There Is not secret pill . There is no 1 way to get there. Health , Fitness, and by extension… Happiness is a thoughtful and deliberate choice that results from small actions and a mind fixated on optimal life experience. Studying the ways of people who have seemed to ‘crack’ the code on being healthy and fit, I have come up with a short list that will help you reflect on your own life and maybe even give you a couple key benchmarks to begin to live by. Read on to discover the 6 habits of Healthy and Fit People.
1. Health is a lifestyle, Not a Diet.
In the midst of ‘30 day cleanses’, ‘ketogenic dieting’, ‘living the paleo way’, ‘going vegan’…. there are infinite Rabbit holes that you can go down, but where do they lead? The concept of dieting is something that I have written extensively about because they are pervasive in our society. Indigenous tribes in the Amazon sure as shit dont DIET. Healthy and Fit people do not see diets as a means to an end, because diets imply short term fixes and do not root themselves in a high level view on ones life and lifestyle. When I look at my peers who are successful in both mental and physical aspects of health, they are cruising effortlessly because their actions and deeds come from a place of RIGHT thoughts, RIGHT Acts, RIGHT spirit. So step one is to try and refine your lifestyle for the next 30 years, not 30 days.
2. “FUN” is the underlying motivator.
Eternal Optimism isn’t something that everyone is born with. It is a sad truth about our world that anxiety, fear, and mistrust is something that is sent from the top down to keep us in check and keep us consuming. I grew up in a staunch CATHOLIC family so I know all about how; life is suffering, and eternal guilt!. But highly successful people who are the healthiest and fittest, have found a way to revel in the experience rather than be put down by it. I am no psychologist but you can link everything back to LOVE. How much you LOVE yourself, has a direct reflection on how much you love the things you do. When you love all the actions, no matter how mundane, when you love the thoughts cast on those people around you, lo and behold… you have more FUN with life. So go and LOVE on yourself and have more FUN.
3. Reaching out for help is not a Weakness, it is a Strength.
If you haven’t noticed yet, there is a trend emerging among those who are the fittest in this world; and none of it has to do with how many BURPEES they do a day. Healthy and Fit people know what they know and seek out those who know more than them when they dont know. To take another approach to this thought would be to say; those that are the most successful are those people who are CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING. We come across unique challenges each day. There are inherent road blocks to our ability that require either self deduction or assistance from others. Our culture places a high value on those that seem to figure it all out on their own and show little weakness. But rarely is the CEO or the Strongest Woman in the room, that person who is standing on the podium alone. I have found that the CEO is surrounded by a team of very smart people who collectively crush shit and the Strongest WOMAN is the one who sought out the best coaches to assist her along the way. So, know when to forge ahead and know when to rely on others for help.
4. Achieving Goals is all about balance.
”All work and no play, is a recipe for a bad day”. Health and Fitness is a journey that must be moderated by the life you live and the mental clarity you have. Food is a major portion of this balance I speak of because it is a habit that we must do in order to survive. I remember being 17 and full of youthful idealism. At the time I went Vegan because I was devoted to the mantra “Fuck Humans, save the Planet” . Well Thanksgiving came and my family bent over backward to make sure I had the necessary food and space to express myself. And yet I still cast judgement, mocked eating habits, and certainly roused some arguments! I was off balance, I was young and dumb. But that extreme behavior had to be experienced so I could learn and reflect on the balance that must take place in life. Balance your thoughts, actions and deeds to achieve success.
5. Enjoy the Process, Not the Metrics.
How much do I weigh? How much does my food weigh? How many steps did I take? How many likes do I have on Instagram? Data consumes our lives from our home habits to our work habits. I have spent many years in the gym biz where capturing leads, sales targets, content pieces, lifting percentages, all have a place and can dominate my life sometimes. These metrics can ruin my experience and often blind me from seeing the real value in what i’m doing. The process by which I have seen unhealthy people become healthier is truly a great example of what Im getting at here. The raw shape that comes into the gym on Day 1 is usually someone who is lost to the metrics and technicalities of success but has a deep seeded fire in them to succeed. The Fire of success is representative of a love for the process of evolution. The uniquely human ability we have to grow our body and mind through an ever evolving series of steps. Make no mistake ….We are all evolving, so tempering your desire to live through the numbers and living FOR THE EXPERIENCE OF ALL is the real goal.
