Problems and Solutions

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The Scenario: an all day conference in Chicopee Mass on Friday.

The Problem: there are oh so many problems! The biggest, was no time to fit Bootcamp in to the schedule. I had to be up and out of the house by 5:30am to travel to Chicopee Mass for an all day conference 9-5p, with a 3 hour drive home. I’m gonna miss every single Bootcamp class- grr!

Another problem for me was waking up before the sun! that just isn’t right in my world.

Once at the conference, we were packed in like sardines into a tiny room filling it past its capacity. Feeling a little claustraphobic, please don’t put me by someone smelly. You laugh however, I have a very big aversion to overwhelming perfumes, and body odors… well who doesn’t really?!

Next, I had to sit in a chair for 8 hours and get this… pay attention?! Two things wrong with that picture: me sitting still and paying attention. We all know from Booty that I have a little trouble paying attention. So there I sat, or some would say squirming and twitching… now what was this conference about?

Oh and did I mention… it took place in a… shhhh! Library… really? could I be anymore tested than that? Within the first five minutes of having to be silent, I wanted to scream, or break out in song. We did eventually get to break for lunch and they provided it for us… ooh this could be bad. So many problems so little time.

Heck, who am I kidding I had 8 hours of time to come up with solutions to all my problems. Did I mention I have trouble paying attention?

The Solution: Well, first of all… the sun does actually rise, eventually, when normal people get up out of bed; which  just happened not to be me this morning. By the time I hit Brattleboro VT the sun was up, about darn time. Patience is not one of my virtues.

As far as sitting,  my well thought out plan of sitting in the back of the room enabled me to sit, squirm and twitch. I was able to stand and stretch without too much disruption. I could also sneak out of the room and walk around the library belting out show tunes. As for lunch, it was about making healthy choices. It was actually quite easy. There on the table was a veggie platter, turkey rollups, as well as cookies and chips. Nix the junk, hit the veggies, pick apart the wraps for the meat.

Then I laced up the sneakers and powerwalked my lunch break! Of course I texted Nancy, (shoot I should have photo-op’d it!) for a “Yeh, ME!” and to text my satellite positioning should I end up missing in Chicopee (it wasn’t the best part of town I was galavanting.) Even though I missed Bootcamp, i was still able to get some form ofexercise in for the day and made some pretty remarkable eating choices (for me anyway). I call that a good day.

Blog you later.

gretchen

What’s The Big Deal About Exercise Anyway?

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So you’ve slacked off a bit and avoided exercise.

Maybe your job demands too much of your time or you simply fell out of the routine. I have good news for you. Whether you’ve taken off one year, ten years or haven’t exercised a day in your life – it’s never too late to start.

You see there are problems with living a life devoid of exercise.

Big problems.

Your weight rises along with your blood pressure and cholesterol. Your muscles and joints degenerate at an astounding rate leaving you with daily aches and pains. Your body becomes weak, making you susceptible to all kinds of medical issues.

Why Should I Start Now? You’ve heard about the benefits that consistent exercise bring, but what if you haven’t been consistent? Should you even start at all?

This has been the subject of many medical studies and the results are unanimous:  Exercise helps improve your quality of life even if you start late.

Researchers are constantly finding new benefits to consistent exercise. It’s no wonder that Dr. Robert Butler, of the National Institute on Aging, once said “If exercise could be put into a pill, it would be the single most prescribed medicine in the world.” Imagine if a pill could offer all of these benefits (without harmful side effects):

  • Substantially reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and osteoporosis
  • Decreases the risk for stroke, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure
  • Helps to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight
  • Contributes to healthy bones, muscles and joints
  • Helps relieve anxiety and depression
  • Promotes well-being and reduces stress
  • Is associated with fewer doctor visits, hospitalizations and medications
  • Helps prevent and treat chronic medical conditions associated with old age
  • Increases energy levels and promotes sound sleep
  • Strengthens immune system

I know that I would take that pill – wouldn’t you? Exercise may not be something that you can gulp down with a glass of water, but it will offer you all of the above benefits that can greatly enhance your quality of life. Excuses, excuses, excuses… I know what you are thinking. Those benefits sound great, but I can’t exercise because:

  • Exercise is painful. Not if you do the type most suitable for you.
  • Exercise is boring. Most people who exercise find it to be quite enjoyable.
  • Exercise takes too long. It only takes 30-60 minutes a day.
  • Exercise is confusing. Not when you work with a trained professional (me).
  • Exercise is for young people. Studies have shown that exercise benefits people of all ages.

