Fight For Yourself

Independence Day has just passed, but the daily battle is not over. Strike up your own war on nutrition at home. Healthy eating is not easy, but Get Fit NH makes it simple using the “Whole9”.

Healthy eating does not have to be such a hard battle. You know enough, the hard part is putting it into action.

Come see how to take that first step forward to a healthier you. We look forward to seeing you there!

You can learn all about Whole9 by clicking here

Whole9 Nutrition Seminar
Date: Saturday, July 18, 2015 This Whole 9 will be right after a Myzone Match in Concord
Time: 9:00am
Place: Get Fit NH Concord

The Spotlight is Shining on…

Brenda Schmieder!

Brenda pictured on right

Brenda earned her way in to the spotlight, because she came to Get Fit NH and went all in! She took our coaching and she put it into action immediately. Brenda is faithful to training and she is serious about her nutrition. She eats like an adult! Because of her dedication and commitment to getting better she lost over 18 pounds during our S3 V.I.P challenge, she has lost over 30 pounds since joining the Get Fit NH family in late February, her pain has decreased significantly in her shoulders and knees and her overall movement patterns have improved tremendously. Brenda is an absolute pleasure to coach. I am proud of you for taking control of your future, Brenda! Here is what Brenda has to say:

My story began, as all of ours do, with my parents! But my decision to join Get Fit NH also began with my parents. Dad is 85 and Mom is 80….I am blessed to have them with me still; but advancing age has not come easily for them. I spent a good part of my fall and winter going to one doctor appointment after another, talking with doctors on the phone and managing medications. My parents live about 45 minutes away, so this made it even more challenging for me to balance their needs with those of my husband, our daughter and my two jobs…..notice I did not mention my own needs!

I used to be in relatively decent shape, but a series of injuries and surgeries put my activity levels on a back burner several years ago. Add to that some serious family health issues that occurred around the same time….suddenly I was not moving and putting on some pounds as I fed my stress with food. Eventually I stopped caring about  any of those good health habits that I once had and pretty much gave up on myself.

It was the end of February when I had my “final straw” moment! That moment led me to pick up the phone and call GFNH. It suddenly cemented in my head that I wanted to age better than my parents have. The years pass so quickly and I want to go into my “golden years” feeling strong and fit. Perhaps, most importantly, I want my daughter to know that her mom took care of herself as best she could. I don’t want her time, or my time, to be spent at doctor’s appointments when I am in my 70‘s and 80’s and 90’s and even 100‘s! I want to be able to climb mountains with my husband again! I decided it was time to put myself back to the top of the list and to invest in me!

I met with Coach Meagan on February 24th and have not looked back! I love the motivation and accountability that I get from all the coaches….emails, phone calls, notes in the mail, encouragement while training…it all adds up. I told Coach Dean one day that GFNH is the only part of my life where I actually like to be told what to do! I need someone looking over my shoulder and helping me to believe in myself. I have never worked so hard at fitness…but I have also never felt stronger or more motivated to keep going.

I quickly learned that we all have to start our journeys somewhere, but that we don’t need to go it alone. From day one I have been coached and motivated by the staff and my classmates. I have learned that there is nothing I cannot do, but that I may need to modify it for my level. I have also learned that it’s “all about the food” and that what we put into our bodies is going to have a direct affect on what we get out of our bodies! Cooking and nutrition are a passion of mine, it’s been great learning about how to make the food I eat work for me!

Since joining GFNH I have lost weight and gained muscle. A scientist by training, I love the measurements and data showing my changing body composition; I find it motivating and actually look forward to getting on the scale each month! Get Fit NH is the perfect gym for me. I have chosen to invest in myself…and investment comes with a price. I have friends that choose the local $10 option and are amazed at what I pay; but I know that good health comes at a cost and I am worth it. If I don’t make the investment now, then I will be paying doctors later! I am determined to Make It Happen!!

