Exercise Shouldn’t Be Scary

A great message from my friend and mentor Martin Rooney.

Let Get Fit NH and TFW Concord help YOU reach YOUR potential!

Breaking Down the FMS – Rotary Stability

What is Rotary Stability?

According to Gray Cook, the co-creator of the FMS, the purpose of the Rotary Stability screen is to show stability in the pelvis, core and shoulder girdle during combined upper and lower body movement. The Rotary Stability, as well as many of the other screens, is based on primitive movement patterns. We are able to complete these movements at a very young age but as we age our bodies don’t always work like they were meant to – no kidding, right?

If you tend to sit most of the day, have poor posture and don’t train, your core is going to become weak. When talking about “core” you may hear training geeks like us talk about the “soft core” and the “hard core”.

The “hard core” also known as the “outer core”, is what most people refer to as “the six pack”.

Our friends at Smart Group Training tell us the “soft core” (also known as the “inner core”) is more of a reflexive core that requires subconscious timing. In other words it turns on and off without you even knowing it – pretty cool!

If you have trouble with this movement pattern it could be caused by mobility issues in the hips or shoulders or you may have a stability issue.

How can we narrow that down?

If you are able to pass the Active Straight Leg Raise and Shoulder Mobility Screens, but are not able to touch opposite knee to elbow on the Rotary Stability Screen, then it is most likely a stability problem. Once we figure out if you have a mobility or stability issue we are able to give you exercises to help clear the screen. Two exercises that can help with your Rotary Stability are Walkouts and Slow Mountain Climbers.

walkout from Dean Carlson on Vimeo.

While you are working on clearing the Rotary Stability screen we are going to limit certain exercises in training such as Kettlebell Swings. The reason for this is if you don’t have the proper core stability and shoulder and hip mobility then you are at an increased risk of hurting yourself during an explosive movement such as a swing. If you get hurt then you can’t train and our goal is to help you get better!

Facebook Check-In’s Made Easy (I hope)

With our 50 Workouts in 15 Weeks Challenge in full swing, we want to make sure it is easy as possible to get you checked in quickly and easily, so Coach Erin wrote up this tutorial for us – Thanks Coach!

Number 1 Way:
When you open Facebook app on your phone there is a box at the top that says “Status, Photo, Check-in…” click there. Then click “Check-in”
If your Location Settings are on then Get Fit NH should come up. If not then you can type “Get Fit NH” into where is says “Search for Places”
Click “Next” and then “Post”

Alternative:
Go to the Get Fit NH Facebook page on your phone by typing “Get Fit NH” into the search field at the top
Click the “More” button and a menu appears. One of the options is “Check In”. Click that.
You can choose to add a description and then click the “Next” button in top right corner
Choose who can see the post, the click “Post”

Don’t worry if you can’t figure it out the first time, we got your back! 🙂

Who is Measuring their progress with us at Get Fit Games?

We’re finishing up summer with our quarterly Get Fit Games! On Saturday September 19, 2015 we will host a series of competitive events at our Concord location. There are 7 different parts to this event and they include:

1.) 3 repetition maximum Deadlift

2.) Front Plank for time

3.) 4 minute Push Up challenge (from the floor or incline)

4.) Vertical Jump

5.) Long Jump

6.) Chin ups/inverted row

7.) 1000 M Ski Erg Sprint

If there is a piece of this puzzle that you are currently unable to participate in due to an injury then we would encourage you to STILL participate, but skip that part. This is a FANTASTIC event to measure progress. Everyone has a little competitiveness in their heart so come on out and show us what you’ve got!

If you have been to Get Fit Games before then you know it is time to get back in here and see where you have gotten better! If you have never been before then mark your calendar! You don’t want to miss out on an opportunity to measure your greatness!

When: Saturday September 19, 2015

Where:  Get Fit NH Concord

When: 8 AM

Make it happen!!!

**BONUS** Our monthly Whole 9 seminar will follow the Games at 9 AM with Coach Nancy!

Coach Meagan

Concept2 Fall Team Challenge Starts September 15th – Sign Up Now!

Let’s rock it like we did last time guys! The challenge is to row or ski as many meters as we can as a team between September 15th and October 15th, 2015. (That’s a lot of “15’s”)

Please note that we are starting a new team for this challenge, so you will need to join the new team and join the challenge.

Here’s how to do it:

1. If you do not have a Concept2 logbook, create one here. (If you already have an account skip to step 2)
2. Join our team – “Get Fit NH” – by clicking here. Please note if you were a member of a previous team you must “leave this team” first.
3. On the Team Page in the “Next Event” section, select Click here to take part in the Fall Team Challenge 2015
4. On September 15th start getting those meters! 🙂

Get complete details for the challenge by clicking here.

