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The blog is updated Monday-Friday. Tune in for posts and discussion about health, fitness, nutrition, training experiments and reflection. We share articles, videos and more. We post the link to our Instagram story every day, make sure to follow along there to never miss a post.
Friday Thoughts 111
Welcome to this week’s edition of Friday Thoughts, where I share what’s been on my mind lately. Let’s get into it!
Walking Challenge Day 5
We managed to get slippery ice day and a warm sunny day both on the first week of the Daily Walking Challenge. The first weekend always presents a challenge, stick with it and get out there!
More 2025 By The Numbers
Here are some other things I tallied up while researching for my 2025 By The Numbers.
Locke Trail Loop - CCW: 11 loops
This is a segment I made on Strava years ago. I ran it at least 11 times, in the counterclockwise direction, and at least 5 times in the clockwise direction. The CCW version is more aesthetic, and gets the big climb out the way first—which is why I prefer it. I set a big PR on this loop in September and haven’t done the full thing since.
Stratham Hill Park Visits: 22
I had at least 22 visits to Stratham Hill Park. When I started a new coaching schedule this summer, I committed to get there at least once a week for some training and outside time, and I would say it paid off. I’m tracking my visits to the park by looking at the “Kitty Rock Down” segment—I always include this trail when running there.
Parker Mountain Summit: 20?
I climbed Parker Mountain in Strafford at least 20 times. Definitely 15 from the main trail plus a handful from the other side or the town forest and a few double climb days too.
I find it interesting that the 3 places I run the most are all about equal in visits throughout the year.
NH 4000 Footers: I climbed Washington, Tecumseh, Osceolas, and the Tripyramids for 6 on the year. And finished my 48 on Tecumseh!
Books: Apple Books hit me with a yearly recap and I couldn’t believe it. I read more than ever this year, and it was totally because I found a bunch of books I really liked. I read about 35 books last year. All of them fiction, except one nonfiction written by GAIN Member Zorana, The Creativity Choice.
All my other fiction books were in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. I started out with a classic, Hyperion, which Kelly Starrett talked me into after I said I couldn’t get into it. I followed that with a head first dive into Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere books, about 18 of them. Stormlght Archive and Mistborn being amongst my favorites.
GAIN ATTENDANCE
Top 10 Check Ins 2025:
Jay P. - 228
Nancy Q. - 224
Jeff H. - 198
Adam M. - 189
Riley S. - 182
Robert L. - 178
Robin N. - 174
Ed G. - 170
Kendall B - 163
Marc S - 154
Speaking of Reading
Ironically enjoy this short-form social media post about how we don’t consume anything long-form any more.
Thanks for reading, see you in the gym!
—Justin Miner
2025 By The Numbers
Greetings! It’s time for the yearly edition of By The Numbers.
Each month, I reflect on workouts, sleep stats, and steps. At the end of the year, those monthly snapshots turn into a long-term view of trends:
Am I getting roughly the same number of steps year to year?
How’s my sleep trending over time?
What does my training volume actually look like across an entire year?
Let’s get into it.
Steps
Total Steps: 4,159,365
Daily Average: 11,396
Four million steps.
That’s about 290,000 more steps in 2025 than 2024—basically an entire extra month of walking, or roughly 800 extra steps per day across the year.
Put another way: I could have taken 50 zero-step days and still averaged 10,000 steps per day for the year.
Biggest day: August 12 — MMD 50K with ~75,000 steps
Highest month: July (both 2024 and 2025), ~465,000 steps
Lowest month: March, ~245,000 steps
My intuition was that I walked more this year, but I didn’t expect the gap to be this large. My best guess is that the extra steps came from a lot of small things adding up: more bus-stop walks, more time on the gym floor, and generally moving a bit more throughout the day.
Sleep
Average Sleep Score: 78
Average Sleep Duration: 6:53
Sleep data is harder to analyze long-term than steps. My sleep score history only goes back to November 2024, whereas I can track steps all the way back to 2019. That’s an interesting note when analyzing the data.
Overall, sleep was pretty solid for most of the year. I did have a 6–8 week stretch of poorer sleep, where my average score dipped to about 73. Not disastrous, but noticeable compared to the rest of the year.
