"When you go out of your comfort zone and it works there's nothing more satisfying." -Kristen Wiig

​Since we are young we hear the saying "You have to step out of your comfort zone to grow" and I am a believer in this. I do not think you need to go sprinting out of your comfort zone into the unknown, but a lot of growth can be had when we baby step into being uncomfortable. Being comfortable with being uncomfortable is a skill we lose as we get older. 

When we are kids and growing up almost everything in life is knew to us at some point. You are constantly stepping out of your comfort zone to try new things, go new places, and learning to handle new situations. Yes some of the times we were nervous about these new things but growing up we tried it and it may have been something you loved! Think of the first time you tried riding a bike and for some how terrifying that experience could have been at first! But then after learning to be uncomfortable with it, practicing, and time it could have been one of your favorite things and you were probably so happy the first time you rode a bike all by yourself! The same thing could be said for learning to swim, the first time you traveled somewhere new, trying new food, and many more possibilities. 

Now the issue is as we grow up we learn the things we are good at and the things we like and we tend to stick to those things like glue. Somewhere along the line unlearn how to be uncomfortable and learn that not being good at something is a failure and bad. My hope of this post is to help throw away that mindset!

Try something new, feel uncomfortable, find something you need to practice because you are not that good at it....yet. I don't think you need to dive out of your comfort zone like spontaneously moving across the country, unless you want that!, but take a step and you may find new things you love or find the satisfaction of doing something you couldn't.

So now how that relates to the gym side of this. If you find yourself using the same weight every week for the same exercise or not trying the more difficult variation because its challenging or you are not good at it, I encourage you to do it! Grab a few more pounds or take the time to practice the new variation because when you get uncomfortable with something and then own it that is where the magic happens! Plus your coaches will always be there to support you in it! 

Make It Happen!

-Coach Brian 

​"Ask a comedian, tennis player, chef. Timing is everything." - Meg Rosoff

I believe that the quote above is such a true statement and applies to our trainings more than we think. If you look when you come into train the timing is usually different from the week before or even day to day. When it comes down to picking the timing there is a method to our madness and not just throwing darts at a board to pick the timing. We put a lot of thought into making the right choice on how long to work and how long to rest and you deserve to know more about the why.

You will see in the more fast pace metabolic days we are with shorter times working and resting. We are trying to challenge you cardiovascular, get your heart rate up, and breathing faster. Usually we are doing exercises with less weight that allows you to work faster. Since that timing is so short its VERY important to work to a max effort right from the start so that at the end you are breathing heavy! 

On our more strength training days we look to lift heavier and may have a "Slower" pace. On these days we look to challenge your body in a different way. We have talked about intensity in a workout and how to increase it being two different ways: Work Faster or Lift Heavier. So on these days we tend to give you more rest time to allow your body to recover to continue to lift the heavier weight in a safe way. 

A Big thing I always talk about is understanding your timing and working to match the effort of the timing. That can happen in many different ways:

1. Always work through the entire time. If you stop early you may miss a large portion of the training.
2. You can exert more energy in shorter times since you do not have to work as long. So if you can farmers carry 50lbs for 60 seconds you should be able to carry more weight for 30 seconds since its a shorter time.
3. Regardless of metabolic or strength days our trainings are designed to make you sweat and be out of breath in a manageable way, if you aren't we may need to bump up the intensity. 

If you can understand and work to your timing it will take your trainings to the next level/

Make It Happen!

-Coach Brian

Summer is right around the corner, that means a few different things.  However for Athlete Academy that means a couple things specifically, school is ending and most seasons are coming to an end, or on the flipside school athletic seasons are coming to an end, but travel and club seasons are just heating up. Either way athlete academy can be a very important tool for your adolescent athlete over the course of the summer.

If you have an athlete whose season is coming to an end, this is the perfect time to enroll.  The offseason is the most important time to build strength, power, and speed while also keeping up levels of conditioning.  Fall and winter seasons come quicker than you think and that extra time can make a world of difference!

If you have an athlete who’s school season is coming to a close but summer travel will be heating up, taking part in a strength and conditioning program is also extremely important!  Most think that this is the time to drop a strength and conditioning program because it will be too much. However with prolonged seasons it may be most important for injury prevention.  Taking part in a strength and conditioning program drastically reduces the risk of injury over the length of a season, when compared to those who don’t regularly take part.

Lastly maybe it isn’t a matter of a fall season but you as a parent just not wanting your child to spend the summer with their behind glued to the couch.  Any way you slice it our Athlete Academy program can be tailored to any fitness level, goal, or reason behind joining.

Summer is right around the corner and spaces are limited!  For more information reply to this email or speak to Coach Adam.  Summer is here, are you ready to make this the best season yet?

Coach Adam

Dig out your red, white and blue! Because on Memorial Day we are starting the day off the a great, big family training! All training hours gathered under one roof - I can't think of a better place to party at 8 AM Memorial Day morning. This will be our one and only training opportunity on Monday, May 27th so you will NOT want to miss it! 

Let's remember all of the fallen heroes who paid the ultimate sacrifice so we can live in this amazing country! 

Who's with us?

