Dean
Dean
We had a great time this morning at the winter session of the “Get Fit Games”. Congratulations to every athlete who came out and competed this morning. We witnessed a bunch of PR’s , including 38 top 3 gym records and 13 absolute gym records. Simply Amazing Performances!
Click the links below for today’s scoring, the medal leaderboard, and gym records.
Keep Making It Happen!
Get Fit Games Results December 21, 2013
Medal Board (* means medal earned in latest games)
Elves on a shelf? How about some coaches keeping a watchful eye on you instead?
Dennis sent this note and original composition to me after training this morning. Brings a little tear to my eye…
Hi coaches,
Thanks for the great training this year – it’s made a big difference to my health! I told Meagan after class that The Twelve Days of Christmas was cycling through my head last night while I was supposed to be sleeping – Cost me some rest but inspired me to compose The Twelve Pains of Christmas 🙂
Feel free to sing this during your remaining training sessions today! Just substitute the appropriate coaches name when needed…
Merry Christmas!!
Dennis
For the first pain of Christmas, Coach Meagan gave to me:
A whole bunch of stinkin’ burpees!
For the second pain of Christmas, Coach Meagan gave to me:
Two Bear Crawls
And a whole bunch of stinkin’ burpees!
For the third pain of Christmas, Coach Meagan gave to me:
Two Bear Crawl
Three Get Ups
And a whole bunch of stinkin’ burpees!
For the fourth pain of Christmas, Coach Meagan gave to me:
Two Bear Crawls
Three Get Ups
Four Push Ups
And a whole bunch of stinkin’ burpees!
For the fifth pain of Christmas, Coach Meagan gave to me:
Two Bear Crawls
Three Get Ups
Four Push Ups
Five Speed Rows
And a whole bunch of stinkin’ burpees!
For the sixth pain of Christmas, Coach Meagan gave to me:
Two Bear Crawls
Three Get Ups
Four Push Ups
Five Speed Rows
Six Chest Press’s
And a whole bunch of stinkin’ burpees!
For the seventh pain of Christmas, Coach Meagan gave to me:
Two Bear Crawls
Three Get Ups
Four Push Ups
Five Speed Rows
Six Chest Press’s
Seven Dumbell Squats
And a whole bunch of stinkin’ burpees!
For the eighth pain of Christmas, Coach Meagan gave to me:
Two Bear Crawls
Three Get Ups
Four Push Ups
Five Speed Rows
Six Chest Press’s
Seven Dumbell Squats
Eight Dead Lifts
And a whole bunch of stinkin’ burpees!
For the ninth pain of Christmas, Coach Meagan gave to me:
Two Bear Crawls
Three Get Ups
Four Push Ups
Five Speed Rows
Six Chest Press’s
Seven Dumbell Squats
Eight Dead Lifts
Nine Knee Grab Abs
And a whole bunch of stinkin’ burpees!
For the tenth pain of Christmas, Coach Meagan gave to me:
Two Bear Crawls
Three Get Ups
Four Push Ups
Five Speed Rows
Six Chest Press’s
Seven Dumbell Squats
Eight Dead Lifts
Nine Knee Grab Abs
Ten Split Squats
And a whole bunch of stinkin’ burpees!
For the eleventh pain of Christmas, Coach Meagan gave to me:
Two Bear Crawls
Three Get Ups
Four Push Ups
Five Speed Rows
Six Chest Press’s
Seven Dumbell Squats
Eight Dead Lifts
Nine Knee Grab Abs
Ten Split Squats
Eleven Mountain Climbers
And a whole bunch of stinkin’ burpees!
For the twelfth pain of Christmas, Coach Meagan gave to me:
Two Bear Crawls
Three Get Ups
Four Push Ups
Five Speed Rows
Six Chest Press’s
Seven Dumbell Squats
Eight Dead Lifts
Nine Knee Grab Abs
Ten Split Squats
Eleven Mountain Climbers
Twelve Glute Bridge Marches
And a whole bunch of stinkin’ burpees!
I had a client tell me this week “I don’t like recovery weeks, because they get me out of my routine.” I appreciate what she was saying and understand how important routine can be, particularly when it comes to your training. You get in “the groove” and you don’t want to get out. If we were all that way a little more of the time we would probably make better progress, more of the time. Taking time away from the gym when everything is going great seems counterproductive at best.
That is why it is good to understand how a training cycle is designed. Our training cycles are not random. They are designed within the context of the calendar year, yes. “Working out” is not your vocation, so the realities of the calendar must be considered. For instance we take a recovery week around Christmas because it just makes sense in most peoples lives. But our training cycles are also designed around how your body works. You train, you recover, you get better. Until you don’t. At some point there is always a “don’t” unless you “do” the right things.
Take a couple minutes to read this article: “I HATE Recovery Weeks!”. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Ok, now that you understand a bit more about supercompensation and the recovery curve it starts to make sense, right?