After that stretch, the data becomes far less erratic. The line smooths out, which mirrors how much more consistent I became with sleep habits once I realized things were slipping.
Workouts
Total Workouts: 312
(Lifting, running, intervals, etc.)
Average: ~26 workouts per month
Frequency: ~6x per week
Running (2025)
Miles: 612
Time: 126 hours, 24 minutes
Vertical Gain: 85,091 ft
Running (2024 comparison)
Miles: 673
Time: 139 hours
Vertical Gain: 111,738 ft
I thought I might edge out last year’s mileage, but in hindsight it makes sense that I didn’t. In 2024, I ran a 50-mile race and completed a 50-something-day run streak leading into it. Logging 50 miles in a single day is a huge spike compared to a more evenly distributed training year.
This year’s training was more productive and focused. I shifted my attention toward shorter races and getting faster. That meant more time on the track, more road running, and lots and lots of hills.
The single most impactful thing I did for my running this year was Fast Mile Summer, where I ran a 5:30.5 mile.
2025 Race Calendar
Sunapee Scramble — June 1
Mount Washington Road Race — June 15 (DNS, but trained heavily for it)
Loon Mountain Race — July 13
1-Mile Time Trial — August 8
MMD 50K — August 10
Vulcan’s Fury Half Marathon — October 12
Great Bay 5K (time trial) — October 23
It was genuinely fun to dig into all this data and reflect on the year as a whole. 2025 was a great year of training, and having the numbers makes that clear without relying on memory alone.
I’m looking forward to seeing what this next year brings.
— Justin Miner
New Goals? Write it down
Have new goals on your mind in the new year?
This might sound too simple, but here’s a habit that will help you stick with your goals: write them down.
Putting it down on paper solidifies the goal in ways that your just your mind can’t. It makes it feel real.
If you’re charging into the year with a walking streak on your mind, thinking about another gym day or want to start running a little more—write it down and proclaim it’s your goal.
—Justin Miner
December by the Numbers
Welcome to this month’s edition of By The Numbers, where I break down data from my watch and training log to reflect on the past month.
Each month, I track a few simple metrics—average sleep, daily steps, and total workouts. I’ve been doing this consistently for over two years, and it’s become one of the most useful tools I have for spotting trends, holding myself accountable, and fine-tuning habits. I highly recommend building a practice like this into your own routine.
Let’s get into it.
Steps
Total: 343,351
Daily Average: 11,076
A nice comeback from November, with about 60,000 more total steps this month. December also helped solidify another full year averaging over 10,000 steps per day.
Somehow, December included my longest 10k-step streak of the year at 12 consecutive days. Not exactly a massive streak, but honestly, I’m not even sure how it happened.
Sleep
Average Sleep Duration: 6 hours, 45 minutes
Average Sleep Score: 79
HRV:
7-day average: 56 ms
Overnight average: 71 ms
Overall, a good month of sleep. I hit my highest sleep score of the year (91) twice in December. I still can’t seem to get past that number, but I’ve noticed that when I’m consistently getting up at the same time, my sleep scores tend to follow.
HRV dipped slightly right after Thanksgiving during the first few days of the month, then stayed right at baseline for most of December—except for one day when it jumped above my baseline range. That was the first time I showed as “unbalanced” due to too much variability, which caught my attention. I’d always assumed more variability was better.
Workouts
Total Workouts: 15
Runs: 8
Lift: 4
AirBike: 2
Sled: 1
I took the sled out for 37 laps on my birthday, my first b-day sled in 4 years.
Overall, enthusiasm to train has been a bit lackluster. I’ve been getting out for trail runs and genuinely enjoying them, but lifting has been harder to get into a rhythm with. Right now, I’m trying to focus on checking the box—getting the work done with minimal fanfare and trusting consistency over motivation.
Final Thoughts
Thanks for reading along. As always, I encourage you to build a monthly reflection practice like this into your routine. It’s one of the simplest and most effective ways to keep your health, fitness, and daily habits moving in the right direction over the long haul.
— Justin Miner
Monday Check In / Daily walking Challenge
Happy New Year!
I’m excited to get back into a normal swing of things.
Each year in January I hit the reset button on many peoples’ programs and you may notice it on your this week.
It’s a chance to get back to the basics and revisit some movements and structures we haven’t done in a while.