When: Monday, May 27, 2019

Time: 8 AM

Location: Get Fit NH Concord

Ten years from now you will wish you started TODAY

Ever heard that saying? I think it is so powerful. It is so easy to feel derailed and discouraged today. There are temptations everywhere and “quick fixes” offered left and right that sound so great and maybe work for a little while, until they don’t and they leave you worse off than before.

Here is my simple encouragement. There is no quick fix. Accept that. There are lifestyle choices. There are lifestyle changes. I am not saying it is easy to just pick up and make all of these changes, but you do have a slew of people and a team of coaches behind you who can help you. Don’t buy into the pills, lotions and potions and fads that say you can lose 20 pounds in 4 weeks, because while that may be true you need to realize what happens when you realize that is not a sustainable lifestyle change.

Start today. One habit at a time. Eat veggies with each meal. Cut out the added sugars daily.  Give yourself a day off, but stay on track the rest of the time. If you don’t know what it means to stay on track or how to get results then you will want to talk to be about the free (virtual) accountability group. Your health, your results, YOU matter and by biggest fear for you is that in ten years you look in the mirror and say, “I wish I started when I read Meagan’s blog!”

Let’s make it happen TOGETHER

Coach Meagan

• Write it down

• Put it on the fridge so every time you open the fridge you are encouraged to make a great choice

• Put it on the cabinet to give you the strength to stay out of the crackers

• Put in on your dashboard to remind you to drive by Dunkin Donuts

• #2: Celebrate your progress! It is easy to focus on our flaws, I would challenge you to focus on what you did great and what changed

• Celebrate it on the family Facebook page – it encourages others more than you know

• Tell your coach! We care more than you know

• Add it to the accomplishment board- that is what it is there for!

• Find fun ways to keep yourself encouraged-  we once had a client who wanted to lose 50 pounds. So she took a bunch of post its and spread 5 pounds across a mirror. Each time she lost 5 pounds down she took a post it off of the mirror until eventually she was able to see more and more of her reflection. That is my absolute favorite story to share about how someone celebrated their success. I would love to hear your creative stories

• #3: Buy a veggie platter tray – like the kind that you see at parties- and fill it weekly! Take that out before dinner and when you are wanting a snack. Picking from that is a safer way to keep your calories intake down!

• #4: Buy a water bottle with a straw. I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but when you have a water bottle with a straw you will likely drink more water. You know how quick you can suck down that DD iced coffee? Yeah, imagine if you didn’t have to take the lid off of a water bottle- oh the possibilities!

• #5: Keep a journal

• Studies show that keeping a food log keeps you more aware of what you are eating. I don’t know about you, but I am dangerously guilty of mindless eating. Writing it down helps you be more aware and it helps me help you if you are struggling

• In that journal I would encourage you to track how you felt for the day, how you slept, what your stress was like. This will help you discover trends and see if you can make some adjustments in your life

• Finally, in that journal, I would encourage you to write down what you did great that day, what you could have done better and what your goal is for the next day

• For example: I didn’t drink any wine when I went out to dinner tonight! I hardly drank any water today. Tomorrow I am going to drink 80 ounces. BOOM!

• #7: Recognize things you could have done better, accept them and move on. Dwelling is dangerous and leads us down a dangerous path of self-destruction. You are not a bad person for eating a cookie! You get to make choices every day. There are choices that support your goals and choices that don’t support your goals. Own it and move on

• #8: If you can’t eat it in moderation then don’t bring it into the house!

• If you are the type of person that buys a bag of chips and know that it will call on you and haunt you until you crush the entire bag then don’t bring it into your house. OR buy a small bag that can satisfy a craving.

• I realize that most of us do not live alone. If you live with someone who eats a different way it is not unreasonable or ridiculous to ask them to keep it in a different cabinet. Have a cabinet just for them and stay out of it! Or ask them to keep it at their work or heck in a safe! If you struggle with self-control it is ok to ask for help from your support team!

• #9: Guilt is a toxic feeling. Replace that feeling by celebrating what you did well and accepting and owning what you could have done better. Choices are choices and you are not a bad person for it.

• #10: Make a plan

• Plan your week

• Make lists

• Plan the meals that you can

• Prep what you can

Make it Happen

Coach Meagan

I believe that everyone has goals.  Your goal may be related to strength, nutrition, weight loss or overall health.  While goals may differ, one major road block to achieving a goal can be the quest for perfection.  

If our actions fall short of our expectations, then it is easy to spiral into negative thinking.  If your goal is to make it to training 4 days a week and you miss the first day or two, you might feel that it is a waste of time to do the remaining two days. Two days was not the perfection you wanted to achieve, but two days is better and closer to your goal than zero days. 

Another possibility is that you are focused on a certain exercise, but you aren’t quite getting it the way you would like or think you should. You may think you will never get it. I know many women are working on pushups and become frustrated with their lack of progress.  

Have you given yourself credit that your form has improved or that you are able to control the lowering phase just a little more than last time?  If we have just introduced a new exercise to training or you are doing something for the first time, please don’t expect to be a master at it right away.  It takes time! We all need to focus on our progress, not perfection.  Focusing on the lack of perfection leads to negativity, discouragement, giving up or quitting. Acknowledging, and celebrating progress focuses on the positive changes that will keep us moving forward toward achieving our goals!

-Coach Erin