We don’t want to wait until we are completely hammered and injured to deload and/or take complete recovery. Sometimes I hear that “this is a tough week”. That means that last week might have not been as hard, right? That is by design, that is a deload week, or a week that the intensity is not so high. That helps enhance the recovery curve and allows you to be ready to hit it harder on the “tough weeks”. Don’t get caught in the trap of thinking your body doesn’t work like the rest of ours, that somehow you can maintain maximum intensity forever. I can’t, you can’t.
So next week just take a break. Use your training “mind share” on getting out and doing some recreational activities. Ski, sled with the kids, snowshoe, hike. Take time to come up with some menus and easy meals to prepare. Don’t stress about taking some downtime at the gym. We all need rest, even Wonder Woman and Superman.
Make It Happen,
Coach Dean
P.S. – Here are some more recovery week articles for you to chew on
Recovery Is Where The Magic Happens
Rest, Recover and Regenerate, It’s Not Optional
I received this from my friend and mentor Martin Rooney in an email awhile ago, and as I re-read it today it really resonated with me again. I am sharing with you because I suspect I am not the only one who needs to take action on what I know I need to do, rather than what I am comfortable doing.
Does any of this resonate with you?
——————–
We all take on physical challenges every day. Whether it is beginning a sport, landscaping the yard, moving some furniture or chasing the kids, we often experience soreness or fatigue in certain areas as a result. I have concluded that there are a few possibilities causing the issue:
I believe you might think the list above is “common sense.” The problem, however, is that it is not common for people to take action on what number three is trying to tell them. This leads me to another Principle of TFW: knowledge is rarely important without action. Once you recognize what your body is telling you (whether it is to eat right, lose weight, train smarter or recover more), you need to actually carry out that request! As I have learned, our society’s greatest mistake is to make the same mistake. Not listening to your body long enough is exactly where most of the world’s health problems come from in the first place.
This email should be a harsh reminder that we were given two ears and one mouth because we should listen twice as much as we talk (and, for many of us, eat!). Although the media would love to attempt to paralyze you with the belief that concepts like training and nutrition are very complex, if you pay close attention, they are actually quite simple:
You know what to eat because your body tells you what you need and when it is hungry. Eat It.
You know when you need rest because your body tells you when it is tired or sore. Take It.
You know the area to train because your body tells you when and where it is weak or improperly prepared. Train It.
Proper recovery, training and nutrition. With the correct mixture of these three variables, you and your body can do anything. The body knows it can be done. Now it is just your mind’s turn to listen…and then take action.
Yours in Strength,
Martin Rooney
We have a lot of “UMP” lovers at that train with us, and although you may not know it Beverly International, the makers of “Ultimate Muscle Protein” is a family owned and run company, just like Get Fit NH.
Roger and Sandy Riedinger are as passionate about providing the best quality supplements as we are about providing the best training, and that is one of the reasons we love doing business with them.
Sandy just sent over some recipes that she wanted us to share with you that she is calling “The 12 Mugs of Christmas”. There are some really great drink recipes using UMP. Some of them are sugar free, some of them can be adapted to be sugar free, and others are best saved as a post-training recovery drink.
Which one are you going to try first?
Thanks Sandy, and Merry Christmas!
Download your copy of “The 12 Mugs of Christmas” by clicking here
Ok, I guess that is more the result of Habit 8 than the actual habit itself, but still, it is a big time saver!
In my article on Nutrition Labels (click here to read) we deciphered a label section by section and gave some guidelines as far as what we should be looking for when we are choosing what we are going to eat.
But what if we could avoid all that nightmare altogether and eat tasty and healthy foods all at the same time?
That is where Habit 8 comes into play.
EYWR Habit 8: Eat Mostly 1-Ingredient Foods
You see 1-ingredient foods don’t need a label. Another term you could use to describe them is whole foods.
Take a look at the shopping lists from ThePPWKitchen.com
What did you notice?
That’s right. These are lists of almost all 1-ingredient foods.
You may also have noticed that most of these are fresh foods. If they are not refrigerated, frozen or eaten within a few days they will spoil.
Those are the nutritious, nutrient packed, and yes, tasty foods you want to fuel your body with.
When you eat Whole Foods – 1 Ingredient foods, you are avoiding a lot of the nasty stuff you just shouldn’t be putting in your gut.
and who knows what else!
When you start with whole foods YOU are in control. You get to decide what spices, and herbs or garnishes you add. You don’t have to worry about what’s “in there” except what you choose to add.
And no, eating 1-ingredient foods does not have to be boring.
Because you can still combine 1-ingredient foods into a delicious meal. In fact you can get pretty fancy using all 1-ingredient foods. For instance this Beef Fajita recipe from Coach Nancy is super easy to make and uses all 1-ingredient foods (unless you top with salsa):
Beef Fajitas
Combine steak, onion, pepper, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, chili powder, and coriander in slow cooker. Stir in tomatoes.
Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or on high 4-5. Using a slotted spoon, place on a bed of lettuce and sprinkle with cheese and salsa, if desired.
We are in the home stretch with Eat Your Way Right Through The Holidays 2013, and I am proud of all of you who are taking steps, some small, some bigger, to reach your health and fitness goals and make 2014 your best year ever!
Make It Happen!
Coach Dean
Listen up ladies! This is Coach Meagan and I recently read an article by Sohee Lee about heavy weights and us – you know, women. I thought it was fantastic so I wrote my own version for all you ladies at Get Fit NH.  Let’s squash some rumors that may be holding you back or may be holding someone you know back from starting to train for their life.
Superstition number 1: If I lift heavy weights I will look like a man
Wow! I can’t even tell you how many times I have heard women say this. Let’s talk about testosterone really quick. Testosterone is the hormone primarily responsible for muscle gain. Ladies, I can tell you that you do not have enough testosterone floating around in your body to ever look like The Hulk. Women possess roughly 5% of the testosterone men possess which means men have about 20 times as much testosterone in their body than the average woman. With that being said, pick up something heavy- you won’t wake up looking like a female body builder, I promise!
Superstition number 2: Women can’t be good at pull-ups.
Well, we all know that isn’t true as most of us have seen some ladies around Get Fit NH cranking out some pull ups. Are pull ups hard? Of course they are! I have never seen a woman get up on the bar for their first time and be able to bust out pull ups. Naturally, women have less upper body strength then men. I have, however, seen women work their tail off to earn those pull ups. Why do you think we train assisted pull ups, negatives, and rows? So that we can build up those latissimus dorsi muscles (also referred to as lats) so that we can eventually do unassisted pull ups. Why do we do farmer walk variations? Not only are they training core stability (and so much more), but they are also training our grip strength. When we encourage you not to use chalk or gloves there really is a reason! We want you to build the grip strength to hold on to the bar and pull yourself over it!
Superstition number 3: Protein supplements aren’t necessary for women.
FALSE! Protein powder is the fastest and most convenient source to get in to your body within a few minutes post training. Our muscles are craving that protein to not only kick start the recovery process, but also to promote muscle growth. Just like any other food, if protein is consumed in excess then it can certainly make you gain weight, but we rarely see anyone, man or women, who eats too much protein. Ladies, we know that we should be consuming a minimum of 20-30 grams of protein every time we eat, so don’t be afraid to supplement when necessary.
Superstition number 4: Abs are just not achievable for me. After all I have two kids and I’m over 18.
Not the case at all. We all have a six pack. Yes it’s true, even me, even you. It is up to us to train our bodies to let those abs come into the sunlight rather than be coated with a layer of fat. Most of you train with us 4 hours per week. It is up to you to maintain healthy habits those other 164 hours per week that you are not training. Proper nutrition, recovery, adequate sleep, and so on are all habits necessary to meet your goals. Besides have you seen Coach Nancy? And she has six kids!
Superstition number 5: When you work out your fat will transform into muscle.
If only it was that easy! First off let’s learn to appreciate some fat. Sometimes when we use the word “fat” it gives people the chills like it is a terrible thing, but it isn’t! If you had 0% bodyfat you would not be alive. Bodyfat serves as an energy reserve for your body and it helps cushions our joints and organs as well as maintain the integrity of healthy skin and nails. When we train we build muscles and lose excess bodyfat at the same time, which is why your body weight may remain relatively static. The best way to find out is to make an appointment to get your bodyfat tested regularly.
Superstition number 6: You have to keep your muscles guessing.
I did some additional research on this myth, because there are so many different “opinions” out there on this subject. The fact is that your muscles do not have a brain therefore it is impossible to confuse them. You must give your body the chance to develop skill or neural adaptions so that your muscles increase. I know most of us have short attention spans and like to do different stuff all the time. However there is greater benefit to repeating the same movement patterns than to just doing different to be different. That is why training phases at Get Fit NH are designed the way they are. We can (and do) have variety, and the basic patterns of movement can be trained many different ways with many different tools, as you have experienced. However there are always going to be some “big rocks” that we focus on. Deadlifts anyone?
Superstition number 7: To lose fat, you need to crank up the cardio.
This is a huge myth that causes your coaches heartburn! Forget the treadmill, elliptical, stair stepper, and all of those other knee buster machines. Maybe you like that you can visually see how many calories are burned during your “cardio session.” Here is some scientific fun factual advice for you- Stop focusing so much on calories burned at the gym and think about what is happening when you leave the gym. When you run on the treadmill you burn calories and shortly after you stop you return to a normal metabolic rate. With strength training you build muscle and burn more fat. More muscles means the more fuel you are constantly burning therefore even when you are not at the gym you are still burning.
