Will Russo!

Will has been a member of GFNH’s Athlete Academy dating back to last year. I have had the distinct pleasure of being able to watch him grow stronger and faster. I was stoked last week during a set of front squats - I had the athletes increase their weight because they were doing less repetitions. Will increased the weight, did more repetitions than was required, then turned to me and said “wait we were only supposed to do 6 reps and I did 8? I could only do six reps of this weight before!”. It was awesome to see and hear that even he has started to see all the hard work pay off. Here's what Will has to say:

Will is on the right in the blue Falcons jersey

"Coach Adam,
I believe that without Athlete Academy, I wouldn't be able to be an adequate member of my soccer team. I attribute my faster speed in sprinting and long distance, of which I have greatly improved, to this program! Thanks!"
-Will R

I am extremely proud of Will and how hard he has worked! Keep up the awesome work and you will continue to succeed (no pun intended).

-Coach Adam

I have to settle this misconception once and for all! It is a privilege to be your coach. When you hire anyone, you reserve the right to have expectations and ask questions. As your coach, we work to be problem solvers WITH you not FOR you. So let me give a few examples of what I am getting at...

• If you need a modification. Something hurts. You are unable to perform an exercise. It is NOT a nuisance for us to find something that WILL work.
• If you don’t understand why we are doing an exercise or a specific training cycle or type of training, it is NOT a nuisance for you to ask WHY. There is a reason behind what we do and we can always do a better job keeping you in the loop.
• If you are not making the progress you think you should be making, it is NOT a nuisance to ask for help setting realistic goals and reasonable action steps.
• It is our job to know exactly how your body is feeling, what hurts today, if you are sore, if you are tired, if you are excited and if you are stressed, so you are NOT a nuisance for sharing those things with us!
• It is NOT a nuisance for those of you with whacky schedules who need to jump around training times. We are THRILLED you are keeping your commitment and when you let us know you make us even more thrilled, because you are expressing your commitment

I know our relationship is probably a little tighter than with, say, your accountant, but the expectation is the same. We are here to make your investment worth it and guide you to success.

-Coach Meagan

October 1st Hike Cancelled Due To Weather - See You Next Week!

Join us for some leaf peeping and all around fun while we hike the Northwood Meadows!

The 6:15 crew in Epsom began this tradition of hiking a while ago. We want you to join us. We'll be hiking the Northwood Meadows trail the first two Saturdays in October. It takes about an hour depending on how much leaf peeping you do. Dogs are welcome in the park.

Dates: October 1st & October 8th
Time: 8am in the parking lot
Location: Northwood Meadows State Park

This is my inaugural Athlete Academy specific blog, although many of you may also find it helpful. This post, as most of mine do, has to do with the mental aspect of training and performing. When it comes to athletes, this is extremely important.

Many times, athletes who have all the skill in the world never reach their potential because they don’t have that “killer instinct” for lack of a better term. They go into a tryout or a competition thinking “I don’t know these kids, I haven’t played or raced these kids, they are probably better than me”. I have had this happen to me in the past. I remember trying out for soccer my freshman year and thinking exactly that. So I was nervous, tentative, and just didn’t have the confidence to let my skill do the talking. As a result, I didn’t make the team and didn’t get to play my freshman year.

You have to have that mental capacity, the belief that “I have worked my butt off, I will win”. That’s where the “Too Fast, too strong” comes into play. You have to believe that you are faster than the other player heading for the loose ball, that if he comes to take it from you he won’t be able to because you are too strong. It’s in these moments that having confidence in ourselves is something that is a must. You have to believe you really are either too fast or too strong for that other team and that you will prevail.

I know that many of you may see this as arrogance, but here’s my response to that sentiment – if you believe you are too fast and too strong, and you get beat, guess what? That is yourself correct right there. If you truly believe in yourself and have confidence in yourself and you still get beat, then you know you have more work to do, but it will ultimately create that fire to keep it from happening again. So believe in yourself, believe that you are too fast, too strong, and if you allow it to, it will create the fire you need to be successful. Coach Adam out!

