Why I Opened Romeo Athletics...

Have you ever wondered why I opened Romeo Athletics?

Romeo Athletics in Enfield exists because I know that most people struggle to know what health and fitness options will work for their specific goals.  I built a facility that is dedicated to providing custom health and fitness plans that WORK!  There is so much confusion and snake oil being sold in this industry, and we don’t want people to fall victim to that.  At Romeo Athletics, we are your trusted authority for all things Training and Nutrition. 

I got into the fitness industry because I have always had a passion to help people and I believe in the magic that commitment and hard work can produce.  Throughout my years working in different settings of the fitness industry, I’ve witnessed the truths behind what really works and what doesn’t. 

I am on a mission to provide our community with tried and true methods that will actually change their lives. 

I decided to open my business because I was tired of being limited on what tools I could and couldn’t use to help people.  Our community deserves Professional Coaches who are so knowledgeable, educated and experienced, that they can train any client with any limitation and help them accomplish their goals.  

Since opening the gym I’ve learned that there are no “one size fits all” fitness models and that each client not only has their own needs, but also their own likes and dislikes.  Training needs to be enjoyable so you look forward to it and continue with it consistently.  Even though there is no “one size fits all” model, there are Training Principles that can be applied to everyone that hold true and deliver results.  Professional Coaches are the best resource for our community to learn how to train, how to train safely, and how to stay accountable so goals are achieved and lives are changed!

Today I’m more invested than ever in helping clients on their individual health and wellness journeys.  We have the best and most talented Training and Nutrition Coaches to ensure our clients’ success. 

If you’d like to find out more about how we can help you, click HERE to book a free intro and start your journey with us today!

Winter is Coming

Coach Scott Leonard advises how you can maintain motivation heading into the winter months.

With the first snow of the season under our belts and the bay doors at the gym open less and less…we can say winter is coming. For some people this means ski slopes, snowmobiles, pond hockey, and they could not be happier.For others, it means freezing temperatures, mounds of snow, treacherous roadways and reasons to stay inside under the blanket.

In the world of fitness this often means more TV time, more snack time and overall excuses to avoid the gym or at the very least avoid the conditioning aspect of fitness.  We also will run the holiday gauntlet of cookies, drinks, family — which may cause even more drinking — and an overall partaking in an excess of unhealthy foods.  Some like to call this season “Bulking Season”.

There is a vicious cycle of “bulking” in the winter and then the panic in the spring of trying to get ready for beach weather. So how do we defeat the winter body this year or the “but it is bulking season” excuse?  And yes, I know some people do have bulking phases programmed into their plans, however, it does not generally require gallons of eggnog and massive amounts of sugar cookies.  If you're looking to truly bulk this winter, reach out to a staff member and they can help you to add mass in a healthy manner.

Conditioning can get monotonous at best, especially in the winter.  Think treadmills and rowers for days or even months.Running outside in the winter months takes on an adventure race-like atmosphere in New England and should be done with caution.  Let’s face it, for most of us the thought on sitting on the rower or the echo bike for longer than 10 minutes is like a special type of cruelty.

What can we do to beat winter this year?

My suggestion is to trick yourself into thinking it is something else.

Outside chores?  Turn them into a workout — make it a competition against the clock.  Keep the snowblower in the garage and break out the shovel…how fast can you get the driveway done?  I bet if you “throw” snow with a shovel for 20 minutes you may look at it like a true workout, because it is!

Channel your inner Rocky Balboa preparing to fight Ivan Drago.  Take the kids out to play in the snow —  hold races, do sprints — ever do sprints in the snow?  You will not be disappointed.

What if you don’t want to be the polar bear and workout in the snow?  Well then there are a lot of options at home and in the gym.  Think:  High Intensity Interval Training. Here are a couple examples for you to try!