Look we all have a certain idea of how we want to look, but most of us would agree that strong and lean, no bulk added, would fit us pretty well. Â Hopefully I have helped convince you that being strong will help you reach the look you have always wanted.
Meet you at the Hex Bars?
Make It Happen,
Coach Meagan
You asked for it, you got it!
It’s time to talk some trash (if you are into that sorta thing) and break some records. A perfect way to both end a great year and kick off recovery week will be to held Saturday December 21st, 8:00am sharp, at Get Fit NH Concord – The Get Fit Games!
Make sure you check out the record boards in both gyms and see what you are shooting for – because records are made to be broke.
Don’t worry if you aren’t currently able to compete in the overall, just come do the events you can.
Once again we will ask you; please don’t sign up if you aren’t 100% sure you can be there, as space is limited to 25.
Looking forward to it!
Place:Â Get Fit NH Concord
Date:Â Saturday December 21st
Time:Â 8:00am to 10:00am
Agenda:Â Pure Awesomeness!
Hard to believe that we are 3/4 of the way through our end of year challenge!
Are you feeling good?
Are you learning some things about your habits and your body?
Are you starting to see that good choices lead to good outcomes?
Keep it up!
This week we are going to focus on keeping the “sneaky” calories that really add up out our nutrition plan.
Did you know that the typical large coffee has 35 grams of sugar in it? Just one a day is an extra 140 calories. Have one of those every day and that is an extra 980 calories a week, or 50,960 a year.
That’s enough calories to add 15 pounds a year – just from one cup of coffee a day!
Ever taken a look at the nutrition info from a double mocha peppermint latte? Ouch!
And even if you are not a coffee drinker there are plenty of other places where those calories are hiding. Soda, fruit juices, the wide variety of “sports performance drinks” that are supposed to be good for you. All these can add extra pounds and we don’t even think about.
Another downside to sugar in our beverages (even fruit juice) is how quickly it metabolizes and can cause blood sugar swings, which causes us to reach for more food, which adds up to even more calories.
So this week it is time to focus on those labels and see if there any sugar in there. But don’t be fooled by those sneaks, because they don’t all use the word “sugar”. Here’s some other names for sugar you might just see.
Barley malt
Cane juice crystals
Demarara
Dextran
Dextrose
Diastatic malt
Diatase
Ethyl Maltol
Fructose
Fruit juice
Galactose
Glucose
Golden syrup
Lactose
Maltodextrin
Maltose
Malt Syrup
Maple Syrup
Molasses
Muscovado
Panocha
Refiners syrup
Rice syrup
Sorbitol
Sorghum
Sucrose
Treacle
Turbinado
Wow!
I would encourage you to start now to wean yourself off all calorie containing beverages, but start with the sugar. The simplest way to achieve this is to get used to drinking water, green tea, and sticking with black coffee. If you need a little cream that’s fine, but the less calories you drink the more your body will thank-you!
Make It Happen!
Eat Your Way Right Habit 7: Drink only zero sugar beverages
Would you believe us if we told you we discovered a way to make Fun Friday’s even MORE fun?
I know, hard to believe, but it is true! Great thanks to Maria Gilbert, one of our 8:30 ladies, for planting the seed for this marvelous idea. As we know, we are approaching the holiday season very quickly and we live in state surrounded by poverty and hunger. It is the sad truth that sometimes we turn a blind eye to, but it is the season of giving. I am confident that Get Fit NH has more than enough helping hands to gather A LOT of non-perishable food items to make somebody’s holiday season a little merrier, what do you say? Are you up for the challenge?
Here’s how it works, come up with a challenge to complete before or after a training session on any Fun Friday during December. It could be anything, a dead lift challenge, ski erg, push up, pull up, anything! Declare your challenge on the sign- up sheet that will be located on the counter and then find a sponsor. Your sponsor will donate non-perishable food items based on your success. If you want to be REALLY brave, you can let your sponsor choose your challenge.
After you have completed your challenge, make sure your sponsor knows how you did so they can go shopping! 🙂 We will collect your food items here, and then donate them to our local food banks. I can’t think of a better way to remind us that we can make a difference!
For example:
| Participant | Challenge | Sponsor |
| Coach Meagan | Dead lift 1.5 X body weight | For every repetition completed Coach Dean will donate 1 canned food item |
| Coach Dean | Ski Erg 5 minutes | For every 50 meters completed Coach Meagan will donate 1 non-perishable food item |
These are just examples, be creative and challenge yourself. If you need an idea (or a push) your coaches are always there to guide you. Just remember that you are challenging yourself to help someone is going through challenging time.
There are only 3 Fun Friday’s in December so let’s make it happen!
Coach Meagan
P.S. According to our resources, the most needed items are:
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