Grinding

I’m a work hard with your head down and your mouth shut kind of person. I like the grind and enjoy the hustle. I’m not going to sugar coat it though, this week has been HARD. We’ve overhauled all of our operational procedures which, obviously is the case for everyone these days.  

I don’t bring up this point to brag about how hard we’re working, but instead, to point out that we’re doing everything in our power to make a safe, enjoyable environment for you to train in. Mostly, I want to say thank you for kindly following all the rules and being patient with us, like I said, it isn’t easy. 

As we bring week one to a close, I want to share that I’ve never been more excited to be here, coaching you, and bringing something of value to your life. 

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

S.M.A.R.T. Walking

I’m going to brag about my wife today. 

Yesterday, while taking Clementine on an early morning walk Hannah confessed she had a new goal for the month of June, to walk at least 30 miles. Our standard route with Clem is one mile, so her goal is to do it once a day, at a minimum. Running will count towards her total too. 

This is a fantastic goal, for a few reasons. First, it’s a low bar, attainable task. It takes a small amount of time and effort every day. It rewards her for consistency, not heroic efforts. Meaning, the more frequently she gets a short walk in, the easier it will be to complete the goal. Low-bar challenges like this build momentum. The longer your streak goes the more motivated you are to complete it and it might even leave her walking two miles a day towards the end of the month. 

I often talk about our tendency to make goals too hard. Here is a real life example of an excellent goal. She has a process, do it in the morning or at lunch time. It’s a S.M.A.R.T. goal, which is a helpful acronym for creating good goals: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound. I was quite impressed with her new goal, and I hope it motivates you to come up with a reasonable goal or challenge for yourself. 

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

Why Exercise

Here with a friendly reminder that there are so many benefits to training, not just for your muscles or weight loss. This is by no means the whole list, can you think of any benefits of exercise that I missed?

• Improve Bone density 

• Maintain/build power - ability to produce force quickly 

• Maintain or improve flexibility

• Develop mobility

• Create total body stability

• Improve body awareness/ motor control

• Better cardiovascular function 

• Stress management 

• Avoid overuse injuries 

• Fight off chronic disease like Type II diabetes 

• Boost your immune system 

• Sleep more soundly 

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

Feeling Sore?

Now seems like a better time than any to talk about soreness. Somehow, soreness after a workout has become the standard measurement the workout’s effectiveness. It’s just one of those fitness myths that won’t die - you don’t need to be sore in order for the workout to count positively. 

Let’s pretend that getting sore muscles after a hard workout and, being cautious of stairs for a couple days, truly is a measurement of workout effectiveness. If that were the case, my job as a coach would be to write programs, not to hit certain movement patterns and progressivley build strength, but instead to build plans that make your muscles sore through high intensity and high reps. 

Mike Boyle, the former Boston Red Sox strength coach has a famous anecdote he tells young strength coaches. He says if the point is only to make trainees sore, why don’t you just take a baseball bat and whale on their quads for 45 minutes instead of training? 

While it’s perhaps a crude example, consider his point. If getting sore from working out is good, all sore muscles must be good, right? As you’re getting back to it this week, you’re probably going to feel more sore than normal. The point I’m making, that doesn’t mean the workout is more or less effective, it just means you  body isn’t used to the loading, or volume or intensity that you’re bringing to the gym. Walking around feeling a little stiff from strength training isn’t bad, but it also isn’t the only way to define good.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

Easing Back In

Day 1, here we go!

If you’re starting back in the gym today, or this week, we’ll be easing you back in.

Even if you’ve been training hard while quarantined, the different atmosphere and heavier weight options will immediately make your training more challenging.

Take it easy on yourself. Don’t compare past numbers or times. You’ll probably feel pretty sore after your first week and we’ll be doing our best to make sure you don’t overdue it. You’re not starting over from scratch, you’ll make progress more quickly than when you first started, but it’s going feel like your first time working out today, and that’s okay.

Can’t wait to see you in the gym! 