Let’s Make It Happen!

September “Happy and Healthy Headlines” Is Here!

Featuring CJ Best and Annmarie Timmins – don’t miss it!

Click here to download your copy!

Breaking Down the FMS – Shoulder Mobility (SM)

This week we are going to discuss Shoulder Mobility in the Functional Movement Screen(FMS).  The Shoulder Mobility screen can reveal limitations in the shoulder, scapula, thoracic spine and lumbopelvic (low back and hip) area.

Limited Shoulder Mobility can be caused by a number of factors.  The most common is poor posture.  Many of us sit hunched over at a desk with our shoulders rolled forward and our head reaching out.  This improper alignment causes a decrease in thoracic mobility and muscular imbalances.

When there is a lack of Shoulder Mobility on the FMS we limit overhead pressing during training (as in – we don’t do any -ed.).  This is important because if you don’t have the shoulder mobility to properly reach your arms overhead then you are going to achieve the movement through mobility in the low back.  The low back is not where you want to be getting the movement from – ouch!

Besides the FMS shoulder mobility screen, another way to see if you have the proper shoulder mobility to be pressing overhead is to see how your low back responds to overhead extension. Start by standing up against a wall.  Your feet can be about a foot away from the wall but your back has to be flat up against the wall.  Lift your arms up straight, palms facing each other and try to touch the wall with your thumbs.  Your low back should not come off the wall.  If it does then this shows that in order to lift your arms overhead you are relying on mobility from your low back.  Over time this can lead to low back injuries, and adding injury to injury is not good!

So how do you increase Shoulder Mobility?  Great question!  You work on your personalized exercises on a regular basis.  You can’t just rely on doing them in training.  You must commit to doing them on your own as well.  Set aside 5-10 minutes a day at least five days a week to do these exercises. Our starting point for increasing shoulder mobility is to work on thoracic (upper back) mobility, as this is often a cause of the restrictions mentioned previously. This is so important that we often build the following two movements into our warmups for all our students.

SGT Guys – Open Book

SGT Guys – Quadraped Reachback

Do 5 reps on both sides of each exercise – every day would be ideal, but any is better than none!

Dedicated to getting better together,

Coach Erin

Breaking Down the FMS – ASLR

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the purpose of the Functional Movement Screen and why we screen you first before we train you. Over the next several weeks, I want to go a little deeper into each one of the seven movements and share:

1. The purpose of each screen and what we are looking for.
2. How it relates to your daily life and your training goals (get stronger, lose weight, feel better, etc.)
3. What we do when the screen reveals a movement pattern that we want to address.

This week we are going to talk about the Active Straight Leg Raise (ASLR). While we are going to figure out really quickly if you have tight hamstrings using this screen, that is just one thing we are looking for. This simple assessment actually tells us quite a few things.

For instance, while we are assessing the mobility of the leg being lifted, we are also watching the bottom leg. We are looking to see if you have the ability to move one leg while keeping the other one still. The ASLR can also reveal issues with core stability.

Limited mobility or stability with the Active Straight Leg Raise can be caused by many factors. It may be because you sit at a desk all day which causes muscular imbalances. Genetics, age and sex can be factors. Unbalanced or inappropriate training over the long term can also contribute.

So what can we do about it? I am glad you asked!

As with all movement patterns we have three choices:

1. We can train it, which in this gym is not an option.
2. We can avoid it, which is appropriate at times.
3. We can work on improving it, which is almost always appropriate. The exception is when there is pain, in which case we are going to refer you out to be evaluated by a qualified practitioner.

That’s why your personalized exercises are so important. We want you to be able to train at the highest level possible, but even more than that, we want you to remain injury free. You can’t train as hard or at all if you are injured, and if you aren’t training you, won’t reach your goals. Injury prevention first!

For instance, we know if we let you do Kettlebell Swings with a yellow band you are actually going to get worse, not better, so we do something else while we work on clearing the ASLR screen. It just makes sense!

Click these links for an example of one of the personalized exercises we would give some of our students to help improve the ASLR.

Bent Knee Leg Lowering (.pdf)

Bent Knee Leg Lowering (video)

We want you to improve as quickly as possible, so if you currently have a yellow band, practicing these is a great idea. As always, if you have any questions or need a coach to help you with this movement pattern, please let one of the coaching team know

Make it happen,

Coach Erin

Recovery Week Reminder and a Huge Thank-You

Just a reminder that next week is our next scheduled recovery week from regular training, but there is still a lot going on around here. Now is the time to schedule your FMS rescreen and/or body composition analysis. The coaches in Concord are ready, willing and able to get that done, so take advantage of it while you can.