Get Started the Right Way. Many people have started an exercise program only to quit days later. Now that you have decided that exercise may be worth your time after all, ensure your success with the following tips:

  • Make a Commitment

You know the meaning and value of a solid commitment. It’s in your blood. So don’t view exercise as something you will merely try. You will only reap the true benefits of exercise when you stick with it. A great way to reinforce your commitment is to solicit the support of your friends and family. Tell them how you plan to improve your health and quality of life through exercise – who knows, they may join you.

  • Set Reachable Goals

This is an immensely important ingredient to your success. Don’t start your exercise program with unreasonable expectations. If you expect to lose all of your unwanted pounds, drop your blood pressure and cure your joint pain all in one week then you will be sorely disappointed.

Remember that it took years for your body to fall out of shape so it makes sense that it will take some time to regain it. The key to unlocking all of the benefits of exercise lies in one word: consistency. Only then will your body be transformed.

  • Rearrange Your Schedule

They say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. This may be because his schedule simply didn’t allow for it. The truth is that as we age there is a tendency to become ‘stuck in our ways.’ The thought of rearranging your schedule may leave you a bit squeamish. Remind yourself that exercise is worth your time and then think long and hard about your daily schedule. The fact is that you do have time to lend toward exercise – you simply need to find it. Your class time at bootcamp is an appointment- keep your appointments.

  • Increase the Challenge

You should start your exercise program with the thought of easing into it. Since you haven’t exercised in awhile your body will need to build up strength and endurance. Consider a car that has been sitting in your garage for years. You wouldn’t turn it on and instantly slam down on the gas would you? You need to warm it up. However, this warm up period should not last forever. Your body has an amazing ability to adapt to new challenges and will grow complacent when asked to do the same exercises over and over. When your routine begins to feel easy take that as a hint to increase the challenge.

I want to help you achieve all of the benefits that consistent exercise can bring you.

To your best Health,

Coach Nancy

Keep The Pies Off The Thighs…Thanksgiving 2010

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We had 46 incredible bootcampers getting trained by your 3 favorite trainers :) at our annual post-Thanksgiving “Keep the Pies off the Thighs” workout!

Thanks to everyone who made it out this morning, and I trust all our bootcamp family will have a great weekend!

Make It Happen!!!

Dean, Nancy, and CJ


Get Fit NH Bootcamp Opens Expanded Concord Training Facility

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Here’s some photos of Day 1 in our new Concord, NH training facility. Concord’s Best (Hippo Press, Concord Monitor) has been preparing the new space for several months and today was the day! Thank-you all for being part of Making It Happen!

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What’s In A Name?

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The Bible talk about a good name being more desirable than great riches – it is something to be treasured and preserved.

Our name, Get Fit NH Bootcamp is pretty plain Jane – I admit. Not very flashy, probably not going to win any “business name of the year” awards.

However you have to go a bit below the surface to understand it – it’s not quite as simple as it looks.

Here’s what each word in our name signifies:

Get: Achieve, Earn, Acquire as a result of Action or Effort. You want it? You have to work for it!

Fit: Fitness is many things to many different people.

Fit to do what?

For some people it is competing in triathlons, for others it is squatting 500 pounds, for others it is taking 3 flights of stairs without getting winded. You know what – that’s ok. Not everyone has to “fit” into a neat little box.

Fitness from a physical preparation standpoint can be defined in many different ways. In his book “Foundations of Physical Preparation” Ian King teaches the four dominant physical qualities: Flexibility, Strength, Speed and Endurance, each of which can be broken down in multiple ways. To those four qualities can be added additional skills, among them coordination, agility and balance.

