Since We Last Spoke

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field.  I’ll meet you there.  When the soul lies down in that grass the world is too full to talk about.”

The one “thing” that keeps us writing is the friendships we have developed over the past year with you, our dear readers.  All of us have different backgrounds, yet we also share a great deal in common.

Grown up chat time amongst close friends.

Many well-intentioned blog-o-sphere peeps common belief is that:  If they buy the right book, find the right workout program, discover the proper weight-loss program, employ the right combination of body spray, dress in the latest seasonal Lululemon colors, eat organic fruit from Whole Foods … While also having the latest gadget, having the best yoga mat in class, chanting the best mantra, eating gluten-free, pressing the right pressure-points while foam rolling and breathing the proper way chomping on a veggie burger?  Everything in their nettlesome lives will be perfect.

Here’s the truth between friends.

If you drink more than a liter of water a day, find nice shoes that fit, and go for a walk daily (even when it’s nasty outside), only THEN will all of our life’s mysteries and problems be solved.

We know you don’t want to hear this next series of thoughts, tough luck!  We, YOU and the peeps behind you.  Spend too much of our day, day dreaming and writing witty blog posts on why our lives seem so oddly out of balance.  We want to make life better for those we love.  We also want to improve the world we call home and give it the wisdom of what we have to offer.  We want to know how to do “something” better and we look to those who will provide guidance.

Here’s the problem:  We spend so much time giving advice to others that we simply forget about ourselves.

The advice we give only satisfies the recipients appetite for so long, then the hunger strikes again.  Wanting better, fresher and smarter advice than the day before.  A vicious cycle begins …

Do you truly want to know how to improve across all areas of your life?  From doing the wash to performing a kipping pull up?

BloomBlossomFlourish

Roll up your sleeves and get dirty …

The Plan-

Link of the Day: From Sea to Shining Sea

The Workout-

Today’s program is likely the hardest one we have ever done.  If you would like to know more about it please email us at:

cultfit@gmail.com

Notes:

You should eat a gluten-free, vegan diet and wash it down with some refreshing coconut water.  Boot camps are for the weak at mind, X-Fit is where it’s at.  Pilates is for soccer moms and Yoga is for, well … If you ever needed advice?  You won’t find it here friends.  Be well today and ENJOY!!!


Big Trouble Upstairs

She’s gone to heaven so I got to be good-

My body sucks.  I exercise religiously, diet, binge, read all the mind numbing blogs and magazines.  Yet I still feel inferior to others (Gals and Dudes are equally guilty).

I just wish I could stop beating myself up all the time over petty, little things … That’s it I quit!

Like it or not all of us React to adversity and troubling times when we should be Refocusing.

We could not possibly leave you in such a depressed state on a lovely Friday morning could we?!?  What follows could be called advice, by some.  Others may call our kind words unwarranted and self-righteous, either way we are all adults here and we can form our own decisions …

Are you a quitter?  Do you find yourself tossing in the towel daily?  Here’s the lowdown peeps:  Quitters blame those around them and the world for their disappointments.  YOU are not a quitter!

Less time Reacting and more time Refocusing.

The Plan-

The Workout-

Limber up with the program from yesterday … Followed by:

30 Minutes of the following:

10 KB Floor Presses (each arm)

1 Turkish Get Up (each arm)

10 KB Bent Over Rows (each arm)

Notes:

Be sure to go back through this weeks posts and click on the images!  Most of them are perfect for your desktop (Hi-Res).  Be well this weekend and ENJOY!!!

 

Promise

Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think-

*Taking the time to actually read this post today may increase your chances of having a great day?  Just saying peeps.

There are only a few athletes here at CultFit.  Paid to play a sport or were ever fortunate enough to have finished in the money.  The rest of us have never been a top athlete in any given discipline.  That’s not to say we have not taken immeasurable joy and made lasting memories from merely showing up and having fun on a Saturday morning.

When you show up to an event, a race, heck even a bridal shower?  Are you too busy judging whether you are good enough to be there in the first place?

When we do this to ourselves, we miss out on the magic of being present for an amazing experience.  No sh!t Sherlock!  We all want to do well!  Many more of us want to be the best competing on any given day, which is totally cool in our book.  But to refuse to participate because you’re not quite top-tier is sad.

How loud do we need to scream in panic before our message starts to settle in?  We are heading down a very dark road peeps.  Where extreme levels of performance have become the guard rails and running on these roads is dangerous to all of us.

