I have recently been reminded that we need to do a better job educating on recovery. There are a number of factors that play into recovery and they are often over looked. We are stuck in this mindset where more is better and that is so far from the truth! More is NOT better. Better is better. When you came to us you not only hired a personal coach, but a training program that is purposeful and effective. Here are three areas that play into your recovery…

1. Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday. Did you notice those are not training days? 🙂  That is purposeful! It is not because we take those days off to eat bon bons and sun tan! It was interesting a couple of weeks ago we had the Rock N Race, so my afternoon friends had training Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I can’t even tell you how many of you came up to me and asked why you are so sore or so tired that week. The answer? Because your body needs to recover. We are not machines and we are not designed to run ourselves into the ground day in and day out. It is not sustainable. Professional athletes don’t do it and you don’t need to either.

2. Eat supportively. If you’re training hard, you must eat to support that. If you are constantly sore, you are not recovering. We are happy to help you figure out what you can do nutritionally to help beat some of that soreness. You should not be sore every single day if you have been training consistently. You need to be fueled to train hard and if you wanna be a fat burner you can’t be fueling with sugar! Lucky for you, if this stuff confuses you we have THE BEST nutrition coaches on hand.

3. Sleep. Sometimes I get emails from you guys that say, “I slept right through my alarm this morning. I am SO mad I missed training!” When I get these emails it tells me that you NEEDED that rest. That you needed a little extra recovery so you could build up and come back stronger. There is a lot more than just dreaming going on when you are sleeping. Your body is still working and making magic happen so when you wake up you are refreshed.

Oh and a little hidden secret to strength training (notice I said STRENGTH training- not cardio- STRENGTH!), even when you are NOT in the gym - yes, when you are sitting there on the couch watching The Voice - you are STILL burning. It takes energy (burns calories) to rebuild muscle. When you are here challenge your strength and work hard. When you are not here (the other 165 hours a week) RECOVER! This is how I train (27 years old) and this is how our clients in their 70s and 80s train. It works, but you gotta follow the plan.

Be consistent. Recover. Be strong.
Coach Meagan

If you have a red band, you are not alone. This is a common band among athletes at Get Fit and a tough one to overcome! The trunk stability push up corresponds with this band and can be any extremely difficult exercise to perform. During this exercise we are looking to see if the core can stabilize while performing a series of events.

What is this test assessing?

• This test is looking to see if you are able to perform a movement with the upper body all while having no movement visible through the hips and spine. We are looking to see if you are able to stabilize the spine while performing an upper body push movement. How well you can recruit your core/central pillar stabilizers while doing a symmetrical upper body push helps us coaches determine if we need to be cautious with certain exercises.
• Ideally, checking to see if you can lift yourself as one unit, rather than leaving your hips behind 🙂
• This test also analyzes spinal extension and checks to see if there is pain associated with it.

What does this mean when it comes to exercise?

If you are one of many to receive a red band, we want to be cautious when performing challenging core stabilization exercises, as too much stress can be put on the lower back, therefore leading to back pain over time. Ouch!!!

Examples of exercises not performed with a red band:

• Pushup from the ground (MAGIC BAND PUSHUPS can be completed though!)
• Burpees
• TRX pushups, TRX Atomic Crunch, TRX Knee In, TRX Mountain Climbers (anything with feet suspended)

Well, how can I work to get out of this band? I want to do some of those exercises!!

We are looking to safely help strengthen your central pillar to allow yourself to complete more challenging exercises when appropriate. No sulking allowed, rather let’s try and focus on doing these two personalized exercises daily!

1. Lower Body Rolling

Purpose: Improve core strength and timing while moving through rotary stability patterns

How to perform:

• Lay on your back in the supine position with arms overhead
• Raise your R leg and start crossing it over the body
• Begin to roll your body over towards your left using nothing but the lower body
• Continue to rill until in the prone position on your stomach

Repeat: Roll back and alternate sides for 1 minute

2. Slow Pledge Pushup

Purpose: To improve torso stability

How to perform it:

• Start in a pushup position with hands directly under shoulders and feet wide for stability
• While pushing the floor away and keeping the hips as still as possible, slowly raise the R hand to the L shoulder, tap, and slowly bring back to the starting position
• Alternate to the other side

Repeat: 10 total repetitions; 1 tap to each shoulder is one rep

​Cheers to some rolling and pledging today,
Coach Cari

"I
Already
Knew
That"

We know a lot of things, don’t we? We know that:

• Exercise is good
• Broccoli is healthy
• Sugar is a bad choice
• Water is a necessity
• 7-9 hours of sleep is important

We all KNOW that, don’t we? Of course we do, but we are not all DOING IT, so it is worth repeating and worth listening to. We can all afford to be better. We all have certain areas that are harder than others. It doesn’t matter if you KNOW THAT. It matters if you are doing it. Actions elicit a change, not brain power. Don’t write off encouragement and accountability just because you know better. Everyone needs a coach. A coach is someone who gets a person to do something they DON’T WANT TO DO!

