On Wednesday November 30th, Get Fit NH will be hosting an American Red Cross blood drive from 11:30am to 5:30pm.

While giving blood is an important thing to do all the time, this one is special, and to benefit part of the Get Fit NH Family, Cecil Hawkins, who has sickle-cell anemia.

Cecil is the husband of Carol Hawkins, who has trained with us for many years. Carol is an extraordinary person; first a cancer survivor, and now back with us training after having received a pancreas transplant. She never gives up, is rarely without a smile, and an inspiration to all of us. When she asked if we could open up the facility for a blood drive, there was only one answer - a resounding yes!

It is highly recommended that you sign up for a slot before the day of the drive. It is not always guaranteed you can slide into a slot at a given time, so reserving a spot is the way to go. It's Super Easy!

Head on over to http://redcrossblood.org

In the blue box at the type right, type in "CECIL", and it will bring you to our information page. Click the address and it will bring up all the times left to donate - cheesy easy!

We look forward to seeing you there to support Carol and Cecil - Thanks!

PS - Our goal for this drive is 30 donors, and rumor has it the ARC thinks we will only get 20. Not sure they understand what Get Fit NH is all about. Howsa about a demonstration?  🙂

Its always the quiet ones. Amy is one of those quiet people. She gets to training, gets her things ready, finds a space in the room, (she doesn't need a special spot), and she gets right into work. Her quiet demeanor inspires the rest of us. Its no wonder that after getting to know her she reveals her profession as the owner of Chichester Massage. She has a calming effect on my usually stressed and hyped up self. I'm so thankful for Amy. 

"Wow! I can’t believe it’s been 8 years training with Get Fit NH. When I started the building in Epsom wasn’t even complete and we trained outside in the yard with the chickens. So much has changed in those 8 years.

I started training after meeting Dean and Nancy in a business referral group that I had joined to promote my business Chichester Massage. As a massage therapist their integral training program made sense to me combining cardio, core, strength/resistance exercises to maximize the potential of your muscles. The best way to refer someone to a business is to try it yourself so I decided to give it a go. I did not struggle with maintaining my weight but I became winded very easily and felt pretty weak so my goals where to improve in those areas. I remember being very sore in the beginning but also excited as I noticed my energy increase, endurance and strength develop so everyday activities were easier.

At age 38 I felt like I was in the best shape of my life thanks to Get Fit NH and then I became pregnant. I was worried that I would lose all I had gained but I soon realized it was the best thing to set myself up for success. Despite my age my doctor didn’t consider me “high risk” because of the shape I was in and the training actually prepared my body and the baby for the birth process. I trained until the day before I had my daughter, with modifications of course but I believe that had a huge impact on the ease of my pregnancy and getting back in shape post baby.

These days I struggle with balancing the responsibilities of being a mom, wife and business owner but my main goal is keeping up with my 4 year old and being a good role model for her with healthy eating and exercise. There is no better role model for me than Nancy. The way she “makes it happen” is such an inspiration to me that I truly have no excuse not to. I love the support of the 9 am ladies. Everyone encourages each other and even when training is challenging there is lots of laughter. Get Fit NH has been a wonderful asset to me both personally and professionally. I have been a massage therapist for 19 years and keeping my body strong and healthy has contributed to the longevity of my career. I am so thankful for their support these past 8 years and look forward to training with them for many years to come."

Amy has taken ownership of her well being. She is working through the struggle of career, wife, mom, social activities all while striving to keep her fitness and health. Its not easy. Amy knows and feels the struggles we face. As owner of Chichester Massage she offers all those in the Get Fit NH Family a 10% off massage services. I've taken advantage of her offer and reap the benefits. I am so glad Amy chose and continues to choose Get Fit NH.

Coach Nancy

How many of you give nothing but your best every time you step on the training floor?

It’s okay, you can be honest.

Every time you come into training, you:

• Choose the most challenging exercise progression that you are currently able to do
• Complete every second despite what that little voice inside your head says
• Are engaged in your training, meaning you know where you are going next and you surely won’t be missing a beat
• Progress your load as you are able
  

Does this explain you?

