Category Archives for "Coach Dean"

Did you hear the one about the dentist, the lawyer, and the plumber?

When you need help with a legal problem you hire a lawyer.

When you need help with your money, you hire a financial advisor.

When your pipes leak, you call the plumber.

When your tooth hurts, you see a dentist.

Brain surgery? Well, you get it by now.

And when you need to lose body fat, work on mobility, and strengthen your muscles and bones... you do it yourself??

Look, I am never going to criticize anyone for trying to eat healthier or get some exercise. But I also know that you can get the results you are looking for safer and faster when you get professional help.

And the bottom line is in this crazy busy world you don't need one more thing to think about. We are going to coach and teach you exactly what you need to do to get and stay healthy and fit. 

I was going to say we do all the heavy lifting for you, but well, that really wouldn't be accurate now would it? You gotta do that part yourself. But we will show you how to do it safely, effectively AND have some fun along the way.

The party has already started, we are just waiting for you to join us!

Get started for FREE by clicking right here.

- DC

Life Is Not A Hobby

Those people who know me well know I don't tend to do things halfway. When I commit to something I try to give my best effort and steer toward excellence. Even when I don't hit it, I don't want to have to tell myself I didn't try hard enough. Failure isn't the end, just one more way to learn, but giving up or giving in without giving it your best builds habits I'd rather not build. And yes, sometimes I take it too far, or take it too hard when it doesn't work out like I want. I'm still working on not taking myself so seriously Coach Nancy. 

One of the things I do take seriously is trying to stay fit and healthy. I don't always hit that mark either, which is why I am really glad to have the focus of our current "Sizzlin' Summer Slimdown" challenge. Me and the InBody had some words the other day, and unfortunately I had to take it's word over what I wanted to believe.

Which brings me to this quote from one of my favorite authors and quote genius, James Clear:

Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having a hobby. I have enjoyed woodworking since my dad and Paul Davis taught me some basic skill in 4-H. Creating something with my hands is something I very much enjoy. But I don't do it all the time, in fact I can literally go months between picking up my tools. But that's not going to kill me.

On the other hand, there are some things you just can't pick up and put down any time you feel like, or get "too busy", or just aren't in the mood.

Your Health and Fitness is one (two?) of them.

Your health isn't like riding a bicycle. You can't put it on the shed for 6 months or a year and get right back on and start riding. It takes awhile to get back in the groove.

When it comes to the health and fitness habit, momentum is everything.

And as we all know, momentum works both ways.

If you don't like starting over, stop stopping.

You get one life. There are no "do-overs". You can't hit reset and buy another one. 

You have been given a gift. You can take care of it like you would a new Ferrari, or you can treat it like a beat up 66 Plymouth. Vintage 66, that's me. A little dinged up, the hardtop is fading a bit, but I am still taking care of it the best I can.

Don't make your health a hobby.

Live life to the fullest full-time, all the time.

Make It Happen!

- DC

Cr8 Gardens Vlog 6/22/2020

I figured the happy occasion of harvesting the first Zucchini and Summer Squash would be a great time for some Cr8tive Garden updates! Two videos for your viewing pleasure; one of the goings on inside, and the other outside. Cool stuff happening!

How does your garden grow? 🙂

Inside: Microgreens and Hydroponics
Outside: From Cherry Trees to Cherry Tomatoes

Are You Antifragile?

Have you ever thought about what the opposite of "fragile" is? Being fragile is defined as:

fragile adjective
(of an object) easily broken or destroyed
(of a person) not strong or sturdy; delicate and vulnerable

So it stands to reason that the opposite of fragile is to not be those things, right? 

Author Nassim Nicholas Talib, in his 2012 book Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder takes it one (or more) steps beyond. Here's how he describes Anti-fragilty;

"Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors and love adventure, risk and uncertainty. Yet, in spite of the ubiquity of the phenomenon, there is no word for the exact opposite of fragile. Let us call it anti-fragile. Anti-fragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the anti-fragile gets better."

Now Mr. Talib and I don't agree on everything, who does? For instance he isn't a big fan of training in gyms, not random enough I guess.

