Bo Burkett

Live Life to the Limit! Whatever You Want to Do, Do it Now!

Live life to the limit! People jumping off cliffs!

(Well, I guess the title should be “Live Life to the Limit … after the quarantine has ended.”)

I still can’t help but feel blessed. Even though we’re still quarantined, last week’s reflection (Count Your Blessings) is still hitting me hard. Covid-19 continues to spread throughout the country; however, my for me and my family it is a welcomed break. My wife and I are working from home, my girls are going to school online, and we are all safe. I mean really … what more could I ask for? We’re actually all sitting on the couch and cracking up watching the Disney movie “Onward.” I’ve got a glass of Basil Hayden in my hand, my wife at my side, and my girls with me. Life can’t get much better than this.

Life Isn’t All Sunshine and Rainbows

Even as good things are right now, this week did bring a few challenges my way. My grandmother passed on Wednesday and, because of the Coronavirus, there wasn’t really much of a funeral. Only 10 people were allowed in the funeral home, there were no hugs or handshakes, and I was forced to watch the burial from my car.

As I sat there watching her casket being moved from the hearse to the grave I realized that I really didn’t know much about my grandmother at all. I have no idea where she worked, what her profession was, where she went to school, what city she was from … I honestly don’t know anything. I have brief memories of visiting her house when I was little, her warm smile, and a little giggle that she used to do when she laughed; but nothing else.

I continued to think.

What her goals were when she was younger? Did she accomplish them? Did she live the life she wanted to live? I guess I could ask the same thing about my grandpa who passed away about a decade earlier. Again, I have no idea what the answer is.

My dad mentioned before the funeral that even though she dealt with many significant hardships, such as the loss of sight and dealing with dementia, he never heard her complain. I’d have to say that’s true; but I wonder if on the inside she was satisfied with how her life turned out?

I wonder the same thing for my mom and dad, my brothers and sisters, and for myself. When I come to the end, will I be satisfied with everything I have accomplished and how I chose to live my life? Have I pursued what God wanted me to pursue? Have I served others?

Have I lived life to the limit?

Goodbye Little Joe. Thank You for the Life Lesson.

I’m really too young to remember much about Michael Landon. I watched reruns of Little House on the Prairie when I was younger, Bonanza on snow days while sitting in my dad’s barber shop, and Highway to Heaven with my parents (possibly as episodes were released!).

I was only 9 years old when Michael Landon passed so I can’t remember much; but I do remember an interview I read about him in People Magazine and the following quote he left for us:

Someone should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we’re dying. Then we might live life to the limit. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.
– Michael Landon

Someone should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we're dying. Then we might live life to the limit. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now. There are only so many tomorrows." - Michael Landon. People Magazine.

Like so many of us, I have a bad habit of putting things off to the future. Life requires so much effort and energy that I often lose focus on what is truly important. As a result, my bucket list continues to grow and my time left on Earth gets shorter with each passing day. Then every now and then life smacks me in the face and reminds me of something I learned from Michael Landon:

“There are only so many tomorrows.”

How true is that? Life can change in an instant, and it often does. (Just think of how different was the world just a few short weeks ago). So the question to myself (and to you) is this: If your life ended tomorrow, would you be proud of the life you lived?

Am I (Are You) Living Life to the Limit?

This is certainly something that I’ll have to contemplate over the next few weeks. Life has removed distractions and given us all an opportunity to stop and reflect. I’ll put that on next week’s to do list. For now, I’m going to spend a few more days being present with my family and thanking God for all He has given us. Which reminds me …

Happy Easter!

– Bo Burkett

Last week’s Post: Count your blessings!

nEXT wEEK’S pOST:

Count Your Blessings

Blog, Weekly Reflections

Rule One for a Better Way to Live

Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you… with grace, strength, courage, and confidence.
– Og Mandino, A Better Way to Live

April 5th, 2020

Although the world is right in the middle of its fight with the Coronavirus I can’t help but feel an extreme sense of gratitude for how lucky and blessed I have been in my life.

In fact, if you’re reading this then you can probably say the exact same thing.

As I’m sitting on my front porch writing this I’m very aware that many other people in our nation would trade places with me in an instant. I have been lucky enough to keep my job and continue getting paid. My family has outstanding health insurance, no one that I know personally has contracted the virus, there is food in our cabinets, and a roof over our heads. I even have a full gym in my garage to continue exercising while I’m waiting for things to get back to the way they were just a short time ago.

