How does your Commander's performance on their PT test influence your opinion of them?

If my commander is a PT stud but doesn't know an M-16 from a Latte then it doesn't matter. If he's 400lbs but has won battles without losing a man, then I don't care how in shape he is. For Commanders brain is more important than braun.

Most of my commanders were studs..#ranger, airborne, or some kind of athlete in college #

As a leader, exceed the max. It's our job to set the example.

I think it depends on how big of a unit that you are talking about. In basic training, my company commander was a stud with the rank of Captain. Beyond basic, I was more impressed by how my commanding officers acted and spoke, not how far they could run or how many push ups they could do.

If he’s a fart ass and can’t pass a pt test he doesn’t need a company command

As a Marine, I always thought they should have to meet their maximum standard.

In 1992, Ft Irwin, Cali, all my NCOs and officers above E7 and above Captain we're fat as hell. They signed off on each other's pt scores and got away with it.

I never seen one ace a test. I never seen one fail a test either. That said I’ve seen them run as hard, push as hard, pull as hard as us and for me that gave me more respect for them.
Additionally I thought more about their ability to confidently lead and take into consideration other options available.
I think this is what made us successful and exceed farther then most. By adopting that strategy and leadership properties I know that’s why my squad passed their 72 hour ARTEP on the first go and we were given the week off by the Brigade Commander.
Just sayen

I think that there is a humanizing and motivating aspect to having someone over you who is not perfect, but tries damn hard to do the best they can. I would always give a little bit more to someone who was pushing me who I knew had been through some shit themselves than someone who just sailed through because I knew they knew what I was going through. In terms of outright failing, maybe in a certain way maybe yes, probably look more down on someone who could not do 50 or whatever sit-ups than if they ended up on weight control or something like that.

I had a Lt. that was smaller, leaner and "healthier" than I was. He was one of the "my body is a temple" types who didn't smoke or drink alcohol or sodas, but while he was in trim shape he couldn't pass the PT test and was continuously having to attend after duty remedial PT classes; yet I smoked and loved my beer and I consistently turned in solid "just above average" scores. Nevertheless, he was always chiding subordinates about what kind of shape we were in and what kind of PT scores we were turning in and how we could and should do better. Nobody in the unit had the least amount of respect for the guy. He wouldn't have needed to be a "PT God" with max scores, just a decent individual with solidly passing scores and he would have had the respect of most of the unit; but between his constantly failing scores and his constant chiding that WE needed to do better, he received no respect.