I on the other hand look at it this way; consistent resistance training using progressive overload absolutely fits the antifragile paradigm. You are breaking down muscle tissue in the gym, and when you use proper recovery methods - nutrition and proper rest among them - you then create a physiological response that makes your muscles stronger and more resilient to the same stress through supercompensation. 

In many circumstances our immune systems work the same way. Exposure creates resistance. Vaccines work this way. I am convinced that kids need to play in the dirt, run around, and take some bumps and bruises for the same reason. And we can all be big kids, right?

It also goes way beyond training in the gym. Nancy and I are looking at ways to make our business more antifragile. Covid-19 hit our industry hard. Being classified as "non-essential" hit our psyches pretty hard. In response we are creating a new division called Cr8tive Gardens and are building the infrastructure so that if something like this happens again we are able to provide additional essential services.

In my other life as a business coach focusing on finance and profitability, I have seen a very tangible outworking of antifragile in action. Individuals and businesses who have cash management strategies in place and were debt-free before the crises are the ones who are in position to take advantage of the rebound; not just survive but actually thrive and get stronger because they were actively preparing for worst case, even when there was no evidence anything was going to happen. 

Look, you don't become antifragile overnight. Robustness and Resiliency are worthy goals and achievements. I hurt my hand pretty seriously Friday (stupidity, don't ask) and I am amazed by how rapidly it appears to be healing. I try to stay in good shape and keep my immune system healthy for circumstances just like this. I don't quite have the healing powers of Wolverine, but it really does help.

So how can you work on being anti-fragile?

Practice good health habits. A anti-inflammatory diet rich in nourishing foods. Good sleep habits. Recreation that challenges the body and mind. And of course, regular exercise which includes resistance and weight bearing exercise. That's where we come in.

Covid-19 has pulled us into places we never thought we would go. Right now we have training options that are practically "excuse-free". We are back to training in the gym 5 classes a day following the state safety guidelines. We simulcast those via Zoom so you can train at home if you choose. That training is also recorded and posted so our members can do it later if needed. And we have added 2 outdoor classes a day. 

Robustness, Resiliency and Anti-Fragility don't just happen.

You gotta Make It Happen.

Start Here Now

Kindness, Respect and Love

And while you are at it....

Throw a little patience into that mix as well, please.

As we prepare to open our physical gym next Monday, there are no easy answers how to do it "right". Nancy has done an amazing job reaching out to you, seeing what your thoughts are, and then working to come up with a plan to get things rolling. 

We are doing everything within our power to do a number of things at the same time:

  1. Work within the guidelines the state has issued
  2. Provide a safe, healthy environment
  3. Serve you our amazing clients in the best way we know how

This is going to require some change, and we all know how much we human beings love change. I think most of us would just like to go back to the way things were, like right now. I am with you. That would be the easiest for everyone involved.

That just isn't going to happen. Not yet, and I don't have a timeline for "when".

I want to assure you. We are listening, we hear you, and we are responding. There are some things we are being required to do that we would rather not do - advance scheduling is one of them. It isn't convenient, it's hard to manage, and it can cause conflicts. I get it. 

But each of us as individuals have our own part to play. This is one we need you to get on board with.

Here's another.

When it comes right down to it, we all have our thoughts and opinions on the crisis and how it was handled. Yours and mine may be different. 

Can that be OK?

No doubt as we first start gathering together some of those thoughts will be shared. Here's my ask.

Do it kindly, with respect.

Your value as a human being is not altered because you don't agree on issues. There is a lot of very unnecessary nastiness "out there". Can we really preach love and tolerance for all and then publically blast certain individuals we don't like and wish harm on them? Can I have a different opinion than you without you thinking I am a moron? If not. I would suggest that says more about you than me.

And I am not talking about anybody in particular. There is plenty of embarrassing rhetoric going around no matter where you stand on issues.

Cr8 Fitness has always been a safe space to come and be who you are. Training here comes with rights AND responsibilities.

Kindness. Respect. Patience. And yes, showing a little bit of love wouldn't hurt either.

Can't wait to see you all soon!

- DC

P.S. Please be kind to Nancy too. She has done an amazing job serving you in very difficult circumstances over the last 10 weeks. You have an extraordinary coach. Don't take it for granted. Or else. Just kidding. Maybe. 

I Actually Forgot Our Birthday

True Story!