In all honesty, being quarantined (for me) has been somewhat of a blessing. It allows me to work from home, spend more time with my family, and take some time to just slow down a little. The rush of emotions I’ve felt over the last few weeks have ranged from gratitude to humility, with safety and love somewhere in between. Up to this point fear hasn’t even entered my vocabulary. Yes, there has been a little anxiety … but hardly any compared to what I’m sure so many people in the world are facing. More than anything I feel sad and ashamed that I have it so good while so many others do not.

When I was young man in my 20’s I wasn’t smart enough to realize that everything I had could be taken away in an instant. I thought that friends would never leave, that my bills would always be paid, and that family gatherings would always be the same. However, almost a couple of decades of living has shown me that friends pass on, families can disconnect, marriages do not always last, money really can run out, and everything you know (and maybe even complain about far too often) can change in an instant.

Sometime in the past life taught me a valuable lesson: never take things for granted. When things are going good make sure to live in that moment. Appreciate the little things you’ve been given.

You never know when they might disappear.

– Bo Burkett

Below is a chapter from my favorite book “A Better Way to Live,” by Og Mandino. During difficult times, I always find myself referring back to the wisdom contained within these words.

Rule One … For a Better Way to Live

Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward toward the life that God intended for you … with grace, strength, courage, and confidence.

One of the most important and ageless secrets of life that I had to learn, with pain and tears, is that you cannot even begin to turn a hopelessly bruised and defeated existence around or jump off that dreary treadmill so far as your job and career are concerned or move off that financial dead end that seems to have doomed you to failure and low self-esteem until you appreciate the assets you already possess.

Assets? You’re smiling? Sad smile. Are you trying to tell me something? You say you’ve got a drawerful of bills? Your oldest child, perhaps, is getting ready for college, and you don’t have the heart to tell her that she can’t go? You’re two months behind on the car payments, and the job seems none too secure. What assets, you’re thinking? Stay with me now, while I help you to count some of your blessings, right this very moment, as you sit there feeling sorry for yourself.

Let’s make a list, and let’s try to put a dollar value on just a few of the good things in your life so that you realize how wealthy you really are and how much you have going for you, even though, in your daily struggle to survive, you may have forgotten this.

What’s it worth to live in this great country? Go ahead, I dare you to put a price tag on that. Where would you rather live?

What would it be worth to be associated with the fine company you represent if you were standing in an unemployment line this morning?

What’s your career worth when you realize that probably 95 percent of the world’s population would gladly give up ten years of their life, or more, to have your opportunity.

What’s your freedom worth?

How about those you love and who love you? How much would you take to give them up?

Your eyes? Would you take a million dollars for your eyes?

How about your hands or your feet? Five million dollars? Ten million?

You’re really quite a precious specimen, aren’t you? If it came to a showdown, you probably wouldn’t trade what you have, right now, for all the gold in Fort Knox, would you? And with so much going for you, tell me, please, why you’re walking around looking sad, beat, defeated, and rejected? Why?

No more! There is a better way to live for you, and it begins today.…

Mandino, Og. A Better Way to Live: Og Mandino’s Own Personal Story of Success Featuring 17 Rules to Live By (p. 54). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

A List of 10 Things I am Grateful for Right Now in This Moment

My family (all of my girls) — This will forever be the first thing I am grateful for
I have food in my cabinets and a roof over my head
All of my bills are paid
I have a job that allows me to work from home
My ears — I can hear birds chirping as I finish writing this post
This computer I’m typing on, which allows me to connect with people even though we are quarantined
My eyes — I can see how beautiful and blue the sky is
Time to pause, reflect, listen, and learn
Facebook Live — Even though it’s virtual, I’m still able to attend church each Sunday
I really don’t have to worry … because if God is for us, who can be against us?

So How About You? Let’s Count Your Blessings!

What are you grateful for? Join the discussion and post your Top 10 List in our Facebook Group!

BodyBoss Portable Gym (Version 2.0)

Blog, Fitness Blog, Training Gear, Weight Training

BodyBoss 2.0 provides an effective way to train at home and make progress towards your fitness goals.

When choosing how to workout, you should use the following order as a guide:

Join a professional gym that provides free weights, dumbbells, machines, cardio equipment, and cables.
Build a home gym by purchasing basic equipment found in professional gyms.
Workout using the BodyBoss 2.0 Portable Gym

The Next Best Thing to a Home Gym

In an ideal situation we would all train at a 5-star gym. Professional gyms have equipment that most of us can’t afford to purchase and/or don’t have the space for at home.

