Thank-You For Your Generosity!

Thank-you to all for once again opening your hands and helping those in our community who are struggling. You answered the call once again and filled our Toys for Tots box up and overflowing!

Your generosity is making many children very happy this Christmas season.

Special thanks to Maria Gilbert for heading up the effort and for taking two trips down to Londonderry – and she has a big car!

I and all your coaches are grateful to all the Get Fit family for being such amazing people – You Rock!

I’m Getting Recovery For Christmas!

As most of you are aware our next scheduled recovery week is December 24th through December 28th. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! 🙂

Our schedule around New Years day is a little different as well, so please take note.

Monday December 31st, 2012: Full Schedule

Tuesday January 1st, 2013: “New Years at Noon” Training Bash at Get Fit NH Concord

Wednesday: Off

Thursday and Friday: Full Schedule

All About Recovery Weeks

Recovery weeks are a critical part of our overall training program. (hint, hint) Rumor has it there are still one or two of y’all who write your own recovery week program, because your physiology is apparently different from all the rest of us mortal humans and you don’t need any rest. Oops, did I write that out loud?

Think of it this way. The vast majority of us have the ability to take advantage of time off from our regular job and routine. This is a much needed mental and emotional break from the daily stress of life. We take a few days to decompress and relax, and when we come back we are refreshed and ready to be more productive. At least that’s what is supposed to happen.

In the same way recovery weeks are designed to help you get better. They are not random, haphazard or unnecessary. This is part of the training plan that we put together every year, and it is a vital part of our training program.

Recovery weeks are the key to lower injury rates and increased progress. Don’t try to outsmart the system. I can give you the names of people who have unsuccessfully tried, and it’s just not worth it.

To our newer clients recovery weeks are an unfamiliar concept, and that’s ok, because we want you to know why we do what we do. Invest a few minutes of your time to understand the “secrets” of recovery weeks and how they make you better.

Recovery Is Where The Magic Happens

I Hate Recovery Weeks

Rest, Recover and Regenerate, It’s Not Optional

Eat Your Way Right Challenge Update

Great job to the faithful who continue to turn in their checklists and are staying true to their goals!

It’s hard to believe we are in the home stretch for our challenge, with just 3 weeks left to go. Keep those checklists coming, you are almost there!

Here’s what we are going to do over the next few weeks.

Next week you will come in and do your pre-recovery week weigh-in. You can do this any day up until Friday the 21st.

The final weigh-in will be done the week of December 31st, and must be done by Friday January 4th to count. Your last checklist will be due at this time as well.

After we put all the numbers in our one-of-a-kind ppw3s3checklistcalulamajigger we will announce the team and individual winners and divvy up the prizes – we have some sweet ones, so keep up the great work!

Younger Next Year?

Is it really possible to turn back our biological clock? That is the question that Dr. Henry Lodge, one of the country’s most prominent internists and his 73 year old patient Chris Crowley answer in this compelling, interesting and funny book.

I want to thank Deb Richey for recommending the book to me, and in turn want to pass that recommendation to you. For those of us geeky types it takes a deeper look into the biology of aging and the science behind Dr. Lodge’s assertions. For those of us who like to be entertained while we read (and who doesn’t?) Chris shares his own journey into better aging, as well as those of friends and family, in a laugh out loud funny way. He helps us understand that the best years of our lives are ahead of us after we turn 60, if we want them to be.

Here’s the premise of the book: You are going to get older, but you don’t have to rot. Keeping our body, soul and mind active and engaged gives us the best chance of enjoying life into our 80’s and beyond. I don’t know about you, but I want to be as active as possible for as long as possible. Maybe at 95 or so knock off that last set of 20 burpees, then quietly go to sleep and pass from this life to the next?

Look guys I know there are no guarantees in life. Heck we could walk out the door and get hit by a truck. But if that happens, I want to total the vehicle of the guy that runs into me!

As far as the book goes my exercise recommendations are a little different (although his certainly are good) and I don’t necessarily buy all the “evolved from bacteria” stuff, but there is no doubt that the premise is solid, and offers real encouragement and hope that getting older doesn’t mean life is over.

There are two editions of the book, one geared toward men, and one geared toward women. I actually read the women’s version in my never ending quest to find out what really makes you ladies tick, rather than just knowing how to tick you off. 🙂

A bonus is that reading keeps our brain active, which is crucial too.

Here the handy dandy Amazon links for both editions – Happy Reading!

Younger Next Year For Women

Younger Next Year For Men

Things That Matter

For some reason the past few days I have been reflecting on how fast time goes by. Recently Nancy and I were talking about when we first got married. 19 years old, living on love and not much else.  February will be our 27th anniversary – doesn’t seem possible.

I never really thought about getting older until recently. I mean I feel better than I did 20 years ago, taking care of myself a bit better has that effect. But little things are starting to crop up. For some reason my glasses don’t work as well as they used to. I even have to take them off to read sometimes. What’s up with that? And the hair? Well let’s not go there today.

