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A while ago I read a book called, “The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess”. This book was written by some of the finest coaches in the industry – Lou Schuler, Cassandra Forsythe, and Alwyn Cosgrove. There is a quote in the book that I think of often when I am coaching:
“Your body’s goal is to reach stasis so it can stop making adaptations to the stresses you impose on it. Your goal is to keep imposing new stresses so your body keeps making adaptations.”
Now despite the name of the book, this quote applies to anyone looking to get strong, get lean, burn fat and build muscle. We talk about weight selection often. A lot of times you’ll hear your coaches remind you to pick up something heavy! Let me explain to you why we stress this so much.
I will start by telling you some of the things we take into consideration when writing a training program for you to get effective results:
• Safety
• Efficient and effective exercise selection
• Purposeful exercise selection
• Purposeful timing sequences
• Mastery
• Exercise progressions for all fitness levels
If you have been training with us for some time, then you probably know that we have specific strength days and specific metabolic day. Allow me explain what is happening in your body on those days.
Strength Days:
I won’t get too scientific on you. I just want to educate you. The more you know about what’s going on inside your body, the more educated you’ll be when selecting your heavy weights.
These days are designed to tear into your muscles fibers and allow them the opportunity to grow and get stronger upon recovery. Let me give you a personal example:
Dumbbell Bench Press- If these are programmed into my upper body day, then I am going to start by selecting 5 pounds more than what I KNOW I can lift. You see, if in my mind I already know I can press those 35 pound dumbbells, then my body definitely knows I can already do that. If I want to see a change in my body and my performance (which I do) then I need to try something more. My muscles already know I can do that. My body has adapted to that stress already. I need to create a new stress. I need to tear into those muscle fibers and allow them the opportunity to tear, recover/rebuild and grow.
Recovery:
I know you’ve heard us explain the importance of recovery- but let me explain based on the example above. Let’s say on Monday I just did my dumbbell bench press. I need to give myself at least Tuesday and Wednesday to allow those specific muscle fibers to rebuild and recover. In your training program, we are conscience about tearing into the same muscle fibers two days in a row. You may have heard us explain how your body does its best work when you’re recovering and here is why. Those exercises require more energy to perform and consume a lot more energy as your body recovers from them. Which means after you kill it on the training floor you will continue to burn calories as your body tries to recover and rebuild those muscle fibers. Which means you’re still burning on Tuesday from your training session on Monday!
BUT- if you select a weight that your body already KNOWS it can perform, then you’re not doing yourself any favors.
Quick side note for the Ladies- Believe me, picking up heavy load WILL NOT make you bulky. That is a whole other blog in itself- but just know you do not have the testosterone in your body to create such results. Leaner, faster, stronger, healthier means kill it on your strength days- pick up something heavy!
The fitness industry is always improving. You can rest assured knowing that you’ve hired professional coaches who are consistently continuing their education to keep up with the improvements. We will continue to learn how we can help YOU get the safest results- that is a guarantee.
Until then, keep making it happen!
Coach Meagan
Follow the plan. Don’t try to outsmart it, just follow it.
So I am finishing up a specific nutrition plan for the second time. I tried it last year. No need to get super specific, but basically it’s a 28-day nutrition “challenge” for lack of a better term. It’s designed to help get you kick started or blast through a barrier.
Let me tell you the difference between last year’s attempt and this year’s attempt. First and foremost, I did the training mentioned in the plan this year. It was planned out for me, day by day, week by week and I followed it to the T this year. Last year I tried to outsmart it. Instead of doing as much lifting, I just did our two metabolic days here and did some other stuff on the side. So I didn’t follow the plan. Last year, I also decided I was going to try my own supplements. I didn’t use several of the ones suggested in the plan, and just went out and bought similar versions of some of the things mentioned. This year, I just went straight to the source and bought the kit for the challenge. Everything they suggested, and everything I needed.
So just to recap – last year I tried to outsmart it and do it differently, and this year I followed it step by step, supplement by supplement, training exercise by training exercise, even down to the amount of rest between sets.
Here were my results (granted, I still have a week left, but still…):
Last year: lost 10 lbs and lost .5% bodyfat, almost 7lbs of muscle
This year: lost 12lbs and lost 3% bodyfat, while increasing muscle mass
So again lets recap – last year I tried to outsmart the challenge and my results…not what I wanted at all. This year, I followed it to the T, and with a week still left…almost exactly what I wanted.
It just goes to show, follow the plan. For those of you that are doing S3 especially, FOLLOW THE PLAN!!!! You guys are paying for our successes and our failures, so trust the system we have laid out for you to lose that weight, don’t deter from it, and see it through to the end. Its already thought out, poured over, hours of work and variables thrown into the mix. All you have to do is follow it and you will be successful.
