Trudy Coler, on Nov 25, 2013 2:44:00 PM
Trudy Coler, on Nov 21, 2013 4:40:00 PM
Get ready for the 2013 Annual Staff Rowing Challenge here at NIFS! If you are looking for a little bit of friendly competition as the winter rolls in, be sure to sign up with a team this year! The competition is pretty straightforward. All you need to do is sign up for a team; row, row, row; record your meters; and watch the boats on the string-line in front of the rower to see if your team is winning the race!
WARNING: This competition can be pretty intense (all in fun), so bring your “A” game!
For those of you who participated last year, you probably remember how it all turned out in the end. For those of you who didn’t, here are the results from last year:
2012 Team Total Meters Rowed
Do you know the right way to row?
Watch our video with Tony and Alex!
They will show you the proper form before
you get started!
2012 Team Average Meters Rowed
Sign up before Monday 11/25! We are looking forward to another exciting race this year! If you have any questions about the program, contact Stephanie Kaiser at sgreer@nifs.org or 274-2432, ext. 226.
This blog was written by Stephanie Kaiser. Click here to learn more about the NIFS bloggers.
Trudy Coler, on Nov 19, 2013 12:59:00 PM
Charter member Rick Hurst talks about his favorite activities at NIFS and what has kept him coming back for 25 years. Click here to watch his video.
Trudy Coler, on Nov 12, 2013 2:06:00 PM
Jeff Powers has been a NIFS member for 25 years. What keeps him coming back to NIFS and motivated to keep working out? Click here to watch his video.
Ready to give NIFS a try? We offer a 14-day free trial membership. No commitment and no strings attached. Click here to get started today!
Trudy Coler, on Nov 7, 2013 1:44:00 PM
NIFS Indianapolis is celebrating our 25th anniversary throughout the month of November by highlighting some of our Charter Members that have been around since the beginning. These members have participated in countless group fitness classes, training programs, have lifted more weight over the years than we can keep track of and have logged many miles on our cardio equipment. 
We want to give a HUGE thanks to these members who have really been with us through it all. To do that, we are highlighting these charter members by learning more about their stories and what keeps them coming back to NIFS.
First up, we have Pat Marshall, who became a loyal NIFS member on November 14, 1988. Thanks for all of your hard work and dedication Pat!
What keeps you motivated to have a healthy lifestyle?
What is your favorite program/favorite instructor/favorite piece of equipment?
How has your fitness routine changed throughout the years?
When I first joined NIFS I did so because of the indoor track. I liked to use that for my walking. Then NIFS got the new Elliptical machines and stair master so I started using those more. Then the group fitness was added in so I started attending classes. Now I seem to be going back more to the cycle.
Anything else you would like to add?
NIFS is a top notch facility! It’s very clean—the locker rooms and fitness center offer a lot of variety of classes.
The timing of the classes is really good because people can do it before work or after work.
The location is great as well.
Basically the keep up over the years has been great, as well as addition of new equipment.
I also love the hours that you open early and stay open late.
This blog was written by Tara Rochford, NIFS Membership Manager, Group Fitness Instructor and author of Treble in the Kitchen. Meet all of our NIFS Bloggers.
Trudy Coler, on Nov 5, 2013 12:13:00 PM
When utilizing a deload week, it can
sometimes be difficult to understand when to take advantage of it and how to modify your training so that you can come back fully recovered. Your training age, strength levels, and injury history will determine how often you need to take one. The higher your training age, the stronger you are and the more weight that you can lift. If you tend to be injured a lot, a deload week is more important if you want to be successful.
The three weeks hard, one week deload idea is something that I have added to my programs and have gotten great results from, as well. I use a four-week block system. Depending on where they are at (think off-season or in-season) will dictate if they deload at the fourth week or the eighth week.
Here I outline some general guidelines so that you can take your training and performance to the next level.
Reduce Training Volume
My first recommendation is to drop the total training volume to 60 to 70 percent of what was originally planned. To make things easy, if you had 10 total sets planned, you would only do six to seven total sets for the training session.
Reduce Training Intensity
My second recommendation is to drop the intensity to 60 to 70 percent. So here you would calculate your one-rep max (RM) and work up to only 60 to 70 percent of that 1RM. Let’s say that your bench press is 200 pounds. Then the highest weight that you would lift for the day would be anywhere from 120 to 140lbs. You can reduce both volume and intensity if you are really feeling under-recovered. In this example, if you had 4 x 5 at 80 percent of 200, you would do the following:
70% of 4 sets = 2.8
(so you would round up and do 3 sets instead of 4 sets)
Instead of doing 80% of 200, which is 160, you would complete 70% of 200, which is 140.
