All posts by rnagy

Meet the Interns – Gabriella Turano

Fitness, State of the Union

Hi everyone! I am a senior student-athlete at the University of Pittsburgh. I am majoring in Exercise Science and will be continuing my career in the field of nursing. I plan on becoming a nurse anesthetist in the future. I have been playing lacrosse for 15 years, specifically goalie.

 

Specialties

– Sport specific work

– Approachable

– Experienced Lifting

 

What I have learned

– Systems used such as team builder and mind/body

– Stance used when coaching

– How to cue people when teaching them specific movements

– Correct positioning when lifting

 

What I still want to learn

– Find my voice and feel more comfortable coaching

– Business side of the gym

– Technique/ form behind major lifts (started to learn already)

– Personal training

– Writing programs

 

Looking forward to meeting you all here at Union Fitness!

 

Gabriella

Why I Love Teaching Ryde

Fitness, Training

I started taking spin classes in 2018 at Cyclebar and Urban Elements. When the world shut down in 2020, I was lucky to have access to a Peloton bike and I swear that thing saved me more than once. There’s something about working my heart to the beat of the music that just ignites my soul. When I started teaching at Urban Elements in 2021, I invested in my own Peloton bike and in 2022 when UEC had to close, I was grateful we were able to bring the bikes (and the students/teachers) up the street to Union Fitness. Now-a-days, you’ll find me riding in our UF classes and on my bike home, always finding inspiration to teach my Ryde classes. 

 

My classes are very music driven ー the cadence (leg speed) is entirely determined by the beat of the music, which is why I put so much care into the order of songs in my playlists. I am a dancer at my core and I’m also a yoga teacher, so I absolutely love sequencing and planning out my classes based on the music. Creating playlists is like an artform for me. I’m constantly on the hunt for new and interesting tracks that take me on a journey. I’m inspired by anything that has a beat, so in my classes you’ll hear a variety of genres including Pop, R&B, EDM, Rock, Hip Hop, and we even had an Emo day! 

 

Ryde is awesome because it combines so many things that I love: rhythm, music, cardio, sequencing, and strength. You can truly choose your own adventure by turning the red resistance knob to your desired road weight. And the Real Ryder bikes are fun because unlike other stationary bikes (including my beloved Peloton) they simulate a real road-riding experience as they move side to side allowing for a full body workout. You’ll wonder why your core is sore after keeping these bikes stabilized for 30-45 minutes. I highly recommend SPD clips with biking shoes for the best experience. (Ask us instructors about them!) 

 

When I’m on that instructor bike, mic wrapped around my head and sweet beats blaring from the speakers, I get so fired up. Teaching is one of the reasons I’m here on this earth. My entire goal with these classes is to have fun working up a sweat while increasing strength and cardiovascular fitness. I teach Ryde on Fridays at 5:30 am and 7:00 am and every third Saturday at 8:30 am. I hope you’ll join me on a bike soon! 

 

Kayla 

 

P.S. Come early to your first class so we can get you properly set up and run through the basics. There is a bit of a learning curve with these bikes, but once you get it they are so. much. fun.

 

Don’t Worry About the Fringes

Life Health, Training, Uncategorized

I have been working in this industry long enough to see arguments of all types. I have too often participated in arguments that were not worth my time and have seen great coaches as well as trainers make this mistake as well. Often times it begins with a simple statement such as, “calories in vs calories out is what matters”. This is often where get lost on the fringes. “Calories in vs calories out” holds a lot of truth. But, is it perfect? No, nothing is perfect. Yet, if we don’t get lost on the fringes of this statement then we see how true the statement really is.

 

KISS & SAID Principles. 

 

I love these two acronyms. KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) and SAID (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands), cover most topics we feel so inclined to discuss. KISS principle is beyond easy. It is simply just a reminder to not overcomplicate the whole process. If you want to get stronger then lift weights, if you want to lose weight then burn more calories, pretty simple right?

 

SAID principle is also straightforward. SAID entails that if you want any adaptation to occur then you must make it specific. If you wish to run a marathon then you must run. If you wish to be bench press 500 lbs then you must do some bench pressing. Your body will adapt to the specific demand that you place upon it. This is true in anything that you do. To build on this further, If you want to be more educated then read more and if you want to be more flexible then stretch more.

