Britons named James are the fittest men in the country – or at least in Fitness First gyms. The chain analysed five years of data covering members’ work-out patterns – including the number and regularity of gym trips, length of sessions, and intensity of cardio and weight workouts – and found some names were shown to have, on average, better fitness habits.
Topping the charts by a clear margin is the name James, undertaking the longest, most consistent and highest-intensity workouts. The typical James spends 24% more time in the gym each week than the second fittest name, Edward. And it turns out that the most popular time for a James to head to the gym is Friday night, suggesting a level of dedication that spurns the temptation to head straight to the pub after work.
The top 10 fittest names in Britain, according to Fitness First, are:
- James
- Edward
- Simon
- Benjamin
- Mohammed
- Thomas
- Christopher
- John
- Matthew
- Andrew
At the other end of the spectrum, it’s bad news for Larrys – they’ve been exposed as the most likely to be filling up the gym in the peak months of January and September before sacking it off for the other 10 months.
And that friend who always takes forever in the changing rooms? There’s a good chance that they’re a Michael, named and shamed as the most inefficient of gym-goers. Whilst the typical Michael clocks up an impressive average of a 90-minute session in the gym, only 45% of that is actually spent training, whilst the other 50 minutes is presumably spent taking long showers, liberally applying talc and chatting.
The study also looked at the correlation between women’s fitness and names, and found that Lauras are the most committed gymgoers. Lauras are even more dedicated than James, averaging 2 hours 30 minutes per visit where they do high intensity, efficient workouts.
The top 10 names with the best fitness performance for women are:
- Laura
- Victoria
- Hannah
- Rebecca
- Jessica
- Megan
- Sarah
- Heather
- Ellie
- Katie