6. Recovery is both Mental and Physical.
I recently wrote a article on Mindfulness practices. Mindfulness is the exercise of bringing attention to the moment, the actions and the space you inhabit. There is no doubt that the cards are not stacked in our favor when it comes to mental recovery and mindfulness. With the pervasive technology that is all over our lives, with the insane amount of ‘THINGS’ to do, we often feel unfulfilled and consumed with failure. Recovery is truly something you have read about and learned as an athlete. If you want to perform your best, you need sleep and time devoted to de-stressing. Healthy and Fit people are as mindful of their recovery as they are in their time operating at their best. I do not mean that you need to add another layer of weekly duties by adding guided meditation , but would it hurt to try? Give all you have to life ,but always remember to recover both mentally and physically.
Use this guide to pressure test your thoughts and actions on a daily basis. You are absolutely capable of topping the list of the Healthiest and Fittest people ever. Believe in yourself as I believe in you. LOVE on yourself and love this life we get to live. Its going fast.
Warmly,
Eric
2/4-2/8 **This week has a ‘functional strength’ theme. Challenging your strength in weightlifting by applying more dynamic exercises in olympic lifts, gymnastic strength in multi-joint dynamic movement, and less conditioning intervals than the previous weeks. Enjoy and train hard.
2/4
Baseline:
3:00 of Lat/Bully Band Stretching prior to Session
800m Run
3X
10 banded Pass Thru
10 banded trunk Rotations
10 Banded Squats
5 Hip Bridge Rope Lowers
Strength Work:
5 Sets *Building
1- Snatch Balance
5 Overhead Squats
-Rest as needed-
then,
1-1-1-1-1
Hang Squat Snatch
*Building
WOD;
For Time,
12 Dumbbell Squat Snatch 50/35
1 Rope Climb
10 DB Snatch
2 Rope Climb
8 DB Snatch
3 Rope Climb
6 DB Snatch
4 Rope Climb
2/5
Baseline:
3X
1:00 Row
1:00 Squats
:30 Lateral Jumps over Rower (plyometric jumps)
:30 Plank Hold
Lunge Flow:
-Ankle Roll Outs
-Hamstring Pulses
-Elbow TO instep + Reach
-lateral Lunge
-Pigeon Stretch
Gymnastic Strength:
3 Rounds Not For Time
20 X Pistol Squat (or Bulgarian Split Squats)
1:00 Stone Hold (or Heavy D Ball, or zercher barbell hold)
WOD;
AMRAP 18
60 Double Unders
30 Wall ball
15 Deficit KB Deadlifts (Heavy)
2/6
Baseline:
1 Mile bike
3X
12 Russian Kettlebell Swings
12 Kettlebell Windmills
12 KB Overhead Reverse Lunge
Shoulder Primer:
W/ Light Dumbbells 5-15#
20 Reverse Flys
20 Bent Scare Crows
20 See-Saw Press
20 Front Raises
20 Lateral Raises
Press Complex:
EMOM 10
A- 3 Push Press (no Cycling)
B- 3 Split Jerk (Heavier than Push Press)
WOD;
EMOM 12
7 Toes To bar
5 Hang Power Clean 155/105
3 20m Lateral Line Touches (Sprint Shuffle)
2/7
Baseline:
3X
200m Run
50’ Bear Crawl
50’ Crab Walk
12 Push Ups
Gymnastic Strength Work:
5 Sets Not For Time
10 Supine Plank Row (Feet on Box, body parallel with the ground)
:20 Ring Support Top
10 Ring Dips (scale W/ Bands)
WOD;
3 Rounds For Time
5 Ring Muscle Ups
100’ Handstand Walk
20 Calories on Assualt Bike
OR
5 Ring Muscle Up transitions (With Feet on Box)
6 Wall Walks
20 Calories on Assault Bike
2/8
1K Row
3X
10 Single Arm Dumbbell Deadlift (Each Arm)
10 Single Arm Dumbbell Press
10 Dumbbell Goblet Squat
Hamstring Primer:
3X 8
-Deficit Romanian Deadlift 135/95
-Pendlay Row
WOD:
5 Rounds for time
11 Deadlift 275/205
14 Single Arm Dumbbell Thruster 50/35
Every 2 Mins,
Push a sled or wheel barrow 150’.
040219 "6 Habits of Healthy and Fit People"
