JWR,
First, this is a great write up with some excellent ideas. It certainly raises awareness about the need for physical training. However, two quick clarifications need to be made.
1. Re: “The stronger you are the faster you can run, the further you can jump, and the harder you can hit.”
This depends on which type of strength you’re referring to. For example, low repetition heavy squats will develop only slow twitch muscle fibers. The meat-head you see at the gym who squats 700 and benches 500 is probably the slowest guy in the room. To run faster, jump higher, and hit harder you have to develop “explosive strength” by training fast twitch muscle fibers. Explosive strength is defined strength per unit time. “Maximal strength” is developed through the concentric, eccentric, and static muscle movements of weight lifting. To increase speed and acceleration much more time should be dedicated to explosive strength training than maximal strength training to achieve optimal performance so slow twitch fibers aren’t overtrained.
2. Re: “In my opinion, any man above 5’10” tall and weighing less than 200 lbs is underweight.”
I hope to change your opinion. A man who is 5’10” 200 lbs has a BMI of 28.7. While this man is not obese, he is by definition “overweight” (BMI 25-30) unless he has a high muscle percentage skewing the BMI calculation. Being overweight alone increases your risk for many diseases: osteoarthritis, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain cancers, sleep apnea, etc… This is corroborated by many peer reviewed medical studies. Of course we need some fat, and we should strive to maintain a healthy BMI (18.5-25). Anything under 18.5 carries its own set of risks.
If we knew TEOTWAWKI would occur within six months, then putting on a few extra pounds like a bear before winter is a great idea. However, we don’t know when TEOTWAWKI will happen, so maintaining an unhealthy BMI for an event that could occur 20-30 years down the road is unhealthy and might even make you dependent on pharmaceuticals later in life (i.e. insulin, beta-blockers, bathyspheres). Good information on a healthy BMI and how to calculate it can be found here. (Again, please note the BMI calculation is not accurate for those with very high muscle percentages.)
Warm Regards, – David S. in Texas