Listen up and let us coach you. You’d be surprised what you can learn and how different coaches resonate with you and help you change.

Make it happen,
Coach Meagan

I wanted to write this short post for 2 reasons:

1. To recognize Coach Cari (because I know she's too humble to do it herself)
2. To show you once again:
• that everyone, regardless of if its a coach or student, will often underestimate themselves
• that you can be strong without being big and bulky

Here is a play by play of what happened this morning during deadlifts:

Me (Coach Adam) to Coach Cari: "I want you to give the 175 trap bar a try next round."

Coach Cari: "What!?!? There’s no way."

Me: "Don't worry. I will be watching you. If it doesn't look right, I will tell you to stop."

Coach Cari: “Okay.”

Coach Cari (upon stepping into the trap bar and grabbing the handles): "I'm not even going to be able to get this off the ground." 

She proceeds to lift it off the floor with perfect form on the first rep, then proceeds to lift it 6 more times!

Me (admittedly somewhat mockingly, but in a good way): “I thought you said you couldn’t lift it?”

So for those of you keeping track at home, Coach Cari, who weighs a little over 120lbs, lifted 175lbs 7 times!! Based on that, it can be estimated that she could lift almost DOUBLE her bodyweight once! I have a feeling she most definitely could since the only reason she stopped at 7 was because the round ended. This is after being part of the Get Fit Family for less than a year, not as if she did powerlifting before she started with us. 

Congrats Coach Cari, that’s a huge accomplishment!! And she was able to accomplish that while still being able to fit through the doorway without turning sideways (aka being huge and bulky). This is real data, from someone you all know, have met, and trains the same way you do that SHOWS you can still be strong and be lean. In fact, if you want to be lean, you must be strong, that’s just how it works. Stop giving yourself the excuse and lift heavy!

-Coach Adam

The last few weeks I’ve written about two reasons that over specialization can harm kids: it can hamper your child's performance, and it can lead to burning out. The third and final reason over specialization can be detrimental to a child is the damage it could potentially cause to them as an adult. I talked in my last article about the mental aspect of overspecialization and the effects it can have if the child has bad experiences or experiences serious disappointment to the point of wanting to quit. The even more dangerous possibility is a mental block causing kids to dislike exercise, or at the very least, to equate exercise to disappointment and anxiety and want avoid it entirely.

This is assuming that kids only experience the general types of issues. They’re parents are not forcing them to do something they no longer enjoy, they aren’t trying to live through them, or even worse, berating their own kids or other kids for not playing well or living up to the ridiculous standard they have set. I have witnessed this in the past and it is a very frightening and distressing sight to see. One surefire way to turn a child off from exercise is to have them experience it in a negative light. Most kids are resilient and often aren’t pushed to that extreme, but ones that are and start to see exercise as nothing but stress, anger, and disappointment will become adults that hate exercise. 

We all know that diet is important for body composition and overall health. But an adult that hates exercise because it has had nothing but negative impact as a child, will never be as healthy or live as full a life as they could otherwise because they will be missing the exercise piece of the health puzzle.

-Coach Adam

Yes, that says "sportlight", and yes, it was on purpose 🙂

After speaking with Kyle Hill’s dad, Tom, as well as speaking with Kyle, I decided this was a great subject for my next spotlight. Kyle was a part of my Athlete Academy program for several months before starting to play on several baseball teams this spring. Over those several months I saw major improvements in Kyle in just about every facet. He got stronger, he got more flexible, and in turn his play got better. Below is some information from Kyle himself about his experience in Athlete Academy.

“I originally started Athlete Academy to get stronger and to become a better player in general. Before starting I did not have much prior knowledge on how to correctly work out and gain strength.

