Were knights in good shape?

As a hardcore gaming commentator with a eye for history, I‘m often struck by how accurately some games portray medieval knights – not just in flashy armor and weapons, but the athleticism and grit needed to bear them. So were the real-life equivalents of these warrior classes in good shape? Unequivocally yes!

Knights were amongst the elite fighters of their age for good reason. Staying in peak physical condition was non-negotiable for their way of life and the demands of combat with blade, bow and horse. Let‘s geek out on just how hardcore a knight‘s fitness had to be:

Armor Alone Could Weigh 50+ Pounds

A full harness of plate armor in the late middle ages could weigh as much as 60 pounds! According to the Met Museum, even simpler versions weighed between 40-50 lbs. Wearing restrictive metal armor slows movement, tires muscles and heats body temperature. Simply walking or riding a horse takes serious athleticism when encased in a motile iron cocoon.

Yet knights were expected to not just wear such burdensome equipment, but fight at peak lethal capacity despite it. Needless to say, strength, stamina and toughness were prerequisites just to bear armor‘s passive demands before engaging in melee combat.

Armor Weight Breakdown

To crunch some illustrative numbers, here‘s an approximate weight breakdown of a knight‘s full plate armor and armaments in pounds:

That‘s like strapping dumbbells equal to a small child or dog before entering an MMA fight or football scrimmage! Small wonder knights honed their physiques to handle such loads.

Mounted Combat Demanded All-Around Athleticism

Medieval warfare primarily involved mounted combat. Knights charged, flanked and engaged in close-quater brutality against other cavalry and infantry while guiding a galloping warhorse.

Maneuvering several thousand pounds of furious flesh and steel in battle took tremendous body control and coordination from the rider. According to famed jouster Shane Adams, knights needed tremendous leg strength just to stay seated or even stand up in stirrups to harness momentum from the horse‘s rear.

Core muscles stabilized the torso against impact. Arms wielding weapons or grappling foes needed both power and fine motor dexterity. Knights trained extensively in horsemanship and developed superb muscular balance through the hips, back and thighs. If you‘ve ever tried to stay upright riding rollercoasters, it‘s similar to that!

Training Regimes Honed Battle Skills and Fitness

Knights kept combat-ready between battles or campaigns through vigorous training. Sparring with real weight weapons honed skills while building muscle memory.

According to medieval combat expert John Clements, knights also did "semi-conditioning" workouts striking straw dummies or throwing weighted objects. Running circuits in armor got them used to moving and breathing with constricted exertion. Grappling and wrestling matches maintained core strength and balance essential for armored ground fighting.

This well-rounded functional training – resistance, HIIT cardio and combat drills – built the necessary fitness baseline for armed combat and wearing rigid armor over prolonged engagements. In game terms, it‘s akin to the difficulty and grinding required to get a low-level MMO character to max level and top-tier gear!

Knight Physique – Lean, Muscular Warriors Not Bulky Strongmen

In physique, knights developed lean, athletic musculature rather than the hulking frames of bodybuilders or powerlifters. According to concept artist Zack Stella known for realistic medieval fantasy:

"The knightly ideal wasn’t a man who could move a car, it was a supple swordsman who could spring from his horse to engage in a sword fight."

So like MMA fighters today, their training and diet sculpted efficient "working muscles" tailored for speed, stamina and combat performance. Traces of this functional athletic phenotype can be seen from gladiators to ancient Greek Olympians.

Demands of Knighthood Forced Physical Adaptation

Besides combat readiness, knights had to perform various duties associated with nobility and estate management requiring physical vigor:

• Hunting game on horseback
• Falconry
• Administering fiefdoms
• Advising royal courts

Day-to-day living without modern conveniences also built natural functional strength in people of the middle ages. Tasks like carpentry, smithing, hauling water, plowing fields were intrinsic exercise!

The cumulative effect of all this occupation and lifestyle activity cultivated hardy, rugged constitutions in knights alongside dedicated training. It made them the personification of elite warrior class.

In Closing: Knights Were Medieval Athlete-Warriors

So in summary, knights of the middle ages were undoubtedly in peak physical condition compared to average folks of that era. They had to be to survive and win clashes of steel during brutal, unforgiving times.

From wearing oppressively heavy armor to relentless combat training to battling from horseback, knights pushed their fitness to superhuman levels. They combined skills of professional athletes, special forces and Gladiator-like warriors close to what we admire (and play) today in games and media.

While brute strongmen show raw power, knights developed finely tuned "tactical athlete" bodies to outpunch, outrun and outlast rivals in their unique brand of mixed combat. Hail the knights!