 

The beauty of these two principles is that they keep us grounded. If you are keeping it simple and specific, then you cannot get lost on the fringes. It is very easy to see thousands of crazy (often unnecessary) exercises online, avoid these and stick to the basics. So go get some hard work under your belt, while also finding some consistency.

 

I will leave you with this. There are no life hacks. When someone says, “no one cares work harder”, I want you to remember that I care. As a coach, trainer, GM of a gym, or whatever other hats I wear, I know it is easy to get lost and frustrated in a sea of information. Many times it just takes a mere step back in order to look at the issue again. This allows us to see the solution in a more simplistic manner.  So remember this, when you get confused and want to avoid the fringes of the issue, just take a step back and show up again tomorrow.

Meet the Interns, Bryce Bevins

Life Health

Hello everyone! My name is Bryce Bevins and I am a senior Sport Psychology major at Robert Morris University, and am originally from Vero Beach Florida. I have played football at Robert Morris University for the past four years. I am now entering the transfer portal in search of a new team where I can continue to play football and also complete my Masters in Business. This spring semester of 2023, I am interning with Union Fitness, where I am assisting collegiate teams in the area and fitness classes. I have always been drawn to the strength and conditioning aspect of sports for most of my life, and I find it interesting the ways to get better in the behind the scenes of a sport.

 

I am happy to be at Union Fitness and I am very eager to learn from everyone’s coaching style and philosophy. I have already learned so much in my time here and I am excited to see what else is in store. My dream is to own a gym like this one in the future and to help not only collegiate teams, but also the younger generation, reach their aspirations through hard work!

2023 Push Pull

Fitness, Life Health, Training

We are excited to host another in house push pull this year. If you do not know what a push pull is I will give you a brief overview. If you have done our push pull in the past we hope to see you back again this year.

 

What is a push pull?

 

A push pull is a shorter version of a powerlifting meet. It is a bench press and deadlift competition (we remove the squat for many reasons). The meet will be run in flights, a flight is a group of lifters, normally 10-15 lifters. Lifters are arranged by first attempted weight. Bench will always be first, and each lifter will lift their opening attempt. After this attempt the lifter will tell the scorers table what their next attempt will be. Each lifter will get three attempts. Once all bench press flights are done we will move on to deadlift. The deadlift is run the same way as the bench. At the end, the winners are announced based on a Wilkes or Dots score. This takes into account bodyweight and total weight lifted.

 

Who should do the UF push pull?

 

Anyone! This meet is open to all gym members and friends of UF. We have had people use this meet as an opportunity to train for a bigger meet, dip their toe into powerlifting, or even just to set a goal and go for it.

 

When is the meet?

 

This year the meet will be held on April 23rd. Lifting will start at 10 AM. Weigh ins will be 8:30-9:30.

 

What is the cost?

 

We will be charging 25 dollars for this meet. We will donate part of the money to a local charity (working on which charity now). We have donations going out this week to the Mario Lemieux Foundation, the Urban League of Greater Pgh, as well as a local women’s shelter. We are open to suggestions on where to donate.

 

Why do the meet?

 

Because it’s there! Seriously, why not come out, have some fun, test yourself, and learn!

 

Todd Hamer

Meet the Staff – Zain

State of the Union

Hello Everyone,

 

I know that I have met some of you, but my name is Zain Skalos and I was just hired here at Union as Lead Personal Trainer. I was born in Pittsburgh and grew up just a little north of here in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. I graduated from Seneca Valley High School in 2014 and shortly after my graduation I enlisted in the United States Navy. During my time in the Navy, I was an Aviation Structural Mechanic and had the opportunity to travel the world. I was able to visit several countries such as Brazil, South Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, and many more. On these deployments, I found my passion for fitness and realized that I did not want to be in the military for my whole life. That is where I decided to get out after my 4-year enlistment and go to college at the University of Pittsburgh.