If not, why? Are we not all here to get results? I know I am. We are all looking to get better in some way whether that means fat loss, muscle gain, feeling better, looking better…anything! We all have goals we want to achieve. So if you are only training hard at most 4 times per week, why would you not give 110% for that one hour 4 times per week?

You have 4 hours a week to train your body to the best of your ability. If you can do push- ups, do them. If you can ski erg faster- do it. If you can lift something heavier, do it! Results aren’t going to come find you. You need to earn them. If you are not busting it every minute in here, then you’ll never reach your full potential.

Here is your new goal: Train like your life depends on it. There are so many people in this world who do not have a functional body, who do not have all their limbs, who are unable to train the way you get to train. EMBRACE THAT! Be thankful. Train hard every single time because you and your body deserve it and your quality of life does in fact depend on it.

Anyone can go through the motions – that’s not what we are here to do. We are here to change something about ourselves and be better. If that is not your mentality- let’s figure out how to change that!

Coach Meagan

Mark your calendars: The 8th Annual SkiErg World Sprints will be held November 11–13, 2016.

This 1000-meter virtual race allows you to compare your time against others worldwide in a one-weekend showdown of speed. Whether you’re using the Concept2 SkiErg for general fitness or to train for competitive Nordic skiing, use this event to see how you stack up against other SkiErg users around the world.

How it works: Race 1000 meters on the SkiErg, and we will send your times to Concept2 for ranking. There will be prizes for the top men and women. Did you know Get Fit NH has a former WORLD CHAMPION who is itching to get her title back? True story, so you don't want to miss it!

Time and Place: On Saturday November 12th we will open both gyms up from 8:00am to 9:00am so you can come on in, give your best race, and get your time recorded. This is for anybody and everybody - just because you are not a World Champ (yet) doesn't mean you should stay home. There is only one way to find out how awesome you really are, and that is to be there!

Please sign up in the form below and let us know where you will be competing. See You There!

Robin Frament!

One of the many special things about being a coach is seeing someone from their starting place and watching them grow and progress within the training program and within the family. Robin works her butt off every time she is in this gym and it is absolutely no surprise to me that she shares she has lost WAY more weight than what she set for herself as a goal. A few words to describe Robin- committed, consistent and coachable. Thrilled would be an understatement about how I feel about having Robin in the Get Fit Family. This woman is unstoppable. Hear what she has to say for herself!

"I LOVE Get Fit NH! Some form of exercise has always been a part of my life, whether it's been an aerobics class, or Jazzercise (they didn't play much 80's music) or brisk walking. While doing Jazzercise for 15+ years, I felt strong but never was able to get any of that "mid-life" weight off. My friend, Maryann Canary, had told me about Get Fit, and how it helped her. I was suffering with plantar fasciitis...going to physical therapy, eating Ibuprofen...it would seem better...I would go for a brisk walk and then I was back to square one.

So, back in May 2016, I decided I would check out Get Fit. The change has been INCREDIBLE! My feet are pain free! I feel so much stronger than I ever have. And, I don't know if you remember this Meagan, but when I sat down with you to discuss how things were going and what my plans were regarding joining...I told you I wanted to lose about 10 pounds. You said it can be done. Oh yeah it can....I participated in the S3 2.0...and since joining in May, I have lost 18 pounds!!!

I keep coming back for many reasons. The main reason is that I enjoy the class, the energy from the coaches & the students, the variety. Working in healthcare, I see many bodies (young and old) ravaged by diseases and ailments , some of which are preventable or at least better managed. I don't want to be that person.

One of my previous Jazzercise instructors had a saying: "If you like your body the way it is, then keep doing what you're doing". I interpreted that as work harder, more reps, heavier weights....and that's what I do..when I come to the gym to workout, I AM there to work hard.

Thanks for all that you do,
Robin"

I hope Robin's story motivates you too. I am so proud of her and I can't wait to see her continue to progress and grow within Get Fit NH.