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

Reopening Guidelines

Chances are you already saw this in the newsletter email, but I wanted to post it here to easily be available for reference.

Safety is our number one priority. We have new protocols, rules and procedures that will allow us all to get back in the gym and back in the training groove. We can’t wait to have you back.

While the gym has been closed, we’ve covered the place with a fresh coat of paint, the turf has been thoroughly steam cleaned, everything’s undergone a deep scrub down and we’ve spaced out equipment to optimize physical distancing in the facility. Here’s what to expect when you come back to the gym.

 Scheduling:

You’ll notice we have a much different schedule. Per the new guidelines from the state, we’re leaving a 30-minute gap between all sessions to allow for cleaning. Each class will be limited to 5 people plus 1 coach. You can now see how many spaces are taken when booking on the website.

You can find the new schedule, and book your spot, HERE or using the MINDBODY app.

 With this new schedule comes some new restrictions we’re all going to have to get used to. We are requiring all sessions to be booked a minimum of 6 hours in advance. This will allow us to prepare individual workout stations, make sure you program is ready and cancel classes with no attendance.

 If you miss your sign-up time, you will text the coach who is leading that session to see if you can be added to the class. All of our cell phone numbers are at the bottom of this email. You can sign up to be waitlisted for a class that is full, and you can cancel without penalty 2 hours before. Late cancellations eat up space for other members and are unacceptable.

When You Arrive:

You must arrive to your workout on time. If you arrive more than 5 minutes early, please wait in your car. Everyone will need to be out of the building by the end of the 60-minute session to ensure we have plenty of time to clean all commonly touched surfaces and get equipment and programs ready for the next wave. 

When you arrive at the gym, please wear a cloth face covering while in the lobby and changing your shoes. Once you get your gym shoes on, head on to the floor and the on-staff coach will make sure you have your own space to warm up with any equipment you need. You do not need to wear the cloth face covering while exercising; there will be physical distance between all members and staff. If you prefer to wear one while exercising, we will make program modifications to allow for that. We have cloth face coverings available to anyone who needs one.

Upon arrival, please wash your hands or use one of the automatic hand sanitizer dispensers located throughout the gym. 

During the Workout:

After a coach leads you through the daily warm up, you will continue onto your personalized training program at your own station. You will have any bands, barbells, boxes and rings at your own station and a coach will assist you in getting any dumbbells or kettlebells that you need. 

 After completing your workout, it is your responsibility to clean any gym equipment used with the disinfectant spray bottle located at your station. 

 The water bubbler will be available but we will no longer be providing disposable cups. Please bring your own water bottle. 

We will be trying to use our space in the parking lot as much as possible. If you’d like to train outside, let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate.

 We are no longer using paper sheets to track workout programs. We will be using TrueCoach to plan and log all your individualized workouts. Prior to each session the on-staff coach will write your workout on a small, personalized whiteboard to make it readily available and easy to read from your station. 

Online Training 

 We understand that some of you aren’t ready to come back. Because of that, we’re going to make sure you still have adequate access to online training and accountability. While we’ll no longer be hosting live Zoom sessions, starting on Monday June 1, all members will have access to an online training portal for follow-along workouts led by Alex, Taylor and myself along with the continued use of customized training plans through the TrueCoach app.

Let you coach know what your plan is and if you need any modifications due to loaded equipment going to the gym. 

Equipment Drop Off:

 We need all of our loaned out equipment back before June 1st. You can drop it off at the gym during the times below. If you need any assistance, do not hesitate to ask, I’m happy to pick it up for you (especially if you have a 100-pound kettlebell). 

Equipment Drop Off Hours:

Friday 5/29 

11am-2pm

Saturday 5/30

9am-1pm 

While these new protocols will take some time getting used to, we strongly feel as though these new procedures will enhance our training experience and allow for even more personalized attention for each one of you. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to coach you and look forward to having you back in the gym.

What if it Were Easy?

Feeling stuck? Overwhelmed?

Something I learned from Tim Ferriss was to ask yourself questions when you’re struggling and unsure as to what to do.