Deb Richey recently lent me a book, “Younger Next Year” and it is fascinating (and it’s funny, which is always good too!)  It gives scads of evidence that exercise, hard exercise, is the key to quality aging. Not walk on a treadmill for an hour “exercise”, but really getting after it. Look we are all going to get older, but as author Chris says, that doesn’t mean we have to rot.

It’s a fact, the body is either in a state of growth or a state of decay. Fighting off that decay takes work. We all know those people who are vibrant and healthy into their 80’s and 90’s, I say why not join them?

I mean I’d like to tell you that you just need to find that perfect balance in your life and it will all be sunshine and rainbows, but seriously? Balance is for the most part a myth, and it means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take control and take positive steps to stay healthy and live well.

And one of those positive steps is taking the time to slow down and enjoy life, the things that really matter. As those around me could tell you, I am not very good at that. There is always something that needs to be done, right? I mean I have a business to run, clients and team members to take care of, things to do for crying out loud.

And then life slaps me in the head. On Saturday Drew says to me “I can’t wait, only 3 more month and I hit double digits”. I was kinda stunned, but he is right. In 3 short months he will be 10 years old. But I don’t want him to be 10. I want him to be 9 for just a couple more years, because then I will have the time to do all the things I want to do with him. To do all the things he wants to do with me. Like throw the football, and play Batman on the Wii, and build that model plane.  But I don’t suppose time is going to stand still, not even for a (self) important guy like me.

We all have the same 24 hours in a day, so it’s not a matter of not having the time. It’s a matter of how we choose to use it.

I mean you can sit on the couch for 4 hours a night, or you can keep your mind and body active. Life will go on if you don’t watch the latest episode of your favorite show. But perhaps that life, your life would be better for longer if you chose to make it so. And beware that this is not a one time choice, but a decision to be better every day. To be productive, to take care of yourself through healthy eating and hard exercise, and by taking the time to focus on what really counts in your life.

Whether you have kids yet, or still in the house, have seem some leave the house already, or never intend to, I think you’ll get the point .

Live Life Intentionally.

Coach Dean

 If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again
( Author Unknown )

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I’d finger paint more, and point the finger less.
I’d do less correcting, and more connecting.
I’d take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less, and know to care more.
I’d take more hikes and fly more kites.
I’d stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I’d do more hugging, and less tugging.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I’d build relationships first, and the house later.
I’d teach less about the love of power,
And more about the power of love.

Eating Your Way Right – “Degrees of Slippage”

Thanksgiving has come and gone, how did you do? Did you take small steps toward making better decisions? Enjoy your favorite foods without going nutso?

No matter what the answer to those questions, take the time to evaluate what happened and why? If you made better choices, create that scenario next time you have a big party to plan or attend. If you didn’t do as well as you wanted, figure out what triggered the over indulgence and see what you can do next time to be just a little better.

This week marks the halfway point of our “Eat Your Way Right Through The Holidays” challenge. If you haven’t weighed in and picked up a new checklist – Now Is The Time!

A big thank-you to Dr. Amanda Hegnauer from Whole Health Concord for spending time with us last evening. She did a great job talking about supportive nutrition and gave us some great strategies for keeping our nutrition in check while still enjoying some of those favorite foods.

Thanks Dr. Amanda!

Degrees of Slippage

I read this from Strength and Conditioning Coach Alwyn Cosgrove recently, and I saw a little of myself in here.

What about you?

“We have a saying in our gym with regard to dieting that we call “degrees of slippage”.

People tend to move away from their diet plan in small degrees.

They start to slip in little degrees and never notice it.

For example, the original lunch calls for salmon and brown rice.

Client thinks turkey and rice is okay (which it is). So this becomes the new norm – the new reference point.

Now if that’s okay, then chicken and a sweet potato is also okay (true, especially when compared to the new reference point).

Then a lean piece of red meat and a small baked potato is okay (still only another small degree of difference right?)

Then lean ground beef, and a couple of small red potatoes or a whole wheat pita would be fine (guess so).

And if a pita is fine, a small roll must be fine, and the ground beef put into a patty will be fine.

So a hamburger is now the diet lunch of choice. And if a hamburger is fine, a Philly cheesesteak on a hoagie roll is fine. Etc., etc.

Now, none of those changes were all that significant, particularly when the change becomes the new “reference point”. But added up, we can see that our recommended lunch of salmon and brown rice has become a Philly cheesesteak!!”

Hmmmm….

The Big Question

The awesome Martha from 5:00am sent me this quote from Jim Rohn, and it really got me thinking. I want to make you think a little bit too, so here it is:

“You must constantly ask yourself these questions: Who am I around? What are they doing to me? What have they got me reading? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking? And most important, what do they have me becoming? Then ask yourself the big question: Is that okay? Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” – Jim Rohn

It has been said that your life will be a reflection of the 5 people you spend the most time with. And while that may be true, we can overcome that if we must.

We don’t always control the people we work with for instance. But we don’t have to let them define who we are. Rather we can choose to be the positive influence on them. It takes a little work, and you may even be criticized a little bit, but isn’t it better to focus on the positive instead of being sucked into the cesspool of negativity?

