First thing I want you to do is to think about all of your best and worst days in training, I am sure you can vividly remember both of them! I am sure there are days where you lifted more weight than you ever thought you could and felt on top of the world, and there were probably days where everything felt terrible. These type of days happen here and there but what is usually forgotten is all the days inbetween. I like to call those days the medium days. 

Medium days are those days where things may not have been fantastic and you crushed the world, but they also weren't terrible and everything felt wrong. You came in to training, did the work you needed to, moved your body, and went home feel.... well ok. You may not have felt the most motivated that day but still wanted to com train because you know you should, and it was just another training day.

I am a big believer that these medium days are the magic that moves us towards our goals and what we want. I would bet that in all your training days you have had more medium days versus great/terrible days, you just tend to remember the other days more! Everyone talks about needing more motivation to reach their goals when in reality its consistency that will help accomplish them. Consistency will also help you get motivation since you are taking steps in the right direction.

The medium days are the train tracks to your goals, with bad days being little hills that may slow you down a bit and fantastic days being a downhill making you go faster! Either way the consistently going in to those medium days are so important and if it is every a day where you just feel ehh... that's ok! The important thing is you made it, you're moving, and your body is so happy for those medium days! 

Keep Making It Happen!

-Coach Brian

I’m sure you have heard your coaches say, “squeeze those glutes” or “pinch your back” during training. This is to help you focus on the muscles that we want you to contract during a specific workout. The more we can focus mentally on the action we are performing and which muscles groups we are using, the more effective our workouts can be. This can be referred to as mind-muscle connection, or MMC for short.

Research shows that consciously focusing on the target muscle as it works through a full range of motion can help recruit a greater percentage of muscle fibers to “fire up”. Just by doing this alone you can get and feel a better contraction of your muscles. Which in turn can greatly enhance your muscle development during your training. This is why it’s important to try and not let yourself just “go through the motions” of an exercise. Otherwise, we can lose out on maximizing the potential for muscle growth.

 To improve your mind-muscle connection, really try to feel your muscles contract every single rep. For example, when doing band hammer curls. As you work through the concentric contraction of the workout, (lifting the band up towards your shoulders), really concentrate on your biceps pulling the band up. Once you get to the isometric contraction, (when your at the top of your motion and you’re holding the band up by the shoulders), really squeeze and flex your biceps and hold that tension for a quick second. Then control the band as you lower it down towards your legs.

You will notice a distinct difference when performing your reps this way. The same can be said for every exercise you perform while working out this way. Feel free to try it out the next time you come in to train. The mind is a powerful thing.

-Coach Dylan 

Is there anyone out there who does NOT shop on Amazon? i am convinced they are well on their way to taking over the world and I support that. We have been rocking through referral challenges for several months and it ain't gonna stop anytime soon, because you guys are crushing it. 

We have given away:

• Paddle Board
• $200 gift card to Eastern Mountain Sports
• Next week we are giving away a free night to Adventure Suites, Great Wolf Lodge or Red Jacket Inn

If you refer to us in October or November then you will be entered into a drawing to win a $200 gift card to Amazon. 

If you have someone you have been trying to get in the door then come chat with one of us about our give away gift cards! We have them right here at the gym and you can gift them (at no cost to you) to your friends and family. 

Let the games begin,

Coach Meagan

What is self-control?

Self-control is defined as the ability to manage your actions, feelings and emotions. It is important for us to understand and practice self-control in our lives. This can help us cope with certain emotions and feelings, as well as help control our actions. Preventing us from saying or doing something we know we will regret, or the regret of not doing something at all. By practicing self-control, we can improve our health and quality of life. Both physically and mentally. 

I didn’t understand the significance of self-control until my senior year in high school. I was always a very active individual who played sports, basketball in particular. But a quarter of the way through my season, I sprained my knee and tore my meniscus. I couldn’t walk and was on crutches for about 3 months while I went through surgery and physical therapy. For me, it was the most difficult time in my life.

Not being able to do the things I once could was hard for me to cope with. It was even harder mentally for me, as I didn’t want to be viewed as a handicap or someone who was vulnerable. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I was vulnerable. I realized that it was ok to receive someone’s help from time to time. That’s when I started to change my mentality about my situation. 

