ACHIEVEFITNESS

FIT 101
our approach to a healthy, fit, sustainable
lifestyle
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US!
We're Jason and Lauren Pak and we
co-founded Achieve Fitness in
Somerville, MA in 2012. Our mission
has always been to bring inclusivity
and positive vibes to the fitness
space, and with the help of our
incredible team, we've been able to
create a fitness facility where the
emphasis is on making people feel
welcomed, comfortable, and
supported by the coaches and the
community.

What we've come to realize over the

years is that people need more than
just a workout plan to be successful
on their health and fitness journeys!
While a well-put together workout
program is vital, it's also important
to understand how your mindset
plays into your health, how nutrition
impacts your results, and how
maximizing your recovery can lead
to better outcomes overall!

We believe it's much more important

to look at the big picture when it
comes to health and fitness, and to
take a long term approach! That's
why this guide is not promising any
"quick fixes" or "magic pills," but
rather sound, sensible advice from
coaches who have worked with
thousands of people and understand
what it takes to make long-lasting
changes!
CHAPTER ONE
MINDSET
Mindset is one of the most overlooked and under appreciated
aspects of our health. We rarely think about how our own
thoughts will either negatively or positively impact our physical
health.

By allowing negative thoughts to take precedent in our daily

routines, we are making it much more difficult on ourselves to
succeed in our health and fitness endeavors. Instead, we want to
encourage you to look at the way you think about yourself, your
circumstances, and your journey through life, and see how you
can start to take steps toward shifting your mindset to be more
positive and productive. 

CHANGING YOUR INNER DIALOGUE

The first step is to change the way you speak to yourself! Have
you ever tried to count how many negative thoughts you have in a
day? Even if you’re someone who considers yourself to be a
generally positive person, you may actually be surprised to see
how many negative thoughts go through your head before
breakfast. Often times we wake up and think, “I’m SO tired why
didn’t I go to bed earlier?” and then we look in the mirror and
make a few comments about the things we don’t like about our
appearance, such as, “my skin is so bad” or, “ugh, I’m so fat” or
the simple, “I’m gross.”

Sound at all familiar? Our inner voice can be really nasty if we

allow it to be. Luckily, we have the power to reframe our
thoughts, since we’re the ones coming up with them in the first
place!

The idea of reframing negative thoughts into positive ones,

though, can feel really daunting and overwhelming. And in fact, it
can often feel contrived because we don’t actually believe the
“positives” as we’re saying them to ourselves.
Achieve head coach, Sarah Polacco, has a great method for
reframing your thoughts without having to “fake it.” Check out the
mental gains worksheet on the next page to learn how reframing
can be used in different circumstances. Then, over the next
couple days, start writing down any negative thoughts that pop
into your head, and then writing down re-framed versions of
those thoughts. Over time, this activity will be less of a challenge,
and you will catch yourself naturally framing your thoughts in a
more positive way!
 COACH SARAH POLACCO'S

MENTAL GAINS
WORKSHEET
Too often, our thoughts are negative. We wake up and think, "I'm too tired to
get out of bed," we look in the mirror and think, "I'm so fat," we get stuck in
traffic and think, "I'm so angry at everyone." But these thoughts are not
productive, and if anything they're holding you back from being able to lead
a happier, less stressful life. So, we want you to try to take note of your
negative thoughts, and then reframe them. Here are some examples of what
that might look like:

NEGATIVE THOUGHT RE-FRAMED THOUGHT

"My thighs are so fat." "My legs are strong."

"I'm working hard at the gym to

"I can't do a pull-up." build my upper body strength,
and I can do 5 assisted pull-ups
which is helping me get toward
my goal!"

"She is very strong and looks

"I'm not as great, and I am working on my
strong/skinny/muscular/etc. as own goals. I'm proud of my own
him/her." progress. I don't need to
compare myself to others."

As you probably noticed in the examples, re-framing your thoughts to be

more positive does not mean just saying the opposite. If your thought is,
"I'm so ugly" reframing it to, "I'm a supermodel" wouldn't work because you
wouldn't believe it, and frankly it's just not true! Instead, re-frame it to
something that is true, but doesn't knock you down. It can even be as
simple as reframing, "I'm so ugly" with "this is what I look like." We are
simply trying to change the verbiage we use toward ourselves and eliminate
the negativity!
STRIVING FOR PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION

The media has inundated us with images of “the perfect body”

and recommendations for “the perfect diet” and “the perfect
workout.” With all of these expectations to be perfect, we tend to
overlook our small victories if they don’t lead us immediately to
the “perfect” standard we’ve been programmed to strive for.