This is our challenge to you this weekend:

Remember going outside just to play?!? When was the last time you went  to a park and joined in on an impromptu game of football (proper football, not the ‘Merican crap) with some friends?  Have you ever stopped at a trail head and asked someone if they care to join you for a bit (the offer of a cold beer or coffee increase your chances)?  Play, peeps … Plain and simple.

Each and every one of us is deprived of play in our lives, a crying shame to say the least.  For many of us; the simple experience of what play should be has become work.  We are way over organized in our daily lives :  Gotta  schedule this task … I just have to check in on Foursquare and tell this business they suck on Yelp!

Quick being cruel to yourself, PROMISE?!?

The Plan-

Come play with us this SUNDAY.  Not like that perv!?!

The Workout-

A dynamic sweat inducing Warm Up of your choosing.  Followed by:

20 Broad Jumps
20 Perfect Pull Ups
20 Hard Style KB Swings
20 Walking Lunges (each leg)
20 Perfect Push Ups
20 KB Piston Push Press (heavy)
20 Romanian Dead Lifts (heavy)
20 Goblet Squats (heavy)
20 Meter Sprint (Out and Back)
20 Minutes focusing on the movement that you feel you need to work on the most!!!

**Caution!!!  Normally when random peeps stop by and see a program like this they instantly assume balls to the wall, hard-core, ELITE, gotta kill myself before the weekend.  Right?  Get your head straight right now … Breathing and Hips!  Before you even start say:  Breathing and HIPS!!!  Out loud.**

Notes:

Pinky swear?  Melissa from Sweet Wholesome Health will be back on Monday!!!  Have a great weekend and ENJOY!!!


Mirror In the Bathroom … Please Talk Free

We are always getting ready to live but never living-

Please bear with us as we try to draw a parallel between learning to live and failing in today’s hyper-drive, pressure to succeed society …

For many it has become de rigeur for us stress out over every possible challenge that we may face during the day.  We no longer take the time to step back and evaluate the situation.  We simply lack these skills today.  We search for the solution on our iPhone or the Google Machine  and stress even more after the damn system crashes!  Many of the same issues we face today were addressed by generations before us through more naturalistic means:  They took a few steps back and figured the problem out themselves!  Today?  We place too much emphasis on perfection and achieving, more stress and more problems.

A classic example:  I’m running late with the kids, the house is a mess and work is nuts!  Let me look up a quick 10 minute workout I just have to squeeze in … An hour later on Pinterest?  Same problems, More stress!

Part of our hidden agenda here at CultFit is equipping you (our dear readers) with the tools needed to navigate around in our increasingly frantic world.  Think about this:  Does your training program mimic the architecture of YOUR real life, in which you receive varying workouts at different times and in different amounts?  We fully expect you to struggle, make mistakes and learn over time.  Do you?!?

Allow more time for individualism to creep into your program, more failure, find your own solutions.  We already have enough pressure to succeed in life …

The Plan-

Dedication, Passion, Love … Brad Canning poured his soul into this awesome video!  We’re geeks here and this is like LvL 100 Geek Porn!!!

The Workout-

The Warn Up today is of your choosing!  Happy HipsTrail RunSwimming?  Once you finish up, we’re going for a Walk?

A 45lb Plate, Some Kettlebells or even a Heavy Sandbag all work this morning.  Pick one up and let’s Walk!

Farmers Walk, Heartbeat Press, Piston Press, One Arm Waiters Walk, Rack Hold, One Arm Farmers Walk … For ONE mile!

Top Tip:  Allow your breathing to control your midsection (the word “core” is lame.  Yoga mom’s work the “core”.)

**Once you pick the weight up and take your first step?  It stays up the ENTIRE WALK!  Penalty:  10 Goblet Squats.**

Notes:

It really has been a splendid week ’round these parts and we owe it all to you!  You guys are amazing, “special” and most importantly: Authentic!  While we have your attention please take a moment to say hello to our dear friend Somer:  Why Vegan? Vedged Out. If only a handful of the 31,892 peeps who stopped by CultFit yesterday took the time to read her inspirational story?  You would walk away inspired to say the least!

Have a great weekend peeps and ENJOY!!!


Speaking of Sharks?!?

A relationship, I think, is like a shark, you know?  It has to constantly move forward or it dies.  And I think what we got on our hands is a dead shark-

The only reason this post gets put up?  Australia is so much cooler than ‘Merica … Especially the Today Show!