All posts by rnagy

A Weekend at THE U

Uncategorized

Throughout the summer we try to get outside and be involved in as many of the fun activities around the area as possible. Rarely does a weekend go by that we are not hosting or participating in an event. This past weekend was one of the biggest for us here at the U. We hosted the Iron City Open 6. This was the 11th full powerlifting meet here at UF. Following this on Sunday we hosted Gay 4 Good’s Yoga 4 Good. I want to thank everyone involved in each of these events.

 

The Iron City Open is one of the premiere events we host here at UF. This was the sixth year we were able to host this event. If it were not for Doug, Candi, and Doug’s crew we could not host this event. We also must thank the WRPF for governing this event. I do want to personally thank all the UF lifters, spotters, loaders, friends, coaches, and employees who were here that day making this event special. Pitt Powerlifting did a great job, as they always do. They spend the day spotting and loading weights, if you have never done this, I don’t recommend it, as it is not easy. Here is a short list of gym members who did great and spent their Saturday with us; Josh, Ava, Bobby, Tim, Joe, Shane, Dan, Sydney, Jared, Katie, Curtis, Skylyn, CeJ, Toria, Justin, Amelia, Yessica, Zain, Daria, Dahveed, and I hope I didn’t miss anyone. Congrats Skylyn on winning best lifter. I will also thank some of our class members for coming by to support. Jaclyn and Lexi we appreciate the support!

 

Yoga 4 Good was our second event this weekend. We had 22 people come out and enjoy some Yoga with our wonderful instructor Lauren. Thank you Lauren for leading this group. We made some donations of food and clothes to The Open Door, Inc. If you do not know who The Open Door Inc is please click on their site. They house HIV positive people who have little to no other options and are a local non profit. I was not aware of this organization yet we already have plans to work with them in the future.

 

Now that these events are over let’s start looking forward to our next big events. We will be sponsoring Open Streets on June 25th. Come see CeJ and his wheel of exercise, and support our friends at Bike PGH. July 15th come out to our 3rd annual pride event. We will have a bootcamp style workout (with special guest coaches), and a comedy show following the workout. We are also going to host United Not Divided to end July. This year we will have more than 10 local gyms coming down to the U for a day of working out and building community.

 

Thanks and I really hope I didn’t miss anyone.

 

Todd Hamer

 

 

 

 

 

One Year at Union

State of the Union

I can’t believe it has already been a full year since I first started working at Union fitness. My journey to Union has always been a full circle moment for me. Let me tell you why.

 

My strength coach in college was David Kitchens, and he was there for 3 years of my college track and field career at my alma mater Susquehanna University. He might not know it, but the values he instilled in me would make a statement in my life moving forward.

 

3 years after graduation, I finished up graduate school and moved to Pittsburgh for my first official job after college. I knew I wanted to get into training and coaching, but I didn’t know where to start. I had a friend who was coaching at Union and introduced me to the famous Todd Hamer. Low and behold, right before I met Todd, he got off the phone with my old strength coach Kitch. Turns out he had interned at Union back in the day and in that moment, I knew this would be the place for me.

 

I was right, because now after a year later from starting at Union, I can say confidently that this gym has given me an opportunity that few receive. I have made incredible friendships, learned and continue my growth as a coach, and allowed me the opportunity to help so many push towards their goals and aspirations.

 

If you want to make a change, get stronger, and have some of the best minds have your back and support you, then Union Fitness is the place for you. I am so thankful for a full year here, and I cannot wait for what’s to come next.

 

Thank you,

Dylan Heisey

Importance of Mobility

Fitness, Life Health, Training

What is mobility and why is it important? When it comes to a definition, mobility can be defined as potential for movement or the ability to get from one place to another. In other words, the ability to move with purpose. However, in the fitness world, mobility is commonly thought of as a person’s range of motion or flexibility. Words like external rotation, internal rotation, sit and reach, abduction, adduction or other fitness related terms are commonly thrown around to describe a person’s mobility. But what is the obsession with mobility and how does it impact us as humans?

 

In short, without mobility, we cannot move our bodies the way they were intended to move. For example, if a powerlifter has poor ankle mobility, then they may be unable to squat to proper depth. This lack of mobility in the ankle can lead to a compensation in other parts of the body that can lead to larger problems. In a worst-case scenario, it can lead to a severe injury or possibly a major setback in a person’s training.