The athlete now would do 3 x 5 at 140 instead of 4 x 5 at 160.
Take Some Days Off or Reduce Training Frequency
The other option is to take a couple of days off or reduce the training frequency. So if you normally train five times per week, maybe come in for three days that week while dropping your volume and intensity to 60 to 70 percent. On the days off, you could incorporate some active recovery, which includes some cardiac output training (keep heart rate between 120 and 150) to help stimulate recovery, or even a mobility circuit. Again, if you are feeling very under-recovered, it might be best to take the day off completely.
Recovery
The biggest benefit from taking a deload week is to give your body a chance to fully recover so that you can stay healthy and come back refreshed and eager to train even harder. The recovery process is just as important as the training process. If you can’t recover properly, that is going to set you up for injuries.
If you take only one thing from this post, let this be your warning: Don’t wait for something bad to happen that forces you to take time off. Incorporate a deload week as part of your training program so that you can stay healthy longer. Hopefully this post gave you good insight about how to deload properly, stay healthy for a long time, and improve overall performance.
This blog was written by by Josh Jones, MS, CSCS, USAW. Learn more about the NIFS bloggers.
Thomas Livengood, on Oct 29, 2013 1:36:00 PM
“No Pain, No Gain.” This motto has been forever linked to wellness and fitness. We know that without a little struggle, there will be no progress, but is it really necessary to “bring the pain?”
We do know that when we workout, we create muscle soreness. This is, in part, due to overload of the muscle during exercise or even creating very small tears in the muscle fiber. There is good news though! Your body will repair these muscle tears and become even stronger, allowing you to better handle the workloads of your future workouts.
A concern does arise, however, if significant and repeated tissue tearing is happening frequently; a severe injury or tissue damage could take place. (See this article for more on the hazards of overtraining.) To prevent this from happening, you can start one of several pre-workout rituals, including foam rolling and dynamic stretching. A post-workout stretching is also equally important followed by good nutrition and adequate rest.
Creating a plan of action with a fitness specialist or personal trainer will help you develop a workout that is appropriate for your goals! Yes there may still be some pain at times but it's the gain you'll remember.
Evolve and rejoice,
Thomas
This blog was written by Thomas Livengood, Health Fitness Specialist at NIFS. To find out more about the NIFS bloggers click here.
Tony Maloney, on Sep 17, 2013 2:11:00 PM
I had a great conversation with one of you
Warriors
about the fact that challenges of “change” are not found only in the kitchen and in the gym. A huge challenge can come from your social circle, friends and family. It’s a common issue with recovering alcoholics, when their so-called friends liked them better when they were a drunk. The same dynamic can happen to someone who is trying to lose weight and be strong, fit, healthy and happy. Unfortunately, some people in your inner circle can be big players in sabotaging your success (cue the Beastie Boys).
Why Your Friends Might Not Want You to Be Healthy
There are many reasons why someone might take this stance and aid in your backslide into unhealthy behaviors. I think the biggest one is that they are not happy with themselves, and it hurts them to see someone improve, so they react negatively to your improvement. Maybe it’s a quick insult, or they minimize what you have accomplished simply to bring you back down to where they are and how they feel.
My recommendations here are limited because there is just one: Build a better inner circle! Be involved with likeminded people and ditch those who are not. This may sound harsh, but consider it happy or unhappy, healthy or diseased, life or death.
The Drawbacks of Being Seen as a Fitness Expert
Another challenge of success is that now everybody considers you to be the expert, and all they wish to talk about is nutrition and exercise. Some people relish this. If that is you, fantastic. Inspire millions. For some, it is a battle everyday to stay focused and on track, and discussing it all the time could bring some pretty emotional stuff to the forefront that could result in some negative behavior.
I feel that, like everything else, this has to be in balance. It’s great that family and friends see you as someone who can help, but if your improvement plan is still in progress, you may not be in the place to offer advice and solutions over and over again without some backlash. If you are that person who has reached the point of feeling comfortable talking to others about your progress and the steps that got you there, you have to keep your focus on others in balance with the focus on yourself.