Thank you for choosing to invest in yourself and train with Get Fit NH, Brenda! Keep making it happen!

Brenda is such a great example of what you can do with the right support, motivation, and coaching.

Join Brenda Today – Click Here to Start your 2-Week Free trial!

Coach Meagan

Passionate Coach Needed

If You Have A Great Attitude, A Passion for Learning New Things, and a Few Coaching Skills, I Have a Fun and Fulfilling Job Just for You!

From Dean Carlson, Owner

Dear Prospective Team Member,

Thanks for taking the time to visit this site! You should have arrived here because you saw my employment posting. It’s my hope that you are exactly the person I am looking for so I can take this page down immediately and offer you the fun and rewarding job I have available.

So, let me tell you a little about our company and the job.

My name is Dean Carlson, and I am the owner of Get Fit NH, which provides physical preparation and fat loss coaching to our clients in two facilities, located in Epsom and Concord

Our business is dedicated to helping our clients achieve their health, fitness, and performance goals. Our group personal training is fun, team oriented, and is accountability and results driven.

We’re looking for an enthusiastic, motivated, hardworking and energetic person to serve as a part-time assistant coach.

If you are hired for this job, the first 90 days on the job will be on a trial period. During this time period, you will be working early mornings, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Once you become permanent you will have the opportunity to gain experience and grow within the company.

Tasks We Need You to Perform

• Making great first impressions: You will be the first point of contact for all prospective clients. Whether you are greeting someone at the door or answering or returning phone calls, you’ll be responsible for making sure prospects both get the information they need and feel at home from the moment they first interact with us.

• Responding to customer service phone calls and emails: We get quite a few phone calls and email every day. I am very big on customer service. You will need to respond to each of these within 24 hours or next business day with basic information that we’ll provide to you while also providing a personal touch.

• Filing: While not as exciting as interacting with people, keeping our business files organized will ensure our business runs smoothly

Prerequisite Skills and Attitude

These are the skills and the attitude you must already have in order to qualify for this position:

• A current Personal Training certification and CPR card: You must be committed to being an excellent coach, keep your certifications current and constantly be upgrading your skills.

• A “Servant Hood” Mentality: You will be taking care of our clients and prospects. They are all VERY important, so you must be comfortable conversing on the phone, in person, and through email. You must be relentless in finding solutions for them. We’ll teach you the basics of what to say and do, but we can’t teach you how to have a great attitude and a strong desire to help people.

• Desire to learn and grow: I’m serious about this! I want a person who is motivated to get better every day and who isn’t shy about suggesting ideas on how we can improve the business. I do not want a robot that simply follows a checklist, I want someone who learns and grows with our company.

• Organized and Attentive to Detail: This is a must! You will need to catch the little things from scheduling, to wording, numbers, cleaning, etc.

How to Apply

We’re looking to hire the right person as soon as possible. So if this job sounds good to you, follow these instructions precisely. Failure to follow these instructions will result in your resume going in the circular file. This is your first test, okay?

Here’s what I want from you

• Write a resume that includes your education, ALL prior work experience (yes, I even want to know if you mowed lawns when you were 14), and any skills you have.

• Write me a 100-200 word (we will count) cover letter explaining why you are the perfect person to fill this position. Include full contact information (name, address, phone, email) on this cover letter.

• On a separate sheet of paper list at least three references with phone numbers and what your relationship is with the references (i.e. – previous employer, college professor, etc).

• Write me an additional hand-written note, 50 words maximum, re-iterating why you feel I should choose you for the job.

• Put the cover letter on top of your resume and the reference sheet underneath your resume, staple together in the top left corner. Add your hand-written note on top.

• Mail to: 167 New Orchard Rd. Epsom, NH 03234

• Complete and submit form at the bottom of this page so that we can match it up when we receive your resume.

Next Steps

If you followed the instructions properly, we will review your application. If we feel you’re a good prospect, we’ll call or email you to set up a personal interview. If we feel you aren’t qualified, we’ll send you a courtesy email to thank you for your time. If you do not hear from us at all, it means you did not follow the instructions properly.

