Monday, August 27, 2012

Check out my campaign to earn a Personal Trainer and Kickboxing Instructor Certification on Indiegogo!

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/209026?a=1067295

Archaeology WOD For Time: 400m Total Station Prism Pole Sprint, boulder clean and press, 200m bucket-of-sand sprint, Locus 2 excavation, and back-fill unit. 

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Welcome To Our Family




This is Jonathan.  He is a Cultural Anthropologist but has crossed over to the dark side of archaeology due to too many viewings of Indiana Jones.  He teaches anthropology, kickboxing, and tai chi, holds a 4th degree black belt in kenpo karate and has a mean one inch punch!  Jonathan can eat cupcakes in a single bite but sticks to a plant-based diet on most days.  In his spare time he likes to create new workout routines for his fitness classes, watch south park, and read books on philosophy.
 



This is Sarah.  She is an ex-archaeologist who currently works in property management.  She takes her husband’s fitness classes and thinks she is better for it.  Focused on healthy living, she also consumes a plant-based diet but loves ice cream almost as much as she loves her husband.  In her spare time she likes to try new recipes, scour the web for foodporn, shop for shoes, and read about the new farming movement.




This is Igor Stravinsky.  He is the oldest of the kitties and simply walked in the front door of Jonathan’s mother’s house one day and stayed.  He is the quintessential cat, loving warm sunny spots, long cat naps, and curling up in the lap of anyone that will have him.  Careful, he drools!




This is Vomer.  She was adopted from a rescue group after having survived a fairly substantial surgery to repair a hernia.  She is soft like a bunny and only likes to be petted when its her decision.  She loves tuna water and once stole an entire jumbo shrimp from the counter top in a single stealth move.  She is by far the strangest kitty as she likes to have her armpits scratched and be petted when someone is on the toilet.  TMI?  Yeah, probably.




This is Boo, aka Boo Bear.  The youngest of the bunch, she was picked up in the alley of Lafayette, Indiana and was the loudest meower of the litter.  She is most definitely a complainer and lets everyone know when she is unhappy or bored.  She is especially good at knocking things off the table and has a current infatuation with used q-tips.



 This is Sudan.  She is a rescued greyhound who used to race in Daytona, Florida.  She once peed on Sarah’s shoe to show her unhappiness with her work schedule but has since been forgiven (mostly).  She sleeps about 20 hours a day but loves to run circles in the backyard to use up all that extra energy.  She is one fast dog!  She plays with stuffed animals and stock piles them on her bed.  She is also the early riser of the household, often waking her humans up at the ungodly hour of 5:45am to be let outside.  She hates rain and would rather hold it until her teeth float than get her sleek coat all wet.  Definitely a prissy dog, she doesn’t like drinking out of the bowls shop owners place outside during hot weather. 

Saturday, August 25, 2012

It Begins....


Hi, my name is Jonathan and along with my wife, Sarah, we welcome you to our Fit Foundation blog!  We are currently stuck, trapped, and otherwise stranded in L.A.  Yes, the weather here is nice, but our goal of opening a fitness studio in a place that practically grows them on every street corner (not to mention outrageous rent prices) does not seem like a smart business plan.  What to do?  Well, we moved to California from Indiana (we met in Grad school at Purdue) and have since realized Indiana feels like “home” to us.  As soon as we can save enough money to move back, we will put into motion our plan of opening a fitness studio.  Will this be another big box gym or one method only Pilates studio?  Hell no.  S and I are both passionate about fitness and eating healthy, organic, and primarily plant-based diets.  Essentially, we think if one builds a foundation of functional fitness movements combined with an organic, largely plant-based diet, that individual will become not only healthier in the short-term, but have the necessary structure to positively impact their long-term health and well-being.  

Sunny SoCal
Colder-than-shit Indiana
How are we going to accomplish this?  Although the devil is in the details (which we have not worked out yet) we have a basic fitness/health philosophy.  

Philosophy:

1.        THE MIND COMES FIRST.  The mind initiates action in the body.  Without a conscious drive to improve one’s current state/condition, progress will not be made.  Additionally, participating in physical fitness activities and researching healthy eating helps to sharpen the mind as well.  Mind and body are linked, not separate. 
2.       NUTRITION IS ALSO PRIMARY.  For our bodies to “perform” in the sense of being healthy, illness free, and strong, a sound nutritional foundation is essential.  Fueling our bodies with fast food, processed crap, and high fructose corn-syrup will only lead to disease and death. 
3.       FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION.  Physical fitness in today’s world is focused too much on form over function—all show and no go.  Take care of function, and form will follow suit.
4.       BASICS ARE FUNDAMENTAL.  Growth, development, improvement….cannot happen without the basics.  Basic nutrition and exercises are fundamental to overall health. 
5.       NO BULLSHIT FADS.  There is no secret to health and fitness.  No magic pill, only hard work and knowledge.  Period. 
6.       POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO.  You must be able to effectively carry and use your own body. 
7.       FLEXIBILITY & CONTROL ARE AS IMPORTANT AS POWER, SPEED, AND STRENGTH
8.       DIVERSITY OVER RIGIDITY.  There is not a single path to health, wellness, and overall fitness.  Multiple avenues are needed for complete overall wellness.
9.       HEALTH AND FITNESS IS A PROCESS.  The two cannot be accomplished overnight, nor can they be discontinued when a “goal” has been reached.
10.   HARD WORK IS ALSO PRIMARY.  No amount of equipment, fashionable clothing, or expensive diets will substitute for hard work in and out of the gym. 
11.   MEDIOCRITY IS CONTAGIOUS AND INFECTIOUS.  Eating unhealthy foods and avoiding exercise is easy—do what a lot of people do.  Don’t do what others do if you want genuine improvement. 
12.   JUST FUCKING DO IT!  You can think about exercising and eating healthy all you want—it won’t change your situation.  Get up, take action, and just fucking do it.  

Idealistic?  Probably.  But, this blog is our beginning, our genesis, our first action (see #14) towards our goal.  Moving forward, you can expect to see a variety of blog posts: business plans/ideas, moving across the country, looking for gym space, recipes, nutritional articles, bitching and moaning, and who knows what else.  We welcome you on our journey and look forward to every step of the way.  


J&S