First, Look Within
What is more important for a fitness company? To create things people want, or to forge a strong identity that resonates with likeminded people, leading from the front? I don’t even like the word fitness company. Too corporate. Nor do I like terms like ‘fitness collective’. I’m not some yogi tree-hugger chugging a chai latte.
I am a Viking.
What does it mean to be a Viking? How does that apply to modern life? Who are we? What should we do? Where should we go?
These are all questions we will answer below. Continue dear reader, at your peril. Embark into the fog of my wildly unhinged mind…
Values Determine Your Focus
Ultimately, there’s an abundance of avenues to take as a Viking fitness… brand? Band? War-party…? (I’ll get there)
While throwing sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks is a perfectly valid strategy, after a certain point all you end up with is muck under your fingernails and an angry neighbour with a smelly wall. No, it’s better to cut an enemy off at the knees. Tackle what we want and where we want to go first, then we can build. Odin knew this when he gave up his eye.
Picking a Viking as our motif was no accident. In a world where the ‘Spartans’ have dominated the space of warrior cultures, I knew that wasn’t for us. We don’t like austere bland Spartan food. We believe fun and adventure is good. We value ferocity over rigid discipline - and we don’t bugger our bunk mates #ShotsFired.
Now, I want you to picture a Viking. No, not that hunk Rollo from Vikings - use your imagination! What does it mean to you? What makes a Viking?
What did you picture? I’m sure it probably contained some of the elements of a muscle-bound violent savage, an intrepid adventurer crossing oceans, raising a tankard of mead to Asgard, and willing to risk it all for glory and a seat at Odin’s table. That’s better, isn’t it? If you disagree, go back and bow at the altar of your virgin Spartans!
To The Meat
We tried to distil this down so it still applies to modern man. How do we integrate the Viking way into our lives? After-all, it's not “socially acceptable” anymore to go bonking priests on the head and stealing their gold. Here’s what we came up with:
Warrior’s Heart
A true Viking presses forward, untouched by fear, forged by trials. Purpose drives them, the warrior’s heart beats steady, fierce, and relentless.
Roguish Spirit
The Vikings were born adventurers, innovators and rebels. They broke rules, sailed into the unknown and claimed that which others wouldn’t dare to reach.
Unrelenting Grit
Winning when consistently out-numbered takes grit, to press-on when battle-weary and broken. Vikings just get the job done.
Glorious Revelry
There is no shame in enjoying the fruits of a heard-fought battle, it’s a duty. There is honour in earning your rewards and celebrating with abandon.
Primal Roots
We reject the ills of modernity and embrace a strong connection to tradition, nature and the natural that guide us to what is true.
Battleforged Bonds
No Viking stands alone. Strength is found in the shield wall, where each has the other’s back. In a shallow world, these bonds are more precious than gold.
The Promise of Victory
As a clan?…order?...syndicate?... We need a strong mission that drives us forward, that connects our values to what we’re doing, for others to rally around. Something that when people ask us what the hell we’re doing, we can tap the sign.
But this raises the question… what are we trying to do? We started with bootcamps because all the others looked coma inducingly dull. We threw in a bunch of axes, swords and shields because it beats endless push-ups and burpees, and, why the Helheim not? We want to run a spear through boring workouts, competitions and anything else we can conquer. Not only does this make it more fun, it’s also more likely you’ll stick with it and hit your goals.
But there’s more to it than that. We also want to lay down the path for those brave enough so that they can reclaim their warrior spirit and provide glory at the end of it. Where men and women can hone their edge and bring the modern Viking spirit to their lives. So here’s what we got:
We strive to shatter the monotony of fitness—crafting epic challenges through dauntless exploration and unyielding courage—unleashing a tribe of modern warriors who push their limits, savour their victories, and reignite the warrior spirit in Britain and beyond.
Visions of Valhalla
If you’ve read this far, either you’re thoroughly entertained or you’re a masochist for run-on sentences. Either way, I applaud you. I’ll try skip us to the end of the story here. There was some Greek wino who once said “If a man knows not to which port he sails, no wind is favorable.” We know the battle plan in our mission, we know why we’re fighting in our values, but what are we fighting for?
To control the world’s banks! Just kidding… No, we want to assemble the Horde! We want to bring together like-minds and dominate the fitness world with relentless heathens who break a Deadlift PR then skull a flagon, who eat lightning and crap thunder, who kick down the doors of “safe spaces” and hit wimps with Reality (the name of their warhammer). So this one’s easy:
“To fly the rallying banner for roguish heathens - for the unorthodox brutes - who’re willing to brave the storm and claim the horizon, so that united we may restore grit, courage and glory to Midgard!”
There it is: our values, mission and vision. I know this was a long-ass trip through our messy vision quest. What do you think? Do those sound epic enough to you? Is there something we missed? Let us know, message us (click here).
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