“What would it look like if it were easy?”

That question has been floating around in my mind for the past 5 and a half years, ever since I became a business owner. Every time I feel stretched thin or tightly wound and ready to blow, I reflect on that question to simplify my process, prioritize my thoughts and figure out how to make something work better.

Whatever you’re struggling with, think about how you could make it feel easy.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

Habit Reset

Opening our doors in less than a week means lots of new opportunities. We all have a clean slate, a fresh start and a chance to develop new habits, let’s not waste it.

Create a new routine around going to the gym, find a new time you love to train at, create rules to leave work on time when it’s a workout night, commit to workouts at the crack of dawn. Whatever you choose, please don’t waste this opportunity to help yourself. We’re not often given a chance to start fresh, this is it, I hope you’re able to take full advantage of it, I know I’ll be trying.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

Light at the End of the Tunnel

We will be reopening our doors on Monday June 1st. 

The schedule is going to look a little different and everything is spaced out at least 8 feet to allow distancing between people and equipment. 

Keep an eye out for an email coming your way detailing the new schedule, new protocols and new procedures.

We’re looking forward to having you back in person. 

We will be hosting our regular Zoom Class schedule this week, including today.

Happy Memorial Day! 

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

Get Out There!

The summer-like weather is here this weekend. Be sure to take advantage of it by getting outside.

It so simple, but I truly believe that spending time outside in nature is required for healthy living.

Go for a walk, go fishing, go on a hike, do a workout outside or just lay around in the grass. Whatever it is, enjoy it!

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

How to Throw Down: A Step by Step Guide

I seem to have inspired some of you yesterday with my post about creating a tough challenge for yourself. A personal throw down to test the waters, objectively see how your training is going and to get inspired. Here’s how you can go about creating your own person thrown down. 

1. Pick something you want to do.

Originally, this said pick something you like, but you might not like bodyweight squats and that doesn’t mean you couldn’t come up with a great challenge around them. Pick something that gets you excited, that you would look forward too, even if you look forward to it with a little bit of dread.

I urge you to try and leave the comfort zone here. The point is to see what you’re capable of that you didn’t think you were. What’s something you wanted to do for a long time but too scared to try? Start there.

2. Pick how you’ll challenge yourself. 

These are the variables we can control to create a throw down. 

Volume - how much of something you do 

Frequency - volume over time (i.e., if volume is how many reps or sets of something, frequency is how much volume you do over a period of time) 

Distance - picking a certain distance to do something like a walk or run or bike ride

Time - how long you’ll throw down for

3. Create Rules

Rules create confinement that increases the difficulty. An example here would be: I’m going to ride my bike for 2 hours, but I have to pedal hard up all the hills. Pick a date and put your throw down on the calendar, do it that day rain or shine. There are endless rules to choose from, but whatever they are, use them to create a challenge that’s appropriate for you. 

Alright, so that’s a little vague and unless you have something particular on your mind, you might have a tough time deciding what to do. Here are a few worthwhile examples I’ve come up with:

Bike for a certain distance or period of time.

Haven’t been training and building up for a 50 mile ride, who cares? Get out and do it. Or alternatively, set a time period, say 90 minutes, and ride as far and as fast as you can within that time. 

Total reps throughout the day. 

Pick an exercise, like kb swings, bodyweight squats, push ups or even pull ups. Spend all day, from waking up till bed time accumulating as many reps of that movement as you can. I feel obligated to remind you only quality reps count, don’t be too crazy. For something like this, you can create rules, like I’ll do 10 swings every hour on the hour, to give you a sense of how many reps you’ll get in.

Walk further than you thought possible. 

Honestly, I think this is where most people should give it a go. Try to walk for a certain distance, to a friend’s house or create a local loop you can repeat. Bring a water bottle, a good podcast and maybe a snack. I think many of you will be surprised with how well you can do here. 

Do something you have’t done in a long time or ever.