This pursuit of perfection is a never ending endeavor that wreaks

havoc on your body both physically and psychologically. When
you are only satisfied with perfection, you set yourself up to fail
99.9% of the time. It sounds easy, in theory, to change your focus
from the outcome you’re hoping for, to the process it takes to get
there. But in reality, this is one of the most difficult mindset
shifts there is.

We have a never-ending stream of influence from TV, magazines,

movies, etc. telling us we need to look, eat, and be perfect in
order to be happy. This makes us feel somehow wrong for being
happy if we aren’t looking, eating, or being “perfect.” We start to
feel unvalidated in our happiness, and our mantras become, “I’ll
be happy when I lose 10lbs” or, “I’ll be happy when work calms
down and I can get to the gym 5 times a week.” What if we stop
saying, “I’ll be happy when…” and start saying, “I’m happy
because…”

This small change in your language can turn your whole day
around! For instance, if you’re used to saying, “I’ll be happy when
I lose 10lbs,” try instead to say, “I’m happy because… I went to
the gym this morning and had a healthy breakfast.” All of a
sudden your happiness doesn’t depend on an outcome that is out
of your control in that moment, but it can be brought on by
completing a simple task or making a decision that put you on a
productive path.

No matter where you’re at in your journey, it is always okay to

love yourself, while working to improve yourself! So, stop looking
for reasons to put barriers on your happiness, and start
celebrating every piece of progress - big or small!
CHAPTER TWO
EXERCISE
In this chapter we want to go over our philosophy when it comes
to exercise and why we structure our workouts, our programs,
and our classes in the manner that we do!

MOVEMENT OVER MUSCLES

Something that we see quite often is workouts being broken

down by body parts and muscle groups rather than by movement
patterns. For instance, you have probably seen workouts in
magazines or online that focus on, “back and biceps” or,
“shoulders and triceps.” Or you might see arm exercises, ab
exercises, and leg exercises.

While these workouts aren’t necessarily bad, we know that

approaching your workouts in a more wholistic, functional
manner is going to yield much better results! 

When you focus on training movement patterns rather than

training body parts, you end up seeing a much better overall
effect. This is because movement patterns such as squatting,
lunging, pushing, and pulling are going to target many muscles
groups and body parts at the same time. Not only does this type
of training burn more calories by targeting more muscle groups
at once, but it also translates to actual real-life situations such
as bending over to pick something up off the floor, or reaching
for something high up on a shelf.

When we are putting together a workout program, we are looking

to include a diverse array of movement patterns. One circuit
might incorporate a squat, a pull, and a push, while another
circuit will include a hinge, a lunge, and some core stabilization.
This ensures that all muscle groups are targeted and being
worked, while also ensuring that every day life endeavors will be
enhanced and made easier, with less risk of injury!
PRIORITIZING STRENGTH

Our main focus with our exercise programming at Achieve is to

get people stronger. We encourage people to focus on strength
training first and foremost, and to then add interval training and
cardio on top of strength training if they can. Here are some of
the main reasons for prioritizing strength:

1. Muscle takes up less space than fat.

While the old adage, “muscle weighs more than fat” is just not
true (a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat) what
is true is that a pound of muscle takes up less space than a
pound of fat. So while they “weigh” the same, their size is quite
different. This then means that someone who weighs 150lbs with
30% body fat will be much larger in size than someone who
weighs 150lbs with 15% body fat. They are the same weight, but
they will look completely different.

2. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn.

Another benefit to having more muscle is that muscle is

metabolically expensive. This means that the more muscle you
have, the harder your metabolism has to work, and the more
calories you will burn on a daily basis! Your resting energy
expenditure will increase, meaning someone with more muscle
will burn more calories at complete rest than someone with less
muscle.

Essentially what we’re saying here, is that the more muscle you
have on your body, the easier it will be to continue seeing
progress.

3. Progressive overload leads to better results.

It takes a lot for your body to change and adapt. There is a

principle called progressive overload that you need to keep in
mind if you want to see consistent results. There's an ancient
story about a cattle farmer named Milo from the 16th century BC.
Legend has it that he was also an Olympic wrestler, and as part
of his training he would hoist a young calf and carry it around on
his shoulders. He continued to do this daily as a part of his
training, until a few years passed and he was carrying a fully
grown bull around the farm!