 

At the end of the day, if you do not use it then you lose it. Staying active, exercising, stretching, and moving our bodies the way they were intended to move leads to a more pain-free joyful life. So if you have spare time during the day, take the time to do some mobility exercises that will keep you moving through your older years. Down below are some of the stretches and exercises that I have begun to incorporate more into my daily life if you want to give them a shot!

 

  1. Deep Squat- Sitting into a deep body weight squat
  2. 90/90s with a reach
  3. Scapular Wall Slides (aka Wall Angels)
  4. Knee Dips from a Deep Squat Position
  5. Shoulder CAR’s
  6. Hip CAR’s
  7. Thread the Needle
  8. T-Spine Wall Rotation
  9. Childs Pose
  10. Cat Cow
  11. Prone Press-Up

 

Zain

Busy Weekend and Updates at UF

Uncategorized

This weekend we are happy to be hosting two great events. First we will have the WRPF here for the Iron City Open. This event will take place all day Saturday. Then on Sunday we will be hosting our Gay 4 Good Yoga fundraiser. Below I will answer any questions about this week for both our members as well as visitors to UF.

 

 

  1. Where do I park? Street parking is always a good option. We also have a parking garage that you can pay for under UF. Either way there should be ample parking, even with a Pirate game and arts fest happening.
  2. Will the gym be open for members? Yes. The gym will have normal business hours. There will be some disruption to class schedules. Check MindBody for class changes. There will be some equipment from the strength lab that will be used for the meet.
  3. What are these events? The Iron City Open is a powerlifting meet that sold out months ago. You can still come have fun and watch the competition. The Yoga is a fundraiser for Gay 4 Good. There is still time to register and participate with this fun event.
  4. Are these events free? The meet is a ten dollar entry fee. CJ is currently working to find an animal rights group to make a donation to with some of the money. The Yoga event is free, yet they ask you to bring a donation the list of items on the their website. 
  5. Who are these events open to? You and all your friends! Both of these events will have fun for everyone. The meet will have a coffee truck, vendors with food, music and many weights will be moved by the competitors.  The Yoga is for all levels.

 

Any other questions you have? Just ask us. We are here to serve you and to make this weekend one of the best in the history of the U.

 

Todd Hamer

Hamer’s B Day Trip

Fitness, Life Health

We each celebrate our birthdays in our own unique ways. Some people party, some people eat cake, I ride my bike. Today, I hope you will take a trip with me on my bike (figuratively and maybe one day literally). This year my good friend Nick Showman decided to jump in on the ride with me.

 

I began riding multi-day rides in 2010 when my father and I decided to ride from my house in Pittsburgh to his house in DC. I have basically done this ride or a similar ride every year since. Every year I consider not doing it and then someone calls and asks if I’ll ride with them and then I am back. This year I decided to do something different. The plan was to ride from my house in Sewickley to the Montour Trail, ride all the mountain biking trails off the Montour Trail. Finally, ending in West Newtown, PA off the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP). I could not do this ride because a tunnel on the Montour Trail is closed.

 

The new route I picked was to take the T from the North Side to South Park. Ride the fun trails of South Park, take the connector trail from the park to the Montour Trail. From there I would follow the GAP to West Newton. This reduced my trip from 80+ miles to 50ish miles. The next day I planned to ride to Ohiopyle, spend Saturday hanging out there. Sunday I was to wake up and ride the 80 back to the Northside.

 

This ride would be different as it involved both mountain biking and trail riding. The highlights of the ride were the awesome camp site at the GAP Trail Campground. I highly recommend this spot! West Newton also has a great bike shop that did a great job fixing up Nick’s bike. Ohiopyle was the same beautiful place it always is. The only negative thing was service for our food was not good (to be fair it was Memorial Day weekend). Sunday was a lovely 80 mile cruise back to Pgh. It was great to get in and see the city alive with the beginning of summer. The beer at Federal Galley was also a perfect way to end this adventure.

 

I write this blog to remind you that challenges are all around us. We can go do things or we become shells of humans. My advice is take the ride, read the book, and do something, anything! I am also inviting you to ride with me next year. Toria has already said she is in for next year.

 

Hamer

 

Progressive Overload

Fitness, Training

If you do any kind of strength training, you’ve probably heard the term “progressive overload” before. The simple definition of progressive overload is increasing the intensity of your workouts gradually over time to challenge your body to work harder than what it’s used to.