It reminds me of this excellent Greg Glassman quote:
“Stick to the basics and when you feel you've mastered them it's time to start all over again, begin anew - again with the basics - this time paying closer attention.”
In other news, our Daily Walking Challenge starts today—sign up with this link and get to stepping. 20 minutes everyday for the next 30 days.
SIGN UP to WALK (link live until 9pm)
See you in the gym!
—Justin Miner
Friday Thoughts 110
Happy 2026! Welcome to this week’s edition of Friday Thoughts, where I share what’s been on my mind lately.
I took a couple of weeks off from the blog around the holidays, and it feels good to be back on here. We’re at the gym regular Friday hours today.
Daily Walking Challenge
It’s time for another edition of our daily walking challenge. With the cold and icy weather, people have been craving this challenge as an excuse to get outside and move a little more.
The rules are simple, just like in years past:
20-minute walk every day (consecutive minutes)
Starts Monday Jan 5
Ends February 4
Honor system, track your days on your own and strive to go 30 for 30
The goal is consistency, more movement, discipline, and building a habit or routine that could last the rest of the year.
SIGN UP HERE (free, open to anyone)
BASELINE TESTINg
There will be a new January Challenge up today, but anyone who needs to finish up on the GAIN Baseline is obviously welcome to. Here are some of my thoughts about the Baseline so far.
Most peoples’ grip strength is better than they assumed.
Same with the farmer’s carry
About 50% of people get a stronger grip score on their non-dominant hand versus their dominant hand
I know correlation doesn’t mean causation, but looking at the 20 second power output test: the longer you’ve been taking creatine the better score you got. Creatine is getting all sorts of attention lately for things like brain health and sleep deprivation. Cool. But remember, creatine is a molecule gives your body access to immediate burst of energy. So to all the people who finished the test and said, “I just didn’t have as much oomph as I wanted,” get on the creatine in 2026.
Goblet Squat - maybe the most impactful test. Many people squatted 20 reps for a weight they didn’t think they could get more than 10. What that showed is that people-especially if you’ve been training for a few years-get comfortable with a specific weight, and don’t often go past it. Understanding reps in reserve, and getting your rep ranges right is critical—especially when you’re in the post-newbie, but-not-quite advanced stage.
GAIN WORD OF THE YEAR
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary chose “slop” as the word of the year.
Here at GAIN, my word of the year was RIR — Reps in Reserve.
Understanding RIR is one of the keys to continuing to make progress and avoiding boredom in your training. It gives you a better lens for judging effort and challenge, rather than just counting reps and checking boxes.
Here’s how it works. If you finish a set of 10 push-ups with your hands elevated on a bar and feel like you could have done 10 more, you had 10 reps in reserve. RIR is an estimate—it’s a hypothesis based on how the set felt—but it’s still incredibly useful.
I love RIR because it tunes you in to your body. It forces you to pay attention. And more often than not, it reveals that you’re simply not being challenged enough.
When the goal is to get stronger, about 2 reps in reserve is the sweet spot. Maybe 0–1 RIR if you’re very serious about your training. But most people are walking around with 5–10 reps in reserve, and if that’s the case, you’re not even close to creating the stress needed to build stronger bones, more muscle, and real strength.
It might just become my word again in 2026.
Sports
I’m really torn about sports and kids.
I love sports, and played many of them and eventually played hockey in college. It took disciple, hard work and commitment. I’m happy I did it because I learned all about those sorts of things. And also I always had something to do or play when I was a kid. It was the most serious thing in the world for me.
It seems like all sports is about getting kids to a high-level. Changing schools, playing year round, not trying other sports or activities, and maybe even generally missing out on a being a kid.
I want my kids to play sports, but not too seriously.
The main reason: I want them to call me up and ask me to go for a run when I’m 60, they’ll be in their early 30s.
I don’t care if they’re high level athletes at 11, if they are, it’s likely detrimental to their relationships with physical activity in their 30s.
I have the same thoughts with lifting btw. I want them to lift as soon as they want, but the main goal will be to keep it fun, and something that hopefully they can do for a lifetime—not just hard for a couple years a fizzle out.
“Early success is poor indicator of long-term greatness. It might even be a negative signal.”