Make it Happen,
Coach Adam
Recently, I had myself a little pity party because of some pain I had been dealing with. It was bad. It was downright embarrassing, actually. I skipped training, drank a glass of wine and ate like crap. Guess how I felt the day after? The exact same – go figure. Not only was I still in just as much pain, I also felt regret for skipping training and eating like crap. Maybe you think your coaches are these super humans who never get down on themselves and never make bad choices and never get hurt, but that’s so far from the truth. I will speak for myself here – I am human (and I am pretty sure my fellow coaches are too!). I need help and more importantly I NEED A COACH! Guess who came to my rescue when I was down on myself?
Coach Dean. Yep. That’s right. Your coach is my coach. He needs a coach, I need a coach, we all need a coach.
I want to come to your rescue, too. We all throw ourselves a little pity party now and then. It is important that you let someone rescue you. Don’t build on your pity party. Don’t use pain as an excuse to make bad choices. You know and I know that skipping training and poor nutrition don’t lead to a pain free life or a happy life.
Let’s keep making it happen. Together we will keep training smarter and eating better 🙂
Coach Meagan
Has this happened to you? You were getting results steadily for months and then all of a sudden you are at a standstill? Scale isn’t moving, bodyfat won’t budge, FIT3D scans looks pretty much the same?
First of all, congratulations. Hitting a plateau reveals that you have successfully made a change. Your new habits have taken you in the direction you were trying to go – score! So, now what? You still aren’t exactly where you want to be, so what is something else you can work on adopting as part of your day to day routine?
• You already stick to the 90/10 rule.
• You are training consistently (2-4x each week as recommended by your coach)
• You’re drinking at least 64 oz of water each day
• You take a multi vitamin
• You take your fish oil
If you have those things down and you have hit your plateau, then it doesn’t hurt to do a period of focused nutrition. Luckily, we are always rolling a 21-day Jumpstart, so your opportunity is always there. The Jumpstart isn’t just a one and done challenge. It is something you will benefit from doing 3-4 times a year. Nutrition is a skill. You can always work on mastering your skill. There is always room to improve and learn something new.
Let me give you an example of a real Get Fit NH student. She gave me permission to share her story with you all. In May 2015, we had our annual Sizzling Summer Slimdown (S3) challenge. During the challenge, this student did so well! She was 100% compliant and lost 16 pounds. After the challenge was complete, I challenged her to lose a certain bodyfat percentage by September. She did monthly bodyfat scans and each month her bodyfat dropped a little more. In September, she didn’t meet that goal, but she didn’t give up there. She was disappointed, but she kept moving forward. She stuck to her 90/10 rule which was a new habit and we added a water goal. She nailed the water goal and each month she came in and measured less than the month before. Fast forward 10 months later. This student is STILL holding on strong to her habits. Since May, she is down 35 pounds and 10% bodyfat! At her last appointment, we discovered she hit her plateau. Her bodyfat for the first time in 10 months stayed the same and her weight for the first time in 10 months didn’t budge. She was disappointed, but that is nothing to be upset about.
There are many ways for you to climb over your plateau. The 21-day Jumpstart is a good starting point. The next step may just be to take a focused nutrition course with Coach Nancy. She offers a 10-week nutrition course, Essential Nutrition. While the Jumpstart tells you WHAT to eat, Essential Nutrition teaches you HOW to eat.
I know all of you came here to make it happen. When you are healthier, you are automagically happier and THAT is our mission!
Make it Happen!
Coach Meagan
With recovery week right around the corner, I decided to write something in that frame of mind. Recovery is important, but not just in the instance of when we go on our week breaks. It is important on a day to day, week to week, and month to month scale.
Imagine that your body is a house. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that house has a mold problem (let’s call that your assorted health problems that may or may not occur). Now, the team that comes in to clean it out is your exercise. You think the more they can do, the better. They come in, they spray the house down, they scrape all the mold away, put in new ventilation and all that (I am certainly not an expert, so please don’t quote me on any of this). After a week, you get the word your house is completely mold free, but you say “Well, I’m not sure…”, and do it all again. This repeats and repeats and repeats. Before you know it, the pressure washers and scrapers are eating away at the interior of the house, and you have actually started to do more harm than good to the inside of the house. Not to mention run up a huge tab.
Sometimes exercise can work in the same way. We run ourselves ragged trying to fix problems with our bodies, so much sometimes that we actually make ourselves worse. Too much of a good thing can be bad in a hurry – morphine can take the pain away, but too much will kill you. I have started to see it more and more; having clients walk in the door 2-4 times a week, then spinning and doing all kinds of other stuff because they think if 4 days a week is good, then 6 days is better.
