Who is weaker? Speak for yourself. I've watched the Tour de France for decades, and due to advances in the technology of the bicycles and suits, as well as fitness and training, the race is as difficult, long, and fast as ever. It's 3,404 km in 21 stages for 2023. It's a brutal man crushing course, just the way we like it. Riders like Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard are compared to the greats of the past because they are in fact that great or better. None of the riders in the peleton are weaker than riders of the past.

Extreme sports like Triathalon and Iron Man that didn't even exist years ago are more popular than ever with large numbers of amatuers particpating. Marathons and half marathons attract 10s of thousands of runners, and now every major city has one, even Las Vegas. There are over 115,000 health and fitness gyms in the USA, and people have fitness equipment in their homes. The days of being "fit" by putting hubcaps on Chryslers all day is over. Along with that fitness came a lot of health problems.

In past generations, fitness was barely a concern. You never saw adults running or cycling, and everyone smoked cigarettes and ate things cooked in lard. Sure our country has its share of fat loads glued to recliners buried in Cheetos, but there are more people intentionally trying to stay fit, healthy, and strong than ever.