Who's the fittest on OcUK SA?

Freefaller · 6 Apr 2011 at 15:19

I'm fit, but not ironman fit or marathon fit. I'm quite well rounded though.

Clipsey · 6 Apr 2011 at 15:31

Hmm fitness to me is sustained cardiovascular exercise, testing your limits under controlled conditions. It is not testing your cardiac reserve ie sprinting an recovering.
Ironman for me was the ultimate test against my body that could be done (I think). 146.2 miles of love

But honestly fitness could mean one thing to someone and the complete opposite to the next.

BennyC · 6 Apr 2011 at 15:33

LiE said:
Generally who would be in better shape, a natural body builder or a runner?

I'd say the natural body builder would probably have the upper hand. If you gave them a series of strength (squat/dead/bench/press X times BW) & CV tasks to complete the runner would blitz the CV but yet most *likely* fail to complete some of the strength exercises. Whilst the natty BB would blitz the strength he *should* still complete the CV exercises but in a greater time.

Determination to complete CV work can be obtained in moments of need where as physical strength you either have or you don't. Might spark some interesting discussion.

Fitness for me is a bit of both.

iamtheoneneo said:
i do 14 miles a day cycling minus weekends. i have a 6 pack... do i win?

hahaha

You may well be a skinny runt for all I know

Gilly · 6 Apr 2011 at 15:35

I've run a 4 minute mile long ago far back in the distant past

I'm match fit - ie can run for the full 90 mins of an 11-a-side game but if I went for an iron man challenge I suspect I'd be embarrassed.

Participant · 6 Apr 2011 at 15:54

[DOD]Asprilla;18842608 said:
I do 34 miles a day cycling plus swimming 1,5km three times a weeks and a spin class. I also run (10-13miles) on a saturday and do about 40km on the bike on a Sunday (rising to about 150km from the 17 of this month onwards.

I don't have a six pack because I eat lots of chocolate and pies.

No rest days? Your joints must be screaming.

Gilly · 6 Apr 2011 at 15:57

...and if he ever stops he'll die

platypus · 6 Apr 2011 at 16:00

Gilly said:
I've run a 4 minute mile long ago far back in the distant past

I'm match fit - ie can run for the full 90 mins of an 11-a-side game but if I went for an iron man challenge I suspect I'd be embarrassed.

I doubt Ironman fitness is anything like the norm. I would be dead after a 90 minute stop/start game of football, but I can swim/bike/run long distances and recover incredibly quick. It's why "fitness" isn't a real metric you can measure.

Robbie G said:
No rest days? Your joints must be screaming.

Rest days are for wimps.

6thElement · 6 Apr 2011 at 16:02

I do a 33 mile ride most mornings, then commute 6.5 miles to work by bike. Normal weekend has me riding for 14 hours/a couple of hundred miles usually

Clipsey · 6 Apr 2011 at 16:08

Couple hundred miles shouldn't take longer than 13hrs at a decent pace

Gilly · 6 Apr 2011 at 16:08

6thElement said:
I do a 33 mile ride most mornings, then commute 6.5 miles to work by bike. Normal weekend has me riding for 14 hours/a couple of hundred miles usually

[DOD]Asprilla · 6 Apr 2011 at 16:09

Robbie G said:
No rest days? Your joints must be screaming.

Not really. Correct technique and some basic stretching takes care of my joints.

platypus · 6 Apr 2011 at 16:10

What stretching are you doing? I'm on about 15 minutes in the mornings (and before exercise sessions of course) but I don't feel its enough.

[DOD]Asprilla · 6 Apr 2011 at 16:14

TBH, not enough according to my bike fit, but once a month with the sports massuse seems to keep me right.

I really need to find time to take up yoga or pilates.

'Wes · 6 Apr 2011 at 16:16

Gilly said:

That's nothing, i walk from my seat to the toilet and back, beat that.

robotSocks · 6 Apr 2011 at 16:24

i've ran a 2:53 marathon

FNGsam · 6 Apr 2011 at 16:26

Gilly said:
...and if he ever stops he'll die

His body is like the bus from speed!

Clipsey · 6 Apr 2011 at 16:39

BennyC said:
I'd say the natural body builder would probably have the upper hand. If you gave them a series of strength (squat/dead/bench/press X times BW) & CV tasks to complete the runner would blitz the CV but yet most *likely* fail to complete some of the strength exercises. Whilst the natty BB would blitz the strength he *should* still complete the CV exercises but in a greater time.

Just playing devil's advocate here but that is including strength, a measure of something else. Cardiovascular work, is just that, cardiovascular, raising your heart rate & inspiration for a duration of time and sustaining it.

Ignoring that ^^ I actually think it is a combination of everything - the definition of fitness is 'good condition' aka being well rounded. Being Ironman 'fit' won't help with everything and your strength goes out the window. That said it is great to feel fitter than everyone else

IceBus · 6 Apr 2011 at 17:22

I think people are right and fitness is quite a subjective idea, Even for bodybuilders who lift huge, there's a big difference between strength and look like the cover of Men's Fitness. i.e. is perfectly chiselled than someone who looks like a barrel chested World's Stongest Man competitor and has a bit of chub on the go?

When I think of fitness I think of an all-round level of ability. For example, a good mate of mine plays football, rugby, swims regularly and is training to do a marathon (and recently ran a cross-country half marathon in 1hr 45mins). He's not massively built, but can lift decent amounts of weight. That to me is real fitness - being able to compete comfortably in a range of sports that require excellent CV fitness and some strength.

Sutters · 6 Apr 2011 at 17:45

Perhaps the term athletic would be better? He who can run the fastest, biggest jump, throwing, swimming, etc. Like a decathlon or something. That guy that won every event at sports day in school.

collisster · 6 Apr 2011 at 19:30

there is unfit, then there is fit, then there is sports specific fitness in my opinion..