That’s a wrap for today, see you in the gym!
—Justin Miner
Friday Thoughts 109
Welcome to this week’s edition of Friday Thoughts, where I share what’s been on my mind and my feed throughout the past week. This is the 46th Friday Thoughts blog of the year, and the 250-something post of 2025. It will also be the last blog of the year. I’m shutting it down for the next couple weeks, like I typically do, and I’ll be back on here in January. Enjoy!
GAIN BASELINE
Here’s how I’ve been doing on the baseline:
SOLEC - 9 sec right, 30 sec leff
Hang - 2:02, shoutout to the 5:30pm Crew for the hanging motivation and to Ed for hanging on for nearly 3 minutes.
Grip - 147 pounds
AirBike - 24 calories
Farmer’s Carry - 106LB’s x 1:59
Goblet Squat - this is my last remaining challenge.
All the hype around this has been really fun, keep it up, people!
Holiday Hours Reminder
Modified Hours 12/24
Closed 12/25 & 26
Modified 12/31
Closed 1/1
Thankfully Not Doing THat
I’m in a bit of a training slump. No, it isn’t even fair to call it a slump. I’ve just been plain busy. Which means I’ve been getting 2-3 workouts in a week versus my usual. I was seeking some guidance from my training log and scrolled back to December of last year. I was reminded of the Ten Thousand Kettlebell Swing Challenge - 10k swings in the month. That was rough, and I’m happy I’m not doing that again. But it was a nice reminder—the whole point of doing that challenge was to keep me moving in December. Motivation is low, it’s dark, it’s busy and not having to think on what to do has its appeal.
I ended a couple hundred swings short. Instead of doing something drastic like that now, I’m just riding the wave with the optimism that my training load will pick up once things settle down. It’s also that time of year that I’m thinking about my race calendar for 2026, and that will provide me with a boost.
11 Years Ago
This was our “soft opening.” A group-style workout on December 20, 2014. Somehow, as a 26 year old, I convinced those people to show up a give it a shot. Crazy!
That’s a wrap for today and for the year. Looking forward to doing 2025 By The Numbers when I come back. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. See you around in the gym.
I’ll be back on the blog in January!
—Justin Miner
GAIN BASELINE
The new GAIN Baseline has been the talk of the gym.
These six simple tests give us an observable, measurable, and repeatable way to tell the truth about our training:
Is it working?
Are your numbers improving, holding steady, or slipping?
This kind of data is often the cure for boredom in the gym. It shows how consistency compounds over time—and the results may surprise you.
So far, many people are hanging longer, carrying heavier, and squatting more than they expected. That’s not a coincidence. The members doing well on these tests have been showing up and putting in solid work all year. This is simply their training showing up on paper.
The Six Tests
SOLEC Balance Test
Grip Strength
Dead Hang
AirBike 20-Second Sprint
20-Rep Max Goblet Squat
Farmer’s Carry
You have through the end of the year to complete the GAIN Baseline so you’ll have meaningful data to carry into 2026.
See you in the gym.
—Justin Miner
Holiday Schedule
With Christmas and New Year’s coming up, here’s our adjusted schedule for the holidays:
Monday 12/22 – Normal schedule
Tuesday 12/23 – Normal schedule
Wednesday 12/24 (Christmas Eve)
• 7:30am
• 8:30am
• 9:30am
No gaps between classes
Thursday 12/25 – Closed
Friday 12/26 – Closed
Monday 12/29 – Normal schedule
Tuesday 12/30 – Normal schedule
Wednesday 12/31 (New Year’s Eve)
• 7:30am
• 9:00am
• 10:30am
• 12:00pm
Thursday 1/1 (New Year’s Day) – Closed
Friday 1/2 – Open, normal hours
Thanks for planning ahead, and enjoy the holidays!
—Justin Miner
Foundation of easy days
I saw this quote recently:
“PRs are built on the foundation of easy days.”
It resonated with me, and I hope it does with you too—because not every session you come to the gym needs to be a heroic effort.
Most of what we do in the gym will feel pretty easy. Progress can feel slow, almost unremarkable at times.
Not every workout needs to end with you lying on the floor or walking away sore. That idea, that soreness and sweat are indicators of effectiveness, is nonsense.