Keep making it happen,
Coach Meagan

Nutrition and physical exercise go hand in hand in regards to health. We all know if we sit on the couch, after a few short weeks, we’ve gained weight, we move slower and maybe even ache a bit more.

The same is true with nutrition. A couple of weeks of ignoring any semblance of healthy eating and you’ve gained weight, you move slower, and maybe even ache a bit more.

The Grateful Plate Jumpstart will get you started in the right direction. At this seminar you will be given a Jumpstart manual full of information on what to eat, how much to eat, meal planning, grocery shopping, measuring yourself and your food, and much much more.

The Grateful Plate website already contains great recipes and a blog to get your journey started.

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October Jumpstart Nutrition Workshop w/ Coach Nancy
Date: Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Time: 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Location: Get Fit NH Epsom

You don't have to (and shouldn't) wait for the New Year to Start Getting Healthy!

I know winter is coming, but that is no reason to hide under those warm clothes and pack on a few extra pounds for the winter - you are not going into hibernation after all!

If you were one of the many people who participated in the Detox Challenge back in January and February of this year, you KNOW how good you felt when you cleaned up your nutrition after the holidays. And shedding some extra weight was just a really cool bonus.

If you missed out, read what some of our happy participants had to say ...

BONUS: This Jumpstart time we are upping the game by letting you team up with a partner for even MORE support! Join with a friend, neighbor, spouse, significant other, sister, brother, mother, father - You Get The Idea! The winning duo will win a Sweet Holiday prize.

How Do We Win?

Great Question! We are keeping it super simple this time around. The Duo with the highest percentage of weight lost over the 21 days wins!

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REGISTER FOR THE HEALTHY FOR THE HOLIDAYS 21-DAY PARTNER DETOX CHALLENGE FOR ONLY $27 EACH PERSON!

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This is a public service announcement and something that I think is very important to think about and realize. All of you as students are well educated individuals, not only in your own lives, professions and hobbies, but also in what you learn here. We as coaches take pride in what we do and want to share as much of it as we can to help you be as successful and healthy as you can be. Don’t take that knowledge for granted.

Please, when you read this, don’t look it as Coach Adam saying “you guys don’t listen to a word I say so cut it out and just listen and do as I say” or me thinking I’m so high and mighty that what I say is gospel, because neither are the case. What I mean is that you guys have invested your time and hard earned money in us in order to learn about health. Not only to come to classes, but to also grow your own knowledge base and learn how to live a healthier life. Not everyone has the same opportunity, which is really unfortunate.

This post was born out of me shopping at Hannaford recently. I often find myself looking into people’s carts out of reflex from time to time, and I honestly feel bad for others. I feel bad for them because I remember what it was like for me, to be overweight, thinking I’m doing the right things, but not being successful. I mean, everyone knows that ice cream and pizza every day will lead to problems, but how many of us remember hearing how bad fat was for you? Or how 60%+ of your diet needs to be made up of carbs or grains? You all have learned that this is not necessarily the case, and more often than not in today’s America, it is absolutely not the case. I feel bad because these people often don’t know any better. They do what they have been told is right, but it doesn’t work so they think “forget it I’m just going to do whatever I want”. Or they haven’t been educated at all. I see more and more young adults with carts full of exclusively junk - there is no way they have been told just how much of a problem this will cause or they would throw a couple vegetables in here or there.

Here is the main difference I think - you as students, and us as coaches as well, realize these things are harmful to us in large quantities. We make informed decisions, we indulge every once in a while, but know what will happen if we don’t stop. Others don’t have that knowledge and because of it we see problems all over the country. It’s not about nutrition anymore, it’s about selling more boxes of sugary breakfast cereal and pushing exercise, exercise, exercise on the masses because it shines the light away from the real issue.

So don’t take it for granted, you guys have worked hard and made a conscious decision to educate yourself. Use that to your advantage, and if you know someone who is in that circumstance, a friend colleague, ask them some small questions, they may not know any better. If you can educate them, even in a small way, you can make a big difference in their life. Don’t take that knowledge for granted, use it, and use what you learn to help others. Together we can all help affect people’s lives in a positive way, not just our own. Coach Adam out.

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