We had a great time at the 1st annual Wicked Winter Workout!
A very cool (very, very cool 🙂 training session followed by a healthy hot breakfast to thaw out a bit (complete with Nancy’s secret “frosting” recipe).
Thanks for the good times!
So, I’ve had writer’s block this week… until today! All week I would get a random thought in my head but nothing would mesh. No surprise there, it’s rare for my thoughts to mesh and make sense to a normal person.
Thanks goes out to my girl Robin! She totally rocks the 9:00am Ladies Class. She threw out the Spring Training Challenge for the day.
It was Spring Training Fun Friday with a game of baseball. Not your average, sit on the couch watching your baseball team play. Complete with a little happy nappy, a little refreshment and snack baseball game. Oh, and did I mention a little nap baseball game?!
It’s Get Fit NH BOOTCAMP Baseball! = No NAPS!, NO snacks, and NO couch!! It’s 1st base jumping jacks (?); 2nd base Ins/Outs; 3rd base StarJumps in order to score a run for your Team. OR a home-run is 25 squat thrusts. Actually, I’m not certain how many reps of each exercises 1st,2nd, & 3rd were because I’m a Home-Run girl. Just like Babe Ruth, I am pointing out to the stands – batter up baby! The only reason I remember all the exercises at all is because I was ‘lucky’ enough to demonstrate with 5 reps of each one at the start of the game.
Note to self: DO NOT arrive late for Nancy’s class!! Late arrivals become exercise demonstrators! (By the way… do I get to add the 5 squat thrusts to my total?)
Now for Robin’s Challenge: If we could beat her 350 squat thrusts, she would come back at 7:15pm to make up the difference.
Ooh… a Challenge!! If you haven’t met me, you should know I love a Challenge! Gotta love Robin because she knows this about me. What she may not have figured on is that there are several 6:00pm Challenge Masters. So, Karl, Mike and I (yup, me and the boys) set off to top the 350 squat thrusts.
After the first 100, I wonder how the heck did she get to 350? At 200, we finished the first 10 minute ‘game’. It’s no longer a game and more like ‘hard work’. I’m wondering, can I keep the same pace for the next 10 minutes when my legs are screaming and my heart is in my throat? 300, well great I can’t feel my legs anymore which could be a good thing. I can’t open my mouth for fear all my vital organs will come shooting out of my mouth. Once I hit 350, I matched Robin and I can stop. Then Nancy says 5 more minutes, really? I can’t just stop and rest for 5 minutes… must keep going. Plus the boys are still going, sooo, must keep going!
OK here’s the Truth: I had no idea how many squat thrusts I was doing at any time during the games. The lack of oxygen to the brain makes things a little fuzzy. By the end, I still couldn’t tell you… I could only count to 25 and start again at 1,2,3…
Final tally… 435, unless of course you add the 5 demonstration squat thrusts at the beginning of class (440)! I’m feeling every one of those bad boys let me tell you.
Tomorrow …I’m not looking forward to tomorrow. Lets add to the hurt though with a special Get Fit NH Bootcamp Snow Day! Oh yes, I plan to hobble on over. It’s gonna be a fun Sno-deo at the Carlsons… this “Arctic Cat” will see you there! Why because I am a Bootcamp Warrior Machine…
Blog you later!
gretchen
Because aerobic exercise is how you lose fat, so the more the better, right?
But if (or in this case when) I tell you that aerobic exercise is not effective for fat loss, what would you say?
That I am crazy, a liar, or both?
Well anybody can say anything, so let me offer you some proof from three different controlled studies (Thanks Alwyn Cosgrove).
***
Three Month Study
Conclusion: The addition of 45 minutes of aerobic exercise at 78% Max Heart Rate (which is moving) 5 days a week for 12 weeks had NO EFFECT over dieting alone
Int J Sport Nutr. 1998 Sep;8(3):213-22.
Influence of diet and/or exercise on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in obese women.
Utter AC, Nieman DC, Shannonhouse EM, Butterworth DE, Nieman CN
Six Month Study
Two groups:
Conclusion: No additional effect of aerobic exercise on body composition
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Jan 2
Effect of calorie restriction with or without exercise on body composition and fat distribution.
Redman et al
Twelve Month Study of Aerobic Exercise
Six hours of aerobic training per week for one year (60 mins per day, six days per week)
Average weight loss after one year was 3.5lbs or 0.3lbs per month
3.08lbs for women and 3.96lbs for men
Obesity 2007 June – 15:1496-1512.
Exercise Effect on Weight and Body Fat in Men and Women.