1.)  AMRAP 12:

• 5 Burpee Ball Slams

• 10 KB Swings

• 10 Walking Lunges w/ KB

• 5 KB DL w/ Squat Jumps

2.)  EMOM 2 for 20 Minutes:

(Every 2 minutes complete the following for 20 minutes)

• 12 One-Arm Dumbbell Power Snatches (6 Per Side)

• 6 Slamball Clean and Squat to a Throw (Throw the ball forward, run and repeat)

• 6 DB Abmat Sit Up w/ Press

• Rest for the remainder of the 2 minutes

I suggest starting by finding something that works for you.  Another great option is to enlist a fellow class member(s) to stay after.  Take turns coming up with conditioning workouts.  Have you ever been part of a team or group that had their abilities truly tested?  Have you also noticed that those people come out on the other side as a truly bonded group?

The bond of adversity usually requires a crisis, some sort of hardship and shared pain.  Start putting in the extra work together and who knows what bonds can be formed!

It comes down to not allowing yourself to succumb to the winter blues, the lack of Vitamin D and the lack of motivation.

Get to the gym and get the workout in, do the extra work, enlist classmates to join in the fun, eat healthier than in past winters and kick winter's ass this year!

Coming soon — when you make it into the gym look to the white board.  I plan on changing the Core WODS this winter to incorporate more of a conditioning aspect within the core work itself.

No excuses, people!

The Governor

Coach Scott Leonard discusses how your thoughts and internal dialogue can impact your power output and effort during workouts.

We all know “who” a Governor is.  But do we know “what” a governor is? During this brief I am going to discuss what a governor is and how it pertains to our fitness, at least in theory.

Ok, so for those of us confused about what a governor is and how it relates to fitness, Merriam-Webster Dictionary states a governor is: 4a: an attachment to a machine (such as a gasoline engine) for automatic control or limitation of speed, b: a device giving automatic control (as of pressure or temperature).

How does that type of governor translate into our fitness, our workouts and how does it impact what we may encounter?   In 1924 it was proposed by Archibald Hill, a noble prize-winning Physicist, that the brain protects the body and heart during strenuous exercise from anoxia—the absence of oxygen which can result in permanent damage to a part of the body.   

In 1997, Dr Tim Noakes, a running coach, college professor and ultra-marathoner, revitalized this theory and named it the “Central Governor Theory.”   He brought modern day science to it and found that the brain monitors our activities and subconsciously regulates or governs our body to a safe pace or safe level of exertion.  Meaning our brain holds us back to ensure we do not reach complete exhaustion and permanently damage our body.  (There is a lot more detailed science to this theory but not everyone wants to read an exercise physiology thesis so I will move on.)

What does this mean for us at Romeo Athletics, and are we truly reaching our full potential?  I will ask everyone reading this to ask and answer this question honestly:

During a workout have you ever felt as if you were at the point exhaustion (you know, that screw this moment I am done!!!) and the coach yells out “1 minute left!”.  At that point did you go harder and finish with newfound energy?

If you answered “yes,” then I believe that further proves the Central Governor Theory.  Because, if we truly were at the point of exhaustion, then we would have nothing left to go “harder.” I know everyone works hard and we all believe most days we are giving it 100%….but if we are truly running at full speed, giving everything we’ve got and are at the brink of exhaustion, then when we look into that reserve tank at the “one minute left” call, we would honestly have nothing left.

Now for the tricky part.  How do we safely overcome that?  Each person is different, obviously, and we must monitor our own bodies appropriately.  I am not suggesting you throw caution to the wind and injure yourself.  I think we can agree that our physical performance in the gym and in daily life is often affected by the gray matter between our ears.  

For me, I consistently talk to myself during workouts that are tough or a grind.  For those of you have been on the verbal end of my coaching, you know sometimes I will give you tough love and “encourage” you to dig deeper. Rest assured I do the same to myself in my own head. 

I think we all continually search for ways to get better in our fitness journey’s, that is why you come to Romeo Athletics.  We all talk about workouts, we talk about form while moving, we talk about nutrition, we talk about sleep patterns, we talk about stress levels and a whole lot more.   I challenge you during that next WOD to have an internal dialogue with yourself as your mind begins to take control of your effort.   Can you safely find a little more effort over the course of the WOD?  When the coach yells “ONE MINUTE LEFT!” have YOU controlled your effort or has the Central Governor been in control?

