What is the Wild West Survival Fitness Academy

The Wild West Survival Fitness Academy is a free use collection of exercises, knowledge, and activities that help physically prepare people for anything that comes their way. It is focused on the 5 Elements of Survival Fitness which together promote Well Rounded Real World fitness.

Many a mortal man has tried to forge a body of steel, and the strength of a god on expensive machines and gym equipment. Many women have worn holes in their nikes jogging on treadmills searching for the legendary physique of a goddess. The kind of Well Rounded Fitness it takes to Survive can not be found in any special gym, no matter how expensive the membership. This is a fitness program created by a Survivalist and Explorer, focused on preparing you for a disaster or anything else that comes your way.

If you have a barbell and some weights it will help, but it is possible to practice Survival Fitness without any equipment if necessary.

Many exercises involved in Survival Fitness can be done in a gym, but some of them can’t. You will need to venture outside the comfort of your gym, outside the sliding door of your garage, and into the wilderness to build the grit, endurance, stamina, and strength it takes to be prepared for anything.

Fitness to me is about health and function. I want to feel fast enough to run to safety, strong enough to protect my family, and have the endurance to explore remote places. If you feel like you agree, Survival Fitness is perfect for you.

Survival Fitness Academy

Survival is broad term. A word with many meanings. When it comes to the Survival Fitness Academy it means “Prepared” and “Forward Thinking”. Many workout programs and fitness regimens are all about physique, weight loss, muscle mass, and sexuality. The Wild West Survival Fitness Academy focuses on Strength, Endurance & Stamina, Flexibility, Body Composition, and Agility. These are the 5 Elements of Survival Fitness, and the keys to being prepared for anything. If disaster strikes, the gym rats won’t be good for much except throwing barbells and toning booties. These skills don’t have anything to do with survival.

Remember, many of the exact science workouts you read in magazines and books, are for body builders and fitness models. Survival Fitness is not for Body Builders! Survival Fitness is for people who want to look and feel strong and healthy, and have functional strength, endurance, and confidence.

The Wild West Survival Fitness Academy is not focused on building a perfect physique.

The good news is that combining full body powerlifting movements, with functional primal movements, and endurance stamina building adventures is a killer way to build a physique. It isn’t the focus, but if you work hard you will be ready to take on anything, and look DAMN GOOD doing it! Keeping a Healthy Body Composition is one of the 5 Elements of Survival Fitness which you will focus on.

Key Components of The Wild West Fitness Academy

• 5 Elements of Survival Fitness
  • Strength
  • Endurance & Stamina
  • Flexibility
  • Body Composition
  • Agility
• Functional Movement
• Preparation Workouts
• Go Outside

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Build Real Strength: Explosive Functional Strength.

• Power Lifting: Power Lifting is how athletes build real explosive functional strength and mass. It is also how I personally recovered from and avoided multiple injuries. When done correctly Power Lifting builds unbelievable strength and durability.
• Highland Strength: If you have ever watched the Celtic Highland Games, Strong Man Competitions, or Obstacle/Mud Runs strength is not all up and down. We incorporate carrying weight for distance, and throwing weight to our workouts. This stuff is useful but it is even more FUN!!!!

Functional Movement: Full Body, Balance, Motor Skills, Agility, Usable, Real World.

• Full Body: The key to Functional Movement is that it teaches multiple muscle groups and areas of your body to work together. We incorporate functional movements that use as much of your body as possible. This is also the key to agility.
• Primal Movement: The main base of our functional movement training is Primal Movement. This is a body weight focused full body training combing the strength of calisthenics with the flexibility of yoga and the agility of capoeira. Animal Walks, Primal Movement, and Animal Flow is also used by many MMA fighters and Martial Artists to improve adaptability and avoid injury.
• Balance, Motor Skills. Agility: Another key to Functional Movement is using exercises and drills that force you to improve your balance, motor skills, and agility. Stop thinking about just controlling heavy weights and machines, and focus on controlling your own body.
• Usable: Functional Movements are usable. They complete many tasks. In Survival Fitness you don’t just squat because it makes you bigger and stronger. You squat because it improves your ability to carry a heavy load on your back with a stable core. It also improves your explosive sprint and vertical jump.
• Real World: Many Functional Movements are based on real world tasks. For Example, people that are interested in the Survival Fitness Academy often hike. For this reason we focus parts of our program towards the muscles, agility, strength, and endurance it takes to walk long distances over varying terrain with a back pack on your back.