If you are new to the concept of recovery weeks (or need a reminder) please click here to learn all about why recovery is so important.

I want to take this opportunity to personally thank-you for choosing to train with Get Fit NH. We are a family owned and operated business, and you are truly an extension of that family. Every day we get to do what we love to do because of you. Please continue to dream big and then chase those dreams hard.

Make It Happen!

Dean

Recovery Week August 31st-September 6th
Monday through Friday
FMS Rescreens and Body Comp Analysis
By Appointment

Monday September 7th
All Family Labor Day Training in Concord.
8:00am

Coach Dean’s Oven Pulled Pork Recipe

This is a really simple recipe, but it takes two special tools that you may not have.

1. An in-oven thermometer like this one
2. Patience:)

We have been buying our Pork Butts (also known as Pork Shoulder) at Sam’s Club. There are two in a package and weigh 5-7 pounds each. For our family we cook one at a time and we get quite a few meals out of it. One of my favorites is to reheat a couple ounces of pork in a skillet with a couple of eggs for breakfast.

The first thing you are going to do is brine your pork shoulder at least overnight. Mix 2 quarts of cold water, 1/2 cup salt, 2 bay leaves and 3 tbsp of your dry rub mix (recipe to follow). Drop in your pork shoulder, and add a bit more water if it’s not totally submersed in the brine solution. Pop on the lid and stick it in the fridge.

When you are ready to cook:

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. While it is heating up remove the pork shoulder from the brine solution, rinse in cold water, then pat dry with a towel. Put fat side down in a large roasting pan. A lot of fat will render out of the pork, so you need room in the pan to accommodate. Reserve 3 tbsp of your dry rub, and use the rest to completely coat the pork (yes, you actually do rub it lovingly onto the meat so it sticks). You start on the bottom, coat the sides, and end with the fat cap up to roast.

Insert the probe from the thermometer into the center of the thickest portion of the shoulder, being careful not to touch bone, as that will throw off the reading. Put the shoulder into the oven, and set the alarm on the thermometer to go off when it reaches 200 degrees.

Now comes the patience part. 🙂

Depending on the weight of the shoulder it can take up to 8 hours or more for the internal temp to reach 200 degrees. When we cook two at a time it can take 10-12 hours or more. You don’t have to do anything, you just have to wait. You also need to start pretty early in the morning. 🙂

When the internal temperature reaches 200 degrees (we are talking Fahrenheit here) turn the oven off and let the internal temperature cool to 170 degrees. This can take an additional 2 to 3 hours or more. When it hits 170 it is ready to pull!

When I pull the shoulder I take out another roasting pan, grab a couple forks, and get to work. If you were patient and followed the directions the meat should fall off the bone. Use the forks to shred completely, then mix in the reserved spice rub and try not to eat it all at once!

Many cooks remove the fat cap off the top before shredding. If you want to reduce the amount of fat that is the way to go. I usually don’t, but do what feels right to you.

I probably made this sound more complicated than it really is. The rub takes less than 10 minutes to make. The brine process even less time. For our summer party I spent 10 minutes getting the shoulder into the fridge Thursday night, got up a few minutes early Friday morning before I drove into the 5:00am class to stick it into the oven, and pulled it at about 7:30 Friday night. Actual hands on time was somewhere in the 30-45 minute range, including putting it into containers and refrigerating for the next day.

Does it take some patience? Absolutely.

Is it worth it? Well y’all begged me to put up the recipe, so I think we know the answer to that as well! 🙂

Promise me one thing though, don’t ruin it by putting some yucky commercial barbecue sauce on it. That is practically blasphemy! Eat it as is or make yourself one of these two great sauces:

Pulled Pork Mustard Sauce (Nancy’s Favorite)

• 1 cup prepared yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cayenne

PREPARATION

Mix all ingredients together and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes. If your making this sauce for a whole hog multiple the ingredients by about 8. Makes about 2 cups

Southern Vinegar Sauce for Pulled Pork (Dean’s Favorite)

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 5 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

PREPARATION

Melt margarine in a sauce pan. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, honey, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in vinegar and allow to cool. Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Coach Dean’s Dry Rub Recipe

As promised here is the dry rub recipe I use. Ingredient amount listed are for one shoulder, so if you are cooking two just double it and you will have plenty.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground pepper
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1/4 brown sugar

Note: not being a big fan of sugar, I tried the rub without it, and it’s just too spicy for my (and the kids) taste. You don’t need a lot of brown sugar, but it does take the edge off and creates a great flavor.

Let me know how it turns out for you!