BodyBoss 2.0 eliminates both of those barriers by providing a space-saving workout solution at an affordable price.

purchase Body boss 2.0

The Top 5 Reasons Why I Love Body Boss 2.0

There isn’t just one reason, there’s lots of them! Read below to see why I think Body Boss is an essential part of your home gym.

BodyBoss Effectively Targets Every Single Muscle Group

BodyBoss is extremely versatile. No matter what muscle group you’re working (chest, back, shoulders, arms, legs, calves), there are exercises for them all! Having BodyBoss is like having an entire rack of dumbbells, but at a fraction of the cost. (Use this home workout routine with BodyBoss to attack your entire body!)

BodyBoss Keeps You From Making Excuses!

From time to time we all make excuses that keep us from exercising. Below are some of the excuses BodyBoss helps you avoid.

You Can Train When Time is Limited

If you’re like me, there are days when you simply can’t make it to the gym. Let’s face it, sometimes life happens. But if you’re going to have the body you deserve then you have to figure out a way to train anyway!

purchase Body boss 2.0

Body Boss helps you save the time you spend traveling to and from the gym. This saved travel time can be transformed into workout time. The result: you stay in shape even when time is limited.

You Can Train When Space is Limited

BodyBoss 2.0 breaks down easily to store in a closet or slide under a bed! If you have a living room, bedroom, or kitchen, you have enough space to train with BodyBoss!

You Can Train When You Travel

Body Boss 2.0 only weighs 15 pounds! This means that you can take it with you wherever you travel. Most of the gyms at hotels are limited in what they offer. Taking BodyBoss with you guarantees that you will have hundreds of exercises waiting for you as soon as you unpack.

Purchase Body Boss Version 2.0 Today!

Body Boss 2.0 was not created to compete directly with the gym… it was created to enhance your fitness experience. It is definitely an essential piece of equipment to add to your home gym.

purchase body boss 2.0

March Challenge 2020

Blog, Weekly Reflections

If you guys didn’t know, our group Fit.Life Motivation! is in the final week of our March Challenge: 30 days of at least 30 minutes of exercise.

With that in mind, I thought I would take a few moments to reflect on what I’ve learned this month.

Lesson #1 | Nothing is easy

Even something as simple as 30 minutes of exercise can prove to be challenging when you commit yourself to doing it every single day.

Over the past month members of our group have dealt with quarantine from the coronavirus, sickness, injury, gym closings and more.

I’m convinced that every single time you set a goal something will happen (perhaps multiple things) to knock you off course. You have to learn to be flexible and power through against all odds.

Lesson #2 | Having a support group has been a critical part of success for many of our group members.

I can’t count how many posts I’ve seen of people saying how supportive our group has been. The fact is that most people will do so much more for others than they will do for themselves. There have been plenty days when I have worked out and made a post not for myself, but just to let others know that I was still in the game and if I can continue to push forward then they can too. I’m sure a lot of other people could say the same.

Lesson #3 | If you make a mistake or fail to follow through, look back, learn from it, and then move on!

I’ve been doing this long enough to know that however many of us completed the challenge this month … many more of us did not. The only thing that we can do at this point is look back and reflect.

If you will complete the March challenge on Tuesday, how could you have helped someone else succeed?

If you experienced some failure this month (which we all experience at some point), what can you do next month to make sure you improve?

More than anything, this is always a personal battle. It will always be you vs. you.

An excellent question to consider at the end of any month is always this: “How can I improve?”

Home Workout | Full Body Exercise Routine

Blog, Fitness Blog, Free Downloads, Infographics, Weight Training, Workouts

Use this home workout routine to stay in shape when you can’t make it to the gym.

With COVID-19 exploding throughout the United States (and no end in sight), we all need a backup plan. This home workout was created by ISSA Elite certified trainer, Bo Burkett, and is guaranteed to keep you in shape when time is limited, when your on the road, or when the gym is closed.

Created by Certified Professionals

This home workout plan is designed to target your entire body 3 – 4 times a week. When using this exercise routine you can be confident all muscle groups have been targeted equally and nothing has been left out!

What Equipment Do You Need?

Home workout exercise band mobile gym kit

The only thing this home workout routine requires is bands, dumbbells, or a combination of both. That’s it! If you don’t currently have either of these, we highly recommend BodyBoss (Version 2.0), Rubber Banditz exercise bands and PowerBlock Dumbbells for home workouts and training while on the road. They are made extremely well, very easy to pack, and will keep your body in tip-top shape!