Get the cobwebs off your bike, put that kayak in the water or get a stand up paddle board set up. Find something that you’ve neglected, or maybe even been scared to try and give it your best shot. Even if you fail, I promise you’ll walk away with a new found fire burning inside of you to try it again.

In closing, remember that a throw down is a personal challenge to yourself. Test the waters, see how you do. Most of you will be pleasantly surprised. If you need any help in coming up with a throw down challenge for yourself, please don’t hesitate to ask, I’m happy to help you find something challenging yet appropriate.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

The Occasional Throw Down

I talk so often about the need to be consistent rather than intense when it comes to working out that I sometimes neglect the fact that occasionally, it’s necessary to thrown down a heroic effort. A gut check, if you will. A test to see where you're at and find any holes in your game. We’re all starting to feel a little stir crazy, at-home workouts are getting tougher, we miss barbells and sleds and gym friends and having an appointment or place to go. A tough challenge workout can get you back on track, inspire you and hopefully, make you realize that your training is actually working.

I experienced this last week, three times actually. First was a run at my favorite spot, Stratham Hill Park. The climb up Stratham Hill is a steep 100 foot climb covered in loose gravel. I decided upon approaching the hill that I was going to throw down, charge up to the top as fast as I could, knowing there would be a great deal of suffering upon reaching the tower at the top of the hill. Since I hadn’t been doing any speed work, or fast running or even getting in much uphill training, I never expected to beat my PR up the hill. I spent the rest of run trying to recover from the effort but I left the park that day feeling inspired - what training I have been doing, let me maintain my uphill power. 

The next day I decided to try and lift something heavy. The gears were churning in my head, I wondered if I maintained any strength since I haven’t been lifting heavy on the regular. A spontaneous deadlifting session Friday evening in the parking lot of Gain let me know that my strength is still there, and maybe there’s even more of it than I’ve had in a while. I pulled a near max lift for a casual double.  

After a mellow weekend, I realized I had done a short-burst, all-out, power effort and a pure strength effort. I needed to round out my challenge week with an endurance effort. I pulled up Strava and took a look at some of the routes I had run in the past couple months. Upon deciding a route, I headed out the door and down the street to Stonehouse Forest. I completed my loop much faster than my previous time, out of this world progress that left me smiling as I ran back into the driveway Monday night. 

I’m sharing this with you, because as I mentioned before, I talk so much about consistent effort, that I neglect the fact that the occasional heroic effort shines a light on how our training is going. If you asked me how training was going before last week, I would have told you it was utterly horrible. I would have told you I’m barely running, never getting in a long run, no speed work at the track, no heavy strength training. I was convinced I was losing fitness everyday. After testing myself, I feel confident in what I’ve been doing, which I assure you, is very little compared to a normal May. I now know that my consistency is paying off, that work I’m doing isn’t going to waste. 

If you’re starting to feel like you’re spinning your wheels, I challenge you to come up with a heroic effort to test yourself. Maybe it’s walking for 2 hours, or doing more bodyweight squats in a row than you’ve ever done. Maybe you lace up those running sneakers you’ve been thinking about or find a cool local spot to get out a go on your first hike in a long time. Pump up the tires and dust the cobwebs off your bike. Whatever it is, make sure it’s challenging for you, this is about competing against yourself, not comparing yourself to others. If you’re able to take on a challenge like this, I guarantee you’ll come out the other side feel inspired.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

CFSC

One of our core values is to find the positive in anything. We want to look adversity in the face, say “good,” and look for ways we can use the struggle to our advantage.

Our in-person Certified Functional Strength Coach event was cancelled last month and we decided to take the online course. You see, coaching is a craft, like woodworking, designing and art. That means, overtime you can improve, question the way you’ve done things, learn from mistakes and always strive to get better.

The Gain Team and I spent the last several weeks becoming Certified Functional Strength Coaches. We watched hours of videos, had thought-provoking discussions about warming up, heart rate monitors, the order of corrective cues and how we write training plans.