The sooner we get your application, the better. This will not be a long, drawn out process. I believe in taking action quickly. So get your application in pronto! I look forward to reviewing it and hopefully meeting you personally.

Again, thanks very much for your interest.

Make It Happen!
Dean

P.S. – This is not a corporate type of structure job. I am an entrepreneurial small business owner. I move quickly to capitalize on opportunities. This is not the type of job where just showing up is enough. Get Fit NH is everything to me. If you perform, you will be rewarded. I want nothing more than to find a person who takes real interest in doing good work and contributing to the growth of the business. I recognize and reward performance!

With all that said, enthusiasm and a positive attitude go long way in my book. I’m a very positive, upbeat person and appreciate those qualities in others. As long as you have the basic skills I mentioned,and a great attitude, you’re definitely a candidate! So send us your resume today!

DO NOT fill out this form without reading the entire letter above!

S3 VIP – Winners Revealed

Although it is safe to say that everyone who participated in S3 VIP this year found victory in their achievements, we did award some prizes to the top overall winners in each category. So proud of all who participated and worked their way toward that “new normal”.

Keep Making It Happen!

S3 V.I.P. Category Winners

S3 V.I.P. Reveal Party M.V.P.’s from Epsom’s Team Nancy (Chef’s Extraordinaire!)

• Lisa Hanson
• Sara Withers
• Doreen Mathison
• Sonia Cormier
• Coach Nancy

MEPS (Concord Only)

1. Liz Kovar Team Adam – 5310 MEPS
2. Deb Kaitz Team Meagan – 4766 MEPS
3. Kelly Gauthier Team Meagan – 4320 MEPS

Team Attendance

1. Team Dean 97.22%
2. Team Meagan 94.79%
3. Team Nancy 92.27%

Individual Bodyfat % Lost

1. Jennifer Panebianco Team Dean – 5.9% (Custom Jacket Winner)
2. Brenda Schmeider Team Meagan – 4.9%
3. Paula Noonan Team Erin – 4.8%

Team Average Bodyfat % Lost

1. Team Dean – 2.32%
2. Team Erin – 1.545%
3. Team Nancy – 1.496%

Individual Weight Loss %

1. Meredith Esonis Team Nancy – 13.97% (Custom Jacket Winner)
2. Christine Bickford Team Meagan – 11.3%
3. Lisa Hanson Team Nancy – 11.17%

Special Award “It’s All About The Food” Mark Bucknam 26 pounds

Team Average Weight Loss

1. Team Dean – 10.86 pounds
2. Team Nancy – 9.35 pounds
3. Team Meagan – 8.12 Pounds

Overall Team Winners

1. Team Dean (Custom T-Shirt Winners)
2. Team Nancy
3. Team Meagan

Recovery Week Reminder

Just a quick reminder that your next recovery week is scheduled for the week of June 28th, 2015, and the new training cycle starts Monday, July 6th.

Our recovery weeks are what I would call Macro-Recovery. In other words we take a planned week off every training phase in order to let the body rest up from hard training and get ready for the next phase.

But did you know you can do even better than that? We have 22 athletes in the Get Fit NH family who participate in our Bioforce HRV monitoring program, which measures your systemic stress load on a daily basis, which allows us to fine-tune the recovery process on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. You can catch up on that by clicking here

Read on why properly planned and adequate recovery is important for you!

The Recovery Curve

I saw the recovery curve for the first time during my time with Australian physical preparation coach Ian King. His principles laid the foundation for the way we program, train and especially recover here at Get Fit NH. The principles that work with professional athletes apply to us too!

The following illustrates a “good” recovery curve:

The green line represents what we are all looking for – continual, never ending progress over time. We are getting stronger, faster, thinner, better looking (ok at least that’s what I wish for).