Most days, you just need to go in and check the box.
Move around.
Elevate your heart rate.
Expose your body to a few meaningful ranges of motion.
Then move on with your day.
Over a long enough timeline, most sessions should feel easy.
That isn’t a bad thing.
That’s training.
— Justin Miner
Monday Check In
Happy Monday!
This will be our last normal week before the holiday schedule kicks in.
We are open Monday 12/22 and Tuesday 12/23 normal hours, and then we’ll open for a few hours on Christmas Eve morning at 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30—please note, no gaps between classes, and I expect these to be very full so do your best to get out on time.
Closed on 12/25 & 12/26
I’m figuring out New Year’s week today-what’s on the schedule now may change. We’ll definitely be closed on New Year’s Day.
There are two more Mondays left in 2025 after this, let’s make the most of the week.
—Justin Miner
Friday Thoughts 108
Welcome to this week’s edition of Friday Thoughts, where I share what’s been on my mind over the past seven days. Enjoy!
Snow Running
Running in snow is the best. Someone said it best to me last night: the amount of outside activities I’m doing in the winter directly correlates with how grumpy, or not, I am with the weather. At the start of 2025, I committed to running through the whole winter, something I hadn’t managed in a few years. Most of the time, I did a 30-minute neighborhood run. This year, I wanted to get back in the woods and out on the trails.
After the first snow last week, I had the itch to get my winter running gear out, and I’m happy I did. Cold weather and a little sun, plus packed-down trails, equals perfect snow running conditions. It smooths out the trails, and winter woods are the ultimate running scenery. Besides, nothing makes you feel warm in 20 degrees like a big hill to climb.
Inspired by the video below, I headed to the hardware store and got a bunch of 3/8 hex screws and zipped them into the lugs of my shoes. When I had heard of this in the past, I imagined putting the screws in from inside the shoes, leaving the pointy end to dig into the ice. That seemed too aggressive, never mind a recipe for wet feet. What you actually do is drill from the soles, picking the biggest lugs to drive the screw into. The head of the screw is the traction, not the pointy part.
This was perfect for “I don’t quite need microspikes” weather. Nothing against them, but if I can avoid using them, I’m going to.
Baseline Testing Underway
Our December Baseline Challenge is underway. Six simple tests to gauge your strength, balance, and power. The idea is to know these numbers so we can see if we’re getting better, worse, or staying the same. I think for a lot of you, this will be proof your training is working, especially if you’re feeling stuck or bored with your program.
I find people who feel this way often fall into a routine of using the same weights over and over, stalling their progress not because of boredom, but because the intensity is no longer there and they’re no longer on the edge of their abilities. Something like the 20-rep max goblet squat test often surprises people with how much they can do, and it’s valuable for future training sessions to dial in appropriate loading and reps in reserve.
People are picking away at the six challenges as we near halfway through the month. Today is the day to get started if you haven’t yet.
The three easiest to bang out after a workout in five minutes:
SOLEC (one-leg, eyes-closed balance test)
Grip strength (takes literally seven seconds)
Hang (I’ve been avoiding this one)
The goblet squat pairs well with a Monday or Day 1 workout. Same with the 20-second AirBike sprint. You can fit that in any time you have conditioning. As for the farmer’s carry, I think it’s a good finisher after some intervals or a Day 2.
Keep in mind, you don’t need to game this too much. We just want to set some baseline numbers to revisit in a few months.
January Walking Challenge?
On one of the cold days earlier this week, two people within minutes mentioned bringing back the January Daily Walking Challenge. Consider this your early warning. A 20-minute walk every day for the month of January. And it totally goes with what I said earlier, doesn’t it? When you have a reason to get outside and do something, the weather doesn’t seem quite so bad.
Happy Birthday, Nolan
Believe it or not, Nolan turns 3 today. Happy birthday, Nolan.
See you in the gym!
—Justin Miner
Unsymmetrical
Yesterday I was stacking wood. Moving it from a pile on the ground, to the wheelbarrow, then inside. Somewhere in the middle of it, I caught myself doing something I know everyone at the gym asks about:
Why is one side so much harder than the other?
