BEING FIT

“I just want to get Fit” – a common statement when people discuss their training and fitness goals or objectives.

My question is “Fit for what?” and “Fit compared to what?”

How can we define what ‘fit’ is though?

Does it mean being able to squat double bodyweight? Row a 2km in under 7 minutes? Complete 15 Pull Ups? Have 10% body fat?

A quick Google search of ‘the definition of fit’ comes up with the following……..

Of a suitable quality, standard, or type to meet the required purpose.

From this we can establish that being fit should differ from person to person and change as that person ages or situation changes.

What is fit for a 20 year old Olympic athlete will be totally different to that of a 40 year old busy dad.

If you’re a marathon runner, being able to squat double bodyweight might not be important in the goal of improving your marathon time.

If you are competing in world’s strongest man, it’s not important to have a 10% body fat level.

If you’re a dad that wants to play with their kids, then the gym should allow you to do this. Not cripple you for days in the quest of ‘hardcore leg day’. Your kids won’t care about #beastmode if you can’t play football with them.

I used to associate being fit with being as lean as possible, without any consideration for health or happiness.

The more ‘ripped’ someone was, the fitter I would assume they were.

Now as I age and gain more experience in life and the gym my definition of being fit has changed somewhat.

For me being fit is about being a good all rounder, it is about being a better human, it is about longevity and becoming harder to kill.

I don’t aspire to be a powetlifter or win a strong man competition but I want to be strong enough to lift heavy stuff when the situation arises.

I’m never going to step on stage and be judged in a bodybuilding competition but I want to maintain a healthy, low level of body fat and be happy and confident in my appearance.

I won’t ever break any marathon records but I want to have a good engine that allows me to play sports and tackle everyday tasks without being exhausted.

Training and being ‘fit’ for me is about making me better at every aspect of life and making sure my quality of life is as good as it can be in my later years.

What is your take on ‘being fit’? What training and lifestyle choices do you need to allow you to be your own fit.

Your gym training and lifestyle choices should allow you to be better at life.

How you live your life is your choice but you will benefit and enjoy it more if you’re fit for that purpose.