-Coach Adam

Our crock pot freezer meal workshop was so popular in the spring that we’ve decided to bring it back again! This time we're offering it on a Wednesday night in Epsom.

You cannot delay on this because spots fill up FAST!

I love cooking, but there are times when I don’t have the opportunity to cook each night. Lori from Epsom has been making freezer meals for the crock pot and raving about them, so she agreed to bring them to us!

These meals are another way to make dinner quickly and easily AND a different way to plan and prep your meals for the week or the month.

You could:

• 
  Find 5 recipes using only ingredients that can be frozen
• 
  Write out your grocery list (don’t forget the freezer bags, herbs, spices, oil, and vinegar)
• 
  Go shopping
• 
  Chop, cut, prep the ingredients and add them to freezer bags
• 
  Freeze
• 
  Thaw slightly and put in a crock pot to cook while you are busy with other things
  

But wouldn't it be better to avoid steps 1 through 3?

I thought so!

Sign up for the Crockpot Freezer Meal Workshop on October 5th and we will do the hard lifting for you.

Here are some of the comments from students who participated in our last crockpot workshop:

"I loved the crockpot seminar. It was fun and has been feeding my family for the past several weeks. We loved the cashew chicken and beef stew the best! I liked how we were able to leave with the meal completed and participate. Thank you for putting this on!"

"THANK YOU so much for sending these. I just loved the workshop and look forward to the next one. What a great way to prepare healthy meals quickly."

"I LOVED the Saturday class on crockpot freezer cooking. My husband and I had the balsamic chicken last night and it was great."

"I thought the class ran smoothly. I liked the set up, and it was fun to work with people I had never met. I really had fun."

Just to remind you, here are the 5 meals we will be making together and you will be taking home:

Each meal feeds 4 to 6 people, and they are yum-mee!

Space is limited to the first 15 that register, so get in on the Crock Pot Freezer Workshop by clicking the “Register Now” button below.

Crock Pot Freezer Meal Workshop
Date: Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Time: 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Location: Get Fit NH Epsom
Cost: $80 (that's just $16 for each meal that feeds 4-6 people!)

Please fill in the form below and let us know you want in on the November 5th Crockpot Freezer Workshop and we will notify you before it opens to the public!

This time on Marcia Trexler! Marcia is fairly new to the family, but has taken to the program and is always excited to be here, get better, and be coached. Listen to her story from Maria herself:

Why did you choose Get Fit NH?
I have known about Get Fit NH for several years now as I teach in Bow with several colleagues who have attended the program. Some of them have committed to their workouts with Get Fit NH for up to four years. I have seen their bodies transform. They are lean and strong. That latter description regarding their strength, I did not know about until I joined Get Fit and began this journey of transformation. I see what is on the outside - who knew they were so STRONG!

What changes did you notice in the first few weeks?
Strength- that is what I have observed about my own body changes since I joined Get Fit NH in mid-July. I am stronger. As I shared at my strength assessment meeting prior to starting, one of my rationales for joining was to stay strong and become stronger. I am a pretty active person. My teaching job as a FACS teacher (Family and Consumer Science - formerly Home Ec.) has me on my feet all day walking around my classroom. I have worn a Fitbit for about 2 ½ years now and I average 12,000 to 15,000 steps a day. I lift a lot of heavy things in my classroom. My husband jokes that I am strong because of the years of carrying and lifting grocery bags - double duty as I do it for school groceries and for home.

What outside of Get Fit NH has become easier since starting?
With all the bending and lifting I do in my job, I have found that the little aches and pains that would sometimes bother me are much reduced. I am more flexible. My movement is more fluid - I am still careful but have an increased level of surety as to how I move - like doing a “squat” (I think I am finally getting this one move down). I shared with Adam and Megan that as I approach age 60 and want to keep teaching for at least 5 more years, I need to take better care of my body - or it is not going to let me keep doing a job I love for many more years.

