Farm raised or wild caught? Which one are you?

Lions in a zoo live longer than their wild compatriots. Would you rather be the lion in a zoo or the one in the wild?

Training in a gym is easier as is preparing processed foods, however the cost is steep and soul sucking. Outdoor Fitness project is the wild option. The wild option armed with modern knowledge, know how and some solid equipment to help get the job done.

Evolution is not something that is planned, it just happens.

It happened to me and my outlook on fitness over the past two years.

I started Outdoor Fitness Project as a challenge, a way to keep fitness fun and simple without needing the resources of a big gym to support my efforts.

The first year I spent time learning and adapting my training to the various environments I encountered. It was new and fun. The novelty created inefficiency in my training that supported decent results for the year. You can read about them here: What I learned Training Outdoors for an Entire Year.

After getting to a point where the environment was no longer an obstacle, I focused more on my actual training. I did this by looking at exercises, frequency, intensity, and conditioning. This was a big turning point for Outdoor Fitness. No longer was it a challenge to survive a cold winter, hot summer or a rainy season. It is now about thriving in any environment… in spite of the circumstance, weather or surroundings.

Outdoor Fitness Project has evolved into a method of fitness that thrives on challenges, inconsistency in environments, and lack of equipment. It is not controlled by circumstance and neither are the results. I am not giving up on development because I don't have every piece of gym equipment. On the contrary, I will thrive. I am forced to understand how to best engage each muscle. This helps me use my immediate environment as a gym, no matter where I am.

Outdoor Fitness Project is turning 2 this month. I am making several changes to the website over the next few months including replacing the mission statement with a set of guiding principles. They are as follows:

Guiding Principles

Self - not to be defined by, controlled or confined by circumstance
Environment - the world is a gym, providing endless variation and options
Food - eating a diet consisting of mainly whole foods
Experiment - find out what works best. We are not in any camp, everyone is different and responds differently to training and food
Adventure - when was the last time you had a reason to go play in the woods?
Community - getting groups together for outdoor training sessions
Results - build strength, increase muscle mass, improve conditioning and mobility

I hope you continue to enjoy the site and the new direction.

Here is to dominating your environment! Train hard and stay wild.