An interesting thought is that “fitness” and “wellness” are not the same thing. You have probably heard stories of very “fit” people dropping dead of heart attacks while training. The ability to exhibit physical qualities and skills do not necessarily mean that wellness has been achieved. Measurements such as blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and bodyfat % will help us evaluate whether fitness and wellness are being achieved. Make no mistake, regular hard exercise is crucial to achieving both, but to that we must consider lifestyle and stress management, as well as our nutrition. It requires a holistic approach to achieve high levels of fitness.

Our programs are purposefully and carefully designed by us to give you what you need not only to achieve fitness, but wellness.

NH: Probably don’t need to say much here, because NH rocks! Seriously thought, while we have helped train numerous out of state clients, and serve as consultants to many fitness professionals in the U.S., our bootcamp programs are based and focus on residents of the Granite State.

Bootcamp: This part of our name might be the most confusing of all. What is “bootcamp” anyway? To be honest, I wish I could give you an across the board definition, but there really isn’t one. Some bootcamps really are “military” style classes, with barking instructors and your face in the dirt. Others are based on bodyweight and calisthenics, and get stale pretty quick. We have the privilege of meeting a couple times of year with other fitness pros from across the country that run very good programs, but make no mistake, all fitness bootcamps are not created equal. The vast majority I see have one goal – beat you into the ground until you beg for mercy – not conducive to long term fitness or wellness. While many programs are popping up that call themselves “bootcamp”, I urge caution when selecting a program.

So why  do we call ourselves a bootcamp, if there is so much difference? Well to be frank we were a bootcamp before bootcamps were cool. We had the great privilege of working with some great trainers down in Mass. who introduced us to their concept of bootcamp, and we have refined that initial concept to a program that as far as I know is unique in the industry.

From a physical preparation standpoint our injury prevention protocol and emphasis on flexibility and muscle tissue quality are the foundation of our program. If you are injured you can’t train effectively, simple as that. Each week in a training cycle (8-12 weeks) is carefully built on the one before it, coaching the skills required to safely and effectively train with continued progression. The ability of our coaches to adapt and progress or regress a skill based on ability and appropriateness is another hallmark of the program – group training is transformed into group personal training – a significant difference not to be overlooked.

As members of the Precision Nutrition Network and with Dean being the only trainer in NH to be a certified PN Coach, we also are able to offer unparalleled nutrition coaching to our members.

We are also privileged to have an amazing network of health care providers that help our members achieve total fitness and wellness.  Through our Strategic Health Partner Dr. Laura Jones, our members can get their bloodwork tested and evaluated. Dr. Jones is skilled the diagnosis and treatment of insulin resistance, thyroid and adrenal fatigue, and other metabolic disorders. Dr. Brett Coapland is an accomplished triathlete, and one of three practitioners licensed in NH for Active Release. Drs. Paul Malloy and Melissa Savicky have helped many of our members who came to us with health challenges get relief with their expert chiropractic care. Amy Troy and her staff at Chichester Massage have been instrumental in educating us to the many benefits of therapeutic massage. Having these professionals on the team is a valuable resource that we can collaborate with on behalf of our members.

My point is that you owe it to yourself to investigate any fitness program you are considering joining, and we certainly invite to look closely at ours. While we will freely admit we are not for everybody, we have helped hundreds of clients from 16 to 69 achieve levels of fitness they never dreamed possible. Odds are you can achieve those results with us too.

The Get Fit NH Bootcamp difference – It’s In Our Name!

Who Is On Your Team?

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Enough is enough – You are ready to make a change!

You have finally decided that you are going to start eating healthier, exercising and lose that extra weight that’s been bugging you.

So you pick up the latest diet book  and slap down some hard earned cash on a gym membership. You even schedule your workouts on the calendar. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, after work.

You are ready to get after it!

That first Monday night at the gym feels great – you did it! All is going as planned.

