First, I would like to thank the revolutionary reader who added the Bataan Death March to the revolution list #47!!
Today we discuss a very important topic. Being unconventional.
Chances are if you read this site regularly or are an email subscriber you are a bit unconventional and a bit of a nonconformist. Or maybe you want to be unconventional, but you aren’t quite there yet. Worry no more! Here is the Eo3 step-by-step guide to achieving your goal of not being like everyone else, thus being a better human 🙂
Step 1: Show Everyone You Are Not Like Them
This first step is not really a step and is completely optional. This is more of an announcement to my readers who have requested/been waiting for the t-shirt.
I created this t-shirt because it bears the symbol of the revolution; the revolution of nonconformity. It is something I plan to wear and take with me everywhere. I am going to take some pics with this shirt in some of the coolest places in the world, doing some of coolest things, and I am encouraging my readers to do the same. You can bet I will be wearing it every time an item gets knocked off the revolution list.
I will be keeping pin map too! So if you send me some pics and let me know where you are at or what you are doing it will go on the map and I will share regularly…maybe even have a dedicated page.
Like I said an optional step, but if you go purchase one of these bad boys you won’t regret it! It is American Apparel + Eo3 and is quite possibly the most comfortable well-fitting shirt I have ever owned.
[Read more about the shirt…]
Step 2: Learn How a Non-Conformist Views Fitness
Fitness nonconformity is approaching fitness in unconventional ways. A way that will make your LIFE better with an intelligent application of functional fitness.
We aren’t hippies…but we are tired of the globo gym norm, fad fitness and muscle mags.
If you can agree, you should keep reading!!
Step 3: Start a Personal Revolution
It is time to start your own personal revolution, while following mine is perfectly acceptable, it may not mean quite as much to you if it wasn’t personalized.
First, I need to explain this revolution thing to you; this is a lot of the theory behind Eo3 Fitness. A personal revolution at Eo3 is almost like a fitness bucket list, a list of things you want to be able to do, or have done, before you die. This is a little bit different than saying “I want to lose 10lbs”. If you wanted to tell a bunch of people about something really cool you did in your life, saying, “I lost 10lbs. once”, is not that cool. However, saying, “I lost 10lbs. while training to climb a mountain, and OH YEA, I climbed the freaking mountain” is a lot cooler. Does that help a little bit? (You can sub climb a mountain for run a 5K, Compete at X event, etc..)
I firmly believe setting your goals as actions is the best way to approach fitness. Then you can plan out how to get it done.
Beating a dead horse – one last example. Number goals are inevitable and are perfectly fine. Say you want to gain muscle mass, maybe 15lbs. How about instead you set numbers goals of how much weight you want to be able to lift – I guarantee the mass will come with it.
Why set goals this way?
- You will end up meeting any aesthetic goals you had in the process (as long as you set smart goals)
- You will have fun in the process
I would love to hear about your own personal fitness revolution, whether it is one thing or 100 things. That is why I am here; to help you in your fitness quest. Feel free to email me or start a revolution and keep track of it in the community forums.
Step 4: Set and Test Benchmarks
The only way to know where you are going is to know where you have been. We all may train a little bit differently and I don’t discriminate. I choose to do CrossFit with heavy lifting, that doesn’t mean you have to. However, we are talking about being unconventional here. If you like to watch TV while running on the treadmill or if you are trying to “spot-train” fat…you may have things a little backwards. That’s where I come in, and the newly created Eo3 Revolution benchmarks.
I have created 10 different benchmarks of fitness that cross multiple domains. Regularly testing these benchmarks and getting better at them will ensure you are ready to take on any personal fitness revolution and will make sure you practicing the art of fitness nonconformity.
These are 10 domains of fitness regularly agreed upon and the foundations for how CrossFit got started. However, these benchmarks have nothing to do with CrossFit benchmarks or exercises; these are Eo3 specific.
Eo3 Revolution benchmarks:
- Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance – Run a 5K in 23:59 or less
- Stamina – Be able to “work” for two hours (Can be a workout, hiking, etc.)
- Strength – 100%, or more, of your bodyweight for 1-10 reps in every lift.
- Flexibility – Be able to touch your toes (bonus points for hands flat on ground) and be able to perform PVC Pass throughs.
- Power – Standing Broad Jump 18-24″ more than your height.
- Speed – 40-yard dash in less than 6 seconds.
- Coordination – Be able to throw, bounce, dribble and juggle.
- Agility – Be able to run, jump, skip, sprint and transition easily between all of them.
- Balance – Be able to perform at least five consecutive wall-squats.
- Accuracy – Be able to perform 50 consecutive double-unders.
Step 5: Try an Unconventional / Nonconformist Workout
Here at End of Three Fitness we have a wide array of people and fitness strategies. Some are just getting started in their fitness journey and some are training to be competitors. It doesn’t matter what your goals are or why you train, you have to have fun in the process. This part of the guide is meant to challenge you a little, but mainly for you to have fun. However, I am not going to give you a specific workout, I will give you the elements of the workout and it is up to you to come up with something awesome.
The workout must:
A.) Be outside (playground, park or under a bridge).
B.) Involve an odd-object to lift, carry or squat.
C.) Elevate your heart rate; the more the better.
D.) Last longer than 10 minutes but be less than 20 minutes.
E.) Must have a least 3 exercises.
I would love to hear what you came up with!
Step 6: The hail marry attempt at becoming an unconventional nonconformist master of life!
You’ll be surprised at how unconventional solutions applied to simple things, like fitness, will affect the rest of your life. I know it has changed my view of a lot of things.
- Unconventional approach to finances, like being debt free: Working on it. Loving it.
- Unconventional approach to nutrition, like eating things that don’t have an ingredient list: Working on it. Loving it.
- Unconventional approach to working, like making End of Three Fitness my full-time job: Working on it. Loving it.
I have found as long as you DON’T do what everyone else is doing…you are doing pretty well.