I’m here to tell you that is not the case. This is not your fault – we have been conditioned to think that the more exercise we can possibly get, the better it is for us, and that there is no point where that line graph takes a dive. This is portrayed by the media, by the big companies that control it. Now, I’m not going all conspiracy theory on you, but it makes sense doesn’t it? Coca-Cola isn’t going to tell you it’s product is unhealthy. Instead, it’s going to champion exercise and sponsor exercise events. It’s going to tell you how important it is to get as much exercise as possible because it draws attention away from the fact that the soda mutilates the inside of your body. It’s the reason we see commercials all about getting out and exercising, but nearly nothing about healthy eating.
You have also probably been lead to believe that if you beat yourself into the ground with exercise, it will undo what those foods have done or will do. The only thing you are really doing is breaking your body down by not giving yourself the time to recover and making things worse. Of course, I am not saying that if you like to run or bike that you shouldn’t do it. You should do the things that make you happy, we would never want you to be miserable. This is for those that don’t like doing any of that, but think that it is some secret shortcut to getting healthy… “If I train 4 days a week at Get Fit, I can lose 45 lbs in 6 months…but maybe if I train 6 days a week I can cut it to 4 months”. While you might lose some weight initially, I guarantee you will start having injury problems and the like. It’s as simple as giving your body a chance to recover, some good sleep, some good protein, and taking a daily dose of chill pill. I promise if you follow that formula, you will get where you want to be.
Make it Happen!
-Coach Adam
This word I am about to share with you holds the key to your progress, your goals, and your results! Ready?
Consistency
I have touched on this a little in the past, but it is so important that I am talking about it again 🙂 . We are impatient. You, me and everyone else who has a goal! We set ourselves this goal, we create action steps, we execute, and then BAM! Things aren’t happening fast enough, we get irritated and too often we say forget it.
Time out. Let’s think about this.
1. Have you actually been disciplined to your action steps for at least 6 weeks?
For example, you said you were going to train 2-4 times per week, because you want to lose fat, build muscle, look great, feel great, or whatever your goal may be. Did you do that piece? If you have that part down, then it’s onto the next part. If not, then let’s make that happen. Training once a week or missing weeks at a time is hurting your results.
2. Have you gone to a Grateful Plate Seminar/participated in a 21-day Jumpstart?
If the answer is no, then my next question is why? You have nothing to lose by taking part, except for maybe a few pounds that you were trying to shed anyways. You will gain knowledge, even more coaching, new recipes, support, and I BET you will learn something about yourself.
If you stay consistent with training hard and eating to support your training, then I betchya you will see results! Last week I talked about the common question we get, “What else can I do to meet my goals?”
Your answer: Be consistent. There are two very important pieces to this puzzle. You can’t turn your back on one and expect to get to where you are trying to go. Train hard when you are supposed to be here and eat to support your goals. If you are not sure how to do that, then I have great news for you…
You hired a coach and we can help 🙂
Coach Meagan
I finally got around to seeing the movie “Creed” this weekend. For those of you that haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. It’s essentially a spinoff of Rocky focusing on a son of Apollo Creed, hence the title. I have felt that this movie, and the previous one, have had some great parts that explain struggles in life, including one part in this movie that I found I very much enjoyed.
To set the scene, Rocky and Adonis are training, when Rocky says to Adonis, “Come here I want to show you something”. They proceed to walk over to a large mirror on the wall. Rocky points to Adonis’s reflection in the mirror and says, “You see this guy here? That’s the toughest opponent you’re ever going to have to face. I believe that’s true in the ring, and I think that’s true in life”. He follows that up by saying, “Now show me something”, as Adonis jabs into the mirror. Rocky then says, “Now, I want you to notice something, every time you throw a punch, he throws one right back at you”.
I just thought this was a great example of how to approach life. Your biggest opponent is always going to be you. Only YOU can decide how hard you work for something. Only YOU can decide if something’s worth it. Only YOU can decide whether or not someone else beats you to the punch because you weren’t quick enough.
Dealing with the second part of that quote, you also have to be prepared for and accept the fallout of your actions. When you make a decision, you have to be prepared that the decision might come back to punch you in the face, in a matter of speaking. It’s just another way of saying, bad or good, awful or great, you are in control of your life and what comes your way. The punches you take are often ones you could have avoided. In some cases, it’s because you threw it yourself and it comes back around. So just remember – the only person who can truly control your life is you. So make it a good one.