If the gym is where we go to “fix” imbalances, you’d think years of unilateral work would even everything out. But that’s never really been the case for me. What has happened is that my “bad side” has become more reliable. Stronger. More trustworthy. And honestly, that’s the point—it may never feel identical, but it can feel dependable.
Here’s the thing:
Our imbalances aren’t gym problems. They’re life problems. Patterns built into thousands of tiny decisions we repeat every day.
Yesterday alone, I got in and out of my truck six times. Always the same leg stepping in first. I’ve never used a kitchen knife with my left hand, so every time I chop something in the kitchen, I stand the same way. I scrub dishes with my right arm. I load the dishwasher with my right hand. I drive with the same foot. I open doors the same way. None of that is “wrong,” but it all adds up.
Back to loading wood:
I noticed that every time I scooped and rotated the logs into the wheelbarrow, I was turning right-to-left. Every time. When I tried switching sides, it felt awkward—unnatural, even. And of course it did. I’ve been rehearsing the opposite pattern forever.
When you add up these daily repetitions, it’s hard to argue that 3 sets of 8 split squats will magically erase the imbalances built over 30 something years. There’s just too much working against perfect symmetry.
But here’s what the gym can do:
Make you aware of these patterns
Build capacity on the weaker side
Give you enough strength and control that the imbalance stops being a liability
Teach you how to move with intention, not just convenience
You may never cure every asymmetry—and I don’t think you need to. The real win is becoming more aware of how you move, noticing your defaults, and giving yourself the tools to adjust when it matters.
—Justin Miner
Three Types of Workouts
One of my favorite strength coaches is Dan John—the guy who created the goblet squat. He talks about three types of workouts most gym-goers will experience over their lifetime. These aren’t his favorite back squat or bench press sessions, nor are they his preferred rep schemes. Instead, he’s describing how workouts feel subjectively, both during and after.
Here’s the breakdown:
One out of five workouts are pretty good.
Things click, you’ve got some pop, and everything moves the way it should.
Three out of five are “check the box.”
You get in, get out, and get the work done. Nothing magical, maybe you’re going through the motions or motivation is low, but you still show up.
One out of five are trash.
You’re tired, something feels off, you don’t want to be there, and everything feels heavy.
I remind people of this often: not every session in the gym is going to be heroic. Most will be “meh,” some will be bad, and a few will feel great. That’s normal. And honestly, with these dark winter days, a lot of people are in that “check the box” phase, myself included.
It all boils down to consistency and your ability to keep doing the thing. Knowing that workouts like this happen, and that it’s normal, will hopefully help you keep your head in the game for longer.
—Justin Miner
Holiday Giving: Operation Blessing
This month, we’re putting out our collecting basket to help support our neighbors in need during the holiday season.
We’re proud to partner with Operation Blessing, a local organization providing food, clothing, household essentials, warm showers, and a safe, welcoming place for individuals and families in difficult circumstances.
Andrea P, from the 10:30 class, has been volunteering at Operation Blessing, and recommended we put our collective effort towards helping them out. Be sure to chat with her if you need any more specific ideas or are unsure about an item.
Here is a more specific list of ideas of what to bring in.
FOOD:
Nonperishable food (PB, jelly, canned goods, etc.)
Pantry staples (condiments, cooking supplies)
Household essentials (cooking utensils, cleaning, etc)
CLOTHING (kids and adults):
New or slightly used seasonal clothing (coats, mittens, hats, etc.)
Shoes, shoes, shoes and boots.
Shirts, ties, blouses, pants - think job interview-type clothing
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS:
Curtains
Linens
Dishes
Pots and Pans
Laundry baskets
Small kitchen appliances (coffee maker, crockpot)
Let me know if you have any questions and thanks for getting involved!
—Justin Miner
Monday Check In
I was looking back through my training log this morning to figure out what’s been going on and what I should aim for this week. Lately, I’ve just been busy, and it’s been affecting my workouts.
In many ways, that’s okay. There’s a lot more I need to be doing outside the gym—stacking wood, shoveling, all the winter prep that doesn’t count as a workout but definitely counts as work.
As I scanned through my log, something caught my eye: I never train on Wednesdays anymore.
Curious, I scrolled further back… and realized I haven’t trained on a Wednesday since the middle of August. Nearly four months. Here I’ve been, beating myself up for not prioritizing time to train mid-week, and the truth is, Wednesday has quietly become my rest day.