Wednesday rolls around and you are pretty sore. You decide you need some extra rest – you’ll hit it again on Friday.

Friday is here, your clothes are packed and you are good to go. But at lunchtime your (insert here…boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, pet gerbil) calls you up and want to take you to dinner. He’s not quite sure about this new gym thing. I mean it’s taking time away from him and besides, he loves you just the way you are. Not to mention it has been a long week, and you are pretty tired from working. Dinner it is then!

Suddenly the plan isn’t so solid after all, is it?

What happened?

In short, you didn’t have one critical factor in place that social scientists have told us may be the most important factor in achieving your goals:

You didn’t have the optimal social support – you didn’t have a Team!

At Get Fit NH Bootcamp, we know how crucial it is to have the support you need to reach your goals.

It’s one of the many things that make us different from the many other options out there.

In fact, I can’t imagine a better place to train hard, laugh out loud, tell stories, and get a lot of work done.

Our members don’t come to a class perform their reps and go home.

The team works together.

At times, that means we partner up during training while other days we divide the class for some fun competition. Even when we work individually through the training for that day, shouts of encouragement can be heard from one side of the room to the other. Each person wants the other to succeed.

Friendships are developed with each other, camaraderie is forged through hard work. It’s the beauty of a group of people with a focused purpose – to get better.

Many people at Get Fit NH Bootcamp have similar struggles and desperately want to reach their goals. Research show that goals are reached far more often and quicker with accountability rather than trying to do it on your own. Each member of the team encourages each other to push themselves during training. Many times a round of high fives are given after training. We love this type of energy, but the team is more than just what we do in class. I have observed our clients giving hugs to each other.

Hugs. Can you believe it? (Stay away from Brian and Karl though – just sayin’)

Our members are there for each other when a rough day at work leaves them tired and worn out. When the kids are acting up day after day other moms will come by to share their stories. There are other types of hugs too. When a milestone is hit -  reaching their goal weight, being able to do a chin up and succeeding to eat well while on vacation.

We know that you aren’t always going to get the support you need, even from those closest to you. Sometimes they just don’t understand, and sometimes they are scared that you will leave them behind somehow.

Communicate with the people you love how important it is for you to follow through with your commitment to yourself, and ask them to support you.

Some will get it right away – others may take awhile.

Just Remember This:

The Get Fit NH Bootcamp team is all about accountability, encouragement, help, energy, and motivation.

Don’t just sit on the sidelines, come be part of the team.

Make It Happen!

Dean and Nancy

Good Foot Health Is No Small “Feet”

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Each morning before I step onto the floor I make sure my feet are more awake than I am.  Getting my feet ready to support my body weight with a quick massage and stretch is just like doing the big arm stretch right after I get out of bed.  You know, feet work so hard and they really take a beating so I like to take the time to honor their work and let them know I’m grateful.

Did you know that your feet have 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 tendons! And that’s without mentioning the ligaments and muscles in your feet.

So I think we should honor our feet!  (knees will have to wait for their time in a later blog). After all, remember Neil Armstrong’s quote as he “stepped” onto the moon. “That’s one small step for man and one giant leap for all mankind.”

First of all, lets see what your feet can tell you about your health.  If you have a pain in your foot your gait changes, and when your gait changes your entire body is affected which can create back pain, hip problems, sore leg muscles – even aching shoulders and neck.

Remember if you act like a heel to your foot it can come back and kick you in the butt. (I’m cracking myself up with all these puns)

So whenever you find yourself with a pain in the foot please pay attention, because it can be the beginning of a multitude of problems.

In fact, any sign of foot trouble may be the start of other problems.  For instance, chronic pain, calluses that go unchecked, very dry skin, swelling, redness or discoloration in the toe nails all are problems that need to be addressed.

Now, get this…the foot has over 250,000 sweat glands!  So, wash your feet!  Clean and dry between the toes; this will get rid of the moisture and bacteria that cause feet to stink and creates nasty skin problems. Don’t be average adult who doesn’t reach their feet with a washcloth or other abrasive material that can eliminate dry skin and fungus.

