For many of us, the words “I do” constitute one of the most important commitments we can make in this lifetime–to our partners, and to ourselves. The doing here is active and intentional: showing up, being present, doing some hard work. And much like anything worthwhile, it’s ideally the product of honesty and reflection. You do for, and with, another after you decide how you want to be.

Health and wellness are no different. Once we’ve gotten our daily kit sorted, the focus turns outward to the extra things we might like to do. We know how to function and feel day in and day out; now we start to consider how we might feel when we run a road race, for example, or finish a series of hikes with our family on vacation. The doing here is task-dependent; it is something we want to complete, a box we want to check.

This is Foundation Two: The Do. We’re good, but now we want to get a little bit better in one or two specific areas.

Here’s the great news about Foundation Two: while it generally requires some hard work, it’s not terribly complicated. You show up to your group or individual training sessions, you remain intentional about your workouts and nutrition, and perhaps you do some simple homework outside of the main program.

Over the years at Woodshed, our members have amassed a pretty impressive list of firsts in Foundation Two:
*First powerlifting meet
*First 5k/First10K
*First Pullups
*First Box Jumps
*First ascent up Mt. Washington
*First “Grace” workout at prescribed weight

…and many more. Just by committing to an eventual outcome and following our lead there.

Nike has a cute slogan for this stage, but I love the one in this picture much better.

You can win if you want. That’s Foundation Two: set a goal, do the work to completion, and enjoy the reward.