So this week, I’m keeping it simple:
I’m training today, I’m training tomorrow, and I’m definitely taking Wednesday off.
Have a good start to the week!
—Justin Miner
Friday Thoughts 107
Welcome to this week’s edition of Friday Thoughts, where I share what’s been on my mind over the past seven days. Enjoy!
GAIN Basket
Our Holiday Collection basket is officially live, and we’re collecting food, shoes, clothing, and household items for Operation Blessing.
They’re an incredible local organization supporting neighbors in need with food, clothing, showers, and a warm, welcoming space.
The basket will be out for the next few weeks. Thank you!
GAIN BASELINE
There’s been a lot of hype around the Baseline Test this week, and I love it.
A quick refresher: it’s a series of 6 tests, each a strong correlate or predictor of long-term strength and longevity. This is the antidote to feeling bored or burnt out in the gym. When you have clear numbers to track throughout the year, you can zoom out and see the big picture.
The Tests:
Grip Strength
Hanging from a Bar
Farmer’s Carry – heavy for 1–2 minutes
SOLEC Balance Test (Standing on One Leg, Eyes Closed)
Goblet Squat – 20-rep max
AirBike – 20-second sprint for calories
You don’t need to complete them all in one day—they’re designed to chip away at gradually. I’ve taken on four so far.
My Results This Week:
Grip Strength: 147 lb avg (would love to get this above 150)
Farmer’s Carry: 2:00 with 106 lb per hand (hit my goal)
SOLEC: 9 seconds right leg, 30 seconds left (my left has always been the more reliable side)
AirBike Sprint: 24.5 calories
And let me tell you… I am SORE from that carry. Middle and upper back are absolutely smoked. I spent half the day wondering why I felt wrecked until I remembered I did the thing. Let this be your warning!
Outside Shoes
It’s that time of year when I put on my official Shoe Police hat.
With winter weather here, please bring (or leave) a clean pair of shoes at the gym. Wet soles make the rubber slippery, and the salt from the parking lot chews up the flooring. We appreciate your help keeping the gym in good shape.
The 2-Mile Test
Our last monthly challenge was the 2-mile Assault Bike test, stolen from Mike Boyle and the crew at MBSC.
Mike is in his sixties and threw down a 4:51 the other day. Absolutely legit.
The test is brutal—there’s nowhere to hide and no way to fake being good at it. It’s just you versus the clock, and it’s a beautiful kind of miserable.
Stay warm out there today and see you at the gym!
—Justin Miner
Holiday Giving at GAIN
This month, we’re putting out our collecting basket to help support our neighbors in need during the holiday season.
We’re proud to partner with Operation Blessing, a local organization providing food, clothing, household essentials, warm showers, and a safe, welcoming place for individuals and families in difficult circumstances.
From their website:
“At Operation Blessing, we’re more than a resource—we’re a community of compassion, hope, and dignity. Serving our neighbors in need, we offer nourishing food through a unique shopping-style pantry, clothing and household essentials, warm showers, and a safe place to gather.
Every program we offer, from our weekend café to our warming center, is designed to restore not just physical needs, but also the sense of connection and care every person deserves. Together, with the help of volunteers, donors, and friends like you, we’re building a place where everyone feels seen, supported, and loved.”
How You Can Help
We’re collecting:
Non-perishable food
Clothing
Shoes
Household items
You can learn more about what Operation Blessing accepts on their website.
The basket will be out at the gym for most of December.
Thank you!
— Justin Miner
November by the numbers
Welcome to this month’s edition of By The Numbers, where I break down the data from my watch and training log to reflect on the past month. I track simple metrics like average sleep, daily steps, and total workouts. After doing this monthly for two years, it’s become one of my most valuable tools for spotting trends, holding myself accountable, and fine-tuning habits.
If you don’t have a reflection habit like this, I highly recommend starting.
Let’s get into it.
STEPS
Total: 280,211
Daily Average: 9,340
This was my lowest monthly total of 2025, which makes sense—I didn’t run at all this month. After the 5K at the end of October, I planned to shut things down for a few weeks, which I typically do this time of year. Steps take a hit without runs, but the break was intentional and needed.
