How in-shape are you really? Take the Dallas assessment test

by Shelby Hall, fitness contributor of Shelby Hall

So you work out and try to eat healthy, but how healthy are you? How do you measure your fitness level? After many years as a fitness professional, I’ve seen a disturbingly clear boundary between fit individuals and the unhealthy individuals. Here’s the gold-standard definition of being physically fit. It's a six-part pass/fail test. (No partial credit!)

Number 1: Push-up test

Start in the up-phase position and lower your body until your elbows are at 90 degrees, then push yourself back up until your arms are straight again. Count how many times you are able to perform this exercise.

Men: A fit man should be able to perform 42 pushups in one set at any given moment.

Women: 33 pushups

Number 2: The leg press

Weigh yourself (no cheating)! Now double that, and the number is your resistance on the leg press for one rep. Keeping your legs shoulder-width apart and feet high on the platform, push out until your legs are straight but not locked and return to start position. If you complete this successfully, you pass.

Number 3: WHR

The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) will tell you if your body contains too much fat. Using a measuring tape, measure your waist (the tape should cross your belly button) and measure your hips (across your hip bones). Divide the waist number by the hip number. See where you stand:

Men: less than 0.88 = pass

Women: less than 0.77 = pass

Number 4: The toe-touch

Simplest of the tests, stand up with your legs straight and knees unlocked. Now, keeping your legs straight, bend over and touch your toes. Touch? Pass. No touch? Fail.

Number 5: The run

One mile is equal to four laps around a football field. No football field? Reset the odometer in your car and drive from your house until you have driven half a mile, and remember that spot. The distance from your house to that spot and back equals 1 mile.

Now put on your running shoes and start the stopwatch. Run as fast as you can the entire distance and see how long it takes you.

Men: 7 minutes and 30 seconds or less = pass

Women: Less than 10 minutes = pass

Number 6: The partial curl-up

Laying on the floor (on your back) with your arms next to your body, bend your knees toward the ceiling so your feet are flat on the ground. Now reach your fingertips towards the back of your heels and curl up enough until you can touch and return back to the ground. Crank out as many of these curl-ups as possible without cheating in 60 seconds. How many were you able to do?

50+ = pass

Results

If you passed these six tests, then hats-off to you! Your amount of body fat, strength level, flexibility, and endurance will keep age-related ailments at bay.

If you failed one or two, then you’re in fair shape but you know what to work on.

If you failed three or more, it is past time you hit them gym. The human body was meant to be used, so get to it! For some fitness know-how, check back with Pegasus News to read our latest fitness columns.

Shelby Hall is a personal trainer at Equinox Fitness, located on Oak Lawn. Equinox Fitness is ranked the #1 gym in America by ESPN and Fitness magazine. Have a health and fitness question for Shelby? Email her at shelbyjordanhall@gmail.com.