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40 unbroken, consecutive, full-range (chest touches the floor) pushups is really a fairly high bar athletically, probably on the order of top ~1% of the total population

The study indicates this corresponds to the top ~10% of firefighters, a group who on a whole are already known to be in vastly better shape than most of the population. This corresponds with my own anecdotal observations -- at my local crossfit gym, we test for max pushups once a year or so, mostly for fun. 40+ unbroken pushups easily corresponds to the top ~5% of that self-selected high fitness crowd as well.

I don't think it's that exclusive. Though variations on technique do matter a lot, your crossfit group might use an unusually difficult variant.

According to a 39 year old who does 40 push ups is just on the border of excellent. And the US Marine Fitness standards don't even go below 67. And despite the reputation the standards aren't that demanding, any reasonably fit guy in the 20-40 age range can probably get well under the minimum of 3 miles in 25 minutes with a little training so I suspect the push up standards aren't that much harder.

Really I think most "fit" guys can probably hit 40, at least with a little training. I think it is a decent cardiovascular marker because while you need strength it's actually a fairly significant aerobic draw. I hadn't done any upper body for years but I could hit >40 on my first go, probably because I'm a runner so I was able to keep the muscles supplied with blood. It's after 40 that I hit a wall based on arm strength, but up till then it was largely aerobic.

40 unbroken, consecutive, full-range (chest touches the floor) pushups is really a fairly high bar athletically, probably on the order of top ~1% of the total population

The study indicates this corresponds to the top ~10% of firefighters, a group who on a whole are already known to be in vastly better shape than most of the population. This corresponds with my own anecdotal observations -- at my local crossfit gym, we test for max pushups once a year or so, mostly for fun. 40+ unbroken pushups easily corresponds to the top ~5% of that self-selected high fitness crowd as well.

I don't think it's that exclusive. Though variations on technique do matter a lot, your crossfit group might use an unusually difficult variant.

According to a 39 year old who does 40 push ups is just on the border of excellent. And the US Marine Fitness standards don't even go below 67. And despite the reputation the standards aren't that demanding, any reasonably fit guy in the 20-40 age range can probably get well under the minimum of 3 miles in 25 minutes with a little training so I suspect the push up standards aren't that much harder.

Really I think most "fit" guys can probably hit 40, at least with a little training. I think it is a decent cardiovascular marker because while you need strength it's actually a fairly significant aerobic draw. I hadn't done any upper body for years but I could hit >40 on my first go, probably because I'm a runner so I was able to keep the muscles supplied with blood. It's after 40 that I hit a wall based on arm strength, but up till then it was largely aerobic.

40 unbroken, consecutive, full-range (chest touches the floor) pushups is really a fairly high bar athletically, probably on the order of top ~1% of the total population

The study indicates this corresponds to the top ~10% of firefighters, a group who on a whole are already known to be in vastly better shape than most of the population. This corresponds with my own anecdotal observations -- at my local crossfit gym, we test for max pushups once a year or so, mostly for fun. 40+ unbroken pushups easily corresponds to the top ~5% of that self-selected high fitness crowd as well.

I don't think it's that exclusive. Though variations on technique do matter a lot, your crossfit group might use an unusually difficult variant.

According to a 39 year old who does 40 push ups is just on the border of excellent. And the US Marine Fitness standards don't even go below 67. And despite the reputation the standards aren't that demanding, any reasonably fit guy in the 20-40 age range can probably get well under the minimum of 3 miles in 25 minutes with a little training so I suspect the push up standards aren't that much harder.

Really I think most "fit" guys can probably hit 40, at least with a little training. I think it is a decent cardiovascular marker because while you need strength it's actually a fairly significant aerobic draw. I hadn't done any upper body for years but I could hit >40 on my first go, probably because I'm a runner so I was able to keep the muscles supplied with blood. It's after 40 that I hit a wall based on arm strength, but up till then it was largely aerobic.

Anyone who regularly consults Internet sites which promote terror or hatred or violence will be sentenced to prison

Such a law would be a joy for military recruiters. Click the links below to be put onto a French terrorist watch list!
Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines!
Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines!

I suppose the French President meant violence he does not agree with should be prosecuted. That makes more sense.

Stop giving corporations more power than the government has.

Hey dumbass, check out the government.

If the military can dictate tattoo policy, you bet your ass the private sector can as well.

A Marine friend informed me that this network access policy announcement completely conflicts with a new order for Marine recruiters that came out a few weeks prior to this message informing the recruiters to begin using social networking sites as a medium to tell the story of the Corps. In addition, Marine Corps News and Public Affairs have fully embraced social networking sites, and they have instructed their units to begin utilizing these sites as well. So if these commands have been instructed to utilize social networking sites, how are they going to be able to follow these orders if they will not be able to access those sites from their own office? Seems like there has been a breakdown in internal communication when it comes to creating policy within the Corps...

A Marine friend informed me that this network access policy announcement completely conflicts with a new order for Marine recruiters that came out a few weeks prior to this message informing the recruiters to begin using social networking sites as a medium to tell the story of the Corps. In addition, Marine Corps News and Public Affairs have fully embraced social networking sites, and they have instructed their units to begin utilizing these sites as well. So if these commands have been instructed to utilize social networking sites, how are they going to be able to follow these orders if they will not be able to access those sites from their own office? Seems like there has been a breakdown in internal communication when it comes to creating policy within the Corps...

INTERNET SNS ARE DEFINED AS WEB-BASED SERVICES THAT ALLOW COMMUNITIES OF PEOPLE TO SHARE COMMON INTERESTS AND/OR EXPERIENCES (EXISTING OUTSIDE OF DOD NETWORKS) OR FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO EXPLORE INTERESTS AND BACKGROUND DIFFERENT FROM THEIR OWN.

And then proceed to say that they include

EXAMPLES OF INTERNET SNS SITES INCLUDE FACEBOOK, MYSPACE, AND TWITTER.

Though it seems that even sites like slashdot could be grouped under that definition. For that matter other sites like wnd.com or the Huffington post could potentially be grouped similarly.

Perhaps some day our troops will have a real LASER -- one which will actually destroy terrorists (that's "insurgent combatants" for you NYT readers).

Until that day comes, we have this.