(MASS APPEAL) – Back to School is right around the corner and it can be hard to maintain healthy habits once we’re back to carpooling the kids to and from school, soccer practice, dance classes and all of their other activities. That’s why we’ve invited our friend Drew McConaha, owner and head of strength and conditioning at Train for Life in Chicopee, to give us some tips on maintaining healthy habits during this busy time of year.
MassAppeal: Western Mass IronMan recaps experience of race
(Mass Appeal) – A couple of weeks ago the IronMan 70.3 competition was held in Springfield and surrounding communities for the very first time. It was so successful that they are already scheduled to return next June. The competition started at 6am with a 1.2 mile swim. From there they transitioned to bicycles for a 56 mile ride, then finished it off a 13.1 mile run. Drew McConaha, owner and head of strength and conditioning at Train for Life in Chicopee, participated and he’s here now to talk about it.
MassAppeal: Dangers of the “bikini body” diets ahead of Summer
(Mass Appeal) – This time of year, people want to get in shape for the summer. That can actually lead to bad or dangerous results. Drew McConaha, the owner and head of strength and conditioning at Train for Life in Chicopee, shares why that is, and a few alternatives to the “bikini body” mindset.
MassAppeal: How to prep for UMass 5K Dash & Dine
(Mass Appeal) – Spring is here and it’s the start of many local 5K events, such as the UMass 5K Dash & Dine. We’re about a month away now which means it’s time to begin prep for the big day if you haven’t already. Back with us to walk through the process is Drew McConoha, owner of Train for Life.
MassAppeal: Tips to prepare for a 5K
(Mass Appeal) – Spring is the start of many local 5K events, such as the UMass 5K Dash & Dine. Even though we’re a few months out, now is the time to lace up your sneakers and prep for the big day. Here to walk us through the process is Drew McConoha, owner of Train for Life.
Transformation Challenge - Winter 2023
Point System
Points will be awarded for the following 5 categories…
• Percent of Bodyweight and Body Fat Loss
Points Scaled Based On Place In Standings
BODYWEIGHT AND BODY FAT % WILL EACH HAVE THEIR OWN SEPARATE RANKINGS & POINTS
One InBody270 Scan will be taken at the beginning and end of the challenge.
The difference in bodyweight will be recorded and the percent of original bodyweight lost will be ranked greatest to least amongst all competitors.
The points value corresponding to your place in the standings will be added to your total score.
First thru Tenth Place — 700 / 600 / 500 / 400 / 350 / 300 / 250 / 200 / 150 / 100
11th Place… — 90 / 80 / 70 / 65 / 60 / 55 / 50 / 49 / 48 / 47… Down by 1 each Ranking
SCAN-IN
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 — Monday, January 30, 2023
SCAN-OUT
Wednesday, March 22, 2023 — Saturday, March 25, 2023
• MyZone Points
100 Points Per Week + Bonus
Pass/Fail Approach – Participants hit 750 MyZone Points each week.
Calculations begin on Monday and end on Sunday each week.
>> WEEKLY BONUS POINTS
Participants will be ranked greatest to least in MyZone Points each week and Bonus Points will be awarded each week to the Top 10 based on place in standings...
1st Place = 50 Points
2nd Place = 40 Points
3rd Place= 30 Points
4th and 5th Place = 20 Points
6th thru 10th Place = 10 Points
• Facebook Nutrition Posts
50 Points Per Week
All participants will be added to a Private Challenge Facebook Group for support, accountability, and motivation throughout the challenge. Here we will educate you on how to incorporate a new nutritional habits into your regular routine, and there will be a weekly task (topics listed below) associated with this habit.
Educational Posts on the following topics will be made by TFL on Sundays for the week following, and will include specific directions on what the post must include.
All tasks must be completed, meet all requirements, and posted to the page no later than 11:59PM on Sunday of that week. — LATE Posts will not be accepted.
Weeks are calculated Monday - Sunday
>> WEEKLY TOPICS
3 SMART Goals for the Challenge Including 1 Specific to Nutrition
Pantry Cleanout
Increasing Protein
Food Label/Sugar Awareness
Food Pyramid and Macros
Importance of Recovery – Hydration and Sleep
Healthy Options On The Go
Commitment To Change
• Post-Workout Nutrition
10 Points Per Ticket (Max 3 Tix Per Week)
Members will receive a ticket for drinking their protein shake after each workout (up to three per week). Names will be written on each ticket and dropped into the raffle. Points will be given for each ticket collected over the six week period.