Feel free to grab me at the gym if you are interested in discussing this further.  I have always been intrigued with sports psychology, exercise physiology and how they work together.  Until then, master your mind and the body will follow.

Finding Your Strength Radio

Click here to check out Finding Your Strength Radio! Host Andrew Romeo dives deep into topics related to health, fitness, nutrition, mindset and balance...anything that will help YOU find your strength. The goal is for you to gain the knowledge you need to perform at your best, and be your happiest, both inside and outside the gym.

Romeo Athletics is the premier Personal Training and Coaching facility for Northern CT and Western MA. We're here to help you become the best version of you.

You can also find a full list of our episodes on our PODCAST page.

Accelerated Adaptations: How to Get the Most Out of Your Training!

Andrew Romeo, of Romeo Athletics, discusses the Training Principle of “Accelerated Adaptations.”  

Accelerated Adaptation is how you maximize the physiological adaptations with the minimally effective dose.  Simply put, how do you get the biggest bang for your buck? There are 4 points we to understand in order to get the most out of your training:

1.) Athlete Life Cycle: What does your training age look like? Are you a novice athlete, a trained athlete, or an advanced athlete? The majority of everyone reading this will think that they are at least a trained athlete, if not an advanced athlete, but this isn’t necessarily true. Being a novice athlete is a great thing, as this means you can get huge gains from a very simple program.  A novice athlete is anyone who has not completed a basic linear weight progression. This past fall we completed a linear weight progression, so for those who completed the program, now we just need to get a little fancier to keep the gains coming.

• A great analogy for this is learning to play in instrument. If you are just learning to play the guitar, you would not be expected to practice with the same material that Eric Clapton practices, but would start with music suited for a beginner. Fitness is the same; the complexity of a program is dictated by your experience.

2.) Primal Proficiency: How do your fundamentals look? You need to crawl before you walk, walk before you run, and run before you sprint. We all can move better and this is something we work at on a daily basis. Everyday in our warm ups, I try to take advantage of this time and work on the building blocks of movement, whether you realize it or not...that’s what the warm ups are all about.

3.) Nutrition and Recovery:

• Nutrition: Optimal nutrition is different for every person and every goal. A very basic view of nutrition that will do well by most people is: did it grow from the ground and did it have a face or soul at somepoint? If so, you’re good to eat it. If not, maybe you should think twice. Included with your membership is Nutrition Consultations; I’m happy to sit down with anyone and everyone to discuss a nutrition plan that would fit you best.

  • To schedule a Nutrition Consult with Rome: Click Here!

• Recovery:  This taps into sleep, stress, recovery methods (stretching, meditation, ROMWODs, etc.), and rest days. A long-time mentor of mine, Gary Valentine, has always stated “You only get stronger while you rest, but you have to earn your rest.” There is a lot of information out there about the importance of sleep and giving your body a chance to recover from the work you’ve done. Every day in the gym you break down muscles, and if you rest you will become stronger...if you don’t give these muscles a chance to rebuild you will become broken.

  • Are you beat up, sore, and/or not feeling 100%? Schedule a session with our on-staff Physical Therapist to see how she can help! Click here to schedule a recovery session!

4.) Hormonal Profile:  The only way to really read into this is through blood work. What does your hormone profile look like? Hormones can really be driven by healthy eating, exercise, sleep, stress, but there is a lot that goes beyond this. My biggest suggestion here is to find a doctor that is very knowledgeable in this area that you trust and develop a relationship.

• The easiest example I can give of this is that in your early 20’s you might have been able to eat and drink whatever you wanted, go out partying, and come into the gym the next day and smash a PR. As you get older, we all know that if you eat, drink, and go out partying, you will pay the consequences for a much longer time period than you used to, nevermind even making it into the gym the next day. This is driven by hormones and your body’s ability to heal itself.