Home Workout Routine | Detailed Description

Workout Method and Style

All of the exercises should be completed in a circuit fashion, without any rest in between sets.

Rest, Frequency, and Tempo

REST: Once the circuit is complete, rest 2 minutes and then complete another circuit if you feel you can.

FREQUENCY: This workout may be performed 2 – 4 times per week and each circuit can be performed 2 – 4 times per workout.

TEMPO: Each rep should be performed slowly, taking twice as long to lower the weight as it takes to lift it (Tempo: 2/0/1). NOTE: It is not necessary to train to failure; especially during the first few circuits.

Home Workout Routine | Exercise Description

Join our Facebook Group to download a PDF of the home workout shown below, or watch video descriptions of each exercise and track it all on our mobile app!

Perform 2 – 4 rounds of the exercises below in a circuit fashion. For men, lifting heavier weights for 8 – 12 reps is recommended. For women, lifting lighter weights for 12 – 15 reps is recommended. Of course, everyone should listen to their own body and follow doctor recommendations.

Also, make sure to use this warm-up routine before beginning the circuit.

Exercise

Dumbbell Arnold Shoulder Press

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Pushup

Stability Ball Crunch

Dumbbell Squat

Dumbbell Forward Lunge

Dumbbell Single Arm Bent Over Row

Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension

Dumbbell Alternating Biceps Curl

Dumbbell Single Leg Calf Raise

Dumbbell Straight Leg Deadlift

Elbow Plank

Reps

8 – 12 reps or 12 – 15 reps

Max Reps

12 – 15 reps

8 – 12 reps or 12 – 15 reps

Up to 120 seconds

Need Videos or Detailed Descriptions of Each Exercise?

Join our Facebook Group and download the PDF file, or watch detailed videos and track it all on our Mobile App!

Download our home workout and mobile app on the app store

Download our home workout and mobile app on Google play

Resistance Bands

Blog, Fitness Blog, Training Gear, Weight Training

Rubber Banditz Resistance Bands

resistance bands recommended products fitlife

When it comes to resistance bands, the quality of Rubber Banditz (www.rubberbanditz.com) is unmatched!

Once I found this company I gave away all of my old bands and started using these exclusively. I simply haven’t been able to find a better product on the market. Click on the categories below to see all of the bands they have to offer!

Fit Life Mobile Fitness Resistance Bands

Fit Life Calisthenics and Street Workout Bands

Creating a Home Gym

When putting together a home gym there are several items you’ll want to consider purchasing: a Squat Rack, a Barbell and Olympic Weight Set, Adjustable Dumbbells, an Incline/Decline Bench, a Pullup Bar, a Landmine, a Dip Station, and Resistance Bands.

Resistance bands are perfect for the following situations:

Workouts on the go
Assisting you with pullups and other tough exercises, and
Making easier exercises (such as pullups) a little more difficult.

They are also used by power lifters to improve their bench press, squat, and deadlift. In fact, there’s almost countless ways to incorporate them in your workouts! You definitely want to have a few of these in your arsenal.

Back to training gear

Bo Burkett, Owner and Creator of Fit.Life

Life Isn’t All Sunshine and Rainbows

Goodbye Little Joe. Thank You for the Life Lesson.

Am I (Are You) Living Life to the Limit?

Happy Easter!

Last week’s Post: Count your blessings!

nEXT wEEK’S pOST:

Rule One for a Better Way to Live

April 5th, 2020

Rule One … For a Better Way to Live

A List of 10 Things I am Grateful for Right Now in This Moment

So How About You? Let’s Count Your Blessings!

The Next Best Thing to a Home Gym

The Top 5 Reasons Why I Love Body Boss 2.0

BodyBoss Effectively Targets Every Single Muscle Group

BodyBoss Keeps You From Making Excuses!

You Can Train When Time is Limited

You Can Train When Space is Limited

You Can Train When You Travel

Purchase Body Boss Version 2.0 Today!

Lesson #1 | Nothing is easy

Lesson #2 | Having a support group has been a critical part of success for many of our group members.

Lesson #3 | If you make a mistake or fail to follow through, look back, learn from it, and then move on!

Created by Certified Professionals

What Equipment Do You Need?

Home Workout Routine | Detailed Description

Workout Method and Style

Rest, Frequency, and Tempo

Home Workout Routine | Exercise Description

Exercise

Reps

Need Videos or Detailed Descriptions of Each Exercise?

Rubber Banditz Resistance Bands

Creating a Home Gym

Pin It on Pinterest