McTiernan et al
***
These studies clearly show that aerobic exercise (cardio) has little to no effect on body composition. In the best case scenario these subjects busted their butt for 6 hours a week and lost a grand total of 1/3 of a pound a month – OUCH!
The first thing to note is that in the first two studies nutritional changes were made, and that is the number one key to fat loss. You must make changes to your nutrition to positively affect your body composition. But from a fat loss standpoint the subjects might as well sat on the couch as spend up to 6 hours a week doing purely aerobic exercise.
Bummer, dude!
Here’s another one for you…
True or False? – All things being equal nutritionally (calories/macronutrients), then the more calories you burn during training, the more fat will be lost.
Stay tuned, we’ll get to that one next time.
Until then…
Keep Making It Happen!
Coach Dean
Nancy and I were at a health fair recently sharing the Get Fit NH goodness with the world (ok, not the whole world :), and a comment kept coming up from people as we talked to them:
It went something like this:
“I’m good, I go to the gym”
to which we follow up with...
“Great, what do you do there?”
and usually we hear about their adventures on an elliptical, or treadmill or something similar.
Our next question is “That’s cool, is there someone in the room that helps you with your training and gives you a plan?”
To which the response is “No, I just usually run for an hour, or do one of the programs on the machine”. In fact, today out of all the people we talked to only one (??) did any form of resistance training.
And that’s where the magic happens – when we explain to them that at Get Fit NH, not only is there a coach (or two or three) in the room, but they are actively coaching each client on safe form, good technique, and progressing or modifying as necessary.
Most of them think that’s the coolest thing ever.
You see there is a huge difference between hiring a room full of machines and hiring a professional coach. For some people the room full of machines is all they want, and that’s great. If that works for you I am all for it.
There is also a huge difference between Get Fit NH and other “class” options out there. We are group personal training. We are not up in front of the room leading the “class”. We are actively coaching, down on the floor when necessary, correcting and refining each movement to make sure our clients get the most out of their training.
After all that’s ultimately why our clients train – to get better – not just tired.
We have high expectations; of our clients for sure, but especially for ourselves. At the end of this post there is a copy of a sheet we hand all our clients outlining our mutual responsibilities. You will find that our expectations for ourselves outnumber our clients significantly. That’s not by accident.
Come experience Get Fit NH Bootcamp for yourself. Take advantage of our Two Week Free Tryout and find out why people all over Southern NH have chosen to train with us.
Make It Happen!
Coach Dean
What You Can Expect Of Get Fit NH Coaches
We believe that you want to be here and be an active participant in living a healthy lifestyle. It is our responsibility to provide you the fitness coaching you need to reach your health and fitness goals.
We will be enthusiastic and encouraging.
We will provide a safe environment in which to train.
We will always be assessing and coaching while you train in order that you can gain maximum benefit and be confident in what you are doing. We will ask you to stop what you are doing if we deem the execution of movement to be unsafe.
We will challenge you to work hard and to stretch yourself.
We will keep you accountable to your training days.
We will refer you to others in the health and wellness field when we believe that would be beneficial to your health and assist you in reaching your goals.
We will live what we teach, and take good care of ourselves so we can do our best for you.
We will continue to learn and grow through self-study, seminars, and workshops and by working with coaches and mentors.
We will live up to the highest ethical standards of our profession and treat all of our members professionally and courteously at all times.
What We Expect Of Our Clients
Do your best at all times and accept your current abilities.
Come every day with a positive attitude.
Avoid negative self-talk and minimizing your achievements.
Please do not use the word “Can’t”. Just because you are currently unable to do something doesn’t mean you won’t ever be able to do it.
Be present and ready to train at your scheduled class time.
Call, text or write when you are unable to come to a scheduled class.
Be prepared to laugh, learn, work hard, sweat, and succeed.
For all our amazing clients who so enthusiastically share Get Fit NH Bootcamp with their friends, family, neighbors and co-workers.
Thank-you for giving the gift of better health!
Thanks to Kim Kilgore for bringing this to our attention!
Late last month we mentioned the Renegade Playground Challenge being held up on at the Speedway in the beginning of June, but that race filled up fast, with many of the “waves” already taken by the time we were ready to register, and a few mentioned price as an obstacle as well. Don’t be shy, if you still want to do that one, I say go for it!
For the rest of us, the amazing Kim Kilgore decided that she is going to celebrate the big 4-0 in style, at the Warrior Dash being held in Amesbury, MA on June 25, 2011, and we decided to join her! We thought this was a perfect fit, as we have a recovery week scheduled for the next week – it’s like they knew we were coming!
Kim, Nancy and I are scheduled for the 10:30am “Wave”, but I know they fill up fast, so if you want into that one I suggest you head over and register NOW!