Protein must be shown, and actively consumed at the time ticket is given. Photos after sessions or “forgetting a ticket” will not be accepted. No exceptions.
Tickets will be accounted for each week, and if any participant tries to add more than 3, their points will be removed.
>> RAFFLE BONUS
A name will be pulled from the overall raffle and the winner will receive a 5 Pound GIANT Whey Protein ($80 Value)!
• Weekly Physical Challenges
Points Accumulate Based On Place In Standings Each Week
Participants will all complete the same challenge each of the first seven weeks, and will have the opportunity to make up a challenge or strategize during the last week.
Challenges must be completed POST-WORKOUT, so schedule sessions accordingly.
Men and women will be ranked in the same category for scoring but weights will be different based on gender to keep the challenges fair.
There will be one specific challenge per week for the first 7 weeks. Training weeks run Monday through Saturday.Those on vacation or out for a full training week will be required to make-up their challenge during Week 8, unless other arrangements have been made prior to that week.
**WEEK 8 STRATEGY
DID YOU MAKE A MISTAKE OR THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER ON ANY CHALLENGE?!
After the first 7 challenges are completed, competitors have the option to REDO any of the 7 challenges during week 8.
ONE CATCH – The results of your second score are what will be used regardless of if your first score was better or not.
It's Never Too Late
It’s never too late to start a new fitness routine. Whether you’ve exercised all your life or you’re just getting started, strength training is one of the best ways to continue to live your best life both physically and mentally. Building strength in the gym helps you maintain the lifestyle you want outside of it. Here’s a few examples that strength training enhances our quality of life: increase in muscle mass, stronger bones and joints, flexibility, a healthy weight and balance.
Why You Should Train for Life
Our facility, Train for Life, was founded on this exact principle. The ability to move well and be strong are vital to living a healthy and happy life and everyone, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity should make exercise a priority. The time you spend in the gym can greatly impact your physical, mental and emotional well-being. As we age our need for exercise and strength training greatly increases in order to continue to stay active and be independent. Many of us take our ability to do simple things like playing with our children and grandchildren, walking a flight of stairs, or even getting up from a chair for granted until we reach the point where we are no longer able to do them.
“Remarkably, physical activity and exercise are well-established countermeasures against muscle aging, and have been shown to attenuate age-related decreases in muscle mass, strength, and regenerative capacity, and slow or prevent impairments in muscle metabolism. We posit that exercise and physical activity can influence many of the changes in muscle during aging, and thus should be emphasized as part of a lifestyle essential to healthy aging,” according to an article in Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine.
Now that you know WHY you should be strength training, let’s talk about what and how much you need in order to make a difference.
Click here for the remainder of the article at Healthcare News…
MassAppeal: Tips on maintaining healthy routines during the busy year
(Mass Appeal) – With back to school fully underway, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and fall out of your normal routines. Here with us today is Drew McConoha, owner of Train for Life, to share some tips on maintaining healthy routines.
42-Day Summer Challenge
JUNE 27th — August 7th
*MyZones are not mandatory for this challenge.
Individual Competition
Points will be awarded for the following categories
— and the Male and Female with the highest total points will win —
1. Percent Bodyweight Loss
POINTS SCALED BASED ON PLACE IN STANDINGS
Weight will be taken at the beginning and end of the challenge.
The difference in bodyweight will be recorded and the percent of original bodyweight lost will be ranked greatest to least amongst all competitors.
The points value corresponding to your place in the standings will be added to your total score.
WEIGH-IN… Thursday, 6/23/22 – Monday, 6/27/22
CHECKOUT… Thursday, 8/4/22 – Monday, 8/8/22
2. Three TFL Workouts or 800 MEPS per WEek
100 Points per Week
Pass/Fail Approach – Participants must either attend THREE TFL Workouts per week or hit 800 MyZone Points for that week.
It is one or the other each week, never a combination. For example, participants cannot attend 2 Workouts + 400 MEPs. If THREE workouts are not accounted for in the attendance report for that week, 800 MEPs must be recorded to receive points.
Calculations begin on Monday and end on Sunday each week.
3. Post-Workout Nutrition
10 Points per Ticket
*Max 3 tickets per week
Members will receive a ticket for drinking their protein shake after each workout (up to three per week). Names will be written on each ticket and dropped into the raffle. Points will be given for each ticket collected over the six week period.
Protein must be shown, and actively consumed at the time ticket is given. Photos after sessions or “forgetting a ticket” will not be accepted. No exceptions.
Tickets will be accounted for each week, and if any participant tries to add more than 3, their points will be removed.
Raffle Bonus
A name will be pulled from the overall raffle and the winner will receive a 4 Pound GIANT Whey Protein ($80 Value)!
4. Food Journal Check
50 Points per Week
Participants will be required to journal their food intake throughout the challenge to promote weight loss and help nurture a positive relationship with food. We prefer these recorded in the My Fitness Pal App, as it seems to be the most convenient way to view and submit weekly. Like the workouts are calculated, weeks begin on Monday and end on Sunday.
Participants are required to post their food journals once per week to the Challenge Facebook Group by 10pm on Sunday of each week.
Posts must be in a group of screenshots/still photos or PDF format to ensure they were completed daily. Quick screen share videos will not be permitted for this challenge.
5. Consistency Choice
250 Points upon completion
Each participant will be required to complete one of the three categories by the end of the challenge. Your choice will be decided upon sign-up, and they cannot be changed. 250 points will be added to your total once you’ve completed your task.
WEEKLY AVERAGE OF 10,000 STEPS PER DAY
Steps can be tracked any way you’d like as long as there is proof it was completed weekly. Examples include sport/smart watches, any type of pedometer, Fitbits, etc. Whatever tracking device you choose must be able to report what your weekly average is. It is up to you to screenshot/print reports or photograph the device with proof of date (next to a dated newspaper for example) once the goal is achieved. As long as weekly average can be PROVEN points will be awarded.
Screenshots/reports for this task must be submitted by 6PM on the Monday following the week you are submitting.
Weekly averages are calculated beginning on Monday and ending on Sunday of each week.
We encourage you to test your device/recordings prior to day one of the challenge to ensure there are no issues with your plan.
100 MILES ON THE AIRDYNE
These competitors will be responsible for completing 100 Airdyne miles in-house at ANY time and in ANY sequence. As long as 100 miles are completed within the 42 days, points will be awarded.
There will be a folder in the lobby filing cabinet with a record sheet for each member in this category. You must date it, record the miles and have a coach see your results and sign off to receive credit.
FIGHTER PULL UP PROGRAM
This is a 32-Day Program to increase strength and improve your chin ups and pull ups. You will follow the rep count and number of rounds listed for each day. This challenge should be completed by members who average 4-5 TFL sessions per week since all 27 working days must be completed in-house within the 6 week challenge. You can expect these extra reps to take 10-15 minutes post-workout, and reps can be performed at any skill level as long as they are completed.
There will be a folder in the lobby filing cabinet with a record sheet for each member in this category. You will follow the rep count and rounds listed for that day, and have a coach confirm and sign off to receive credit.
For your best personal results, it is recommended that this be completed consecutively and in order for 32-days straight, but not necessary for the challenge.
6. Weekly Physical Challenges
POINTS ACCUMULATE BASED ON PLACE IN STANDINGS WITHIN YOUR CATEGORY
4 Categorys
Participants will all complete the same challenge each of the first five weeks, but will be competing against others in the same gender/age class to make the ability to score higher points more fair.
Men Under 40 | Men 40+ | Women Under 40 | Women 40+
*Based on age at the start of the challenge
Guidelines
There will be one specific challenge per week for the first 5 weeks. Those on vacation for a full training week will be required to make-up their challenge during Week 6.
Training weeks run Monday through Saturday.
Challenges must be completed POST-WORKOUT, so schedule sessions accordingly.
New Option! To keep things interesting…
DID YOU MAKE A MISTAKE OR THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER ON ANY CHALLENGE?!
After the first 5 challenges are completed, competitors have the option to REDO any of the 5 challenges during week 6.
ONE CATCH – The results of your second score are what will be used regardless of if your first score was better or not.
Physical Challenges
Week One — ERG Challenge
6/27 — 7/2
For this endurance-based challenge, each contestant will have 1 minute on the Bike Erg and 1 minute on the Ski Erg to burn as many calories as possible. There will be one minute of rest between each. Once both are completed, you will be given another 1 minute rest period before completing 1 additional minute on either piece of equipment, your choice!
Bike Erg x 1 min • Rest x 1 min • Ski Erg x 1 min • Rest x 1 min • Bike OR Ski Erg x 1 min
* The total number of calories burned over all 3 minutes will be recorded, and placed in order from highest to lowest amongst the competitors in your category.
Week Two — Airdyne, Sled, Run Medley
7/4 — 7/9
Each challenger will complete the following medley as fast as possible.
AIRDYNE x 10 Cals >> SLED PUSH >> RUN
Contestants will sprint on the Airdyne until a coach confirms that they have reached 10 calories. The same Airdyne will be used and in the same place for all.
Once completed, they will push the sled past the designated cone. The sled will be in place and set at the appropriate weight for their category.
From there, they will sprint out the garage door to the left towards Zasco Productions, run and touch the wall and run back.
Time will stop when the challenger passes the yellow post at the door.
*SLED WEIGHTS
Men @ 6 Plates
Women @ 3 Plates
Week Three — Hercules Hold
7/11 — 7/16
The Hercules Hold is a challenge of grip strength, endurance and mental fortitude.
Each challenger will stand between two spud trainers loaded to their respective weights. Competitors will be instructed to begin and will stand and hold on as long as possible.
The timer stops when the challenger is no longer able to hold to either one or both of the handles.
*WEIGHTS
Men – 90 Pounds in each hand
Women – 55 Pounds in each hand
Week Four — Prowler Beep Test
7/18 — 7/23
This challenge is a play on the traditional aerobic fitness test used with many sports. During the Prowler Beep Test the challenger will have 30 seconds to push the Prowler from the starting cone to the end of the turf and back. The challenger will then get the remaining time to rest and will attempt another lap at the start of the next interval.
The objective of the challenge is to get as many consecutive laps under the 30 second window as possible. The challenge ends when you can no longer complete a lap within the time allotted.
>> Your score will be the number of laps completed + the time over 30 seconds on your final lap.
For example, if you make 4 laps under the :30 and your 5th lap takes you 34.65 seconds, your score would be 5 laps +4.65.
A coach will have a stopwatch and they will start the time when the interval timer beeps for the first lap to begin. The clock will beep every 30 seconds. If the timer beeps and you are not back yet, don’t slow down because your time will separate your place in the standings.
The person with the greatest number of laps AND the least amount of additional time will be in first place and it will scale from there. Points will be awarded based on your place in the standings.
*WEIGHTS
Men – 2 x 45# Plates // Women – 2 x 25# Plates
Week Five — Trap Bar, 3RM
7/25 — 7/30
The 3 Rep Max Deadlift challenge will test your strength using traditional powerlifting rules allowing each competitor 3 attempts to lift the most weight possible for 3 consecutive reps.
Challengers will be giving an opportunity to warm up and prepare prior to starting their attempts. In powerlifting, the first attempt is traditional a weight chosen that you’ve completed before. The second and third attempts will increase the load based on the goal weight they plan to complete.
This challenge will require some planning and preparation. Practicing the lift and working with our coaching team to determine safe yet challenging weights to attempt is imperative.
>> Trap Bars will also be used in Mondays Large Group Workouts!
* TBA – A Deadlift workshop in the coming weeks to give challengers an opportunity to refine their technique and properly prepare for this challenge in Week 5.
Week Six — Make Up // Strategy
8/1 — 8/6
Those on vacation for a full training week will be required to make-up their challenge during week 6.
*Be Strategic! After the first 5 challenges are completed, competitors have the option to REDO any one of the 5 challenges.
ONE CATCH – The results of your second score are what will be used regardless of if your first score was better or not.
MassAppeal: Staying active throughout all stages of life
(Mass Appeal) – Exercising and eating right has no age limit. Depending on your lifestyle, your routine could be different. Drew McConaha, owner and head of strength and conditioning at Train for Life joins us with ways to stay healthy throughout all stages of life.