Reality Check – ain’t gonna happen. The process of changing your body is not linear, in fact what we are looking at in an optimal training environment is more of a “One step back brings me Two steps forward”.

A closer look at the chart will help explain what I mean.

The red line represents Equilibrium. This is where your body wants to stay, no matter if your goal is losing fat, gaining lean, or both. As you have no doubt found out, forcing your body to change is hard work – really hard work. When you walk into Get Fit NH, our training is designed to elicit that change. But it’s not as simple as “working out” day after day after day. In fact as I am about to illustrate, training without proper recovery is actually hurting you, not making you better.

The blue line represents the “recovery curve”. Starting at the left hand of the chart all the lines intersect. For this illustration that point is where your first training occurred – you “worked out”.

But what’s going on?

Instead of performance going up, that line is actually heading down – this is what is called Depletion. If you think about it makes sense – you have worked hard, you are fatigued, your body is depleted of nutrients – you are spent!

Don’t worry, your body will get over it, if you treat it right! This is what we call Adaptation. Your body wants to be able to handle the increased demand that was placed on it, and starts the process of getting better.

You are in charge of if and how fast that happens. A few of the factors that influence this adaptation include Recovery Nutrition (read up!), stress levels, sleep habits, supportive nutrition, age, and training history.

The recovery curve continues with Supercompensation. Here is how Coach King describes this process:

“It is only when recovery is allowed that we see the super-compensation effect, the unique phenomenon where the bodies physical capacity is elevated in response to training, in anticipation of another exposure to the same stimulus.” – King, I, 1999/2000, Foundations of Physical Preparation

In other words your body has gotten better in response to your training, a new Equilibrium is established and this state  is when we will ideally train again. Our programming at Get Fit NH is carefully designed to give this the best chance of occurring, but as I hope you are discovering, you have a lot to do with this with how you treat your recovery!

As you can see, when things are clicking, this process when repeated over and over means you are getting better and better, the blue line is headed up – pretty cool!

The flip side to all this is what happens when the recovery process isn’t working so well.

This chart represents recovery gone “bad”:

When we continue to train in a state of “Depletion”, regardless of the reason,  the adaptation to supercompensation effect doesn’t occur, and instead of getting better, we find ourselves in a downward cycle. This can happen when we train the same muscle groups too soon, when we haven’t taken the steps described above to recover optimally (sleep and nutrition for instance) regardless of time between training, when we train too hard coming off an illness, etc. The last thing we want to happen is new equilibrium to be established in a downward pattern – not good.

The long and short of it is your body absolutely needs to recover from hard training. Consistently training in a fatigued state results in injury and illness. Your body is an amazing machine designed to put up with a lot, but it was also designed to need rest.

Which leads us to:

Recovery Weeks!

Face it – you can get beat up anywhere. Our responsibility at Get Fit NH  is to help you get better!

That includes recovery weeks. We have found that somewhere between 8 and 12 weeks of training is just about right to take a full week off and let your body recover.

That doesn’t mean that you spend your training time on the couch eating bon-bons, but if you insist on going down to PF and hitting the weights or running 10 miles every morning, your body will suffer in the long run, and perhaps even in the short term.

If you find yourself fighting this concept, ask yourself this – Is your unwillingness to take a week off a well reasoned decision based on what you know to be true, or is it that your attachment to training is so strong emotionally that makes it so hard? You will not lose all you have gained by taking the week off, I assure you! Again to quote Coach King, “…if you don’t (take time off)…most of you are going to lose it anyway!”

So now that we have established you are ready, willing and able to embrace recovery week, what do you do?

Glad you asked!

Three Steps for Successful Recovery

1.) Physical Rest and Regeneration

–        Our bodies must rest and recover to prevent over-training (or under-recovering) issues so that we can come back 100% healthy and energized for the next phase of the program

–        Focus on maintaining and/or increasing flexibility and tissue health by stretching and foam rolling daily. 15-30 minutes is fantastic!