 

During my time at Pitt, I competed in two men’s physique shows, competed in several powerlifting meets, and got my bachelor’s degree in exercise science. While getting my bachelor’s, I was given the opportunity to intern at Union. Ever since the first week of my internship and working with Dahveed, Cj, Toria, Curtis, Todd and many others, I knew that I wanted to work here. Luckily, Toria gave me a chance and I was able to start working at the front desk. And from there it was history.

 

I am very grateful for all the learning experiences and opportunities that they all have given me, and I cannot thank each staff member here at UF enough. Currently, I am in the process of getting my Masters Degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology at Pitt and working on my own personal health. I love all Pittsburgh Sports (especially the Steelers and Pitt sports), working out, hanging out with friends, and watching movies or shows. I am very excited to start my position here and to get to know each and every person that is a member at UF. Feel free to stop me if we haven’t met so that we can connect on a more personal level. Let’s get in the trenches this year and walk the walk! #h2p #golers

 

Two Truths and one lie. If you guess right then you get a complimentary high five from myself!

  1. I am the oldest of three boys. My poor mother.
  2. I have seen Nelly the rapper live in the Phillipines. #thrillainmanila
  3. I was in the ROTC in high school. Cadet for life!

 

Zain

Thank You Curtis

State of the Union

Curtis has officially resigned his full time position here at UF, and now he has been gone for one week. I wanted to take a moment today to publicly thank him for all he has done. Too often we do not thank those around us, and those who we spend time with.

 

Curtis joined UF in 2019 (just a few months before I did), and he made a huge impact. When I was brought on as GM here at Union I immediately recognized how Curtis connected with so many of our members. I told him recently that I was jealous of his empathetic way of coaching. I doubt that most people think of a person who deadlifts 800 lbs and thinks, “this person is really going to understand what it’s like to be a beginner.” Curtis is one of the few people I know who can be an expert and still understand how it feels to be a beginner.

 

I am very proud of the team we have built here at UF and I have not doubt that we will continue to serve everyone who walks through our doors. Curtis moving on from Full-time to Part-time from Union will be a challenge, and we are up to that challenge. As Charles Darwin said,

 

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”

 

It is time for a change and we will miss Curtis and all he brought to us. We will also attempt to add on to the strengths he left behind, while adding our own unique flair to UF.

Take It Easy

Fitness, Life Health

Hello UF Team!

 

I don’t know about you, but January flew by in my opinion. I can’t believe there’s only 1 week until it’s February. It is that time of the year when everyone is starting to focus on hitting their 2023 goals and worry about whether they are on the right track to do so.

I’m here to tell you to take it easy on yourselves when it comes to worrying about those goals. Sure, achieving everything that you had set out for yourself is a great feeling, but so is stepping back and taking a break for yourself. Just because you decide to step back for a period of time doesn’t mean you won’t hit those goals; it just means you are slowing down and taking your time to do so.

I have learned that it’s important to take mental, physical, and emotional breaks. The benefits are endless. I have listed ways and tips for how I personally take the time to focus on these below:

 

Tips to take a break mentally:
1. Take some time to meditate alone, and work on some deep breathing while doing so.

 

2. Go outside and walk, bike, hike, skate, run, swim (maybe not in January actually). The weather may be dreary, but still try to get out and move and enjoy the beautiful outdoors!

 

3. Put the phone down. I have recently started to turn my phone off for a few hours at a time on the weekends (during the hours that I don’t need to be available to answer our staff here at UF). This allows me to be present and not feel like I need to be on my phone scrolling through social media.

 

Tips to take a break physically:
1. Sleep away – sleep is so underrated. Try to get to bed a little earlier than usual or hit that snooze button (just once, maybe twice) in the morning.

 

2. Take some time away from exercising. I personally took a week off from lifting recently just to have a sort of physical reset. But that’s just me… Maybe you only need a day or two off and then you’ll get right back into it.

 

3. Going off the point above – maybe try out a yoga class here at UF to still get you exercising, but also allow you to relax, move, and breathe.

 

4. Get a massage and/or have a spa day. Use this to help you feel relaxed and maybe even have your muscles feel like brand new.

 

Tips to take a break emotionally:
1. Read a new book or a book you have been meaning to read. Disconnect yourself from reality for a little while and enjoy by reading away.