Unfortunately, that kind of linear progress isn’t as easy as Milo’s

story would suggest - otherwise we’d all be able to lift thousands
of pounds. However, it does show the importance of continuously
providing an increasing level of stimulus to force your body to
adapt. So, if you’re still performing the same exact workout
routine you have been for the past year or two, you’re probably
just maintaining your current level of strength and fitness, rather
than increasing it.

Strength training lends itself very easily to sticking with the

progressive overload principle. Whether it’s increasing the weight
you’re lifting, or the number of sets and repetitions, or advancing
the difficulty of the exercise - it’s very easy to track and manage.
It’s also time-efficient, because for most other activities you
need to at some point increase the duration of exercise in order
to continue experiencing results.

4. Being strong decreases risk of injury and improves other

athletic endeavors

Having a solid base of movement and strength will cary over to

all other physical endeavors that you pursue. When you are
strong, you are more powerful and less fragile. Whether you’re
trying to run, hike, bike, swim, or simply climb a set of stairs -
being strong will make all of these activities easier. Having more
muscle also supports your joints, therefore decreasing your risk
for injury and making you anti-fragile!

5. Being strong makes you feel

empowered and invincible!

A picture is worth a thousand words,

so we'll let this one speak for itself!
CHAPTER THREE
NUTRITION
When it comes to nutrition, most of you probably have a fairly
good idea of what you should be eating. You probably wouldn’t
be shocked to hear us tell you that you should eat more
vegetables, right? The what when it comes to nutrition is actually
pretty simple. Include high quality protein, veggies and fruits,
whole grains, and healthy fats and you’ve got the whole healthy
eating thing down!

The reason we’re not all nutritional masters, though, is that the
complicated part of nutrition isn’t the what, it’s the how. So
rather than lecture you about eating your vegetables, we’re going
to delve into how you can start to make better choices, and how
you can make the food you eat fuel your body to thrive

SETTING ACTION-ORIENTED GOALS

Your first step in mastering how to fuel your body is to
understand what type of goals to set for yourself. Goal setting is
most likely not a foreign concept to you, and it’s probably
something you’ve been doing for a long time. Whether you were a
young athlete with your sights set on winning the state
championship, or a high school student applying to your dream
college, you’ve probably been setting goals for yourself for quite
some time now!

The problem with conventional goal setting, though, is that our

goals tend to be solely outcome-based, rather than action-based.
Outcome-based goals focus on what you want to happen (i.e. win
the state championship or get into your dream college) whereas
action-based goals focus on what you can DO in order to make
your outcome goal a reality.

When it comes to nutrition, we highly recommend setting action-

oriented goals for yourself. Even if you have an outcome goal in
mind (let’s say to lose 20lbs) without putting together some 
action steps, it is unlikely you will actually be able to achieve this
goal. This is why we prefer that you stop focusing on the
outcome and start focusing on the actions you can take to move
you forward!

Since everyone’s diet is different, you’re going to need to set

action-oriented goals that make sense for YOU. To set your first
action goal, you first need to look at your current diet. From
there, you can choose one thing that you’re comfortable
changing. For instance, if you’re someone who is currently
drinking 2 cans of soda every day, your first goal could be to only
drink 1 can of soda every day.

The beauty of having actionable goals is at the end of the day

you can sit down and say either, “yes, I did that” or, “no, I didn’t
do that.” Once you’ve had many days in a row of, “yes, I did that”
and, “that wasn’t so hard after all” you can begin to add more
action-oriented goals on top of the original.

Before you know it, you will have reached the outcome you were
looking for, but more importantly, you will have build up a whole
list of new, healthy habits, without the stress that usually comes
along with a weight-loss focused goal!

Picking actionable goals can be a little tricky at first, so here is a

list of options to get you started. Again, since everyone is
different, you’ll want to pick something that makes sense for
YOU. You also want to feel comfortable with the goal you pick.

If you choose something

that feels too difficult or
overwhelming, it will be
much harder to stick to!
Instead, choose
something that feels
almost too easy, because
overtime you will continue
to add more goals to
continue seeing progress
down the road!
SAMPLE ACTION-ORIENTED GOALS
I will eat a serving of vegetables with every meal.
I will include a serving of lean protein with every meal.
I will eat slowly and pay more attention to my intake.
I will drink more water and avoid drinks with calories.
I will take a multi-vitamin and fish oil supplement daily.
I will make all of my breakfasts and/or lunches and/or dinners
for the week.
I will have a protein/carbohydrate recovery shake after every
workout.
I will replace ice cream with a piece of dark chocolate for
dessert.

