And this time it's shining on Julie Robinson!

Although Julie has only been with us a little over a month at this point, she has been a great positive addition to class! She works hard and is very accepting of ways to improve and keep getting better. Here is a little more information about Julie’s journey at Get Fit NH in her own words…

Julie is pictured on the far left getting her "I survived" shirt!

“I heard about Get Fit NH on Facebook. I read about the 28-day metabolic challenge and it spurred my interest. I have always loved working out and am always looking for new ways to improve my overall health and flexibility and decided to give it a try. I am a runner, but like anything else, if that is all you do your body becomes accustomed to the effort and you stop seeing results. I also have been doing cross fit training for many years now but know there is always more you can learn and add to your workouts. One of the great things about Get Fit NH is the team of coaches. They are always cheering you on and giving you pointers on better form to get the most from the exercise and not injure yourself.

I have been at Get Fit NH now for about 6 weeks and have found that I have more stamina and a bit more flexibility. I have also learned that for many years I have been doing a lot of my exercises wrong! I have severe scoliosis and have difficulty straightening my back, I tend to round my shoulders to compensate. With Coach Adam and Coach Cari's help I am improving on my form. This has helped me when not at the gym too because I am now more aware of my poor posture and find myself constantly working to improve it.

I also like the nutritional portion of the Get Fit NH program. I have a very restricted diet but have learned a lot already on how I can add some variation to my often times bland diet. What is really nice about the program and the staff at Get Fit NH is they are always giving you options on how you can improve physically and nutritionally and explaining how you will get your best results by incorporating both into your routine. I have met some wonderful people through Get Fit NH, it is fun to work with people that have the same goals and needs. It truly is a great group of people and I am enjoying it very much!”

Keep up the great work, Julie!

-Coach Adam

You voted and it counted! Thank you so much for taking the time to vote. The results are in and you did not disappoint yet again! We are now 8 years strong in the "Best of" awards all because of YOU! Check it out...

Best of the Best Fitness Instructor: Nancy Carlson Get Fit New Hampshire, 287 S. Main St., Concord, and 167 New Orchard Road, Epsom, 344-2651, getfitnh.com

Thank you, thank you, thank you! None of this is possible without you! Make it happen!

Get Fit NH Team​

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The request was: "I'd like to learn more about how to transition safely back to training after injuries. After going through this several times I find it challenging both mentally and physically. It's hard for me to know when I'm overdoing vs training carefully."

Who has ever felt this way? Most of us deal with aches and pains, but injuries can be really frustrating and confusing. So, how do we know when it is safe to train a movement pattern that was once painful?

1. Nobody knows your body better than you do. Each training day your coach will check in with you. When we ask you how you are doing we want to know everything. Your day, your mood, your aches and pains…all of it! We want to know on a scale of 1-10 what your pain is today. There is a fancy chart hanging on the wall to help guide you. If we don’t know we can’t help you. We even want to know if you have a slight headache or heartburn! All of it!

2. Let’s pretend like you felt a tweak in your back while you were cleaning the garage over the weekend. It’s not bothering you now, but it happened….we need to know. Even if you think it is nothing, we need to be cautious to prevent injury.

3. Be mindful of your progress. What is your pain today compared to when you first injured? What is your pain today compared to last week? What is your pain today after training yesterday?

4. Are you aware of this injury while you’re not in training? What bothers you at home? Are you noticing it more or less with day to day activities?

We put Amy in the spotlight a few weeks ago, and this time it's shining on her husband, Jim. Like Amy, Jim has been a fantastic addition to the Get Fit NH family, someone who always comes in with a positive attitude and works his butt off time in and time out. Jim tells us a little more about his time with Get Fit NH...

Why did you choose Get Fit NH?

My wife Amy had heard about Get Fit from some of her co-workers at Bow Memorial Middle School. They raved about what a great program it was, and she really wanted to try it. We had a membership at the Concord YMCA, but hardly used it at all, and both wanted to find a workout solution that got us excited and motivated to be in the gym. It seemed like Get Fit was making it happen for her friends, and so we decided to give it a shot. What a great decision!

What changes did you notice in the first few weeks?

Well the first thing I noticed was how out of shape I was…ha! But it wasn’t long until I remembered just how great it felt to be in the gym and exercising regularly. You get through that initial sore period, and then everything starts to feel much tighter and better. Feeling better and better like that becomes its own form of motivation (at least for me!) I enjoy working out, but haven’t always had the best discipline. Get Fit has really helped me with that. I never thought I would be “that guy” who gets up at 5:30am to go workout, and yet now I’m doing it on a regular basis (4:30am on Mondays and Fridays!).

What outside of Get Fit NH has become easier since starting?