Most ingrown toenails are due to improper nail clipping.  Cut the nails straight across, no cute little angles on the sides that can cause the nail to grow improperly causing a painful toenail and a doctor’s appointment to correct it.

Feet change and spread over the years so it’s important that you measure. Most adults don’t bother with it. They assume that the size they got last time they bought shoes will do this time as well. Maybe another reason why so many people end up with sore feet.

Don’t keep your feet in old worn out shoes.  There should be a thumb size space between the end of the toe and the end of the shoe. Not having the correct shoe size can result in runner’s toe, calluses, ingrown nails, fungal nail infections, and hammertoe deformities. (I’m not saying who has toes that look like mushrooms)

Now you know Dean and I love our Vibram Five Fingers. Here is what Vibram says about their footwear.

“Wearing FiveFingers during strength and fitness conditioning can increase your comfort, balance, performance and overall sense of control. That’s because many of the poses and exercises you perform during strength and fitness training rely on flexible yet stable support from your feet and legs.” (the support is not coming from our shoes but from our own body)

Whether you chose traditional sneakers or back to barefoot basics we need to treat our feet like they are important.

So there you have it.  Take care of your feet and they will take care of your body and sole. ( I just had to get one more pun in)

Coach Nancy

Why Do You Do It That Way?

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Is a question we love to hear at Get Fit NH Bootcamp!

When someone asks us that, we know we have an engaged member who wants to make the most of his or her training, and has a true desire to get better. In fact if you have a question please ask!

We are also happy to get any feedback and suggestions regarding bootcamp, but I will caution you, we aren’t always going to adopt those suggestions when it comes to your training!


Serious Trainer Fail

TRAINER FAIL!


Outrageous? Not really, and here’s why.

We have a unified system of training, and while we are certainly always learning and seeking to improve training methods as scientific and empirical evidence proves them effective, we aren’t into “fads”. The tools we use (KB, TRX, Bands, Dumbells, etc.) have proven themselves over and over. You are not going to see one-footed dumbbell curls while balancing on a bosu ball at Get Fit NH Bootcamp! Tires, sleds and sledgehammers are cool tools and can be very effective, but you won’t see them everyday. Icing on the cake, so to speak.

Like you, we have seen “Bootcamps” popping up everywhere, and while there are some good trainers out there with good programs, we work hard to make sure Get Fit NH Bootcamp is second to none. Just because it has “bootcamp” in the name doesn’t mean it is an effective program.

So why are we any different than anyone else? Besides the reasons above,  let me share some of the core principles we adhere to:

1) If you are injured you can’t train. That doesn’t mean we can’t work around and with pre-existing injuries or conditions. We work together with your physician, physical therapist or chiropractor to make sure we understand any injuries you may have and get you better. What is does mean is that we are going to do the necessary mobility and flexibility work IN CLASS to promote joint health and range of motion. The ability to perform movements with correct form through a full range of motion is critical to your long term health and helps you get the most from your training. Our recovery weeks are also designed to promote lifelong progress and health.

2) Your training will be balanced. Sometimes we get requests for more of this or that – ab work for instance. We spend hours every week carefully designing your program to allow for a proper training/recovery balance, and sometimes “more ab work” isn’t in the plan. Not because they aren’t important, because a strong “core” is critical, but because your abs need recovery too. We are also going to make sure that we work the “go” muscles, like the scapular retractors and hamstrings, not just the “show” muscles like biceps and chest. This is crucial for shoulder, hip and knee health.  Refer back to #1!

3) Your training will be fun. Now I know sometimes our members think my definition of “fun” is a bit different than theirs, but I think they will also agree that cranking through a killer workout and achieving more than they thought possible is fun too! Our training programs are designed to be “totally unboring” – providing the progressions our more experienced members need and also providing a high level of coaching to those new to the program.

4) Ultra-Flexible class times. I don’t know of any bootcamp anywhere that has more class times – 8 per training day, 32 per week in our two locations! Is more necessarily better? It is in this case! We leave virtually no reason why you can’t make a class or make one up. This is huge!

