Breaking Down the FMS – Trunk Stability Push Up

IMG_0868This week we are going to talk about the Trunk Stability Push Up screen in the FMS. Gray Cook states that “the goal is to initiate movement with the upper extremities in a push up pattern without allowing movement in the spine or hips.” The most common issue that we see is that the chest comes off the floor before the hips do. This creates hyper extension in the low back and shows that the core is not effectively stabilizing through the movement.

Why is the Trunk Stability Push Up so important? It looks at how the stability in our core works on a reflexive level. Gray Cook uses the example of when you grab a heavy bag of dog food out of the car, you generally don’t think about engaging your abs. You just rely on them to provide the stability. What if they don’t? You end up “throwing your back out”!

When you are unable to complete the Trunk Stability Push Up without compensation, we limit certain exercises during training. It is not because we want to hold you back. It is just the opposite. We want you to get better and screen out of the red band. Certain exercises such as Mountain Climbers with your feet in the TRX straps should not be done if you have a red wrist band. That exercise is extremely demanding on the core because your feet are suspended in the air and if you don’t have proper core stabilization then you risk injury. Regular Mountain Climbers can be challenging as well (I have never heard any one complain they are too easy!) so work on those until you are able to complete the Trunk Stability Push Up and progress to other exercises.

How do you screen out of your red band? I thought you would never ask! You do your personalized exercises at home! If you really want to get out of that red band then you have to put the time in outside of the gym to getting better. We are here to help you every step of the way!

Getting Better Together!

Get Fit Games Recap

winner.jpgIf you didn’t make the Get Fit Games this morning you missed out!

Our Athlete Academy joined our SGT Adult Athletes and they all rocked it.

Special shout out to Cathy C., John L. and Paula H. for participating for the first time, I am proud of you guys for making it happen.

Also these two SGT adults set Personal Bests:

Cristy Bresson: 3RM Deadlift and 1000m SkiErg

Adam Davidson: 4m Pushup

Athlete Academy, Coach Adam or I will go over your results with you next week, so hang in there.

I look forward to seeing more of y’all get out here next time and measuring all the progress you are achieving.

Make It Happen,
Coach Dean

21 Day Detox is Back!

21_day_cover-230x300.jpg

Registration is closed for the September Detox. Stay tuned for November Registration

Are you due for an upgrade? I just received an email from Verizon trying to get me to upgrade to a new iPhone 6xyz or something or other – seems like I just get this one!

However I do admit my nutrition could use a little upgrade. Maybe you too are in need of a fresh challenge or hey let’s be honest- a kick in the butt after a short and “sweet” summer!

The exciting news is that this weekends Whole9 nutrition seminar is also going to include a “mini-detox seminar” or maybe better said an intro to your  21-Day Jump Start to Success.

If you have never done one of our 21-Day Detoxes before, you are in for a treat. Here is what some of our past participants have had to say when we asked the question “What did you learn from the 21-Day Detox?”:

[mk_blockquote style=”quote-style” font_family=”none” text_size=”12″ align=”left”]“If I fuel my body with healthy food, it’s so much happier with me than if I feed it junk! Amazing how simple it is!” – Paulette[/mk_blockquote]

[mk_blockquote style=”quote-style” font_family=”none” text_size=”12″ align=”left”]“That I really don’t need or miss sugar!” – Mary[/mk_blockquote]

[mk_blockquote style=”quote-style” font_family=”none” text_size=”12″ align=”left”]“That there is tremendous strength and endless possibility in a group effort!” – Mae Lynn[/mk_blockquote]

[mk_blockquote style=”quote-style” font_family=”none” text_size=”12″ align=”left”]“Don’t accept that quality food isn’t worth the time; that waking up w/occasional achiness is part of aging; asthma-type congestion is only resolved w/medication; Sugar or coffee are necessary afternoon pick-me-ups; that getting everything done requires more hours (as opposed to more natural energy)….” – Rayne[/mk_blockquote]