Obviously this isn't an all-encompassing list, and some of these

might not even apply to you, but hopefully they help you get
started and give you some ideas for how you can come up with
action-oriented goals that fit your lifestyle and help you move
toward a healthier diet!

When working on action goals, we recommend only picking one

or two at a time. If you try to do too much at once, it can become
overwhelming and you will be more likely to give up on it. Instead,
allow yourself some more time to get comfortable with the action
that you choose first, and once it feels like it has become a habit
and something you don’t even need to think about anymore, then
choose another goal to add in!

AVOIDING THE HYPE

One of the toughest things when it comes to nutrition is that

there is a lot of information out there. There is also a lot of hype
around different types of diets. There’s paleo, keto,
vegetarianism, veganism, intermittent fasting, low-fat/high-carb,
high-fat/low carb, and so many more! With each one claiming
that they have the answers to your nutrition woes, it can become
really difficult to not get sucked into the hype! The thing is, the
diets that you see in the media are doing what they can to stand
out from the crowd and be wildly different in order to get
attention. The truth is, though, that the best way to eat is actually
fairly boring, unsexy, and really wouldn’t make any headlines!

The foods you should eat primarily are quite simple: any and all
vegetables and fruits, lean proteins (ideally locally sourced if
animal proteins), whole grains, healthy fats, and water. And then
of course you should indulge every once in a while on foods that
might not be the best nutritionally speaking, but truly make you
happy! That’s about as complicated as it gets when it comes to
putting together a solid nutrition plan. Now, of course there will
be modifications based on each individual, but generally
speaking, this approach out-does any fad diet you’ll see on tv!

A good rule of thumb when it comes to avoiding the hype is to

ask yourself if there is an underlying motive behind the diet or
trend that is being promoted. If an organization will make money
off of more people adopting a certain diet, this would be a good
red flag that the intentions behind promoting this way of eating
may not be pure. Similarly if someone’s fame will increase
because of a diet becoming popular, they are probably more
interested in gaining personal recognition than they are in your
success.

MASTERING THE BASICS

It can be easy to overcomplicate nutrition by thinking too much
about the tiny details such as exactly which berry will give you
the most anti-oxidants. It can also be easy to oversimplify
nutrition by believing blanket statements such as, “if you want to
lose weight, just cut out carbs.”

It is so important that we find a balance between over-

complication and oversimplification. This is done by first having
a clear understanding of where you are now, and where you want
to be. Then, letting go of your attachment to the outcome, and
setting action-oriented goals to have as your focus. And finally,
being unafraid to make changes to your plan when what you
thought might work for you, doesn’t. It is a freeing feeling to be
able to say, “okay, that wasn’t the most effective plan for me,
let’s move on to the next” rather than dwelling on the fact that
you “failed.” 
CHAPTER FOUR
RECOVERY
Recovery is something that is often overlooked, but it is a very
important part of your health and fitness journey! Without
recovery strategies, you will have a much more difficult time
seeing the benefits of all your hard work! There are many
different ways to recover, and we will go over some of the
biggest factors in this chapter!

MANAGING STRESS
Stress management is crucial to success in whatever endeavor
you’re taking on - whether you’re trying to run a marathon or
attempting to lose weight - your ability to manage stress will
have a direct correlation to your ability to do so.

We say manage stress, because it’s not necessary (or possible)

to completely eliminate stress from your life. We all have jobs,
relationships, and responsibilities that will cause varying
amounts of stress day to day, and that’s perfectly okay! What’s
not okay is ignoring the toll it’s taking on your body and your
mind, or acting like you can handle it. We haven’t met anyone yet
who can just talk themselves out of stress.

Different stress management tactics will work for different

people, so here is a list for you to pick and choose from. You may
be surprised by what really relaxes you, so don’t be afraid to step
outside of your comfort zone with some of these!

1. Yoga
2. Meditation and/or deep breathing sessions
3. Walking in the park or along a beach
4. Getting a massage or other spa treatments
5. Gratitude sessions
6. Foam rolling and stretching
7. Hiking
8. Cooking healthy food while listening to music or a podcast
9. Spending time with close friends and family
SLEEPING
It is widely known that sleep is important, and that the average
adult should aim to get between 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Of
course this is easier said than done, and often times this
recommendation is given without any guidance for how to
actually get better quality sleep! Instead of going into the details
of all the benefits of sleep, we’ll get right into the nitty gritty of
how you can improve your sleep hygiene and get the most out of
your 7-9 hours!