SLEEP
Average Sleep: 6 hours 56 minutes
Average Sleep Score: 80
December brought a noticeable improvement in sleep. I’ve been getting to bed earlier and logging consistent, restful nights. My HRV stayed within normal range, and even while traveling—sharing a room, staying up later than usual—I still slept well.
One thing I found interesting: this “good” month of sleep was only two points better than my “bad” month back in September.
WORKOUTS
Total Workouts: 12
Definitely my lowest count of the year, but that was by design. My training split for the month looked like this:
Day 1: Deadlifts, dips, split squats, ring rows
Day 2: AirBike conditioning with pull-ups or push-ups
Day 3: Bench press and sled
It was fun to take a break from running and get back into lifting weights. These sessions were fast, simple, and usually around 20–30 minutes—though a few stretched closer to an hour. It felt good to switch gears.
Thanks for reading along. As always, I encourage you to try a monthly reflection practice of your own. It’s one of the simplest ways to keep your health, fitness, and daily habits pointed in the right direction.
— Justin Miner
December Challenge/GAIN Baseline
One of my favorite things I do each month is come up with the Monthly Challenge Workout.
Ever since taking over the challenge earlier this year, I’ve been set on getting more people involved. Lately, about 15–20 members have been showing up for it each month, which is great, but I know we can do better.
As someone who likes training, the challenge is fun because I love strategizing, pacing, taking a risk, and seeing if it pays off. But as a coach, it’s hard to write. How do you challenge a wide range of people, while keeping it approachable and “just the right amount” of hard?
The value of these tests is simple: they give us something to revisit. They set a marker. They show progress over time.
That’s why I’ve spent the last couple of months putting together the GAIN December Challenge—also known as the GAIN Baseline.
It’s a collection of six tests designed to gauge your overall strength and physical capability. These tests pull inspiration from books like Outlive (Peter Attia), Built to Move (Kelly & Juliette Starrett), and the strength standards of legendary coach Dan John.
Tests like grip strength, hanging, and the farmer’s carry are all strongly correlated with total-body strength and long-term longevity. The bike sprint tests your ability to express power and intensity. And the goblet squat helps us nail the right “reps in reserve” for future training.
Most importantly, everything is easily replicable. Anyone can do these tests now, collect the data, and then retest in the summer to see what’s changed.
For a lot of you, this is a chance to have a “guiding star.” When your goals feel vague, or you’re bored, or you think your training is stalling but you can’t tell—your baseline numbers will give you clarity.
Below are all the details on each test and how to perform them. You can do them all in one session or chip away at a few each day. I’ll warn you now: I got humbled on the balance test.
Let me know if you have questions and I’ll see you in the gym.
—Justin
GAIN Baseline / December Challenge Tests
1. Grip Strength
Elbow bent to 90°
Two attempts per hand
Score: average of your best attempt from each hand (in pounds)
2. Hanging
Passive hang from the bar
Elbows locked, feet off the ground
One attempt
Score: total time
Standards:
10–20 sec: Baseline
60 sec: Solid
90 sec: Excellent
2+ min: Elite
3. Balance – SOLEC (Standing on One Leg, Eyes Closed)
Barefoot, eyes closed
Test starts when your foot leaves the floor
Test ends when your foot touches down or your eyes open
Score: time in seconds on each leg
Standards:
Level 1 — Baseline: 10–15 sec per leg
Level 2 — Solid: 20 sec per leg
Level 3 — Optimal: 30 sec per leg
4. Strength Endurance – Goblet Squat 20-Rep Test
Choose a weight you believe you can squat for 20 reps
If you easily hit 20, increase the weight—even if you won’t reach all 20 next time
Score:
The weight you completed all 20 reps with OR
The number of reps you reached on a heavier weight
5. Power Output – AirBike 20-Second Sprint
Max calories in 20 seconds
One attempt
Assault Bike or Echo Bike
Score: total calories
6. Farmer’s Carry Challenge
Carry the correct load for 60 seconds
Score: load relative to bodyweight
Standards:
Level 1 — Baseline: 25% BW per hand
Level 2 — Solid: 35% BW per hand
Level 3 — Strong: 50% BW per hand
Level 4 — Athlete: 75–100% BW per hand