What are your goals?
What every woman wants - not just to age gracefully, but to look somewhat graceful and able-bodied. I have always thought that if I could be on dancing with the stars, I would need to be strong. I would need stamina. Being lean and strong can take you a long way with any physical challenge you choose to take on. Get Fit NH is a way for me to have future opportunities doing things I might not otherwise feel I could do and to continue to enjoy the activities I currently do for many years to come - like skiing, bike riding and kayaking.

What is your favorite part about Get Fit NH?
I love going! I find talking with the coaches is easy and they are always friendly. I enjoy meeting new people and like that my classmates are supportive and helpful. Many times they have “deciphered” the day’s exercises up on the board for me. Many of them have heard me say it is like “foreign language”. So, to sum up my experience thus far - I love going!!!

Keep up the hard work Marcia!
-Coach Adam

I have had the pleasure of meeting with a number of students who describe their training hour as a scheduled appointment. I wanted to share this thought with you, because it may help you adjust your mindset a bit.

When you have a doctor’s or dentist appointment, you have it written down or logged in your phone. You know that at 8 AM you will be where you said you were going to be, because someone is expecting you. Most of the time you will work the rest of your schedule around said appointment and if you just cannot attend then you do 1 of 2 things (usually) – you call to cancel or you reschedule….what am I getting at exactly?

I challenge you to make your training hour an appointment. When you schedule meetings and other outings, schedule around your set appointment. The luxury of training at Get Fit NH is that we are flexible. Of course every now and then life happens and you have to rearrange your schedule a bit. Another training hour is always open to you when life happens. Sometimes life happens all at the same time in one day and you really cannot make it- it happens and we won’t hold it against you! We won’t start to give you the coaching stare unless is becomes a habit!

The world we live in now is so fast paced. Our jobs, our kids, and our family are all a few factors that distract us from ourselves. When it comes to your health- be selfish. Get to your training appointment and do your best every month to get your name on that perfect attendance poster. You have the power!

-Coach Meagan

You want to lose that weight? You want to get stronger? Run faster? Run longer? Live forever? Whatever your goal is, you have to have the mentality that you need to push yourself to achieve it. Nothing in life worth achieving is easy.

We are constantly tested, constantly given that option that “Oh well, I really don’t feel like training, missing one day won’t hurt” or “It’s one double cheeseburger with bacon and ranch dressing, it’s not going to make that big of a difference, I’ll make up for it somewhere else”. Yes, missing one training in the grand scheme of things isn’t going to be dire. Yes, one cheeseburger by itself isn’t going to give you a massive heart attack (unless you have been having that one cheeseburger 2x a week for a while).

The problem we run into when we make these decisions is that we are mentally handicapping ourselves. You are teaching your mind to make it okay to skip training because you “don’t feel like it” and have that burger because “it’s not that big of a deal”. Guess what happens, though? Those choices become brain patterns and as we all know, once you do something once, it gets easier, and easier, and easier to make that decision again. So maybe the next time you want that burger or want to just stay at home on the couch, your brain already has that connection, that little voice that says, “You didn’t go the other day, and the world didn’t end, so I'll skip today too”. Before you know it you have missed 3 classes, then 4, then 5, and so on.

The good news - those brain patterns are also trainable in the other direction. You come in 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 times in a row, and you turn down that cheeseburger 3, 4, 5 times in a row… guess what happens? Think about it for a second…that’s right, your brain will pattern that as normal. Before you know it you will be halfway through your day thinking, “Man, I really don’t feel like training today” and all the sudden you will be on your way here in your car, without so much as a real second guess. Same with the nutrition. You keep saying no to that awful meal, guess what happens? Before you know it, you don’t even care that you’re not having it because your mind has already made that “burger bad” connection and it’s not even a tough decision.

This can be applied to anything, lifting heavy, or whatever you’re tackling. If you constantly underestimate yourself and think “I can’t lift that”, then you’re right, and until you push yourself in here (**points finger to head**) your fitness, nutrition, commitment, or the like, will never be as strong as it could be. So believe in yourself, and push yourself mentally and I guarantee you will get where you want to go.