I pitch, play center field, and also play shortstop for Concord High Baseball. I've played baseball since before first grade and played on numerous levels from Babe Ruth up to Concord Cannons. Since doing Athlete Academy, I have noticed a major difference in my performance on the field. My bat speed has improved greatly, making it easier to hit faster pitching, I have become a faster runner on the base paths, and there is also a difference in velocity while pitching.

These improvements are all thanks to Athlete Academy and I would have never gotten better in this way without it. The best part of Athlete Academy is having a coach like Coach Adam there to push you and make you get better and also having the other athletes there to support you as well.”

I am extremely proud of Kyle for taking the steps to get him to the enormous potential he possesses. Great job, Kyle! Can’t wait to get out and see some games this spring!

-Coach Adam

The orange wristband corresponds with the rotary stability test that took place in the quadruped position. This test helps us coaches analyze the functioning of your pelvic, hip, and shoulder girdle stability when combined with an upper and lower body movement. The ability to complete this exercise tells us that you’re transferring of energy from the lower body to the upper body during and exercise should be performed well, with minimal risk of injury.

The focus on this movement pattern is more so STABILITY, where the Active Straight Leg Raise and Shoulder ROM tests demonstrated your MOBILITY.

What is this band for?

The orange wristband protects you from potential injury during explosive movements (listed below). When there is a possible disconnect between the upper and lower body, a less than ideal result may occur. Through proper core stability exercises, we can work to make things smooth and efficient from head to toe!

What does this mean when it comes to exercise?

Power movements are done carefully and may be avoided to stay injury free.

Examples of exercises not performed with an orange band:

• Sandbag cleans
• KB squat to clean
• KB swings

Well, how can I work to get out of my band? I want to do some of those exercises!!!

Core stabilizing exercises should be performed often, so often that you may even begin dreaming of them!

1. Walkouts

Purpose: to strengthen the abdominals

How to perform it:

• Begin standing with feet hip/shoulder width apart
• Reach for the floor while keeping the legs straight and beginning walking hands out until in a pushup position
• Pause with hands directly under shoulders
• Slowly walk hands back towards your feet and stand up completely

Repeat: 1 minute

2. Slow Mountain Climbers

Purpose: to strengthen the abdominals while in motion

How to perform it:

• Start in a pushup position- hands under the shoulders and with the ankles, knees, and glutes squeezed together
• Slowly bring the right knee towards the right elbow for 3 seconds
• Slowly bring the right knee back towards the other leg for 3 seconds
• Repeat with left leg
• *Focus on keeping your hips stable to minimize your hips from rocking side to side

Repeat: keep alternating legs for 1 minute

Let's conquer this band together,
Coach Cari

Did you know that your attitude and your actions have a GIANT impact on the people around you? I am not just referring to your family, either.

If you are fired up and excited about something, I’ll betchya others will want to know what has you so excited. You did your first chin up- WHAT?! That’s a huge deal. People get excited for you and they are inspired by you. Wow - you can do a chin up? You are STRONG! That’s great. What a POSITIVE influence you are.

You are eating vegetables like they’re going to stop popping up from the ground and you’re drinking more water than a fish and you are feeling AMAZING! People want to know what the heck you’re doing and jump on that bandwagon. Your friends are like holy smokes - I’m ditchin’ the wine, pass me the H20!

But let’s turn the tables…

We’re setting goals in training and YOU roll your eyes at the vegetable theme that we have going on this month. You tell Sally Mae next to you, "Whatever, I don’t need someone to tell me to eat more vegetables."

You POISONED someone else. What if that person hasn’t had a veggie in weeks and they just needed that little kick in the pants to jump on the band wagon and you just mocked the thought of it. They don’t want you to see them put their name on the veggie board.

Words matter. Whether you want to believe it or not you have an effect on the people you around. Whether it’s at home, at work, at the gym or wherever. Your words mean something. None of us have arrived yet. We can all afford to be just a little bit better. So do yourself and others a favor and be positive. 365 days a year X 1% better every day is a transformation I’d love to see from everyone!

Make it happen,
Coach Meagan

Get the tissues out with this one. After reading this you will not be able to stay discouraged or no motivated. Debbie is the meaning of the word, ‘Determined’. I’m pretty sure that if you looked it up in the dictionary her picture would be there. With her determination she has increased the level of intensity in the whole room. I believe Debbie’s crew pushes harder because Debbie pushes so hard. Remember to grab a box of Kleenex.