How to Deal with People Who Want Fitness Advice
My wife, a professional massage therapist, had a very good way to deter people from constantly talking about aches and pains. When someone would mention what the ailment was (after finding out that she was a therapist), she would simply say “I would see someone about that.” That was her way of balancing the conversation. Here are a few ways to help you balance your conversations:
Be safe out there and keep a lookout for the sabotage. It could be closer than you think.
This blog was written by Tony Maloney, ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist and Health Fitness Instructor. To find out more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.
Trudy Coler, on Sep 3, 2013 12:33:00 PM
School is in session and the six weeks of training for the NIFS Summer Showdown are complete! Participants completed a workout of “partner 100s” at the beginning of the program for time. Each pair trained with a NIFS Health and Fitness Specialist to get better at the exercises required to complete the partner 100 Summer Showdown workout. After six weeks of intense training, plenty of sweat, and just plain hard work, the teams completed the Summer Showdown workout a second time to see how their times decreased. There are no winners or losers in the Summer Showdown. Each pair competed to beat their own time…and succeeded!
Alicia Peters is in the spotlight as she shares her experience of what it was really like to train for the Summer Showdown as she prepared for her upcoming wedding!
NAME: Alicia Peters
SHARE YOUR “STORY” OR A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF IN A FEW SENTENCES:
I am 26, live and work in the Indianapolis area, and like to stay fit! I particularly enjoy participating in group classes at NIFS.
NIFS PROGRAM YOU PARTICIPATED IN:
Summer Showdown
WHY DID YOU JOIN THIS PROGRAM?
I was encouraged to join the program by Stephanie, who is one of my favorite staff members! I always get a good workout when I participate on her program teams. The timing was perfect because I am getting married in September and the extra motivation to get to the gym for class was helpful during these months leading up to the wedding.
SOMETHING YOU HAVE ENJOYED:
My fiancé was my partner for the Summer Showdown program, so this was something fun for
us to do together!
SOMETHING YOU HAVE LEARNED OR SOMETHING THAT SURPRISED YOU:
I was surprised by how challenging some of the exercises were—especially the ropes/cones and the inverted TRX rows!
FAVORITE EXERCISE FROM ONE OF THE WORKOUTS?
I like the TRX suspended push-up.
WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS HAVE YOU ACHIEVED DURING YOUR TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE SUMMER SHOWDOWN?
I’ve noticed that my arms are a little more toned*!
WHAT STRUGGLES HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED? TIPS YOU HAVE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY?
Getting up at 5am for the gym is NEVER easy, but where there’s a will there’s a way!
HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED?
I feel better physically and also feel more confident when I exercise.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS YOU WISH TO SHARE:
Thank you for offering these great programs!
Click here to learn more about upcoming NIFS programs including our most popular holiday program Maintain Not Gain! Coming in November.
Trudy Coler, on Aug 29, 2013 3:03:00 PM
Emily has been an intern for a corporate client of NIFS. She has contributed to the success of the center, and we wish her luck as she moves on to the working world after college. Thank you for being such a great asset to the NIFS team, and for sharing your experience on our blog!
Some come to the area for a taste of Indianapolis; I came for a taste of the professional world. When I originally applied to NIFS I thought that the internship would be a great opportunity to broaden my horizons; a chance to get out of my comfort zone and to work in a different environment with different populations. NIFS accomplished that and so much more.
I did my share of weighing pros and cons when finding a challenging internship that would further my development as an exercise science major. Maybe it was the hands-on experience, maybe it was the professional development, or maybe it was simply the professionals I was able to interact with that have helped to reaffirm my choice of career path.
My internship was located at corporate client of NIFS. Working with the team was a breath of fresh air. I was not just an intern, but an employee with duties that depended on contributing to a successful team strategy. Having a strong team dynamic is crucial when hosting team-building events to promote cooperative work atmospheres. Tasks also included fitness assessments, teaching group fitness classes, and leading facility orientations.
My greatest task, however, was that of managing a Women’s Half Marathon Training Program. Throughout this program, I have been able to shed the skin of the structured classroom environment and reemerge with a more profound meaning of what being a professional entails: leadership, planning, communication, and organization. Through the training program, I came into contact with women who I coached, but who were in turn a source of motivation to me. To see and be a part of individuals’ success in achieving goals is why I am so drawn to this field.
NIFS offers so much to each intern. Through shadowing, volunteering, and specializing at one’s site, the student has a chance to explore, find their niche, and leave with a new set of goals in mind.
Although there are still classes to take and lessons to learn, working as an intern at NIFS is an experience that I will always remember and cherish.
To find out more about applying for NIFS internships click here.