One of the biggest impacts I noticed had to do with my annual participation in the Reach-The-Beach Relay. I’ve run in it since 2012, but almost every year I would end the relay with some kind of nagging injury or pain (plantar fasciitis, patellar tendonitis, shin splints, etc.). Keep in mind, my only preparation for the relay was running. However, when I ran in it this past fall (after having been at Get Fit for just 3 months), I felt much stronger than in any previous year, and I finished with absolutely zero aches and pain (and that was even with a grueling 9 mile run with plenty of hills!). I credit that largely to the workouts we do at Get Fit. The full body strength and conditioning that Coach Dean and his team prepare have a huge impact on my overall fitness level.

What are your goals?

I was really big when I was younger (topped the scales at 280 lbs. my freshman year in college), and so weight has always been an issue for me. I have a tendency to yo-yo when it comes to my weight. As everyone knows, the older you get the harder it is to keep the weight off. I’ve set a long-term goal to take charge of this area of my life and make a permanent commitment to proper weight management and control.

What have you accomplished so far?

I started at Get Fit last August, and so far I’ve managed to lose 15 pounds as far as the scale reads, and have seen a 5% drop in my overall body fat composition. I’ve also gone from an XXL down to an XL, and feel like I can confidently set my sights on getting back into an L before July of this year.

What is your favorite part of Get Fit NH?

The coaches and the workouts they design. One thing I really appreciate about the coaches is how encouraging they are, gently pushing us to strive for more, but never making us feel like we aren’t getting to where we need to be. I guess what I mean is that they take the time to get to know you, it’s not a cookie cutter approach. They understand each one of us is different, and we are doing “our” workout even though everyone else is doing the same thing. It’s like the old adage “the weight is not the goal…the weight is the tool you use to achieve your goal.” To that end, I also really appreciate how vigilant they are about making sure we are using proper form so we don’t hurt ourselves.

Great job, Jim! Keep it up!

Coach Adam

Most of you that know me know that I hate cooking. Because I hate cooking I am not patient, which means when I cook it doesn’t always come out as planned, because I tend to miss important steps. Anyone else like that? For years I have tried to overcome this hatred, but here I am still not enjoying it.

Here is what I do- I am totally one of those people who CAN eat the same thing over and over, BUT eventually it will get old. Each week I make a meal plan. On that plan, I include ONE brand new (easy) recipe. If I like it then it gets added to an index card and I file it in my recipe box, if I don’t care for it then it gets trashed. The rest of my meals are pulled from the front of the recipe box then I make my grocery list. I ALWAYS cook the new recipe on a Wednesday or a weekend when I have more time to pay attention.

Once the week is over and I am ready to make my new meal plan I file the week’s recipe cards in the BACK of the box (with or without new recipe if I liked it) so that I am keeping it fresh, with what I know I like and what I know I can cook. And I am gradually growing my recipe bank.

What is your system? Is there a system or are you constantly on Google trying to find next week's meal plan? Don’t reinvent the wheel each week- keep it simple!

Coach Meagan

To some of y'all it might seem strange that as a gym owner and physical prep coach that I would suggest you can get too MUCH exercise, but it's true. 

​With our next scheduled recovery week coming up, I want you to explore further with me the concept of "enough" in relation to exercise.

​It seems counterintuitive - do less, gain more? Well, as the answer to many exercise related questions;

It Depends.

There are two sides to the story. On the one hand some of us don't have the skill (and sometimes will) to push ourselves hard enough to make progress. Skill? How hard can it be to sweat? When I speak of skill I mean being able to cleanly move through an exercise pattern with proper form. You know what I mean. You get a lot more "bang for your buck" when you can do a full range squat than just a little "halfsy" right? That's why we ​work on cleaning up your movements; so you can do them safely and with maximum effectiveness.

On the other hand some people are just exercise junkies. Seriously. Strenuous exercise releases endorphins, which are chemicals that make us feel good. Endorphins are why we can feel so good even though we just got our butts kicked. The downside is they can literally become our "drug". Pushing our bodies to the limit is a high we start to seek.

​But too much of a good thing is a bad thing. There is a point of diminishing returns. There comes a point when excessive exercise along with too low of calories will become a vicious cycle of fatigue, injury and even weight gain. UGHHH! 

Learning to push harder is good. Exercising hard and pushing it to the max, every so often, is a very beneficial thing to do as we seek to hit new goals and discover what we are capable of.

But there are limits on both the intensity of exercise and the frequency of exercise.

We've talked about the "hierarchy of training" before.

In other words, which type of exercise will give me the most bang for my buck, depending on the number of hours I have to allocate per week?

I absolutely love this graphic from our partners over at Precision Nutrition. It perfectly illustrates this concept.

MORE isn't better, BETTER is better.

Here's the focus points I want you to get.