If you are looking to get the most out of your hard work in the gym, go back through these 4 points and see where you can improve. Are you following a plan that best fits your current fitness level?  How are your fundamental movement patterns? How is your eating and recovery? What does your hormone profile look like? Check your ego, answer these questions honestly, and reach out to me for some guidance if you need it.

To set up a goal-setting session with Rome, Click Here. You work HARD, you DESERVE the results!

Sara Skarp

Eight years ago I was working out at your typical gym when I started searching for something new.  11 years ago CrossFit wasn’t nearly as popular as it was today so when I Googled “CrossFit near me” the closest gym was a half hour away in Enfield, CT.  

Still not being deterred, I called the number and spoke to Andrew who explained to me that, indeed, he was running a gym out of his garage.  You would have thought that it would have ended there but he seemed like a nice kid and offered me a free class to check it out, so I did.

I showed up on a chilly late November Saturday morning and was pleasantly surprised to see that I wasn’t the only lunatic at this guy’s house.  I remember doing box jumps and burpees on his partially frozen front lawn and I was hooked!  Thankfully, the garage was fairly short lived (because truth be told I’m not really sure how that space is even called a garage as I don’t think you could park anything but a Mini Cooper in there!) and Romeo Athletics moved into 1 bay at 7 Moody Road where we are today.  The one bay was at least bigger that the garage but it certainly wasn’t any warmer or any fancier.  

We worked out on bare concrete floors and did pull ups on a homemade bar made out of pipe.  (We did love that pull up bar though because the more people you got on it the more flex you got out of it, which made for great kipping!)  Eventually we expanded into two bays, and finally the three bays that we know today.

What has kept me going from the very beginning is the amazing community that Andrew and Kate have built.  As more gyms were opening near me it never crossed my mind to leave Romeo Athletics.  I’m 11 years older now and my fitness needs and goals have changed.  Andrew has always respected that and gives me options to do what’s right for me.  I love that he has added in Bootcamp programming, as that is what works for me most of the time, though I’ll still occasionally throw a barbell around, too!  

This is truly Functional Fitness and the things I have done and continue to do in the gym I know will continue to help me be the healthiest version of me that I can be.

I am grateful to be a part of such an amazing community! It has been so fun to watch Andrew and Kate not only add to their business but to their own family as well!  I’m excited for the future of Romeo Athletics, and hope to continue to be the OG member for many years to come!

Arnie Craven

There are obvious benefits we all see for being in better shape.  Most people want to get in shape for vanity reasons. I won’t lie, this was a part of the reason for my journey, but it was not the deciding factor that changed my world.  

To understand my journey we have to start at the low point.  At my worst I was a 6’3” male, who weighed in at a doctor’s office at 315lbs.  I had not weighed myself in a long time and I was only doing it because I needed a physical for a new job.  The number on the scale was both alarming and demoralizing as I had never been over 300lbs before. My whole life I was “the big kid,” I was born at over 10lbs and there’s not a day in my childhood that I was not the largest kid in the room.  When playing sports, coaches used to tell me that I couldn’t be as aggressive because I might hurt some of the other kids; I was always picked to play goalie in soccer. Ultimately, what I am trying to say is I was used to be fat. It didn’t bother me, and in truth, usually gave me the freedom to do whatever I wanted because I already knew how others viewed me.

Most people argue that if you exercise, you will get in better shape but that isn’t necessarily true.  I had exercised before this, I played sports and I lifted weights, but I never truly understood what I was doing.  I always ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Fast food wasn’t a special treat it was a daily meal. Exercising and having the desire to be better was never the problem...the problem was I had no plan, no idea how to get better, and nobody to help me along the way.  I always understood that if I wanted to make a significant change, I was going to need help, and that ultimately, the results would come from my decision to put in the effort and stick to a plan.