Preparation Workouts: You map your fitness and survival goals.

• You Choose: Survival Fitness is an open forum workout plan. It is more of a lifestyle than anything else. You get to choose your preparation workouts. You know what you need to focus on, what you enjoy, and what you need to get done to be prepared. We just help you along the way. You get to add in the things you most enjoy, or even tasks you need to get done, and use them to help you prepare. Have some equipment? Great! Don’t have any equipment? You can still practice Survival Fitness and work our exercises and philosophy into your existing daily tasks.
• Preparation Workouts: Preparation Workouts are add ins that supplement your plan. Preparation Workouts are geared towards Real World Preparation and will differ depending on your goals and location.
• Location: Where I am located some great preparation workouts include Chopping Down and Cutting Fire Wood, Outside Yard Work, and hikes over tough terrain or bouldering. If you live close to the ocean, some great preparation workouts might be kayaking, ocean swimming, or running on the beach. Think about it, if a disaster struck where you spend the most time what would you do? How could you be physically prepared.
• Seasons:Where I live in the mountains of Arizona, believe it or not it gets real cold. Some great preparation workouts during the winter in my case are Cross Country Skiing or Snow Shoeing. These help me prepare just in case I need to travel long distances in snowy conditions. If you live in a much hotter area, like I did for years in Phoenix and Tucson Arizona your preparation workouts will change. Some great examples during hot months are swimming, spelunking, kayaking, or night hikes and runs.
• Fun: Preparation Workouts allow you to enjoy your physical fitness. Enjoy the fact you can walk with your kids around the whole zoo, or take them on an outdoor adventure hike. Enjoy the fact you can go cave diving, paddling, or climbing wherever you want. Preparation Workouts are meant to be experience based, preparatory, and FUN! Make sure you build in time with your friends and family for these workouts. They miss you when you spend so much time in the gym.

Go Outside: Working with nature and the elements brings real world preparedness.

• Benefits: Just going outside is good for your health. Studies show that spending time out in nature has amazing mental and physical health benefits.
• It’s Better: Scientific studies have also shown that working out outdoors is not only more motivational, it releases more pleasure hormones, and is easier. That is right, scientific studies have shown that when you workout outdoors it is easier and you push yourself harder!
• Can’t Be Matched: Let’s use an example. You jump on a tread mill that brings up a picture of a forest and changes it’s grade up and down as you go. It is just like you are running up and down hills through the trees. BULL SHIT! Tie on some trail running shoes and take a jog through a real forest and tell me they are the same. Nothing will match the changes in terrain, breeze through the branches, and sun on your face.
• Be Prepared: Let’s face it guys, most of you don’t spend a ton of time outdoors. If you do, well that is great, but most people don’t have the time or the know how. You will never be prepared for a survival situation if you aren’t used to working with nature and the elements. You have to experience these things to understand Becoming Primitive.

Endurance & Stamina: Prepare to go the distance.

CROSSFIT: Let’s start by talking about Crossfit. These days in the health and fitness community you either love it, or you hate it. It is true that in some ways this program will match the ideals of a Crossfit program. I think that is a great thing. The focus of a Crossfit athlete is well balanced fitness. It is my belief as a survivalist, that in order to prepare, all your skill sets must be well rounded.

I was caught up in the early growth of Crossfit. I trained the workouts, and especially enjoyed the Olympic Lifting. At the time I was preparing for multiple obstacle/mud racing events. I needed to build strength, agility, and endurance. Crossfit was perfect! I loved watching the games and watching them crown the Fittest man and woman on earth.

Crossfit has obvious disadvantages to some. The first is injury. The second is over training. The third is obsession.

Let me tell you what is different about Survival Fitness.

Survival Fitness is set to build fitness that is well rounded and functional. The only prize at the end is feeling like you are more prepared than you were when you started. The Wild West Survival Fitness Academy wants to help you become prepared for anything. Preparedness is the win.