–        Daily restorative walks are beneficial during this week. 30-60 minutes briskly walking (not jogging/running) will keep your body refreshed and active, without negating the purpose of this week. Don’t overdo it!

2.) Physiological and Psychological Rest and Regeneration

–        We must normalize key anabolic hormones, refill muscle glycogen, increase caloric intake, and prevent any diet induced catabolism (losses of lean body mass) so that we can enjoy greater fat loss for the next phase of the program

–        We have taken the road less traveled by being flexible eaters with a long-term approach to success and thus we will take a break from our aggressive fat loss nutrition plans. This is not a free for all, so stay away from your “trigger foods” (junk foods and sweets) that open the door to excessive calorie intake.

–        Instead plan (key word) and enjoy 2 or 3 controlled free meals to reward yourself for all of your hard work, but do not overdo it!

–        Caveat: If your nutrition habits have been less than optimal, more than likely none of this applies to you. Instead now is the time to plan and prepare to make the changes necessary to see the results you want. Spend some time with a coach and your Whole9 Nutrition Guide if you need help.

3.) Celebrate the Fruits of Your Labor

–        Take some time to reflect on how far you have come since you joined Get Fit NH in terms of improving your overall health, body composition, and performance

–        Enjoy your results!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

We would just like to take the time to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of your hard work and dedication to improving your health and fitness… keep Making It Happen!

Going Tropical? Going Bananas? Or Going Nuts?

Our next challenge is doing just that, and you’ll be joining in on the fun.

The best part is as the winner of this challenge you decide if you are Tropical, Bananas or Just Nuts.

Training is important. We all know that. Get Fit NH wants to reward you for doing something we all know is important consistently. So each time you train in July your name will go in a prize jar. The more you are train, the more chances you have to win. At the end of July there will be a name drawn in Concord and another name in Epsom. The winner will choose their prize.

What are the prizes? Shhhhhh……. It’s a secret. I love secrets. Here’s a hint. One prize has something to do with coconuts, actually the whole prize has to do with coconuts. Another prize has everything to do with bananas and you’ve got it the third prize is all about nuts.

We’ll repeat this prize giving in August. So you have two months of chances to win.

No slowing down – all summer long!

Coach Nancy

The Frustration Trap

Who here has ever been frustrated by something?

Set the Date – S3 V.I.P. Party is Gonna Be Great!

Yeah, it’s true. We are gonna PARTY like it’s 1999! (Do you get THAT reference Coach Meagan?) 🙂

I know it a busy time of year with graduations and all, but we are going to make it worth your while to spend a couple hours with us on Saturday June 20th at 9:00 am for our S3 V.I.P. Winners Reveal Party.

The individual winners and top overall team will be announced at the party; we are keeping them top secret until then. In fact we are thinking about making everyone there take a blood oath not to tell you if you aren’t! You’ll never know who won and the sleepless nights will be unbearable, so take out that phone, open up your calendar, and save the date.

Besides the big winners reveal we will be having some fantastic recipes prepared by Chef Nancy Carlson, who is renowned for her expertise in all things healthy and tasty cooking.

Fun, Prizes, Food, hanging out with me – what more could you ask for?

We want to know how many are coming so we have enough food prepared for y’all, so please RSVP on the form below and let us know you are coming. Thanks!

S3 V.I.P. Reveal Party
Date: June 20, 2015
Time: 9:00am until you are done partying
Place: Get Fit NH Concord

No Whining

Get Fit NH is a special place to train. But training in Epsom at 6pm is an unforgettable experience. Part of the crew that trains at that time is Lori and Wayne. They are responsible for a new shirt the 6PM Crew at Get Fit NH will wear proudly. 

Lori gives a little insight into her determination, motivation, and dedication.

“I decided to come to Get Fit NH because our son was getting married. I tried to go walking but I always came up with excuses not to. I knew Get Fit NH offered 2 weeks for free so I signed myself and my husband up.  He wasn’t too excited at first but I wanted to see what it was all about.