That is when I decided to approach Andrew Romeo to discuss a plan to control the outcome.  I put it simply to him that for me to be successful for the rest of my life, I was going to need more energy and to be in much better shape. He sat me down and told me what it would take to get this done. The commitment I made was that I was no longer making the decisions; I made the only one that mattered and that was trusting him. From that day forward my motto was to “Shut Up and Do What You Are Told.”   Seems like a simple enough thing but after about a week I realized it wasn’t.

The outcome was simple:  I am now a 6’3 male who weighs 215lbs!  I am no longer the fat kid. The first time I realized that, it was a weird.  Now I can walk into a room of people who don’t know the “old you” and they can’t believe I was ever that big.  Every person who did know me before asks me how I did it, and the answer I give every time is that I found Rome, told him what I wanted to accomplish, and then “Shut Up and Did What I Was Told.”

Honestly, it wasn’t easy, and there were days I hated it, times I just wanted to go eat some Taco Bell, but I always reminded myself that we made a commitment not only to me but to Rome. If he wasn’t going to quit on our commitment, then I wasn’t going to be the person who quit first.  It took two years of dieting, exercising, and complaining, but here I am 100lbs lighter!

If you are someone who is looking to get stronger, leaner, and in better shape than you have ever been before, all I can say is put your trust in Rome.  He will guide you to where you want to be...you just need to be patient and get out of your own way. He will put a diet and exercise plan together for you that will transform you into what you want to be.  And remember that he is investing his time into you, so don’t be the one to break that commitment first.

James Stephenson

I was in a lot of pain until Romeo Athletics helped to change my life around.

I’ve been a professional Automotive Technician for 20 years.  I’m constantly on my feet stomping around on concrete floors, lifting heavy parts using improper form, and putting myself in compromising physical positions to do what I love; but it takes a toll on my back.  About 15 years ago I was getting ready to leave work when I had to finish one final job. As I bent down to pick up a small tire and put it on a car, I felt a small twinge in my back. I thought nothing of it and just continued working.

Later that night I found myself in the Emergency Room.  Turns out that years of working out in a gym with improper form coupled with  years of working on cars had damaged my back. My issue was a herniated L3 and L4, and after years of pain the back issue was taking a serious toll on me.  I have seen specialist after specialist, had beds made specifically for me (yes, more than one), bought every lower back contraption that I thought would help, and I still found myself in the ER 2-3x a year with back issues.  My back would regularly give out without warning--I was having trouble doing my job and I had forgotten what a weight room even looked like. In October 2014 I had been to the ER for the final time. I was at my breaking point; this was no way to live.  I decided to see another specialist and was told that I would need surgery. This surgery was somewhat major and would require me to be out of work for a period of time as well as reduce movement and range of motion in my future.

The following day Rome happened to come into my work to get his truck serviced and we got to talking about Romeo Athletics.  I was clearly overweight at the time weighing in at just over 260 lbs at only 6’ tall. I was essentially a big puffy circle that had trouble tying his own shoes without having back trouble.  Rome convinced me to give him 90 days to help me. He suggested some training and diet changes that would help ease the pressure on my back. Knowing I was in a bad situation and I didn’t really want surgery, I took him up on his offer. That was easily the best health decision I’ve made for myself and my family.

I started personal training with Rome in January of 2015 when I was 262 lbs.  By March I was down to 230 lbs, by December I was 210 lbs and looked better than I did throughout my 20’s.  It’s now been almost 3 years and I haven’t been to the ER for my back one single time; I haven’t had any surgeries, and I’m easily in the best physical shape I’ve ever been in.

I’m not saying it was easy.  Some days were downright awful.  But with Rome’s support, the additional as-needed “kick in the butt” to get me motivated, and the support of the entire Romeo Athletics community there was no way I wasn’t going to hit my goals.

I’m very pleased with the results that I’ve worked for over the years.  I’m also very proud to be part of a gym that continuously gives back to the community and supports its members professionally and personally. Everyday won’t be easy having Rome as a trainer, but nothing worth it ever is.