A.A.F.C. — Cohort 0 Members Only
A modest fitness standard

Above Average
Fitness Club.

A modest fitness club for women who assumed they were above average and would now like the data to agree.

Take the tests →
The Premise

"Elite" is too much. "Average" is boring. Some of us had quietly assumed we were above average already, and would now like the data to agree.

Eight tests. Three tiers. One mildly annoying gap between self-image and reality.

Give the kids to the school or the nanny, then meet at the Fitness Court on Marina Green at 9am, every weekday, half an hour, and let's train a little and laugh at each other a lot.

A few months ago I was looking over a list of fitness benchmarks for women my age and decided to test myself against it. I was annoyed to discover I was not as above average as I had privately assumed. I mentioned this grievance to a few people, and instead of politely nodding, they said they wanted to do it too. So now we have a club.

§ 01 — Eight Tests

Eight tests, three tiers.

Tier 01

Functional

Where strength is being built. A perfectly respectable place to begin.
Tier 02 — Target

Above Average

Modest-sounding. Actually meaningful. The point of the club.
Tier 03

Suspiciously Fit

Optional. Slightly ridiculous on purpose.
Test
Functional
Above Average
Suspiciously Fit
StrengthPush-upsHands under shoulders, body in one straight line. Lower until your elbows pass 90°, chest below the elbow line. No knees, no half-reps.
3
12
25
GripDead hangHang from a pull-up bar with arms straight, feet off the ground. Relax your shoulders, don't shrug them up. Time stops when you drop.
10 sec
45 sec
90 sec
PullingPull-upsFrom a dead hang, pull until your chin clears the bar. Lower under control. A "negative" means jumping up and lowering yourself slowly for 5+ seconds. A strict pull-up is not required to be functional.
1 negative
1 strict
3–5 strict
CorePlankOn your forearms, elbows under shoulders, body in one line from heels to head. Hips don't sag, hips don't pike up. Time stops when form breaks.
30 sec
90 sec
3 min
Cardio5K3.1 miles. Any flat course. Run, jog, or run-walk.
40:00
30:00
25:00
PowerStanding broad jumpFrom a standing start, feet behind a line, jump forward off both feet. Measure from the takeoff line to your rearmost heel.
1.0 m
1.3 m
1.6 m*
MobilityDeep squat holdSit in the bottom of a squat with both heels down, chest reasonably upright, no holding onto anything. Time stops when your heels lift, your hands touch the ground, or you stand up. This is technically a resting position, which is funny because almost no one can rest there.
15 sec
60 sec
2 min
BalanceSingle-leg balanceStand on one foot, eyes closed, hands on hips. Time stops when you put the other foot down or open your eyes. Most people fall off at seven seconds.
10 sec
20 sec
30 sec
A note on the tests Above Average is the goal. The dead hang, pull-up, and eyes-closed balance will surprise you. Most tests can be done at National Fitness Campaign Marina Green. Run the 5K wherever you like. *Broad jump tiers are provisional, pending calibration.
§ 02 — Rules

Want to do it together?

i.

Cohort 0 · The pilot

Dates
Tuesday August 18 to Wednesday September 30, 2026
Duration
6 weeks, ending at the first Test Day
Schedule
Monday to Friday, 9 to 9:30am. Run days run over. That's allowed.
Where
National Fitness Campaign Marina Green
Cost
Free.
Size
Under five. Small on purpose.

Establish numbers, find what's broken about the tests.

ii.

Cohort 1 · The founding cohort

Dates
After Cohort 0 reports back

Shaped by whatever Cohort 0 breaks.

iv.

Chat thread for receipts

One group chat. Post your numbers, post your aches, post your excuses. That's the whole system.

§ 03 — Membership

Cohort 0 is open.

Bring yourself. Bring a friend.

Join →

Currently for San Francisco women who can make weekdays at 9am.

Opens WhatsApp · Cohort 0 starts August 18