• Resistance Training comes first
• Intervals or Sprints come second
• Active recovery (swimming, yoga, walking, mobility work) is important, but not above the first two.
• Leave time to do the fun stuff you enjoy.
• There is an upper limit to how much actual training you should do, no matter how many total hours you choose to be active.

We structure our training in the gym around these principles. The big rock is going to be strength training. You see that manifested in dedicated strength training days, and also on other days where we do "metabolic resistance training" - training that uses resistance (all the tools; dumbbells, kettlebells, bands, suspension trainers, etc.) but where we move at a faster pace. Our finishers revolve around the interval and sprint work, and we also get some mobility and flexibility work in there as well, which is part of your active recovery.

And then there is recovery. Training hard and under-recovering is bad mojo. Eventually there is going to be one too many straws on the camels back.

​That's why we schedule Recovery Weeks as part of our Training Program. They are not willy-nilly, random, or unnecessary. They are an integral part of each training cycle. (You read last Tuesday's post, right?)

Recovery. It's up to YOU to Make It Happen!

Coach Dean​

Sizzlin' Summer Slimdown "Clean and Lean" 2017 IS Here!

Sign Up Now. Registration Closes April 26th! 

The Earlier You Sign Up, The Better. Instant Access to all your materials, get your initial Fit3D scan done early, and get a great head start on your prep work. 

What is the Sizzlin' Summer Slimdown "Lean and Clean 2017" Challenge?

S3 is our annual "Summer Is Coming" transformation contest. This is a great opportunity to focus in, stay accountable and get some work done. We have done different kinds of S3 challenges over the years and what we have learned is that we work better on a team. Last year we had record breaking results and a fantastic celebration at the end. We plan to break last year's records and have an ever bigger celebration!

Here's What You Get

Before I go any further I want to whet your appetite, so here's a rundown of what you get when you signup:

10 Brand New 1-Page Challenge Guides for you to download, print and keep forever. Details below!

Exclusive Downloadable Sizzlin' Summer Slimdown Handbook (.pdf), which includes:

• Super Simple Daily Meal Plan
• Chart Your Own Course Meal Plan
• Coach Nancy's Sample Weekly Meal Plan
• Meal Plan Templates
• Grocery List
• Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Recipes
• Super Shake Guide

7 weeks of nutrition accountability, education and coaching using Habit Catalyst

"New": Pinterest page with bonus healthy and tasty recipes​

7+ weeks of Private Facebook support

How Much For All This Awesomeness You Ask?​

Only $39 for Get Fit NH Clients!​

Not a current Get Fit NH Client?

We got you covered!

For the first time ever we are offering two options for non-clients to play - sweet!

Option #2: Friends and Family $77

You get all the same great support, accountability and tools that our clients are using, plus you get to experience all that Get Fit NH Awsomeness for a crazy low price!

Option #3: 6-Weeks Training  for $367

We are opening up three of our training times, one in Epsom and two in Concord*, so you can experience Get Fit NH's award winning Smart Group Training during the contest! You will receive all the care and attention our training clients receive, as well as all the great S3 tools.

S3 + Training = Awesome Results!

*7:25am/6:45pm Concord

9:00am Ladies Only in Epsom

Here's How It Works (Please read and follow carefully)

Once again this year we are doing the S3 Partner Challenge. You will need to find a partner, but if you don't have one, don't worry!

THIS IS IMPORTANT EITHER WAY: After you register you will receive an email with a link to the "Team" form. Just type in "need a partner (or N/A)" when you fill out that form and we will find you someone to buddy up with. If you do have a partner then you will fill in their name and your team name. (My favorite one from last year was "Thelma and Louise") 

This contest is all about teamwork, lifting each other up and helping each other out. You can only win the contest if both partners give it all they got!

This Years Contest Tools

Manual and Guides

This year we are adding 10 Brand New one page guides for you to download, print and keep forever! These handy guides cover everything from weekly menu planning to creating the ultimate breakfast. The Challenge Checklist is a handy reference to help you eat clean and track your progress. You will also get a copy of our famous Sizzlin' Summer Slimdown guide and cookbook, full of tasty and easy to make recipes. 

Habit Catalyst

Habit Catalyst is our nutrition education and accountability tool. Every day you will receive an email asking you this one question "Yesterday, did you eat ONLY real foods?" along with a lesson to help you do just that. Around 50% of the scoring for the contest will depend on you checking in daily and get the habits done. You can go back and read the lessons at any time, but you cannot go back to check off your habit.

This year we are also including a bonus "Prep Week" to help set you up for maximum success, so you are actually getting a full seven weeks of professional nutrition coaching - BONUS!

Fit3D

Fit3D is an innovative 3D body scanner that captures a 3D, 360° image of the human body and extracts the most commonly used measurements tracked for fitness progress, all with just a 40 second scan. You will be using Fit3D three times during the contest to measure your waist and hips; once before the contest, once at the mid-point, and at the end. The more you lose off your waist and hips, the more points you score!