One thing to note is that we completely understand the

difficulties that can come with having kids, being a caretaker, or
doing shift work. Obviously if you fall into one of these
categories or something similar, many sleep recommendations
just simply won’t work for you. However, we hope that some of
the tips in the following infographic will at least give you some
options to improve the sleep you can get!

SLEEP BEST PRACTICES:

Try to avoid caffeine within 8-9 hours of your bedtime.

Turn off all electronics and avoid looking at screens at least 30

minutes before bed. Screens of cell phones, computers, and
televisions, release a blue light that prevents your brain from
settling and preparing for sleep.

Keep a regular schedule. Aim to go to bed and wake up at the

same time every day (yes, even on the weekends!) A regular
schedule will help your body to know when to release calming
hormones before bed and stimulating hormones when it's time
to wake up.

Try not to drink too much liquid in the hours before bed to avoid
waking up for bathroom breaks.

Write down your thoughts. Keeping a notebook next to your bed

is great for jotting down your thoughts. Getting your thoughts on
paper helps to clear your mind and more easily fall and stay
asleep.
 SLEEP BEST PRACTICES CONT:

Try a stretching, yoga, or meditation routine before bed.

Make your room as dark as possible.

Keep it cool! Anywhere between 60-68 degrees is ideal.

Take a warm bath or shower before bed. Epsom salts can also
help to promote better sleep.

HYDRATION AND SUPPLEMENTATION

There are hundreds of different supplements out there that claim
to be the Holy Grail for your fitness journey. Despite marketing
attempts to make it seem like there is a magic pill for your health
- there just isn’t. Many supplements can be very helpful progress
enhancers, but they certainly shouldn’t be the only thing you rely
on for progress!

Before we get into the supplements that we do recommend for

recovery, let’s address one thing that is 100% necessary: water!

Hydration is going to play a very large role in not only your

recovery but your overall health and well-being. Almost all of your
body’s vital functions require water, which should be reason
enough to make sure you drink an adequate amount! But if you
need even more motivation, some symptoms of dehydration
include: fatigue and weakness, dry skin, muscle cramps,
headaches, nausea, and more.

As a general guideline, you should aim to drink half your body

weight in ounces in order to meet your daily hydration needs!
This would mean that a 150lb individual should aim to drink
about 75 oz. of water per day. This will vary based on factors
such as how active you are that day and where you live (warmer
climates cause you to sweat more, therefore requiring more
water intake to replenish what you’ve lost) but in general it is a
good guideline to keep in mind!
As far as supplements are concerned, there are some that we
recommend for certain populations, and we will briefly break
those down now:

PROTEIN POWDER
After a workout, we highly recommend a protein and
carbohydrate recovery shake! During your workout - especially
one focused on strength training - you are breaking down your
muscles, and protein is what helps your body to rebuild them and
make them even stronger! Whey protein powder is the fastest
digesting option which will yield the best results, but brown rice
and pea protein blends are a great vegan option as well!

MULTI-VITAMIN
Despite our best efforts, none of us eat perfectly every single
day. A daily multi-vitamin ensures that you’re getting the
nutrients you need to function optimally, even if you weren’t able
to eat optimally that day.

FISH OIL

High quality fish oils help to promote cardiovascular health. They

also act as a natural anti-inflammatory to help ease joint pain.

BCAAS
Branched Chain Amino Acids promote muscle protein synthesis
and muscle growth. Drinking them during a workout will help you
recover more quickly!

ACCEPTING THAT WE NEED RECOVERY

Recovery isn’t often talked about because frankly, it’s not that
exciting to talk about. But it is very important to understand that
emotional and mental stress is just as taxing on our minds and
bodies as physical stress. For some reason, we try to hide from
others the fact that life can get overwhelming, and doing so can
increase your stress levels exponentially. As soon as we give
ourselves the permission to acknowledge that we do need to
recharge our batteries on a regular basis, we can then begin to
take action upon it!
TO WRAP IT ALL UP...
There's a LOT more to health and fitness than just working out and
eating better! This oversimplification has been the cause of much
frustration for many people, so we hope we've helped you to see
the bigger picture and understand how so many different factors
play a role in your overall results!

Peace, Love, and Muscles,

Jason & Lauren