Rather than be upset about my condition and what I couldn’t control, I started to focus on what I could control. That was my attitude, I wasn’t gonna let my injury bring me down and I needed to be more positive as I recovered. For my physical therapy, I was limited. But I focused on what I could do, no matter how small or simple the exercise. Some nights I would just lie in bed trying to fire up my leg muscles. It wasn’t much, but I knew I was working towards my long-term goal. Over time, I got stronger and was back to my active self. I gained a new perspective from my injury, and I believe I am stronger because of it. As I learned to focus more on what I can control rather than what I can’t control. 

The same can be said for you when it comes to your own health and fitness. Learn to practice self-control, so you can better understand your feelings and actions and how to handle them to benefit yourself. Whether that’s practicing healthier eating habits. Or making sure you make it to training, even though you are tired. Once you stop saying “I can’t” and start saying “I can” you will start to notice the positive impact it can have. It’s your life, take control of it.

-Coach Dylan 

I believe that many of us don’t achieve our goals because we give up on ourselves.  I love the quote from Albert Einstein, “You never fail until you stop trying”. How many times do we fall short of our goals because we just stop trying?  Achieving a goal is no small task and it can seem like there is always something working against us.  

Last year I completed my first half marathon.  I walked the entire 13.1 miles but that was an accomplishment for me.  Six months prior to that I couldn’t walk for more than 20 minutes without pain due to fibromyalgia.  After completing the half marathon, my husband and I promised each other we would do it again in October 2019 and add in some running!  

I will be honest, over the past few weeks I have questioned myself and my ability to do the half marathon next month.  I wanted to give up. I told myself that life has just gotten in the way and I haven’t been able to train as much as I would have liked.  I haven’t lost as much weight as I wanted.  Many other “reasons” floated through my head as to why it would be ok just to pass it up this year.  There is always next year or another race. I was ready to give up and stop trying.

Last week I was talking with someone and mentioned my doubts.  Without hesitation, he said of course you are going to do the half marathon!  I am so thankful for his strong conviction and belief in me.  A new fire ignited inside me. I decided I WILL complete the half marathon in October. I may not be able to run as much as I would like but at least I didn’t give up on myself and my goal.  

We may not always believe in ourselves and ability which is why it is so important to surround yourself with the right people.  I believe it is important to share your goals, struggles, doubts and successes with someone!  Your Get Fit NH Family is here for you!  We want to help you achieve your goals and we never want to see you give up! 

-Coach Erin

I recently heard the statement “use your emotions to drive you into motion”.  This phrase kept playing over in my head and I began to wonder how often we actually use our emotions to our advantage.

One definition that I found states that emotions can be defined as a complex state of feeling that results in physical and psychological changes that influence thought and behavior.  I think we would all agree that emotions are complex. I believe that it is all too common for people to suppress their emotions. Some emotions are uncomfortable, and we don’t want to deal with them or their cause, so we avoid them.  This can result in behaviors that are not beneficial and will not help us reach our goals. Have you ever been angry, felt lonely, or overwhelmed? Those are generally not feelings we like to sit with and think about so instead we may try to eat pleasurable foods in order to boost our moods and “make ourselves feel better”.  Often our attempts at “instant gratification” do not change the cause of the emotion.

I believe we need to increase our emotional awareness.  Emotions are energy in motion within us. They are an internal feedback system.  The goal is to be able to use these emotions to our advantage rather than let them weigh us down.  When an uncomfortable emotion arises, take a minute and do some deep breathing and allow yourself to notice what you are actually feeling.  Next, name the emotion. Once you acknowledge what the emotion is you are better able to manage it. Finally, you need to talk yourself through the emotion and reassure yourself.  Decide how you want this emotion to dictate your day. Can it be a motivation for action and change for the good? Or will it overcome you and stagnate your direction and goals. Denial does not change things – action does.  Even the action of owning the emotion is motion forward. By using your emotions in perspective, you can experience positive changes that will bring you closer to your goals.

-Coach Erin