. JAMA 2002;288:1882-1888. Abstract

Williams PT. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol and other risk factors for coronary heart disease in female runners. N Engl J Med 1996;334:1298-1303. Abstract

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stan Reents, PharmD, is a former healthcare professional. He holds Personal Trainer and Lifestyle Counselor certifications from the American Council on Exercise and has been certified as a tennis coach by USTA. He is the author of Sport and Exercise Pharmacology (published by Human Kinetics).  He can be reached at: Editor@athleteinme.com.