I used to tell people End of Three Fitness started as a place to share a few DIY projects, but when I really got to thinking about it, that’s not true…
It all started because of Fitness Freedom.
The first ever free eBook at Eo3 was 14 Days to Fitness Freedom: The Garage Gym. I want to talk more about what exactly Fitness Freedom is and how I started down my Fitness Freedom path…maybe it can help you.
Where did it all begin?
I traced my Fitness Freedom path as far as I could remember and here is where I ended up:
In 2009 I discovered CrossFit. I wasn’t fully sold on the whole thing, but I figured I would give it a try. I tried a few of the workouts, learned the Olympic lifts, and much to my dismay, I learned how to do a kipping pull-up.
The immediate response from all the normal gym-goers…
What the hell are you doing?
The big dudes wanted to tell me that I was doing pull-ups wrong and the Olympic lifters told me I was doing too many reps for Olympic lifts in my CrossFit workouts.
Literally, people would walk up to me and tell me my fitness was incorrect and here is how I should do it.
The thing that confused me, was that when I was just lifting weights for bodybuilding; you know making the loud noises when doing bicep curls, having a chest and back day…ugh, anyway, when I was doing that style of fitness, no one ever spoke to me. I was well within the fitness norm, I had not shaken the status quo and people accepted my normalcy. The second I stepped outside of that box and tried some new things…people had problems.
That’s when I built my first DIY project – The Rings.
In an attempt to get away from “the experts” I would go out to a field with some of my friends and we would flip logs and tires, while incorporating some ring work and running. It was great, but you can only do those few things so many times. However, what I enjoyed the most was no one bothered me…ever.
The Gym Got Far
Shortly after I started the outdoor workouts, I got married and moved in with my in-laws for a few months before the Air Force could move our stuff. The problem then became the distance to the gym. I was working and newly married, so I didn’t want to spend 45 minutes to an hour commuting each way to the gym when I could be spending time with my family.
The idea then got into my head…
What if I just bought a barbell and some weight?
I ran through it a couple of times and decided to go for it, I figured I could do a majority of everything with just a barbell and some plates, so that is what I got.
But I didn’t do the research. Bought the crappy stuff. Broke my barbell the first workout I used it.
I wasn’t discouraged. This just got me more amped up. I realized that fitness freedom was right around the corner, but I had to become the expert in every regard.
The Garage Gym Was Born
One of the very first things I did when my wife and I moved into our new home was order stuff to make a garage gym. It was a big purchase for us and I had buyer’s remorse immediately; buying a good set of bumper plates and a high quality barbell is not cheap…amongst other things.
However, after I got into the garage gym thing a little bit more I realized it was more than just being able to workout in my garage. It was about Fitness Freedom.
A quick caveat to CrossFit and Fitness Freedom. I also do not believe CrossFit Gyms, A.K.A Boxes, offer Fitness Freedom anymore than a commercial gym. Most boxes make you do what they have scheduled, when they have it scheduled and herd you in and out as fast as they can.
Fitness Freedom
Fitness Freedom is about being 100% in control of your fitness and health. You can try new things, you can fail, you can succeed, but most of all you are doing exactly what YOU want to be doing. You don’t have to worry about the general fitness population, with their extremely limited knowledge and experience, trying to tell you how things are done. However, true Fitness Freedom will only come when you learn enough.
You have to become the expert.
It has been over 2 years since I embarked on my Fitness Freedom path, and I don’t regret a single thing. I am stronger, faster and more well-conditioned than I have ever been – and I have done it all with some reading & research, some DIYs, some sweat and a lot of hard work.
Now, when people give me their opinion of fitness and how what I do is weird…I could care less. I just say…
Call me a fitness nonconformist.
Being Original
The point to all of this is that no matter what you are doing, you have to be original. People don’t like it when you rock the boat, but don’t let people discourage you.
Rock the freaking boat! Hell, flip the boat over and swim to your own island.
That is all Fitness Freedom is – Being Original. My Fitness Freedom was doing everything myself, becoming the expert and doing fitness in a different way than most. Your Fitness Freedom could be the exact same, or completely different.
Whatever it is…shake things up, ruin the status quo and be original.
-Jerred