[mk_blockquote style=”quote-style” font_family=”none” text_size=”12″ align=”left”]“I have learned that eating well is easier than I thought! I definitely can eat this way forever! I am stronger than I thought” – Debbie[/mk_blockquote]

[mk_blockquote style=”quote-style” font_family=”none” text_size=”12″ align=”left”]“That the foods I was eating before was the major reason why I hurt so much… And I don’t have to accept that anymore!!! Change is good!” – Brooke[/mk_blockquote]

[mk_blockquote style=”quote-style” font_family=”none” text_size=”12″ align=”left”]“I’ve learned that no matter where I go I can make great choices. Also that I don’t really “need” any of the things that we have taken out of the diet” – Cara[/mk_blockquote]

[mk_blockquote style=”quote-style” font_family=”none” text_size=”12″ align=”left”]“I have learned two big things. Support means more than anything. And when I am hungry, a glass of water makes all the difference!” – Jodi[/mk_blockquote]

And those are just of a few things that Detox participants have shared with us!

Here’s what you get when you sign up for the 21-Day Detox Challenge:

Detox Meal Plan That Eliminates All The Guesswork

  • Discover the right way to detox
  • 3 levels for beginners, intermediate, and advanced detoxers
  • Get an easy-to-follow, step-by-step plan
  • Learn how to transition to a long-term plan and still enjoy the foods you love

21 Delicious Recipes That Your Family Members Will Love

Grocery Lists to Make Shopping Quick & Simple

21 Days in our Online Support Group to Ask Questions, Share Ideas, and Get Feedback – this was a favorite component of past detoxers!

21 Daily Tips and Accountability Messages to Keep You on Track to Your Goal – everybody loves these, too!

In a nutshell you get Accountability, Access To Expertise, and Association with a group of like minded people committed to success.

 ***By the way, you do NOT have to be a Get Fit NH client or even live in the area to register… Anyone, anywhere can participate!***

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Starting Monday, September 28, 2015 we will be jump starting our nutrition! This jump start will go through October 18, 2015. Let’s take 21 days together to build strong habits and improve our nutrition skills.  These habits don’t form overnight- it takes time to master every skill! Who’s joining us?

21-Day Detox “Jump Start to Success” Challenge Dates:

Success Workshop: Saturday September 19 @ Get Fit NH Concord. 9:00am to 10:00am
Registration Cut-Off Date: September 25, 2015
Official Start of Challenge: September 28, 2015
Official End of Challenge: October 18, 2015

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REGISTER FOR THE 21-DAY “JUMP START TO SUCCESS” CHALLENGE FOR ONLY $21 PER PERSON!

**If you plan to purchase an additional program for your partner please do so in a SEPARATE transaction. It’s critical that they’re registered separately with their name and their email so they get all the materials, access links, and daily tips. Thank You! **

***

What is a Detox Program and Why Should I Do One?

Do any of these things sound familiar?

– Sugar and carb cravings that are driving you nuts.
– A constant feeling of fatigue, lethargy, or anxiety.
– Just feeling like total garbage (brain fog, inability to concentrate), especially when you go on a “diet”.

If you answered “YES!” to any (or all) of those questions, you aren’t alone. Nancy and I are right there with you. And truth be told there are literally millions of other Americans who suffer the same symptoms.

Why?

Too much sugar in our diets is certainly a big part of the problem. Diabetes, Insulin Resistance, and Inflammation are just 3 of the results of eating too much refined carbohydrate. But sugar isn’t the only enemy.

Each and every day of our lives we are exposed to other harmful toxins in our food and environment. Food additives, pollution, skin “care” products, soaps, dry cleaning and hundreds of other things we don’t even think about (plastic bottles anyone?)