Survival Fitness is not a competition. You don’t have to finish the workouts faster than everyone else. You instead focus on thinking ahead and preparing. We want you to be more strong, flexible, agile, and have better endurance than you ever have. We don’t need you to beat everyone else on the globe or qualify for any competitions.

The Wild West Survival Fitness Academy has a mission to help you understand exercise, body composition, and why the exercises and activities your perform are so important!

I was injured while training crossfit. I know that these injuries were because I over trained and over used parts of my body. We can not let this happen in Survival Fitness. The reason is, if you are injured today, and an emergency or disaster happens tomorrow, you will not be ready to perform at your best.

As you are thinking about your Survival Fitness program, I want you to think about your goals and what YOU need to do to survive. We are not going to focus on set times or beating everyone else.

This will make sure we avoid injury and mix High Impact and Low Impact training to build well rounded fitness.

• Outdoors: A large part of our endurance and stamina work will be done outside. This is because in the event of an emergency or disaster you will never be traveling miles indoors. This isn’t even possible. When hurricanes, earthquakes, and wars happen affected people are forced to travel at distance outside to find shelter and help. Think about thousands of groups of people swimming through the flooded streets of New Orleans to reach the safety of the stadium. Not an indoor activity.
• Distance: I love hiking and bouldering. These are the most real world activities to me. Not often are you going to be running hands free over distance for tie in the event of a disaster. You will be traveling distance with a load of supplies, sometimes hoping to be found, and other times hoping to remain unseen.
• Mix it Up: The key to building endurance and stamina for survival is mixing it up. For this reason I encourage you to Mix it Up! Hike a long trail, sleep outside, hike again. Trail Run, kayak, swim, climb. By mixing it up you are preparing your body physically, but you are also preparing your mind mentally for anything that comes your way.

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Meet Your Coach Bear Gallagher Cole

Bear Gallagher Cole is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer. He spent years developing the Wild West Survival Fitness Academy. He tried all kinds of training, he took multitudes of classes, and he built on his wins and failures. Bear has been a World Class Athlete, a Soccer player, a Strength athlete, a Distance Runner, a Martial Artist, an Obstacle Runner, and he has been Fat. Being over weight and unhealthy reminded him how important physical activity was to Survival.

Bear Gallagher Cole is a Survivalist, and therefore thought it was his responsibility to help others prepare their supplies, their skills, their minds, AND THEIR BODIES for Survival.

Bear had the amazing honor of representing the United States as a Soccer Player. Bear played in international tournaments in Brazil, Australia, and all over the United States. He was also a member of The Olympic Development Team in U.S. soccer for many years.

In High School he placed All State in Basketball, Soccer, and Track and Field. He placed top in the state in events from distance running, to long and high jump, and sprints. He has completed 5k, 10k, and full Marathon races. He has hiked and back packed much of the Southwest, including over 100 trips to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

In his 30’s Bear began to focus his energies on Powerlifting and Obstacle Racing. He has completed many Mud Runs including The Spartan Race. In his mid 30’s Bear realized that just training strength he was losing flexibility, healthy Body Composition, Endurance, and Agility. He began to add a mix of movement and body weight exercises to keep himself limber and agile.

Bear’s focus is on Hiking, Exploring, and Survival. He has a mission to introduce people to the wonders of the outdoors, and help them live life exploring, enjoying, and being prepared.

Bear thinks that the problem with the fitness world is that it is so focused on looks and weight. If you find a fun program like Survival Fitness that gives you well rounded fitness, the looks and weight loss will follow naturally. He likes to refocus his trainees on what they can do and achieve, and away from how they can look. However, Bear likes to motivate people towards fitness goals that really matter.

If obesity and poor health are affecting your body and life today, you can’t focus on survival in the future. Fitness and Health is the key to your survival today! Bear has fitness education and understands the science of nutrition and exercise. He will help explain the process necessary for you to customize your Survival Fitness routine to your specific needs and goals. His goal is to make you strong and healthy today, so that you can prepare for the future. Contact Bear Right Now to Get A Custom Built Fitness Program Aimed At Helping You Achieve Your Goals.

The Wild West Survival Fitness Academy will get you prepared for anything that comes your way.