 

2. Try to do absolutely nothing – even if it is just for a little bit of time. I know this is easier said than done, but you never know until you try!

 

3. Take some time to bring out your creativity and maybe do something like build a puzzle or paint/draw something to express yourself.

 

 

I hope that these might grow on you, too, and I also hope that you have some ways of your own that you could teach me!

 

Toria

Movements for Health

Fitness, Life Health

I am sure most of you have heard the advice about taking 10,000 steps a day. This is great advice coming from a well meaning place. Yet, with anything that is easy to digest, it is only partially true. From all I’ve read (and it’s a lot), the real number is closer to 7,000 steps a day. The point still doesn’t change. Be more bipedal. Walking is truly what separates humans from so many other animals. Today I am going to give you a list of some movements I believe you should do everyday for general health.

 

  1. Bodyweight squat. Get yourself into as deep of a squat as you can, this can be done with or without weight. Just squat and squat deeper. Many will argue over foot placement, foot angle, and a ton of other details. The reality is that squatting is just good.
  2. Lateral lunge. This can be done as a lunge or a Cossack squat. Just step out to the side and lunge as deep as you can. The deep musculature of your groin will thank you.
  3. Twist. For this one I will keep it open ended. Make sure you turn your body side to side daily. Early in my career I was afraid of the word twist, this was a huge mistake. In life we have to twist and rotate. So take yourself back to elementary gym class and do some side to side twisting.
  4. Standing supported quad stretch. As a society we fold forward too often, to fight against this, stretch your quads. It is important to do this supported (even if your balance is great). The reason you should stay supported is  because when you stand on one leg,  your body will guard against you falling by the contraction of the muscle that you are putting into it. This will reduce the quality of our stretch.
  5. Touch your toes. I just said we bend forward too often. Yet still being able to touch your toes is important. Once again, go back to gym class and touch your toes for a few sets of ten.
  6. Reach up and back. Seriously just reach up and lean back. Man you will feel great.
  7. WALK.

 

This is my superior seven stretches and movements that will help you feeling awesome!

 

Hamer

!A Comer Con Dahveed!

Diet, Life Health, Meal Prep

One of my biggest pet peeves in the fitness industry is the notion that your diet has to consist of rice and bland chicken. Why do so many people think that you have to subject yourself to this torture of eating bland and boring food? Today, I am going to give you some tips on how to introduce more sazón and excitement into your diet.

 

To start the journey of adding more flavor into your meal preps and meal plans, you have to start by trying to mix up your classics. Let’s say you always have chicken and rice; mix it up by cooking the chicken differently. Whether it is a change of seasoning, cooking method, adding different vegetables, or even the cut of the meat; small changes can actually make you look forward to eating your meal, instead of just eating it for sustenance.

 

Next, I would try investing in a simple cookbook and start playing with the recipes. You don’t immediately have to start changing the recipes of the book, but making small changes can change not only how you feel about your food, but your confidence in the kitchen. Follow the recipes and try them, then see how you can improve them to fit your diet plan. It is really fun to find a new recipe and give it your own twist! For example, I recently got a cookbook called “That Sounds So Good” by Carla Lalli Music. There is a recipe for a greens, beans, and sausage soup but I decided to give it my own spin by making it into a stew by adding extra protein and different seasonings. Let me tell you, that stew was “soooo good”. Not only did it have all the required macro and micro nutrients my body needed but I had turned it into something that was my own. Practicing turning recipes you know into something you love can really empower yourself in the kitchen.

 

Lastly, I would recommend trying new foods. I know that trying different kinds of food can be intimidating, especially if they are foods from other countries and different cultures from your own. You don’t have to go out to a Venezuelan restaurant and try mondongo or go to a Nigerian restaurant and eat fufu; start small, with lighter flavors. I always like to introduce people to Venezuelan food by having them try an arepa because it is easy to understand and replicate. Plus they are a very good source carbohydrates for a good pre lift meal.

 

I really hope you found these tips useful, and hopefully they will make your meals a little more exciting and a little more you – buen provecho!

 

Dahveed