Make it Happen,
-Coach Adam
I want to address a rather common question we hear…
“What else can I do when I am not at Get Fit NH to get results faster?”
This is a long answer. Often the question is in regards to training. Should I be running and training on my own on Wednesday and weekends? The answer to that is NO. Absolutely not. You hired a coaching service and you participate in a training program that doesn’t require any additional training to get results. It works.
Ready for the long part?
Here is what you could be doing and should be doing to get your results in gear…meal plan, grocery shop, meal prep. That will always be my answer if you are wondering what else you should be doing outside of these walls. You will never out train poor (or pretty good) nutrition. Wednesdays and weekends are your opportunity to set yourself up for success for the next 3-4 days. If your goal is fat loss and all you’re doing is training, then you are probably getting pretty ticked off with your results. Sure, you can lose some weight and get stronger without changing your nutrition, but it won’t last. Coach Nancy talks about the bicycle. The front wheel is nutrition and the back wheel is training. If one wheel is rolling and the other is not, where are you going? Not very far, if anywhere, right?
No one likes that answer when I tell them that. So if you are frustrated with your results and you just don’t know where to start, then jump on the next 21 Day Jumpstart. We are always running a detox. If you are not willing to change your nutrition, then you are not willing to change your body.
Do you want to make it happen?
Coach Meagan
“Training gives us an outlet for suppressed energies created by stress and thus tones the spirit just as exercise conditions the body.” –Arnold Schwarzenegger
Recently, I talked about stress as it relates to the body’s fight or flight mechanism. About how babies breathe from the belly, but when stressed they start breathing from their chest (have to give credit where credit is due, that information came from Coach Dean). About how stress, frustration, and anger in this modern age is our fight or flight. No one has to worry about stepping out their front door to make a mad dash for the car because there is a saber tooth tiger in waiting. So it manifests itself in stress – stress from work, stress from home, stress on the road. We hold that stress in our shoulders and neck as we enter a state of constant alertness.
That fight or flight reaction was not meant to be running as often as it is today. You face stress in some way or another every day. While that fight or flight may have had to be used in more severe circumstances in the past, it was not used as continually. Think about this – how many people have something traumatic happen? I mean something that really kick starts that fight or flight…when you are about to be in a car accident and you are bracing…when someone scares the heck out of you…or you find yourself in a situation that really, truly frightens you. Anyone ever notice that for some time after that, you are almost more relaxed than before? All that pent up stress and energy suddenly gets released. After you have really feared something, all the little stuff suddenly doesn’t feel as stressful anymore because you felt real fear, for a time at least.
What I’m getting at is that it all comes down to energy and energy process in the body. Of course, I do not want people to go out and experience any of those things. I wouldn’t wish that on people. For those of you that have been in those situations though, you probably know what I mean.
Well, guess what else helps with that? Training. Training is a natural outlet for those suppressed energies. Like I said, what it comes down to is energy, using up that suppressed rage and frustration so afterword you feel lighter.
What happens if you have no outlet? Long day of work, boss beats on you, kid is sick, water pump busts, but you don’t train, not that day and not the next. You just go to bed (or try to) with all that built up energy. You end up in that constant state of fight or flight because there is no outlet, no release. That constant state of alert is not healthy. It causes tons and tons of problems on all different biological fronts. So don’t let that happen. Get in here, train that stress away, and relax.
Make it Happen!
-Coach Adam
This week’s spotlight is shining on Karen Juall. Karen has made major strides since joining us here at Get Fit NH. She has made a habit of coming in consistently and taking advantage of the tools available to her. Here are some of her own words about the changes that have occurred for her since joining Get Fit NH.
“My shoulder pain is practically gone! Between the expertise on specific movements and CJ, I can now work-out with almost no pain in my right shoulder! This makes me energized and confident in the GFNH coaches.
So many previous times, I joined exercise classes only to stop because of pain/injury – they pushed me too hard – I was left to myself – no one cared to help me work through it in such a way as you did. I am amazed not only with the fact that I have almost 0 pain now, but that I have achieved this miracle by still working-out!
I credit GFNH, especially Meagan, who quickly referred me to CJ who I am still not finished with. Quite an impressive TEAM, all of you!
When it came to the ladders, I went from being totally inept to being able to jump all the way through – and I did it several times!
All of you are so accepting of my limitations while continuing to help me with proper form. I’m in awe of your collective abilities.
My MyZone has given me the confidence to stress my heart and watch it come down. Remember the day when I was dizzy and had to sit down? I have come a long way in a short time. You guys are miracle workers!!”
I am extremely proud of how far Karen has come and how hard she has worked at it. Great Job Karen and keep up the good work!
-Coach Adam
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