We also dug up a promo code to get you $5 off registration: wdactive2011
Check out the insane course here
What Say You?
"The (top of the) Hill" @ Get Fit NH Bootcamp Epsom
Place: Get Fit NH Epsom
TIme: 8:00am
Date: Feb 19, 2011
If we have to deal with all this snow, we might as well have some fun in it! Join us next Saturday for an adventure on our outdoor playground.
See You There!
Let Your Voice Be Heard!
http://getfitnhbootcamp.com/5020/coach-nancy-best-fitness-instructor/
I heard the term “Slow Carb” from Tim Ferriss in his book “The Four Hour Body”, and I got to thinking what a useful description it really is.
Because while limiting the amount of carbohydrate in your diet always seems to engender controversy, there is no denying that building your carbohydrate consumption around “slow carbs” is the best way to control blood sugar/insulin output, and therefore positively affect your body composition (read: fat loss).
Good nutrition really is not opinion based, it is science based. It doesn’t necessarily mean that every person has to (or can) eat the same way and get the same results, but your body is designed to work in a certain way. Your body has very specific chemical reactions to not only how much you eat, but what you eat.
The aim of this article is to explain the science behind the “slow carb” recommendation.
Slow Carbs
Goal: Control Insulin Response and maintain insulin sensitivity by eating slow (read complex) carbs
Why? When glucose (sugar) from the breakdown of carbs enters the bloodstream, your pancreas secretes insulin, which allows this glucose to enter the cells in the form of glycogen. This is important to remember because unconverted glucose is toxic to the body. Once insulin is secreted, blood sugar levels go down and insulin production slows. Your body wants to maintain this even keel.
Unless: You don’t make enough insulin, as in Type 1 diabetes, or your body has become insulin resistant.
Insulin Resistance: Your liver and muscles cells only need so much glycogen (storage form of glucose from carbohydrate metabolism). When you eat more carbohydrates than the body needs, the pancreas keeps pumping insulin (just like it’s supposed to) but because you are already “filled up” those cells start to become resistant to the call of insulin. The insulin “receptor sites” on the cells start to decrease in efficiency as well as in number (Down Regulation). Double whammy! Now we have a real problem – there is still too much glucose in the blood stream, so the pancreas keeps pumping insulin, which still can’t get it into the liver and muscle cells. Voila – the insulin shuttles the glucose into your fat cells, where it is stored as fat. That’s right, it’s not fat that gets stored in your fat cells, it’s carbohydrate!
A Vicious Cycle: As the process described above goes on over time, your pancreas eventually gets “overworked”. This is what causes Type 2 Diabetes, which can eventually lead to needing insulin therapy such as injections just to stay alive.
Not To Mention: High carb and fast carb dominant diets can also cause excess inflammation, keep your cells from absorbing amino acids from protein intake, keep the liver from converting thyroid hormones, and lead to plaque build up in the arteries. (This is by no means an exhaustive list, but you get the point – it’s not good!)
Good News: Insulin sensitivity can be improved with exercise! Who knew?
Your muscles burn your stored glycogen as fuel during and after your workout. These muscles need that glycogen back in the cells, and will “up regulate” your insulin receptors to make that happen. That is why exercise is so important for Type 2 diabetics and those who don’t want to be one.
Good nutrition plays a huge part as well. Choosing carbohydrates that digest slowly causes the whole process of glucose/insulin response to slow down, which helps maintain normal function. Unrefined carbohydrates have the added benefit of increased micronutrient (vitamins, mineral) absorption, greater fiber intake, and enhanced satiety. Examples: REAL Whole grains, non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, asparagus.
You control a lot more than you think you do.
Every time you put a bite of food in your mouth, there is a cascading reaction. It’s not just about being full, it’s about providing your body with what it needs. Disease is caused when we don’t give our body what it needs in the right amount. The human body is an amazing machine, capable of withstanding a tremendous amount of abuse, but eventually the system breaks down.
Running your body on refined carbohydrates (sugar, soda, cereal, bread, pasta) is just as bad as running on a broken leg, it isn’t as painful as fast, but it will catch up with you.
Treat yourself nicely – go slow carb starting today!
Make It Happen,
Dean
Dean Carlson is a Certified Professional Fitness Trainer with the National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association, a Level 2 Youth Conditioning Specialist with the International Youth Conditioning Association and is a Level 1 Certified Precision Nutrition coach.
Dean was recognized in 2010 as Best Fitness Trainer in Concord by the Hippo Press and Best Fitness Trainer in the Capital Area by the Concord Insider.
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