6 Years of Gratitude

Thursday May 8th, 2014 marks the 6th anniversary of the day that a dozen brave souls showed up in our backyard at 4:45am, under a halogen lamp attached to a basketball backboard, and completed the first ever training session at “Get Fit NH”.

On that crisp May day we didn’t have a lot of “tools”. No SkiErgs or TRX or even Kettlebells. A few bands and dumbbells that went up to 10 pounds.

But more important than what we didn’t have was what we did have.

The determination that by showing up and working hard we would get better. We could get stronger, and leaner. We could learn about our bodies, and how to better feed them and take care of them. We could laugh together, and cry together, and love together.

We could be family in the best sense of the word. Banding together, encouraging one another and helping one another. Realizing than all of us are better than just one of us.

And that is no different than today. Get Fit NH is not a physical location (or two) and training equipment. It is and always has been about one thing.

People.

When Nancy and I started Get Fit NH Amy had just turned 1 year old. She is now older than Andrew was at the time. Pretty soon I am going to have to figure out how to keep her and Karalynn locked up and away from the boys. I watched Andrew in a race last week and wondered when he had grown 3 foot legs. Time flies by so fast, even faster than he ran that race. I am so grateful to our Epsom clients who have adopted my kids and made them part of the crew. When I consider how many hours Karl has spent in my backyard playing ball with Drew after training it boggles the mind. Brian was out playing hoops with them the other day. A common refrain to the kids when I walk through the door is “Where did you get that?”, only to find that Donna, or Doreen or Tom had left something for them.

I am grateful that Anne in Concord persistently and consistently encouraged me to break out of my comfort zone and find training space in Concord. Persistence paid off for us both, and she continues to encourage me not only with her kindness, but her amazing work ethic in the gym. Because of her I get to spend time with so many amazing people I would have never met otherwise. How cool is that?

When I consider how blessed we are to have such an amazing team in Concord – Erin, and Meagan and Sarah –  that I can be confident are taking care of y’all when I am gone I am once again just so grateful. Tiffany in the office has done an incredible job since she joined us.

And I don’t have to tell you that Nancy is the glue that makes the whole think stick together. Big surprise that living with me isn’t all sunshine and rainbows and unicorns, but she sticks by me anyway. All that you see is because God graced me with the best.

Regrets over the past 6 years?

Someone said we shouldn’t live with regrets, but there are times I look back at some that have left us and wonder what we could have done better to help them break through. I also regret that the world hasn’t invented teleporters yet, because when people like Steve and Diane move to Ohio we don’t get to see them train anymore! 🙂

And honestly I do regret that I haven’t stopped to smell the roses more, and expressed my gratitude to you more often.

Just know because of you I know dreams come true.

Thank-you.

Dean

KB Swing Seminar for the Payson Center

Want to learn to swing the “cannonball with handles” the so you can use it in training?

Here is your chance!

While the swing is fairly simple, doing it RIGHT (like anything) is key to safe and effective training.

The best part (besides getting to spend time with me of course) is that this seminar is no charge.

All I am asking is that you make a donation of any amount to the Payson Center for Cancer Care in support of the Rock N’ Race. Could be a penny (although that would be kinda cheesy), but that’s up to you. I’d personally pay $50 to come, so ya know! 🙂

First come, first serve – Only taking 15 of y’all this time around.

See you there!

Dean

KB Swing Mastery Seminar
Place: Get Fit NH Epsom
Date: Saturday, May 17, 2014
Time: 9:00 – 10:15am
Investment: A little somethin’ somethin’ for the Payson Center

Color Vibe 5K 2014 is back- join our team today and get a discount!

The Color Vibe 5K is coming back to the speedway Saturday June 7th at 9 am!

Last year we had a blast getting splashed in bright colors and we look forward to doing it again next month. Join our team today to get in on the fun!

This 5K is perfect for everyone:

• Families (strollers too!)
• Walkers
• Runners
• Kids of all ages

Get signed up by clicking here 

…BUT WAIT! Make sure you select Get Fit NH under “Team Name” so that you can get your 10% discount. Our coupon code is T65VZ4. 

If you would prefer to volunteer for this event and hand out water to the walkers and runners you can do that by contacting Get Fit NH’s one and only Deb O’neil at DOneil@NHMS.Com

See you there,

Coach Meagan

Archery at Get Fit NH? I Didn’t Know That!

Did you know you can use a bow at Get Fit NH?

My kids couldn’t believe you could shoot a bow and real arrows inside!

M&D Archery uses Get Fit NH in Concord to teach archery courses to all ages and abilities. My kids need guidance in this endeavor and I wanted a professional to teach them.

Would you like to join them?