Debbie on the left getting her I Survived shirt

“As a (3x) Cancer survivor and loss of my right leg from just above the knee down, my absolute biggest challenge would be to keep my motivation up and lose weight and be more mobile. After my last episode with Cancer which was in September of 2015, the cancer medicine that was prescribed to me to take on a daily basis would make me feel fatigued and increased my weight as a side effect. Goals would be set to focus on diet and exercise but I would always fail after the first day or two. All the healthy fruits and vegetables I would buy and intend to eat that week would end up going bad. As I was growing up I was never much of a vegetable eater. It was something I have always avoided.

After my last doctor’s appointment in January of this year I felt discouraged after seeing my weight on the scale at the doctor’s office. I felt the demons inside me were beating me up and at that time I decided to do something about it. This is the first time in my entire life I felt a change needed to be made to better myself.

After my workouts and eating the healthier foods, my weight has gone down. My energy level has gone up with a sense of highness. I feel more flexible and toned. The ability to just bend over without holding my breath has gone away. I have noticed and have received compliments that I have lost weight in my face. I can feel the change in my body every day.

If you need strength, encouragement, positive results and a better outlook on yourself, then Get Fit NH is the key. It’s not just a gym. It’s the positive atmosphere and encouragement from the coaches; I’ve also made new friends.

During my episodes of cancer I have always stayed positive and upbeat. I have never asked “why me”. With the love and support of family and friends it was all I needed to make it through. Since the time when I lost my leg people were always impressed with what I could do. I have been through many obstacles in my life and have not let any stop me from what I want to do. My motto is “Where there is a will, there is a way”. It is what I always say to myself.”

Debbie truly shines in the spotlight with a smile! Thank you Debbie for shining at Get Fit NH.

-Coach Nancy

I am writing this blog in hopes of explaining the importance of the white wristband that some of you may wear fashionably around your wrist. Although some of you know of an existing or previous shoulder condition that may be hindering your mobility and shoulder range of motion, many of you feel pain free and pressing overhead may not cause any uncomfortable sensations when performing that motion. Lots of factors come into play when performing our shoulder mobility test- the test checking to see if you should be wearing the corresponding white wristband. Don’t be ashamed and don’t become discouraged, as there are many ways to work your way out of this band and improve mobility in your upper body!

What is this band for?

• This test asses:
• Scapular mobility and thoracic spine flexibility
• Shoulder mobility in a combination of motions: internally rotate and adduct one shoulder while externally rotating and abducting the opposite shoulder
• Symmetry between left and right sides
• A red flag on this test is attributed to limited ROM or pain! Some of our red flags would include having slouched posture/ rounded shoulders – possibly from sitting in a chair all day (which can result in shortened latissimus dorsi and pectoral muscles), a previous injury and or scar tissue buildup, or having pain while performing the impingement test

What does this mean when it comes to exercise?

We want to be cautious of overhead exercises! The current status of limited shoulder mobility or shoulder pain can result in compensation by utilizing mobility of the spine to perform the exercise (which will then make for a very unhappy back over time!).

Examples of exercises not performed with a white band:

• Overhead pressing of any sort: with resistance bands, dumbbells, etc.

This is where becoming best friends with the two exercises listed below: Open Book and Quadruped Extension Rotation will be important. Also, remember to take warm up seriously on the training floor and focus on your breathing. Belly breathing is very important and helpful in order to unnecessary tension out of the shoulders and traps.

1. Open Book

Purpose: to improve mobility of the thoracic spine

How to perform it:

• Lie down on your side, bring your top leg forward and anchor it down on foam roller
• Stack both hands chest height
• Reach the top arm forward, slowly rotate the top arm back while following that hand with your eyes
• Slowly close it back up

Repeat: 1 minute on each side

Don't do it: if you experience pain during the exercise

2. Quadruped Extension Rotation

Purpose: to improve extension & rotation in the T-spine

How to perform it:

• Get onto all fours: hands and knees, and sit your bum back on your heels
• Slide your left elbow back so it is touching your left knee and place your right hand behind your head
• Begin with the right elbow touching the left elbow and then begin to slowly reach the right elbow up and back rotating at the thoracic spine (follow the elbow with the eyes)
• Slowly close back up

Repeat: 1 minute on each side

Don't do it: if you experience pain during the exercise

Happy stretching,
Coach Cari