Dan John, a seasoned strength coach and author, shares his insights on essential physical benchmarks for men of all ages. He discusses age-specific fitness standards, from kids mastering foundational skills to adults needing strength assessments like bench presses and squats. Dan highlights the importance of maintaining mobility and flexibility, especially for those over 55, with practical tests such as 'the toilet test'. He emphasizes the idea that every man should be capable of saving his own life through fitness, promoting a lifelong approach to health.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Physical Tests for 55+
Prioritize health and longevity after 55 by regularly assessing key physical abilities.
Focus on balance, deep squats, hanging, carrying body weight, long jumps, and getting up from the floor.
insights INSIGHT
Get-Up Test & Mortality
The ability to get up from the floor unaided correlates with a longer lifespan.
Difficulty with this simple task may indicate underlying health problems requiring medical attention.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Walking on Complex Terrains
Walking on uneven surfaces is crucial for maintaining balance and preventing falls in old age.
Consistent exposure to complex terrains helps the body retain the ability to navigate them.
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As men, we all want to be physically capable. We want to be able to save our own life in two ways: in the more metaphorical sense of wanting to preserve it in healthy, fit form for as long as possible, and in the more literal sense of being able to make it through an emergency unscathed. How do you know if you do possess that kind of lifesaving physical capability?
It’s time to do more than wonder, and really check in with yourself. My guest today has some helpful benchmarks that guys from age 8 to 80 can use to see if they’ve got an operative level of strength, mobility, and conditioning. His name is Dan John, and he’s a strength coach and the author of numerous books and articles on health and fitness. Dan walks us through the fitness standards the average male should be able to meet from childhood to old age, beginning with the assessments he gives to those who are 55 years old and older, which includes carrying their body weight, a long jump, and something called “the toilet test.” We then reach back to childhood, and Dan discusses the physical skills kids should become adept in, which were inspired by a turn-of-the-20th-century physical culturist who thought every individual ought to be able to save his own life, and which can be broken down into the categories of pursuit, escape, and attack. We end our conversation with the physical standards those in the 18-55 range should be able to meet, including how much a man should be able to bench press, squat, and deadlift, and the walking test that’s an excellent assessment of your cardiovascular conditioning.
The Art of Manliness 