Make it Happen!!!
Coach Adam

Cut it out! Each of you came to us for a reason. I challenge you to really think about what drove you in to Get Fit NH. Did you want to:

• Look better
• Feel better
• Move better
• Perform better

Are you exactly where you want to be now? I’m not. I don’t know that I will ever settle with where I am. There are always improvements to be made. Always more weight to be picked up. So where are you struggling the most? What do you KNOW you need to get under control?

Let us help keep you accountable to that goal. It is “easy” to say you want to lose 5 pounds this month. Anyone can say that, but can you put your money where your mouth is? That action step (or behavioral goal) is where the magic happens. Here are some solid examples of action steps- these are measurable and you can honestly say you did this or did not do this each day.

Action step examples:

• Eat 3 meals/day
• No eating after 7pm
• Perfect attendance
• Personalized warm ups daily
• 80 ounces of water daily
• Bed by 9pm
• No added sugars
• Plan each meal
• 0 calorie/sugar beverages

When we talk goals we are talking 4 week increments. Be realistic in what you can achieve in a 4 week period. Your coach is here to help you set a realistic goal.

Are you ready to make it happen?
-Coach Meagan

I have heard a lot of people referring to “balance” in the last few months.

Finding a way to be balanced… finding the right amount of starchy carbs to eat… balancing eating good stuff with eating junk they like to eat… or balancing what we say in terms of nutrition to what they have always been told about nutrition. Some believe they deserve to eat something because they see others eating it and it’s something they love the taste of, that they need to be able to balance what they should be eating with what they should not.

Here lies the problem: we all are different. We all have different bodies where some systems run better than others. Balance is a very relative term and until many of us realize that, we will most likely not achieve the goals we strive for.

When it comes down to it, what the body wants, what everything in life and nature wants, is homeostasis. This is the science-y word for balance. It’s the reason we sweat when our body is too hot, and we shiver when our body is too cold. Our body wants to maintain a certain temperature, too high and systems start to deteriorate and get damaged, the same if temperature gets too low. When body temperature gets too elevated, we sweat so that, essentially, the water can evaporate and carry the heat out with it. On the other end, when body temperature is too low, we shiver because muscular contraction creates heat. There are a million other examples, but you get the point.

The same types of principles come into play when we talk about nutrition. Like I said earlier, balance is a very relative term. If a person is considered balanced, it basically means that their system can effectively use and manage what they are putting into it.

This is where the differences arise. For example, my system may only be able to process 50 grams of carbohydrates before starting to store it as fat. Whereas a friend of mine, same age, may be able to process 100 grams before it starts to store any as fat (numbers are just for examples sake, there is no reasoning behind them other than that).

So does that mean that either one of us is unbalanced? Am I unbalanced because I see he can eat 100 grams but I can only eat 50? Does that mean I’m eating incorrectly? No, it does not. I know that my body can’t process carbohydrates like the same way my friend’s can, so I have to eat in a way that keeps my body in balance, not based on what other people consider balanced.

The other thing we have to realize is that many of us, myself included, treated our bodies with such imbalance for so long, that our threshold is significantly lower than it would be normally. Maybe if I hadn’t spent the better part of my early twenties downing Monster drinks and Domino’s pizza while playing Call of Duty, I might be able to eat 100 grams of carbs now. However, I put such an imbalance on my body during that time period, that I need to eat even more specifically to bring myself back to balanced.

It’s like taking a scale and putting 100 lbs on one side and having 25 lbs on the other side. That’s my starting point, which means that I have to work 75% harder on one side (add 75 more lbs, for the visual people) to get that back to neutral. Most of us (myself included) have damaged our bodies to the point that staying balanced now takes much more mindful eating than it would have had we not done that to ourselves.

I’m not trying to beat up on anyone. Many people unfortunately don’t know, or until now, haven’t been taught this. Even though they know junk food is bad, they never realized how badly things they thought were “nutritional” are actually hurting them.

So just remember when we talk about balance, it is extremely relative. Don’t get caught up in what you want to do, or what you feel you deserve you should based on someone else’s definition. Focus on what you know creates balance for you personally, and stick to it.

Make it happen!
-Coach Adam