Workout Methods Combined

• Power Lifting
• Hiking, Treking, Bouldering
• Trail Running, Biking, Paddling
• Highland Games/Strong Man
• Primal Movement
• Yoga
• Obstacle/Mud Racing
• Survival Drills – High Intensity Circuit Training
• Self Defense Martial Arts

Viking Strength, Military Stamina, Primitive Movement

Do you think Vikings were in a gym drinking protein powder out of a fancy shaker and wiping their brows with sweat towels neatly pressed by the High School kids who work at the reception desk? No Way!  They built powerful bodies by hiking for miles with heavy axes.  They built massive necks and traps by holding up their epic beards. They didn’t drink protein powders -they ate the charred flesh of freshly killed game with their dirt and ash covered hands.  The Wild West Survival Fitness Academy isn’t handing you some kind of math infused college studied workout plan bullshit here, we are changing your lifestyle, and building your ability to be strong and overcome obstacles.

There is science and experience to back it, but Survival Fitness is about way more than number counting.

Vikings, soldiers, and unmodernized tribes all have heavily influenced my fitness philosophy. This is because their fitness is centered around Preparedness and Survival. I think that working out just to be skinny or have muscles is Bull Shit. Building Well Rounded Fitness to Survive is what it is all about. Life has changed quite a bit for most people in the Western World over the last 100 years. We don’t live like unmodernized tribes anymore. Functional balanced movement has taken a back seat, to – well – sitting in front of computers and TV’s, and drinking Lattes.

Vikings and Soldiers train with a very specific set of goals in mind. They have to be strong! However, if they are too strong or pack on too much mass, they will lose endurance, stamina, flexibility, and agility. Focus too much on endurance and long distance training, they lose strength, speed, and body composition. The goal of Survival Fitness is to build the type of fitness that balances all of these needs.

Here is my own version of a quote I have always loved, before we start talking about Philosophy.

Working out is a celebration of the amazing things your body can do, and how adaptable it is. It is one way to strive to be the best version of yourself. Working out is not a punishment for what you ate, or how stressful your life is.

Philosophy

Well Rounded Fitness That Prepares You For Anything.

Click Here for a more in depth look at the Philosophy of Survival Fitness.

Vikings and Hiking isn’t all that Survival Fitness is about. If you have read anything about my “Becoming Primitive” training you know that I am not fond of depending on any person or system for what I need to survive. If you want to learn more about “Becoming Primitive” take a look here.

Fitness to me is about health and function. I want to feel fast enough to run to safety, strong enough to protect my family, and have the endurance to explore remote places. If you feel like you agree, Survival Fitness is perfect for you.

I combine my knowledge of Exercise Science, Health, Hiking, Camping, Survivalism, Krav Maga, Power Lifting, Endurance Training, Primitive Movement, Yoga, and Years of High Level Soccer Agility & Stamina Training to create a system that is guaranteed to make sure you are ready to take on anything. Big Muscles are nice, so are flat stomachs. However, being able to protect your loved ones, survive extreme situations, and just flat out be prepared – That Is Sexy!

Use What You’ve Got

When you spend a good amount of time outdoors and exploring, you don’t always have gym equipment around. Sometimes you have to be creative, scan your surroundings, and find what you have available to you. 

Don’t go ripping up the landscape a whole bunch folks. Picking up a log or a rock or two is one thing, but always remember everything outdoors is part of the ecosystem, and we want to do our best to practice Leave No Trace Ethics!

Many of the Survival Drill workouts that you learn with Survival Fitness are possible to do with just your bodyweight and fun to do outdoors. Another great way to get a workout when you are camping or exploring is to practice yoga. Bring a small mat with you, and get a great workout.

I will share some really fun ways to workout outdoors without equipment. You can get an amazing workout with just a log, a tree, and a rock, when you are smart about how you use your own body weight. Remember, the easiest thing to do if you need an outdoor workout is just walk through uneven terrain, or go for a run!

Survival Nutrition

I do dive into nutrition in this training. However, nutrition often involves a customized plan, and personal interaction. If you are looking for a nutritional plan it may be best to contact a Dietician. I can help you build a more customized Fitness Plan if you would like, and become your Personal Trainer.