I walked out to talk to Nancy after her 9:00am ladies class and she was working hard (as usual) making some birthday videos to celebrate 12 years of "The Little Gym in the Woods" being in existence.

I have to admit - it's been a challenging last few weeks. I am grateful to all of our clients who have stuck with us during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some days I honestly feel like the government is actually doing their dead-level best to put certain industries out of business for good, and it's not just gyms. It's a scary time for small businesses like ours. The normal flow of business has totally been turned on its head. It's very difficult to replace the clients we have lost. Revenues have taken a hit. We can't serve our clients in the way we are used to or want to.

And yet here we are. 12 years. On May 8, 2008, in the middle of another really bad economic downturn, we ran our first training. 5:00am, under lights we rigged up on a basketball hoop in our yard. 1 paying client and 9 crazy friends turned into 2 locations, one of which we sold on 2018 and is now under the stewardship of the amazing Meagan Sbat. You might know that gym as it exists under our original name - Get Fit NH. I am so grateful for all the wonderful people and amazing relationships built while that gym was under our care. 

I don't know what tomorrow brings. I don't know how many more years Cr8 Fitness will be around; we are probably going to retire sometime in the next 15 or 20 years, right? 🙂 But however long we are here we will continue to serve you in the best way we know how. To get better, like you are getting better. To coach you to eat well and exercise smart, to have fun, and to enjoy life.

We couldn't, and can't, do it without you.

Thank-you for choosing to train with us.

Happy Birthday, and here's to many more.

Coach Dean

I’m Curious

Where is your mind at right now in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic? Have you given up? Has your nutrition and exercise gone to the dogs?

There's a buzz in fitness circles that while all this is going on it's actually a good thing to turn to comfort food, eat more than you should, and relax on the exercising. After all, it's a stressful time and you don't need to stress out over those things.

NO, NO, NO. And Yes.

It's true that you don't need more stress (when do you ever?) and you don't need to stress out over what you eat and your exercise program.

But you know what? You should never be stressing out about those things. What good does that do?

And NO. You shouldn't just let everything you know to be true go to the wayside during these unusual and unsettled times.

Because no matter what happens, what the new normal is, you still need to be practicing the habits that build a healthy immune system, a strong body, and a resilient mindset. 

Or maybe that's the issue. The habit part I mean. 

You see during times of stress we fall back to what is easy for us to do. If it's easier to eat crap food we are going to do it. If it's easier to binge watch TV, we are going to do it.

You may not believe this, but you really can build habits that are supportive and healthy, even in stressful times.

When you are in the habit of putting veggies on your plate ALL the time, why would you stop now? When you are in the habit of reading, studying, meditating or praying, why would you stop now? When you are in the habit of getting daily vigorous activity in, why would you stop now?

Lean In to those things, don't run away from them.

You may not be able to change all your circumstances right now, but in reality, that is almost always the case. If those things didn't stop you before, why are they stopping you now?

And if those circumstances did stop you before, is this the wake up call you need to get off your butt and get working on them? YOU are in control of that. Not a virus. Not the government. 

YOU!

Here's what you need to do next:

  1. If you are a member of the little training gym in the woods, Cr8 Fitness, then take advantage of the training and camaraderie that is still going on here, every training day. Get on our live ZOOM trainings, or the Facebook Live trainings, which are recorded so you can do them anytime.
  2. If you don't train with us yet, get started today. Here's How.
  3. To work on those healthy nutrition habits and build the "stress busting skills" you need to thrive all the time, you have got to get on board with world-class nutrition coaching with ProCoach Here Now

I really don't get this "time to slack off" thing, and I don't want to. I have been unhealthy, sick all the time, and 100 pounds overweight.

It really sucks! Why do the things that drag me back that way?

Remember Moses from the Bible? You know Egypt, plagues, the Red Sea? Wandering in the desert for 40 years with a bunch of ingrates? That dude put up with some serious stuff in his life! He is an inspiring character in many ways, and I have always been motivated by what is written about his death.

"Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone."

You and I are probably not going to live to 120, but what about the second part? We may not be able to control that outcome, but you can bet your bottom dollar you can do something about the behaviors, habits, and skills that will make it more likely.

Make It Happen.

- DC

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