For 4 consecutive weeks starting Saturday, May 10, Mike of M&D will be teaching a beginning Archery skill class for a super price of only $55. Space is limited to 10 students, so run don’t walk if you want in!

To register sign up at http://archerynh.com/form/archery-class-registration and select “Basic Target Shooting”.

If you are already using a bow and need some more training contact M&D, they have different times available too, so check it out. I’m excited for my kids to get some great instruction and to learn how to focus their attention on one activity.

See you there!

Coach Nancy

Six Week Sprint into Summer – S3 2014 is Coming!

You’ve asked for it, you got it!

We are calling this years “Sizzlin’ Summer Slimdown” the Six Week Sprint into Summer, and it is going to be spectacular!

As is our custom, this challenge is going to be habit based, but you know there is going to be some stuff in there that is going to make you think and make you stretch, but most importantly it’s going to make you better.

Here’s some dates you need to know:

S3 Kickoff Meeting: Saturday May 10th

S3 Starts: Monday May 19th

S3 Ends: Sunday June 29

I am also excited to announce that Coach Nancy has committed to do at least three of her incredible seminars, covering topics like Menu Planning, Food Preparation “Cheats” and Summer Salads and Sides. These are can’t miss, so stay tuned for those dates.

We will be rolling out more info soon, so stay on the edge of your seats and get ready to…

Make It Happen!

Coach Dean

Get Fit NH Coach Dean Carlson Appointed to Smart Group Training Advisory Board

Award winning trainer recognized for successful implementation of Smart Group Training Philosophy at Get Fit NH

Concord, NH – Coach Dean Carlson, owner of Get Fit NH of Concord and Epsom, has recently been named to the advisory board of Smart Group Training. Smart Group Training is the industry leader in bringing injury screening, prevention, and corrective exercise protocols previously only found in one-on-one personal training into gym and health clubs with large group training formats.

Smart Group Training and the Functional Movement Screen have been part of the way Get Fit NH trains clients since 2012.  Dean called this a logical progression toward not only getting his clients better, but moving the training industry forward by implementing protocols that are respected and understood by physical therapists, orthopedic physicians and other allied health professionals.

The trainers at Get Fit NH are constantly trying to improve on the quality of training they can provide, and the Functional Movement Screen allows personalization of each routine within a group setting to maximize clients’ results. “Being named to the advisory board of Smart Group Training means that the Get Fit NH team has been recognized as one of the best in the country at what we do – helping people move better, feel better and be better,” Carlson said.

The Functional Movement Screen, the foundation of the SGT approach, was designed to identify asymmetries and poor movement patterns in the body. Such patterns have been shown to lead to injury and less than optimal performance. Clients may already have a good base of strength, but if they move poorly, they may never be able to tap into it. Training the body to move well first lays the foundation for the best outcomes.

Under Dean Carlson’s leadership Get Fit NH has been named Best Gym in Southern NH from 2010 to 2014, and Dean has also been recognized as Best Fitness Trainer 3 times in that same period. He credits Get Fit NH’s success in large part to the continuous drive to do what it takes to get his clients better. Call 344-2651 today to get your own Functional Movement Screen. Begin training with us soon to lose fat, build muscle, and feel great.

What do you drive?

I want you to take a second and think of your favorite car. It may be a sports car, an antique ride, or maybe it’s a luxury vehicle. Now I want you to think about how you would treat that car if you had it.

• What kind of fuel would you put into this vehicle? The “good stuff” or the “cheap stuff”?

• Would you keep up with the maintenance that goes along with owning an $80,000 machine?

• Would you eat ice cream while driving that car? Or would you fear that you may destroy the interior of your valued possession?

I think you may see where I am going with this metaphor…

Your body is a machine. And I can assure you it is a heck of a lot more valuable then any materialistic possession you’ll ever own. You only get one body and you need to take care of it now, because here is the scary part- ready?

If you don’t take care of your body and give it what it needs you are putting yourself at risk for countless harmful and fatal health risks.

No, not…

• I’ll start on Monday
• I don’t have time
• Well I train 4X per week so I can eat whatever I want.

There is no time for excuses. At best case scenario we see you for 4 hours a week!

Do you know how many hours are in a week? 168.

That means at BEST case scenario there are 164 OTHER hours during the week where you need to be making conscience and smart decisions.

Because guess what?

You cannot out train poor nutrition. Sorry. It just is not possible. Treat your body like a Camaro.

• Fuel it up with the good stuff- Protein, produce, water
• Train at an absolute minimum twice per week (for best results make that four times per week)
• You don’t want to destroy your interior- so just eat clean

Remember training is forever.

I will see you guys two-four hours a week FOREVER! (Lucky me, huh?  …..or lucky you?)

Make it Happen.

Coach Meagan

But I’m Not A Runner!