 

You might ask yourself how do I know when I’m ready to increase the intensity of my training sessions? A good rule of thumb is that when you complete a set of an exercise and you feel like you have some left in the tank, you know you’re ready to up the intensity a bit. Increasing the intensity of your workout can mean several different things, but below are the most common:

 

  1. Increase number of reps
  • Instead of 10 reps, try 11, and so on.
  • If you’re looking to focus more on strength, don’t worry so much about this. You’ll want to focus more on increasing the weight (#3).

 

  1. Increase number of sets
  • Instead of 3 sets, try 4, and so on.

 

  1. Increase the weight
  • Try not to jump in and add too much weight too quickly. Start light and easy and work your way up.
  • An example of this – I have been benching 75lbs with a chain on each side the past few weeks, and it started to move quicker and better. So, I decided to add 5lbs, making it 80lbs plus a chain and that was a solid way to start progressing to a more challenging weight for me.

 

  1. Increase the frequency of your sessions
  • Add another day or two into your typical schedule.

 

  1. Select harder variations (tempo (time under tension) or positioning)
  • An example might be doing tempo squats or pushups from the ground vs a bar/bench.

 

  1. Decrease rest time between sets
  • Challenge the body to work when it wants to rest. This can help increase endurance and also cardiovascular fitness.

 

You won’t want to utilize all 6 of these all during one training session. Try to focus on one of these variables at a time so you don’t confuse your body.

 

If you’re a beginner, you will notice that you can progressively overload at a faster rate. However, after a while when your body becomes more well adapted to exercise, your progress will become slower. You might even plateau, which is totally normal in training and there are ways to overcome it.

 

Without overloading and challenging the muscles to do more than what they’re used to, there are no adaptations. When we challenge the body, it responds over time.

 

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all method for using progressive overload. You will have to figure out what kind of training works best for you and your goals!

 

Toria

Meet the Interns – Sydney

State of the Union

Hello! My name is Sydney Libell. I started my internship with Union Fitness this month. I am from Cranberry Township, and I am a sophomore at Penn State. I’m studying for my bachelors in kinesiology and looking into multiple different career paths! I’ve been working out for about six years and lifting for three. My hobbies outside of lifting include being outside, spontaneous adventures, cooking, playing with my dog, and much more.

I found out about Union Fitness after Todd Hamer came to PSU. He came to a Kinesiology Club meeting and talked about UF. I knew I wanted to start interning this summer and I have had a couple gyms on my list. Once Todd came in, I knew I was pretty much set on wanting to come and learn more from the trainers at Union.

I grew up limited to a small community due to my parents sending me to a private school. Since being in college and having opportunities like my internship at Union Fitness allows me to see more into the real world. I appreciate so much about how different everyone can be. My favorite thing since my 2 weeks of being here is that our personal trainers get matched to their clients based off interest and goals and not just so someone can have a client. Working well with people is so important and shadowing different trainers allows for much more appreciation for Union.

My goal this summer is to learn as much as I can about programming, mobility, teaching, and more. I’m happy to be a part of this little community here at Union Fitness.

 

Sydney

Happenings at UF

State of the Union

Summer is closing in on us and here at UF we love to do outdoor events in the summer. Most of our great outdoor event ideas are led by Captain Bumps himself, CeJ. CeJ and Toria had a bootcamp with our friends at Allegheny City Brewery last weekend. We have many more fun things to come. Without further ado here is a short list of events that we will be having this summer, and I am sure this list will grow.

 

June 2nd join us for First FREITAG on East Ohio St. This is the Northside’s first Friday celebration. CeJ will be out there with with his new wheel of exercises.

 

June 10th powerlifting is back at the U. We will be hosting another meet all day on June 10th, this will be similar to the meets we have had in the past. We are happy to team with WRPF on this and hope you stop by to see some strong lifters.

 

June 11th we will be teaming up with Gay for Good, for a Yoga event. We will do some Yoga, raise money and awareness for LGBTQ causes, then maybe enjoy a libation at Federal Galley.

 

June 25th we will be on the streets as a sponsor for Open Streets with our friends from Bike  PGH. Open Streets is a must see summer event in PGH and we hope to see you there.

 

That is the June list, and I will add one more event as it will be bigger and better than ever. United Not Divided workout will return to the U on July 23rd with our friends from LEG1ON Training and Performance, as well as 6 other gyms. Keep an eye out for this one.