I didn’t feel very coordinated or in any shape when we started.  I was soar and had trouble even walking.  I never knew someone could sweat as much as I did.  I had done aerobics, tried running, zumba and yoga but still I never sweated as much as I did and do at Get Fit.

Wayne and I both got hooked and have been here for 3 years now.  I have tried most of the challenges regarding eating.  Each time I have taken away a new habit.  We don’t eat like we did when we started Get Fit.  Wayne will tell you we don’t eat pasta or bread on a regular basis.  He’ll now tell you how much we eat squash.

Other things that have changed besides food, I feel stronger.  I have muscles – people at work joke about not messing with me.  I feel more confident about myself.

I really appreciate all of the time and attention you have given to me (and Wayne) over the last 3 years.  We have both benefited so much since joining Get Fit NH.  We have also found old and new friends.

Lori and Wayne entering the Hall of Fame Red Shirt. (Photo bomb by Coach Dean optional)

I realized how far I have actually come since joining Get Fit.  I realized pounds and fat aren’t going to be shredded in large numbers in only a matter of a couple of weeks.  It will take time to drop these things.  After all it did take a little bit of time to add them on.

The thing I have to start doing is instead of saying “I’m not allowed to eat that” changing it to “I’m choosing not to eat “that”.  I was talking to Wayne about going to a conference last week and how I observed people at the buffet.  I saw people walking away with a brownie and 2 cookies.  I realized that was me not that long ago.  I was actually fine not having any of those items this time.  I know there may be a time in the future that I’ll be in the buffet line and look to take a brownie or cookie but I know there are always other, healthier choices.

Every competition you have had over the last 3 years has had an impact on our eating habits.  I look back to what I use to eat and most items have been removed.  On a rare occasion we may have them when we go to a restaurant but a lot of times I look for a better choice.

Thank you again for all of your encouragement.”

Get Fit NH is grateful Lori and Wayne have chosen to train with us. I for one appreciate the humor, attitude, work ethic, and all out fun they add to each evenings training.

Keep Making It Happen over and over again,

Coach Nancy

Student Spotlight is shining on…

Our 5 AM rockstar, Kelly Gauthier! Kelly is a pleasure to coach and has been making moves towards getting better for as long as I have known her. Her dedication and commitment has earned her some fantastic results. Kelly has a great attitude and she encourages and challenges the students around her on a daily basis. Kelly is in it for the long run!

“I was flattered when Meagan asked me to share my Get Fit story, but scared all at the same time; talking about myself is not one of my strengths!

(Deep breath…) I have always enjoyed “exercise”, I’ve tried a little of everything over the years. (I shamefully have to admit that one of my faves was Tae Bo, who DOESN’T love Billy Blanks?!) I never jumped on board the fad diet trains, they’re called “fads” for a reason. I’ve had my fair share of weight/body image issues over the years, I needed to find my way out of that “place”.

It was four years years ago when a friend was telling me about this great gym she had joined, she had lost weight, inches, and was feeling strong! I was intrigued, could this be the challenge I’ve been looking for…? I went home and googled Get Fit, “group personal training”, two weeks free…sign me up! From day one, I was hooked. The coaches, the people, the energy; and all at 5:00 a.m.!

Since starting my journey at Get Fit I have lost some weight, but more important to me is that my body fat has dropped 7.6%! I feel stronger, and I feel like an athlete! I’m in better shape now at 46 years old than I’ve ever been. My training at Get Fit has also made me a better, stronger, and more confident runner, I will be running my first marathon in October 2015.

I have learned so much since joining the Get Fit family, most importantly, training doesn’t stop when you walk out that door. Having coaches that really care and WANT me to get better, keeps me going strong.

Thank you coaches, for helping me to Make it Happen! :-)”

And thank you, Kelly for choosing to train with us!

Keep making it happen,

Coach Meagan