Hi, I’m Ian. I’m the guy responsible for all of the exercise stuff that goes on at Ritual.

We live in a very weird time, don’t you think? Pretty sure the spry 70 year old lady I buy vegetables from thinks it’s ridiculous that I run gyms. I bet she thinks it’s ridiculous that gyms exist. We’ve created a world where we have to consciously set aside time to make use of our bodies. Think about that for a second. whaaat. 

Imagine how confused a caveman would be if he saw you doing a set of burpees and kettlebell swings.

“Dude (cavemen definitely used the word ‘dude’), we gotta go find and kill a boar for dinner so we have the energy to invade that tribe on the other side of the hill tomorrow, why the hell are you wasting your energy!?”

Unfortunately, we created this mess, so we have to live in it. In my opinion, training is a necessity these days because of all the stupid shit we do to our bodies. Back in the day, our grandparents walked a kilometer or two with groceries in both hands without complaining, yet we now sit hunched over, chicken-necking at a computer screen or cell phone or tv all day long, complaining about having to go to the grocery store by sitting in a moving metal box (car, bus or train). Or we eat out, because “I’m too tired to cook my own food”.

Physical exertion is part of being human. The further we stray from it, the less human we become. The less human we are, the more stressed out we get about non-human shit. I don’t have the science to back this up, but I really believe that a lot of the psychological issues people have these days are rooted in the fact that we are too far removed from what we’re designed to be. Beyond the ridiculous imbalances we develop by sitting down all the time, we simply lose touch with the natural urge to move.

Crazy as it sounds, it seems city dwellers now find it socially unacceptable to climb trees, wrestle elephants, build house with your hands and fight for fun. But you know what, maybe that’s sort of what gyms are for. Gyms are a safe environment specifically constructed for us to “smash” and “move”.  I love Ritual, and I think we run the best damn “Safe Place to Smash” in the world, but this isn’t about Ritual. This is about you. I think you owe it to yourself to find a place where you can comfortably and safely exert, where you feel community and support, where you can feel inspired and help inspire, where you can help yourself become a better person. Where you can help yourself become more human.

The world is awesome and people can be awesome… If you meet them in a safe environment where they feel they can relax, be themselves, and just be human. If we can think about that instead of thinking about biceps, butts and abs, the whole ‘fitness’ thing becomes a lot deeper and cooler.

Just Sayin’ 🙂

Be Brave,

Ian