I have five (six?) fitness goals for myself. When all else fails I can use these as a marker to say that things are at least “good enough” (aka this is my “floor” for fitness). Having these will always allow me to have a solid base to build from if/when I were to choose to pursue a specific training program or goal and give me a well-rounded floor for my physical fitness.

1. Power – Touch the rim on a standard 10’ basketball hoop. If I can run, jump, and AT LEAST touch the rim I feel that I am “powerful enough”. Then, if I decide to try out a “Vertical Jump Program”, I can have a gauge on improvement. And if I want to focus on something else on my training I know that the level of power is still there and I am not sacrificing one thing for another.
2. Strength – Deadlift 500 lbs. from the floor. I have a random life goal of deadlifting 500 lbs. or more in every Major League Baseball stadium (I currently have 25 teams under my belt, but having recently left baseball will put this on hold a bit…but I digress). Pretty straightforward on this one – how many weak people do you know that can pull 500 or more from the floor? If I can maintain this as an “every day max”, I’d say my strength is in a “good enough” spot. And again if I want to do a crazy heavy strength training block I can track progress quite easily.
3. Body Composition – See my abs in the mirror. This one is more vanity/self-image, but I have done enough body composition testing to know that when I can see my abs in the mirror, I am usually in the 12-14% range, which would be more than “good enough” for me. If I can barely see them, I will cut back on carbs a bit and/or reduce my late night ice cream. If they look really strong but I feel weak/not as powerful I will add calories back in. I like food and I like to enjoy eating, so this gives me enough of a gauge to keep myself in check.
4. Mobility – Two-part answer here. First is bend over and touch my toes. Second is being able to scratch the opposite scap on my back (as in if I reach my left hand behind my back I should be able to scratch my right scap). Super rudimentary here but I think you should be able to tie your shoes and wash your back.
5. Conditioning – Run an 8-minute mile. You’d be shocked at how many people can’t run a mile. Running an 8-minute mile (to me) is definitely “good enough”.

The reality is that all of these components of fitness deserve MUCH more recognition than I am giving them. There are a million ways to test power, strength, body composition, mobility, and conditioning. This article is not to downplay the significance of any (I am in the field after all). This is simply to say that, for me, if I can wake up on any given day and do these things, I should feel confident that I am in a “good enough” spot with my physical fitness, and that I have a base that creates a solid foundation for me to do other things. These five things require zero fancy equipment (other than a barbell and plates for the deadlift), but give me so much insight into my base level of physical fitness at any given moment.