5) Some added bonuses you need to be using. If you are a member and not actively using your Fitgoal.com account – get to it, particularly the food logging portion. We added this at no additional cost to you, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth anything! In fact we are seeing that our members who actively use their account are making the best progress toward their goals. Read the newsletters and subscribe to the blog. Every week there are articles, recipes and more. Invest a few minutes each week to educating yourself on your health and fitness.

So there you go. Just a few reasons why we “do what we do”. Remember we want your questions – we are ready and willing with the answers.

Thanks for choosing to train with us! (And if you aren’t yet – Make It Happen!)

Dean & Nancy

It’s Go Time!

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By now your body is enjoying the fruits of recovery week and is getting a little bit antsy to get back in the gym and get back to work. You have reaped the rewards of hard training, and staying out of the gym too much longer is out of the question. Hang in there – Tuesday is almost here!

The best thing is that over the last few weeks you know why you are getting better. You are seeing the benefits of feeding your body premium fuel – lean protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. You have cleaned out your cupboards of junk food, because you know that even if the kids “like it”, it’s not good for them either. You start every day with a healthy breakfast of lean protein – eggs, yogurt, or in a pinch a protein shake. Your new habit of drinking only calorie free beverages has taken a few hundred unwanted calories out of your nutrition plan, and you don’t even miss it.

Your habit of eating every few hours has stabilized your blood sugar and you aren’t having the late morning/early afternoon energy crashes anymore. Your forays around the perimeter of the grocery store has led to the discovery that there are hundreds of tasty fruits and vegetables available. How come mom only fed me corn and peas, you wonder?

You have established the habit of planning your splurge meals, knowing that strategically relaxing your nutrition leads to better progress and less craving. You are in charge of your eating, and you have stopped letting your emotions plunge you headlong into overeating and regret.

You never miss a bootcamp class, and it shows. You are earning the strong, lean and healthy body you have always wanted. Your friends want to know your secret, and it spurs you on to making even better progress.

Only a few more days until you keep making all this happen – Can’t Wait!

New Contest and a Cookbook with a Heart

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You amazed us last year with your willingness to support Carrie Cates children after she was hit and killed by a hit and run driver last October. You rallied your support and raised over $3000 to give to her kids.

Get Fit NH Bootcamp would like to help another local family whose son needs some specialized equipment. Six-year-old Joshua was diagnosed with Autism-Spectrum Disorder just after his 2nd birthday. Autism is a developmental disorder that impairs a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others.

“Something changed,” said Joshua’s mother. “He started talking less and less and lost interest in people and toys. It was as if our little boy went away.”

For the last three years Joshua has undergone numerous treatments and therapies to combat his autism. He’s made progress, his mother said, “But it’s been excruciatingly slow.”

Joshua and his parents are looking forward to a new therapy that is expected to increase his vocabulary significantly and improve his communication skills. But the therapy requires a touch-screen computer that will cost $1,500. But with current therapies and medical bills costing as much as $12,000 a year, Joshua’s parents are hard pressed to afford the new computer.

“Joshua is an affectionate boy. He loves to run, swing and climb,” his mother said. “He understands so much, yet it is difficult for him to express it. His inability to talk and communicate is deeply frustrating for him.”

We would like to solve two needs at one time: a way to fund Joshua’s therapy computer and introduce more people to a healthy way to eat.

Many of you have asked for recipes and ideas on how to eat nutritiously. We have been working on our Get Fit NH Bootcamp cookbook for quite awhile, but we want to include some of your favorite healthy recipes as well. This will help us get the cookbook finished, printed and available for sale. One hundred percent of the profits collected for the cookbook will help fund Joshua’s computer and other therapy needs.

So here’s the deal: For every healthy recipe you submit to us your name will be entered into a drawing to win some cool Get Fit NH Bootcamp gear. We’ll choose three names at random to win the T-shirt or Sweatshirt of choice.

To submit your recipes, please click here or send us an email. Contest ends September 15th!

Thanks for all you do!

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