Here at Get Fit NH we get the privilege of seeing people radically change their lives. Sure, a lot of times it is about losing pounds and inches, but often that is just the icing on the cake. It is a place of overwhelming positive.

I can’t tell you how pumped I was on Saturday as I watched an incredible group of athletes work together and just get after it for 90 minutes – the energy in the room was incredible!

As I surveyed the room my heart was overwhelmed as I looked at all the faces who have made it their purpose to make themselves better.

And while I can’t possibly relate every story, each face reminded me that we are all in this together, and of the struggles and challenges, and the achievements and victories those faces represent.

I remember Donna W. running arms open at the end of the Renegade Playground Challenge, with the joy of the accomplishment.

I was reminded that one of the reasons Jill came to us is that she wanted to lose weight before having children, and this summer her and Karl bringing Erica into this world.

I see Mae Lynn, who trained hard for her half-marathon and has taken 4 1/2 minutes off her 5k time this year.

And Lori, who looks like a different person after shedding 40 pounds.

I see some who have never given up in spite of nagging injury, like Katy, and Christina and Sharon.

I see couples who have gotten off the couch and joined together to strengthen body and relationship.

I see cancer survivors, heart attack victims and people with arthritis, fighting to stay healthy and active.

But mostly when I look at the faces who walk through our doors I just see winners.

I see people who have decided not to live life by chance, but make the intentional choice to be better, and the hard choice to change.

And part of that means I get to hang out with some really cool people. I get to be influenced by scores of people who add joy to my life, who push me to be better as much as I could ever push them.

So think about it.

Who I am allowing to influence me? Where am I going? What am I thinking, and reading, and becoming?

And then ask yourself the big question.

Is That Ok?

Life does not get better by chance, it only gets better when we purpose to Make It Happen.

Live Life Intentionally.

Coach Dean

More “Pies Off The Thighs” Pics

Thank-you to Adam and Mrs. Rosenthal for their contribution to the pics.

We had a great time!

Monday News and Notes

Great to have the Get Fit NH crew back this morning after a long weekend – looking forward to the afternoon training as well!

Just wanted to remind y’all of a few things and update you on some news.

Tomorrow, Tuesday November 27th @ 7:00pm will be hosting Dr. Amanda Hegnauer as she gives us some great strategies for making continued progress through the looooong holiday season – don’t miss it!

December 8th is the annual Jingle Bell Run to benefit the Arthritis Foundation, followed by an open house at Get Fit NH Concord at around 11:15am. Love to have you bring the family and friends down for a visit!

Just as an FYI the cooler in the Concord facility is on the fritz, and we are working on getting it replaced as soon as possible. In the mean time we have put all the Dale’s bars into the refrigerator in the kitchen.

We have also installed a water filtration unit at the kitchen tap in Concord for those of you who need to refill your water bottles. As you know there is a water discoloration challenge in the Concord facility, so while it is safe to drink it doesn’t look so nice! 🙂

Got some great feedback yesterday from our surveys, and I did want to address one issue. While we make every effort to have first class facilities we are unable to control everything related to the facilities in Concord. The bathrooms are one of those things. As you may or may not know those facilities are shared with our neighbors in the building, Big Jim’s, who are also the landlord. There is traffic in and out of there all day long, so while they are not the most fashionable bathrooms in the world, for the dual purpose they serve we work with what we have.

And on that note I also want to thank everyone who takes the time to respond to our client satisfaction surveys. We take them very seriously, and we do our best to take them to heart and make positive changes when and where we can. Thank-you!

Have A Great Day!

Dean

Grateful

Gratefulness does not come naturally to most of us.

It’s kind of like exercise.

We know it’s something we should practice, but we just don’t feel like it.

Seems like it’s easier to find something to gripe about than something to be thankful for.

But just like exercise, when you practice gratitude it becomes easier, and just like exercise an attitude of gratitude just makes life better.

I need more practice.

So here goes:

I am grateful for my long-suffering wife who is the hardest working, most caring and loving person I know. I love you Nancy.

I am grateful for my 6 kids. The joy and enthusiasm of the younger ones, and the fact that my older boys have found amazing women to marry and spend their lives with.

I am grateful for my parents, and the work ethic and drive they instilled in me. It turned a lazy kid into a reasonably productive adult – who woulda thunk?

I am grateful for my our coaching team and staff at Get Fit NH. We are truly fortunate to have such dedicated superstars who are always striving to get better at what they do. Bonus points for putting up with me. Erin, CJ, Meagan, Esther, Robin and Nancy – you rock!

I am grateful to every client who has walked through our doors. You allow us to do what we love to do. By allowing us to help you be better, you make us better. Thank-You!

I am grateful for the daily blessings the Creator bestows every day that is all too often overlooked. The sun that lights our way, the air we breathe, and the beauty of this world.

Practice makes perfect, so even when it’s hard I challenge you to practice a little gratitude each and every day. 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving!

Coach Dean