 

Hamer

Presence in the Gym

Fitness, Life Health, Training

I want to start off by stating that being in the gym in the first place is an accomplishment in itself. There are many people today that view exercise as a chore, unneeded, or a waste of time. However, the fact that you are showing up is half the battle and you should pat yourself on the back for doing so. Nevertheless, that brings me to my point about what you are doing with the other half of the battle. Often times, I see people exercising that are not fully present during their exercise regimen. They may be socializing for far too long, constantly checking their phone, or going through the motions. I am not naïve to the fact that there are days where going through motions may be all you can muster. Life throws curveballs at us all and may leave us drained for our workouts. Despite life’s obstacles, if you aren’t too strained, then I challenge you to try to be more present in the gym. Accomplishing your goals is one of the most rewarding things you can do in life and will ultimately provide you with more happiness. Down below are some of the things you could apply at the gym to remain more present.

 

  • Do not use your phone while you are at the gym. Consider investing in another form of music like an IPOD
  • If you need to use your phone, then avoid using all social media while you are at the gym. If you need to record your videos, then do so and put your phone down afterwards
  • If you socialize at the gym or have a large social life at the gym, then consider only socializing before or after you exercise. This will keep you concentrated at the task at hand
  • Time your rest periods. This will prevent you from resting too long and losing focus
  • Create a before workout ritual. This could be jamming to your favorite songs on the way to the gym or listening to motivational videos. For me, I just force myself to get moving by doing some dynamic mobility. Dynamic mobility isn’t too strenuous and I have noticed that it puts me in the best mood to exercise
  • Come with a plan. Whether it is doing cardio, yoga, weight training, or a program. Have a goal in mind for that session so that you have something to execute on

 

Next time you are in the gym, try some of these tips. You may leave the gym a little more satisfied or happier. As always, keep crushing your goals and moving on to the next one. If you do use any of these points and see me around at Union then please let me know how it went!

 

-Z Trainz

The Art of The Deadlift

Fitness, Training

What’s up UF! I hope your week has been off to a strong start.

 

Today I want to briefly talk about my personal favorite lift, the conventional deadlift. It seems that the deadlift has the reputation of being most people’s least favorite lift. However, I am one of those oddballs who loves it and how strong it makes me feel. To have a strong deadlift, you want to make sure that your form is correct, and that you leave little room for any error. Since I only use conventional form, I wanted to touch on the set up and the performance of this specific lifting form.

 

To start, when it comes to finding your stance on the platform, it is completely up to you. If you are unsure of where your feet should be placed, there are ways that you can test out what might feel right for you. One of these ways is the pullup bar test. This involves just hanging from the pullup bar and then dropping down from it to see where your feet land, and then using that measured distance as your deadlift stance.

 

Once you find that stance, you will need to find the correct starting position for the bar. Typically for me, I have the bar straight across the middle of my shoelaces. This seems to work out the best, because if you position the bar too far out in front of you, this will cause your hips to rise too quickly when you start, and you will fall out of your form immediately. If it is positioned too close to your shins, you will end up propelling the bar away from you when you reach down to start the pull. If the bar is positioned straight across the middle of your shoelaces, when you go to reach down for the bar, your shins should touch the bar, but they shouldn’t push it away from you.

 

When your stance and the bar are all set, next is finding out where to put your hands/arms and your head positioning. When it comes to the conventional deadlift, you want your hands/arms to stay close to your legs, but not directly up against them (right outside of the legs is a good spot and encourages you to keep your chest up throughout the lift). You will want to keep your head in a neutral position throughout the lift as well. You don’t want it facing down as that might cause you to round your shoulders and lose your positioning.

 

After your set-up is all good to go, it’s time to brace and pick that weight up off the ground. Once you brace, you will want to tuck your lats into your back pockets (in other words, pull the slack out of the bar and then think about pulling those lats together and down), keep that chest up, and your head position neutral. Push your feet down through the floor and pull yourself and that weight up while keeping that bar nice and close to you (my shins have bruises and scrapes on them from the many deadlifts I have done and that just means that I am keeping that bar close to my body throughout the entire lift). I like to think of my arms as hooks while deadlifting. You don’t want to bend them or move them throughout the lift, they are only there as hooks to hold onto the bar while you are lifting that weight off the ground.

 

And there you have it; this is a basic guideline for the setup to a conventional deadlift and how to execute it properly. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me directly or ask any of our other team members/trainers here at UF 🙂

 

Toria