Here is how I face nutrition in Survival Fitness. Most modern day nutrition is focused solely on weight management and disease prevention. However, weight management wasn’t even an issue until recent history.

In the event of an emergency or disaster, your nutrition goals would VERY QUICKLY switch from trying to maintain a healthy Body Composition, to eating enough to survive. If you only understand weight loss, you know nothing about keeping your ass alive when food is scarce.

For this very reason the way that I have to approach nutrition in Survival Fitness is very different than most fitness programs. I hope to teach you healthy eating habits, and basic nutrition knowledge so you know what it takes to over eat, eat unhealthy, and just flat out survive.

I will share resources that can help you gain more healthy eating habits.

In Survival Fitness we will concentrate on maintaining a healthy Body Composition. The Survival Fitness training I provide will help, and can even be added into your current Workout Program. However, you may need to use other resources, and start eating healthier to really feel prepared.

Workouts In Your Everyday Life

I get great workouts in the gym. Well it is more accurate to say in my garage, because I don’t believe in paying overpriced gym fees. Paying a personal trainer is worth every cent, but just paying to use the equipment isn’t for me. I am always amazed at how some of the things I do in every day life are the best workouts. Not long ago, walking all day, pushing heavy farm equipment, hunting, crouching, and just plain work was something we did to survive.

Now many of us stand behind a counter or sit at a desk to make a living. We barely move all day. Trust me, I spend endless hours at a desk behind a computer. When I am not out exploring, I am writing, or working as a Freelance Graphic/Web Designer. This isn’t physically draining work.

I myself have suffered with Weight Gain and Countless Injuries. It is important to remember that fitness is never a straight line. You have to take the good with the bad, and that is why staying fit is such a fun challenge.

Some of the basis for Survival Fitness comes from the exact ideas I share in my “Becoming Primitive” training, which you can learn more about here. I pull elements from the lives of unmodernized tribes, how people lived before the modern age, and just plain good old fashioned work. Some of the tasks I have to do living in the mountains really influenced my fitness philosophy.

One example is Yard Work! Getting rid of leaves, raking, mowing, digging, lifting, dropping. This is the exact type of physical movement that Survival Fitness pulls from, and gets you ready to do. If you have ever done Farm Work you know it builds as much character as it does strength and endurance. Chopping Wood is another task I have to do regularly that builds real functional strength and motor skills.

For this very reason Yard Work, Gardening, Cutting Wood, Hunting, and Hiking are all examples of “Preparation Workouts” in the Wild West Survival Fitness Academy program. You will learn more about “Preparation Workouts” if you start to study the Survival Fitness program.

In my “Becoming Primitive” training I explain how we have become too reliant on what I call Complex Fragile Systems. These include things like electricity, transportation, internet, technology, and delivery of goods. The premise is that anyone of these things could break down at anytime. In the training I help you become prepared mentally. I also help you prepare by stocking needed goods, and having a back up plan.

The missing element in the equation is preparing physically. If you have trouble walking around Target, and a disaster strikes that forces you to move long distances quickly and while your life depends on it – well – as my pops would put it, you are up shit’s creek.

“Becoming Primitive” teaches you to prepare for a simpler more primitive lifestyle in the case of a disaster. “Survival Fitness” helps you to prepare physically for the same.

Get Prepared Now

Want to learn more and get prepared? Becoming Primitive 1.o is a training course that will prepare you for Short Term survival in the case that one or all of the Complex Fragile Systems on which you rely is lost. The full Becoming Primitive 1.0 training program is not yet available to the public, but will be coming soon. Sign up for the Wild West Explorer newsletter and you will be the first to know when the full course is available. You will also receive tips, tricks, hikes, camping ideas, and Survival Fitness information for free. You will also receive a free copy of Bear Gallagher Cole’s eBook “Go Outside” absolutely free.

The eBook “Go Outside” is full of Tips, Tricks, and Motivation to get you Outdoors, Happy, and Healthy. Go Outside is packed full of motivational quotes and content, scientific proof that you need to get outside, and Bear Gallagher Cole’s own nature and landscape photography. Sign Up for the newsletter now to get updates on upcoming courses and your free eBook.