I love questions, particularly when a client takes such an interest in their training that they want to know “Why?”

As in “I am not a runner, I don’t understand why we are doing drills like ‘through the gears’, it doesn’t make sense to me.”

That is actually a great question for a couple reasons. Besides the obvious, it also lets me know that we need to do a better job educating. It’s a win-win, because both student and teacher are getting better at the same time.

So why do we do this type of drill anyway?

Last week we talked about the TFW formula for Agility Training.

ADSR = CI

Acceleration. Deceleration. Stopping. Re-acceleration = Conditioning and Injury Prevention

You see agility training is not just about pro athletes running through cones, stopping on a dime, and exploding in the other direction.

• It’s about you and I being stepping off a curb and having to screech to a halt before the kid in the truck runs us over.
• It’s about being reaching out and quickly grabbing our children or grandchildren before they take a nasty tumble.
• It’s about maintaining our ability to move, adjust and react as we get older.

And if we want to maintain it, we got to train it.

So let’s talk about those seated sprints and through the gear drills.

Consider all the things that we are accomplishing, training, and learning:

• Posture – staying tall
• Core Work – maintaining low back position
• Flexibility – can I keep my legs completely on the ground, toes pointed up?
• Shoulder mobility – can I move through a full range of motion?
• Reaction time – how fast can I respond to the commands through the gears?
• Conditioning – gets my heart rate up, blood is pumping!

And once we get that arm action down, our standing work becomes even more effective.

Does it apply to running and sprinting?

You bet! But all these thing also apply to many other aspects of training as well.

Effective arm action helps us create more power, maintain our center of gravity, and keep our balance. And moving better and being more efficient in these areas translates to all of our training.

And helps us get a little bit better, every day.

Keep those questions coming, and keep Making It Happen!

Coach Dean

P.S. – If you are a runner, want to be a better runner, or intend to start running, you need to be at Coach Sarah’s “Running Mechanics & Injury Prevention” Seminar on May 7th.

Sign Up Here!

A Good Healthy Shave for the Guys

Now this might seem a little strange, but good grooming is part of great health too!

I seriously hate shaving, so when I find ANYTHING that makes the experience a little smoother it is worth passing on.

And it’s like adding insult to injury paying for those fancy 3 or 4 blade replacement cartridges. I got so fed up with paying $3 or $4 a pop that I had to throw away after two uses, that I bought some two blade disposables – the only problem with that is that I had to use 2 of them to get one decent shave, and the nicks were brutal. I’d rather pay the extra.

And then I met Harry’s.

I don’t remember where I first heard about Harrys.com and their shaving products, but I am glad I did. I know this will surprise you, but I was a bit skeptical when they claimed that their “Truman Set”, which consists of a handle, a tube of shave cream and 3 blades, would last me a month. And it only cost 15 bucks, free shipping.

Yeah Right!

So I fussed around the website, looked at how they made the blades, German engineering, all that stuff. Then I figured I had just wasted way more than $15 bucks of my time just looking at the website, so I placed the order, figuring I didn’t have all that much to lose.

I just checked.

My first order arrived March 22nd.

I put the 3rd blade in the handle last night, April 22nd.

And the tube of shaving cream is still over 1/3 full.

I’d call that a winner.

Now I only need to shave every other day, so I can’t guarantee you’ll get 2 weeks out of every blade, and maybe your baby face does just fine with what you are using.

But since Harry’s was generous enough to offer me a few free blades if you order from them, I thought I’d pass the word. And if you don’t like them, just tell me and I’ll take them off your hands.

Check out Harrys.com by clicking here

Stay smooth my friends!

Dean

Running Mechanics and Injury Prevention Workshop: Epsom Edition

Last weekends workshop was such a huge success that we are doing it again! On Wednesday May 7, 2014 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm Coach Sarah will be presenting “Running Mechanics and Injury Prevention”, and I know you will not want to miss it. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people who came last time sign up again – it was that good!

Here’s what Adam had to say:  “Coach Sarah & Coach Dean: I ran 4.25 of the most pain free miles this morning I have ran in over one year thanks to the information I learned at your running seminar yesterday. I focused exclusively on my running technique and it felt great. Sarah gave use so many great tips and new information. I would highly encourage anybody to sign up for this class if given again. We can’t wait for for your next/intermediate seminar! Thank You!”

Running season is kicking off with the Rock N’ Race (you can still register for the race here) just 8 days later, so now is the time.

See you there!

Dean

Mechanics of Running and How to Stay Injury Free
Place: Get Fit NH Epsom
Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Time: 6:00 – 7:30pm
Investment: $25
Please Bring: Paper and pen, clothes and shoes for light running

This Workshop Is Open To The Public.