These toxins we are exposed to every day have been shown to contribute to:

Bloating
Gas
Constipation or Diarrhea (which is worse, I don’t know)
Canker Sores
Difficulty Concentrating
Excess Weight
Difficulty Losing Weight
Fatigue
Fluid Retention
Food Cravings
Headaches
Heartburn
Joint Pain
Muscle Aches
Sinus Congestion
Skin Rashes
Sleep Problems

More serious conditions that may benefit from a proper detox program may include:

Arthritis
Asthma
Allergies
Autoimmune Diseases
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Diabetes
Fibromyalgia
Food Allergies
Heart Disease
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis)
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Menopausal Symptoms (mood swings, poor sleep, hot flashes)
Menstrual Problems (PMS, heavy bleeding, cramps)
Migraine Headaches

Now you guys know that I am a pretty down to earth guy, and I don’t want to seem like chicken little running around saying the sky is falling. But I am guessing if you could eliminate some of these toxins you would want to. It’s kinda crazy to think that the food we eat, the water we drink and even the air we breathe can lead to health problems. Oh and those lovely prescription drugs – while I would never tell you to go off them without medical advice, you have to wonder about all those disclaimers at the end of the commercials while they play beautiful music with butterflies and people dancing through the field. 🙂

Nothing is magic guys. Pills, potions, lotions, drugs, diets or even doing a detox. I guess I am not much of a salesman, but it’s true. You have to put in the work long term to reach your health and weight management goals. I will tell you though that a couple of years ago Nancy and I tested out the an elimination style detox plan (like this one) and it was what set me on my course to get to the lowest bodyfat I had every been measure at, at 9.2%.

So who is with us for the challenge?

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REGISTER FOR THE 21-DAY “JUMP START TO SUCCESS” CHALLENGE FOR ONLY $21 PER PERSON!

**If you plan to purchase an additional program for your partner please do so in a SEPARATE transaction. It’s critical that they’re registered separately with their name and their email so they get all the materials, access links, and daily tips. Thank You! **

***

Reasonable Expectations?

grapefruit

While weight loss tends to be a major focus for people, there were some other awesome benefits as well. Let me share just a few of the things that participants shared upon completion:

  • Better Sleep
  • Eliminated Hot Flashes
  • Got Off Medication
  • Decreased/Eliminated Chronic Pain
  • Better Digestion
  • Flatter Belly
  • Reduced Acne
  • Improved Relationships With Food (Less Cravings)
  • Enhanced My Relationship With My Spouse
  • Never Hungry
  • More Energy
  • Had Fun Trying New Recipes
  • Pants Fell Off
  • People Notice More Happiness
  • Kids Got Into It And Want To Eat Healthy Now!!!!!

How Can I Be SURE This is the Right Program For ME?

Well, the fact is, this program is SCIENTIFICALLY-BASED & PROVEN TO WORK for regular folks (meaning you don’t have to be some hard-core athlete or professional that works out all day) just like you and me. So far over 2000 people have successfully gone through the 21-day Detox program. Now It’s Your Turn!

 ***

REGISTER FOR THE 21-DAY “JUMP START TO SUCCESS” CHALLENGE FOR ONLY $21 PER PERSON!

**If you plan to purchase an additional program for your partner please do so in a SEPARATE transaction. It’s critical that they’re registered separately with their name and their email so they get all the materials, access links, and daily tips. Thank You! **

 ***

 

 

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!

TFW Motivation – Exercise Shouldn’t Scare You============================Why Are You So Afraid Of Fitness?============================Do any of these make you nervous about starting something new? Fear of FailureFear of ChangeFear of InjuryFear of RejectionFear of RealityIf you are fearful about starting anything new like a fitness program, career choice, musical instrument or even writing a blog, the secret of SHOWING UP will make those nerves go away. SHOW UP and you can no longer let the first step be what’s holding you back. SHOW UP and your calling, art, passion becomes more believable. SHOW UP and your potential will start to come through.Want to see more? Watch the video. Want to read more, check out my new blog: http://www.trainingforwarriors.com/does-exercise-scare-you/

Posted by Training For Warriors on Saturday, September 12, 2015

Breaking Down the FMS – Rotary Stability

babyWhat 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)

facebook_logo-300x300.jpgWith 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:

GFG

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!

FTC_Poster_2015-page-001Let’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!

 

 

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!

scapular movement

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!

Nancy Shoulder exercise

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