I’m sure the in-person event would have been a world-class experience, especially since our friends at Maxway Performance were hosting it. Either way, I’m happy to report back to you all that we’re not slowing down. We’re coaches, at a gym, first and foremost. Regardless of whatever circumstances get in our way, we’re dedicated to improving, filling holes and committed to best coaches possible.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

Repetition

Getting stronger, improving movement quality, gaining mobility and increasing endurance is all about repetition. You’ve got to get your reps in to build a tolerance and adapt. Making good nutritional choices works similarly. You’ve got to get reps in of high quality, tasty meals, so that your default craving is your go-to, well-rounded meal. In other words, making healthy choices is about creating habits, not your willpower to make better choices.

Recently, I’ve started eating the same breakfast everyday; four eggs and one or two pieces of toast. In pre-quarantine times, I typically opted to skip breakfast and push my first meal of the day back until lunch time, but that’s a discussion for another day. My new breakfast routine however, has been a staple in kicking off a day of healthy eating. I know by getting some high quality protein and fats and some carbohydrates that I’ll be full for hours, and by starting my day off on the right foot, more likely to make better choices throughout the day. 

The repetition of eating the same thing, however boring it can become, is a cue to kick start a day of awareness around eating. For example, if I decided to have pancakes instead today, I might be more likely to make a poor choice at lunch or snack too much after dinner, justifying my actions with the less than optimal choice for breakfast. The classic - I’m off the wagon now, I might as well keep going - downfall many us of fall into. 

Somehow, throughout your day, find ways to create repetition, things you do most everyday. These repetitive choices will work as habit cues. Signals to yourself to make better choices and to help you stay on track with less motivation. 

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

Friday Thoughts

Happy Friday. Today, I want to share with you a question from James Clear’s Newsletter for you to ponder over the weekend. So often the choices we make regarding health give us delayed satisfaction. Sacrifices that pay off in the long term, not the short term.

Here’s Clear’s question:

“Am I doing this for present me or future me? “

PS

If you haven’t gotten a “I Still Train at Gain” tee, we’re offering pick up at the gym today 11-1.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

How Are Your Toes?

We talk a lot of hip mobility and shoulder mobility, but there are other parts of the body that impact how much range of motion we can get in those spots while being active. Your big toe is one of them. Big toe dorsiflexion (lifting it up) is an important motion for walking, running and lunging. Without the proper range from our toes, we can place additional stress on shins, knees, hips or even lower back. 

In my experience, people who neglect ever loading the toes can develop stiffness. Typically, adding in sound functional movements will help alleviate this stiffness. That’s right, I’m talking about lunges again. Lunges, and movements like it, require those toes to stretch and load. It should become more comfortable over time.

 Besides training, there are other ways to add some mobility back to your big toe. Wearing less restricted shoes, or spending time barefoot can have a big impact. That, along with some daily stretching will make a big difference. Just bending your toes around with your hands can work, or if you want to take it to the next level, you can stretch the toes and bottoms of your feet by sitting on them. Starting in an all fours position, keep your toes hooked on the floor. Sink all your weight back till you’re sitting on your feet.

This is a major stretch for many people. After spending a minute or so down there, I’d be willing to bet your feet feel a little better while walking around. Give it a shot! 

Justin MIner

@justinminergain

Sick of Lunges?

Over the past month I’ve received countless emails, texts, DM’s and everything else about how sick people are of doing lunges. The truth is, they’re not going anywhere, they’re an imperative movement pattern we must continually train. Single leg training is a staple in all functional strength training programs, and for good reason, they help a lot of things. 

Perhaps most importantly, if you can’t lunge, you can get up and down from the floor. Which, surprising as it may be, is a task required for lifelong independence. It can quite literally be boiled down to an issue of safety. Can’t lunge, can’t get up, can't live alone.

In a less morbid sense, lunging teaches you how to stabilize your hip. It works all those little muscles in your hip that cooperate with your glutes to open and close your hip. These muscles help absorb force. When you step back or forward and lunge down, you must decelerate, absorb and transfer that force to stand back up. It’s quite complicated, actually, but lunging teaches you this skill and it becomes second nature. 