How Does My Team Win?

Scoring Habit Points

You earn points for your team based on your percentage of daily habit tracking compliance using Habit Catalyst. Each team members score will be calculated, and then the team will be awarded the average. Here's the scale:

• 90% or greater compliance = 100 points
• 80 - 89% = 80 points
• ​70 - 79% = 70 points
• ​60 - 69% = 60 points
• 50 - 59% = 50 points
• <50% = 0 points

Here's an example:

Thelma achieves a compliance score of 92%  = 100 points

Louise achieves a compliance score of 78% = 70 points

The team would score the average = 85 points​

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Scoring Results Points

This one is really simple. You earn 10 points for each % average that you lose off your waist and hips. Each team members score will be calculated and added to the team total.

Here's an example:

Bruce loses 4% off his waist and Wayne loses 6%. The average is 5%, so the team earns 50 points.

Bruce loses 3.5% off his hips and Wayne loses 1%, so the average would be 2.25%, or 22.5 points.

The team total "Results Points" would be 77.5 - easy peasy!​

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Bonus Points

Your team will earn and additional 10 points each by completing the mid-contest Fit3D scan by May 27th. Those 20 points could be huge, so don't miss them!

Double Bonus!

Every week we will be sending you a brief (3 or 4 question) Check-In survey. You will earn another 10 points when you fill out 5 out of 6 of those. That could be another critical 20 points total.

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So what would team "In It All The Way" Final Score be? 85 habit points + 77.5 results points + 40 bonus points (they were really on top of things) = 202.5 total points. Can you beat that? 🙂

And yes, there will be CASH prizes!

This year we are going to split the pie up a bit, and offer cash prizes to the Top Three Teams!

Like last year, we are going to split the entry fees, with the winners getting 50% of the entry fees, and the remaining going toward expenses for running the contest and the HUGE party we will have at the end!

Here's the breakdown:

• 1st Place Team splits 25% of the Pool (last year that would have been a couple grand - true story!)
• 2nd Place Team splits 15% of the pool
• 3rd Place team splits 10% of the Pool

Are coaches eligible to win? I think I am going to enter a team myself. CHA-CHING!

Key Dates To Remember:

• Monday April 3rd:    Sign ups open
• Wednesday April 26th:   Sign up cutoff
• Saturday April 29th @ 10:00 AM:  Kickoff meeting, First scan due, and Meals Made Easy workshop at Get Fit NH Concord
• Monday May 1st:   S3 begins with "Prep Week"
• Saturday May 27th:   Halfway scans due. We will be open 8-10 AM. You can also do them during regular hours anytime that week. Count for 10 points per teammate.
• Saturday June 17th:   S3 ends and we are open 8-10 AM to get final scans done
• ​Tuesday June 20th:   Last scan due by 7:45 PM
• Saturday June 24th:   Reveal Party @ 10:00 AM in Concord

Adam and his wife Deb have been a part of the Get Fit NH family for a long time. Each time I see Adam, I get a big hug and a smile that usually means trouble. But Adam surprised me with an email soon after the 21Day +Nutrition Challenge was over. I think it surprised Adam too. 

"I (Adam) was stuck in a food rut.  I had joined Get Fit NH 7 years ago. At that point I was eating lousy, just ask my wife, Deb. Since joining I was eating much healthier but I cheated with carbs and sugar on the weekends and after training. I finally took the plunge and did the 21 Day + Nutrition Challenge. This program helped me get back on track and shed 18 pounds. I got rid of the bloated stomach feeling and improved my athletic performance.

Last weekend at the Crash B's in Boston, MA I was able to bring my 2000 Meter Rowing Erg time down by 20 seconds. That time blew past my pre-challenge time four (4) weeks earlier. I was always skeptical that your programs which cut back on carbs would leave me energy depleted for competitions but this is FALSE. I stepped off the rowing erg this past weekend in Boston feeling great and I recovered very quickly afterwards. I recovered much more quickly than ever in the past without joint pain or muscle discomfort. I am now energized and empowered to keep moving forward...I can't wait to see if I can lower my Half Marathon time and Ski Erg 1000 Meter time this fall. I know have to remember to drink enough water too. I didn't go into the 21 Day+ Challenge looking to lose time off my performance. What a great side benefit. Thanks."

I can't wait to see what another 18 pounds down does to his time on the rower. Watch out Boston. ​

-Coach Nancy

While I never want to call it too early, now is the time. I want to get and keep my coaching team AND you off the roads this afternoon and this evening, so there will be no training.

But you CAN burn a few calories laughing (scoffing, crying?) at this!

Be Safe Out There!

Coach Dean​