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§ The physical benchmark · 2 min · no account

The Standard

Not weight, not a mirror, not a photograph. Five things a body either does or does not do, scored against what a capable man of your age should still hold. Do them honestly this week and put the real numbers in.

Push-ups

reps, unbroken · standard 37.5

Chest to fist, no sagging.

Dead hang

seconds · standard 71

Bar, both hands, feet off the floor.

Plank

seconds · standard 116

Forearms, straight line, no hips in the air.

One mile

minutes · standard 7.8

Run it. 1.6 km.

Resting pulse

bpm · standard 60

First thing, before coffee.

45

The Standard, out of 100

Dead hang

Weakest link — start here

Slipping. Nothing has broken yet, which is exactly why men leave it.

Retest in six weeks with the same five movements. That is the only honest way to know whether anything changed. The Body weeks of the Road are built around exactly these.

The Body weeks →

Keep this reading

A number you close the tab on changes nothing.

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This self-check is educational and is not medical care. If something hurts, or you have a heart or joint condition, speak to a doctor before testing.

A number is not a change. The change is what you do tomorrow morning.

The Compass scores all eight pillars in six minutes and hands you the one to start with. Then six hundred and seventy-two mornings, each with one reading and one act.