Lunging demands stability in your spine as well. You can’t lunge well if your spine is swaying all over the place. It’s a 3D demand, you need to prevent your spine from slouching forward, or flexing, and, at the same time, you must prevent it from arching, or over-extending.

Maybe they’re getting boring because the different variations of them are showing up almost everyday in your program, but remember, whatever makes it way into the program is there for a reason. It’s there to help you move better, build strength and keep your independence.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

Maintenance

Back when I played hockey, we would train hard all summer and into the fall. Once the season would start up on November 1st, we’d enter ‘maintenance mode.’ Which, essentially was an effort to hang on to as much strength as possible during the grueling season. The goal was when spring time rolled around, we weren’t 15 pounder lighter and starting our off-season program over again from scratch.

The goal of maintenance, in regards to a strength and conditioning program, is about keeping what you've built within striking distance. Meaning, you wanted to be able to get your deadlift and squat and clean numbers back to where they were in the preseason after a month or so of dedicated training. This would allow you to then, progress from one summer to the next, instead of starting over every off-season.

This works a lot better in theory than in practice, but nevertheless, is a sound way to design a program when you’ll be faced with a six month season and many hours of practice, games, traveling and of course all the high speed collisions one faces when lacing up the skates.

Maintenance mode for a sports program is not much different from what we’re facing now. Once the gym reopens, we’ll all be eager to get our hands on a barbell, push the sled and maybe, just maybe, be excited to ride an AirBike. 

There’s no beating around the bush, that stuff is going to be hard when we get back. After a several week break, your muscles will be sore, your body tired and you may even have to rebuild those callouses. Instead of dreading the inevitable, consider taking on this perspective: you’re in maintenance mode, training to be ready when the gates open. 

Now, you can be training hard right now, and many of you are. You don’t think I would be ashamed of a deadlift PR in the middle of the season, do you? No, of course not! You can still build strength while maintaining, it just isn’t the focus or the main driver. If you’re struggling with motivation and eager to get back to the gym though, I urge you to think about your current training as maintenance. Once we’re back open, how quickly will you be able to return to your strength levels? 

It’s going to take time, for everyone. But you’re better off doing bodyweight squats than no squats at all. Or kettlebell swings instead of no deadlifts at all. Everything you’re doing, whether that’s just foam rolling or Zoom workouts or daily kettlebell swings or a couple of bodyweight movements here and there - will help you maintain, will help you be ready to build when the time comes.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

#istilltrainatgain

Gyms all over the country have been closed for several weeks now. As we get sparks of hope of the state opening back up, we’ve got warm summer days with the garage door open on our minds. The atmosphere of the gym is special. It’s a unique experience, to train at gain, which is why it became out motto many years ago. In fact, the first tee shirt we ever printed is where the saying on the wall came from, “I Train at Gain.”

As a tribute to our new, unofficial, quarantine motto, I Still Train at Gain, we got some new tee shirts. If you’ve been logging your individualized at-home workouts on TrueCoach, participating in Zoom workouts for added accountability or meeting up with your coach once a week on FaceTime, this shirt is for you.

Show off your commitment to training and living the Gain Lifestyle, even when you’re not allowed to go to the gym.

Get your own here.

Pick up today at the gym: 10am-12pm, Wednesday: 11am-1pm

Justin Miner

@justinminergain

Cooking Class - Tonight at 5:30

A simple trick to eating healthier is to cook all your own food. It’s one of the reasons many people are successful with a challenge like the Whole 30, that basically forces you to cook all of your own meals. Knowing how to whip up a couple of simple, healthy meals is a valuable skill worth developing.

That’s why, Registered Dietician, Briana, is hosting us tonight on Zoom for a cooking demo. We’re making stir fry with a Thai peanut sauce. You probably have all the ingredients kicking around in your pantry, join us tonight!

We’re kicking things off at 5:30. Using the link below to register and get the ingredients list. Hope to see you tonight from your kitchen!

REGISTER HERE

Justin Miner

@justinminergain