All posts by rnagy

Science Behind Variety in Cardiac Training

Fitness, Life Health, Training

It is easy to become stagnant in your training. No matter your goals, there are pros and cons to everything you do inside or outside of the gym. I want to do my best today to give you some basic science to different styles and variations in training. Let’s look mainly at heart health, as this topic could go on for hours, and I am not that entertaining of a writer.

 

Resistance Training for Heart Health. 

 

Resistance training when it comes to heart health is often misunderstood. Lifting and heavy lifting can do an amazing job in helping reduce cardiovascular disease. Too often, people assume that heart health is only about cardio, and we will get into these benefits later, but it is important to understand how resistance training can also aid in cardiovascular fitness.

 

The science on this topic is pretty clear. We know that when one does resistance training, the left ventricle will become thicker and stronger. This means that the heart has the ability to pump harder. However, with any benefit, there is also a down side. As the ventricle becomes stronger, it does not necessarily hold more blood. This means that in strong individuals, the heart has the ability to pump more blood by emptying the left ventricle with a more powerful contraction. This results in increased stroke volume. With stroke volume being the amount of blood pumped form the left ventricle per beat.

 

In addition to the increase in stroke volume, resistance training can increase blood pressure to extreme levels. This may sound like a bad thing, yet in an acute sense this is a great thing. Squatting tends to show the greatest increase in blood pressure, with numbers over 300/200. This is great news for these vessels that are under this extreme acute load because it allows adaptation in many ways. Firstly, it can make the vessels more pliable. And secondly, it can help clean these vessels of the junk that creates issues. