Hi Fusers!

It’s a new year, and we’ve got our first client success story of 2018! This month we’re giving recognition and praise to Fuse member Marne Sussman. A member since June 2017, Marne has been a force to reckon with, unwavering in her consistency. And guess what consistency gets you? The badge of getting fit, strong, kicking ass and taking names. Boom.

While Marne has just been here less than a year so far, she has been an awesome addition to Fuse, bringing a healthy dose of determination, power and fortitude, especially when tackling tough to master exercises. Having been a successful, competitive rugby player in her earlier years proves her mental and physical prowess. If you know anything about rugby, it is freaking tough. And Marne applies that same toughness to her workouts. 

After having two kids and holding down a demanding career as a lawyer, Marne was ready to get back into shape. Training hard was nothing new to her, and Marne came in knowing what it takes push herself and hit her goals. Just goes to show, you can take the person out of the competitive athlete, but you can’t take the athlete out of the person. 

I’ve been lucky, as Marne has been a regular at my 8am Monkey Ninja Bootcamp classes since she started. She has brought a healthy dose of power and hard work to shake up the classes. In just about 7 months, Marne has really tackled her goals, getting fit, lean, and super strong—back into fighting shape! And, a bonus for me—almost every morning she’s taking class, we get a short visit from her adorable daughter with the best dimples you ever did see. So really, it’s a win win ;)

Here are a few words from Marne herself. Enjoy! :)

I had been thinking about joining Fuse for over a year as I’d been by there many times since my daughter was born. I just finally made the choice to do it and get back into shape. I had gained about 10 lbs after stopping breastfeeding my daughter and my clothes weren’t fitting right so I wanted to try to lose weight, but mostly I wanted to get fit.

The biggest challenge I have encountered has been fitting working out into my schedule. With two young kids and a job as a partner at a law firm in SF it is really hard to make time for classes. I’ve resorted to two 6am classes a week and given up sleep for fitness, but it is infinitely worth it. Continuing to come back is not a problem as the group of people, instructors, and results make continuing a no brainer.

I’m proud that I can do a pistol squat [single-leg squat]! (on one side only) ☺ Seriously though, my inner athlete is finally coming back after about an 8 year hiatus. I have always been an athlete and pretty fit and one of the fastest/strongest on every team I was ever on, so to start to get back to that level of strength and fitness and remember that my body is strong and that athlete is still there is awesome. I’m proud that I committed to 3 days/week for over 6 months now and I’m trying to figure out ways to get to class more times in the week. The change in my fitness is incredible. I could barely do burpees when I started and could only do maybe 1 pushup from my feet. Now I can rip off a set of 10 pushups and do multiple sets of them in one class. It’s a pretty amazing change and feels great!

My only regret is that I didn’t join sooner! I seriously considered it 3 years ago when my daughter was 6 months old and was just too afraid of the unknown and how out of shape I was to pull the trigger. I should have done it then! So for anyone thinking about joining or considering a new fitness regime, just do it! I wish I hadn’t wasted 2.5 years of fitness!!! It’s not going to get any easier the more time goes by, that’s for sure.

Like I said before, Marne is kicking ass and taking names. Better watch out for this one, it sounds like anything she puts her mind to, she’s not afraid to jump right in, work her butt off, and attack her goals. We love having you Marne, you truly make a great addition to our gym!

Yours in health,

Kristin at Fuse Fitness

P.S. As always, please feel free to contact us by filling out the form below if you have any questions or if you would like to sign up for a free consultation.

Hi Fusers! Beverly guest-blogged for us this month to share the importance of strength training at the correct tempo. Thanks Beverly!

Time under tension, that is what weight training is all about. The benefits include:

• increased muscle growth
• greater body awareness and control
• better motor control of the lifts
• improved stability

But what about the tempo of a rep set, how fast or slow should you perform an exercise? There are varying opinions on this topic, but for the purposes of most Fuse Fitness members, here are our recommendations for using weights in class:

1.  Form is the most important part of lifting whether the tempo is fast or slow. A few tips:

• The mirrors and instructors are there for a reason; use both to get feedback on your form.
• Self monitor your own posture and become aware of how you are holding your body in space. Focus on your movements to create good mind-body awareness.
• Our bodies naturally wants to take “the path of least resistance” to make lifting easier. Often time, this means speeding up too much to make it go faster. Remember, always focus on quality over quantity.
• If an exercise is too easy, check your alignment and slow it down. A slight adjustment can make all of the difference.

2.  For the most part, the exercises we do in class are set up to be done slowly both                                           concentrically (shortening the muscle) and eccentrically (lengthening the muscle). This tempo of weight lifting is designed to increase muscle and strength. A few things to think about:

• Unless instructed otherwise, think of a three count to lengthen (eccentric) the muscle  with a one second pause. Then a three count to contract (concentric) the muscle with a one second pause at the end. This load is a 3-1-3-1 tempo which should be moderate to heavy. Momentum is not always your friend; powering through exercises can decrease the benefit and potentially harm your body.
• If the 3-1-3-1 load still seems too easy, chances are you are lifting too light for your ability or your posture is incorrect. If you know your posture is correct, then consider increasing the weight by 20% and slow down your movement - slow and controlled.
• When you increase the load you are lifting you might want to decrease the number of reps until your strength catches up. Don’t worry, it will catch up.

3.   Fast, explosive movements with weights (think about wall balls and kettlebell    swings) are intended to increase muscle reaction time and muscle power. For most people, a quick tempo with weights is challenging, so a light to moderate weight may be best.

Remember, always use the right amount of weight for the job. Make the most of your workout and practice good form and proper tempo with the right amount of weight to create the best results for you. If you have questions, talk to your instructors.

Thanks for listening!

Yours in health,

The Fuse Fitness