This week in Coach Adam's Why Wednesday he talks about different ways to bring up the intensity of your workouts. He covers why speed is not always the only way to bring the intensity!

1.) Mentality:​​

​​​Probably the most important part of why training is important is the mentality or the mental strength that is required to do so.  Also on the flip side what you are reinforcing to yourself if you skip it. I'm not talking about skipping one Friday if something comes up and you just can't make it, I am talking about Fridays upon Fridays of skipping.  It teaches, even if it's just subconsciously, that its ok to not finish what you start. That after three days it “ok close enough”, that is a dangerous sentiment to have, it’s the same as taking the opportunity to do 21 days of clean eating and on day 20 saying “well I made it 20 how big of a difference is 1 day going to make”.  Nutritionally and training wise maybe not much, at first, however it’s a slippery slope at first its one week. Then the next week you think “I skipped Friday and felt fine, don’t really feel like going this week either” then the trend continues. Missing one class might not have a huge impact on training but if that trend continues that’s 4 classes a month and 48 classes a year.   Don’t give yourself an excuse to not finish what you started, it starts with one thing, but we are all humans, if we give ourselves and inch we will take a mile. It may start with training, but before you know it it’s bleeding over into nutrition and general life responsibilities. 

2.) Training:

The programming at Get Fit NH is designed to affect your system in different ways to elicit and overall training response.  Many of you already know this but training is written as 2 days of Metabolic work (most closely resembling cardiovascular training) and 2 days of strength work.  That means that the training is written to work as a whole balanced program over a weeks span, so missing a Friday leads to an unbalanced week of training. For the best training effect we have to take advantage of all of it.  Can you really tell me that missing 48 trainings in a year won't affect you?

3.) A general sense of accomplishment:

Its no secret that Fridays trainings are challenging, and on Friday you are tired, stressed, and ready to end your week as soon as possible.  The sense of accomplishment you will feel after making sure you gave it your absolute all and saw the week through to the end will be great. 

Fridays are important too, don’t give yourself and excuse, it probably will not stop there!

-Coach Adam

Are you letting your past dictate your future?  

When we have faced challenges in our lives it is easy to let them influence how we think about the present and future.  When I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2017 I was devastated because I was in so much pain I could hardly do daily activities or workout like I was used to.  It not only affected me physically but mentally and emotionally as well.  

When I came back to Get Fit NH I was thrilled to be a part of an awesome family again but I was worried about my body handling the training.  I am not in the same shape I was 3 years ago when I left Get Fit NH.  I will admit there have been times I have really beat myself up for that.  I remember during one trainings that was particularly difficult for me thinking how mad I was about what has happened to me over the past 2 years.  Then I realized that being mad about it is not productive and will not help me achieve my goals.  I have to make modifications to exercises that 3 years ago I could have easily done.  I am learning to accept that because if I train smart consistently I will achieve my goals.  I need to persistently make the choice daily, sometimes even hourly or even in a moment, to not let my fibromyalgia dictate my future. 

What challenges have you faced?  Injuries/illness, unhealthy eating habits, or making time for training?  Whatever your challenges have been know that it is never too late to make changes.  While we can learn from our past it does not have to control our future.  You have the choice to make changes and achieve your goals.  One of great parts about being a part of the Get Fit NH family is that you have a support system to help you move forward in a positive direction.  

Tell us your challenges.  Tell us your goals.  Together we will Make It Happen!

-Coach Erin

In this weeks Why Wednesday Coach Adam talks about the importance of the ladder drills and why we do them. There are so many helpful skills we learn while using them!

Front planks. Such a simple exercise, right? Such a simple exercise with a whole lot of coaching points! Let’s dig a little deeper in the picture..

Saggy hips:

• Extra, unnecessary pressure on low back! If we put a dowel rod on your back it should be able to balance beautifully on your head, back and glutes. So keep your hips up and belly button tucked toward your spine

Back curved

• If front planks hurt your back, this could definitely be why! We use the cue tuck your belly button to your rib cage or to your spine and when you do this it tilts your hips so they create straight back. The fancy term is to do a posterior pelvic tilt…I think we will stick to the English cues, what do you think 😉

Shoulders too far forward

• If your shoulders are seriously aching in a front plank, this could be why! If they are too far forward you are supporting a lot of weight on your joints. Stacking your shoulders right over your elbows creates a sturdy base to support your weight.

Hips too high

• In the picture, check out where my shoulders are. When your shoulders are too far back it leaves you no choice but to have your hips up high. So again, make your shoulders are stacked up over your elbows and keep your belly button tucked

We’ve got your back (literally)

Coach Meagan

Recover Week Is right around the corner! It is a wonderful week to help mentally and physically recover and take a break from all the hard work you have been doing.

There are so many great benefits when it comes to a recovery week and Coach Adam explains why! 

Side planks. Such a simple exercise (not east), but simple! There are a number of coaching points to be aware of here Let’s dig a little deeper in the picture..

Hips back:

• If we had a dowel rod running behind you it should be a straight line on your head, upper back and glutes. If you are looking down at your shoes you are going to throw your body into a “V” (as picture in bottom left picture) Push your hips forward, keep them up high and look straight ahead!

90 degree angle

• Arm angle is important on the side plank. Your shoulder needs a sturdy base to hold your bodyweight up. Your shoulder should be directly of your elbow and your forearm should be in line with your elbow creating a 90 degree angle. If you have your forearm flared out to the side you are putting a lot of pressure on the shoulder joint and that hurts! Also, push the ground up and away with your forearm so you are not putting the extra strain on your shoulder. Being passive in the side plank causes extreme discomfort.

Head and eyes straight ahead

• We already talked about looking at your shoes…don’t do that! Find a spot straight across the room to focus in on. You don’t want to be looking at the ceiling either, because that does not maintain a neutral spine. We talked about maintaining a straight line from head to toe. This should relieve neck strain as well

Keep making it happen,

Coach Meagan

This week for Why Wednesday Coach Adam continues to talk about forces put on the body and talks about the forward lunge progression!

I am very excited to announce that starting January 16th I will be holding a 6 Week Kettlebell Class from 6am to 7am! 

This class will focus on building strong kettlebell skills with basic movements and working on chaining them together to build a kettlebell flow. The point of kettlebell flows are to challenge the body metabolically, as well as working on flexibility, mobility, and body awareness. I believe all of those things are incredibly important for living stronger and healthier lives! 

The class will run for 6 weeks to start as a trial and is open to the FIRST 15 PEOPLE that sign up. The class is $99 for the entire 6 weeks of kettlebell fun! If this is something you are interested in please use the link below to sign up and join me for 6 weeks of kettlebell flow!