# Is G.W. Bush the most physically fit President ever? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 6, 2002, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112 "2002-10-06T22:45:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/1 "2002-10-06T22:45:55Z")
With all that intensive power running he does I’m going to vote yes. He has the S.S. guys huffing and puffing just to keep up with him. Any other ex-presidential candidates more physically fit while in office than Bush? ---
**Author:** ![Bandanaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ab097/32.png) [@Bandanaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bandanaman)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/2 "2002-10-06T22:57:53Z")
Coke adds life. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/3 "2002-10-06T23:38:56Z")
But can he split rails? ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/4 "2002-10-07T00:11:50Z")
Well, Clinton used to jog to the nearest McDonald’s. ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/5 "2002-10-07T00:52:59Z")
Teddy Roosevelt could have whipped Shrubs ass only using one hand. JFK, would have needed two hands but it still wouldn’t have been a contest. ---
**Author:** ![jacksen9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/6 "2002-10-07T01:27:57Z")
I thought JFK had severe back problems. Teddy… wasn’t he a smoker? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/7 "2002-10-07T01:37:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jacksen9 \* > Teddy… wasn’t he a smoker? Doesn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t physically fit. I studied a martial art (_kendo_, a Japanese “fencing”) with a 70-year-old man who chain-smoked outside of class, but could whip butt for a couple hours in his class without breaking a sweat, even against the advanced instructors. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/8 "2002-10-07T01:44:33Z")
I always thought Taft was. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/9 "2002-10-07T02:02:23Z")
George Washington was pretty tough-one of my teachers said he used to amuse his men by folding coins in half. ---
**Author:** ![Riboflavin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Riboflavin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riboflavin)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/10 "2002-10-07T02:08:55Z")
Guinastasia, that’s no big deal. I fold dollars in half easily today, and you have to remember that even a penny back in Washington’s time was worth a dollar or more today. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/11 "2002-10-07T02:26:00Z")
I understand that Millard Fillmore carried the first bathtub into the White House on his back… ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/12 "2002-10-07T06:23:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\*I understand that Millard Fillmore carried the first bathtub into the White House on his back… \*\* … while juggling! ---
**Author:** ![Philosophocles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Philosophocles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philosophocles)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/13 "2002-10-07T06:30:05Z")
William Henry Harrison was one tough S.O.B. (Tippecanoe) when he wasn’t sick from pneumonia. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/14 "2002-10-07T12:55:52Z")
I recall seeing a documentary about Reagan being shot, and they spoke of his physical fitness as being of great help to his survival. They showed some footage of him shirtless, working out in the gym during his presidency, and he had quite the six-pack for a man of his age. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/15 "2002-10-07T13:32:53Z")
It’s ultimately unanswerable, and the only fair comparison is to match presidents at the same age. (Harry Truman at 85 was certainly weaker than Bush, but it’s different if you look both at 56.) Dwight Eisenhower was commander of the allied forces at age 56 and in great shape after a lifetime of army service. I’d say he’d be the best candidate. Take a look at [photos](http://www.nps.gov/eise/gallery6.htm) of him during the war – not an ounce of fat on it. Teddy Roosevelt at the same age as Bush was strong as a Bull Moose. Just two years before, he had survived an assassination attempt, and had finished his speech before going for medical help. Harry Truman was an obscure senator, but even when he was older, his stamina was legendary. The White House press corps had a hard time keeping up with him when he went for his daily walk. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/16 "2002-10-07T14:00:04Z")
This web site: [http://www.doctorzebra.com/prez/](http://www.doctorzebra.com/prez/) has an interesting analysis of the health of the men that have been President. It may not help answer the question, but it is fascinating stuff. BTW, I suspect that Lincoln would have whipped Bush’s ass. Lincoln had the lean, spare physique of someone that had worked hard at physical labor, plus he had some reknown as a backwoods wrestler. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/17 "2002-10-07T14:16:00Z")
> [@](#): > > **Teddy Roosevelt could have whipped Shrubs ass only using one hand.** > [@](#): > > \*\*Lincoln would have whipped Bush’s ass. \*\* I’m suddenly getting this very pleasurable visual of dozens of past Presidents lining up to take turns pounding the crap out of Dubya. ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/18 "2002-10-07T15:07:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WSLer \* > \*\* > JFK, would have needed two hands but it still wouldn’t have been a contest. \*\* Nope. Bush in 1 - Kennedy couldn’t take a shot to the head. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/19 "2002-10-07T15:31:28Z")
> [@](#): > > But can he split rails? Actually, I believe that he does chop wood quite a bit while he’s vacationing on his ranch in Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112/20 "2002-10-07T16:03:33Z")
Yeah, but Lincoln suffered from Marfans, and his health was never very good. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-g-w-bush-the-most-physically-fit-president-ever/131112.md?page=2)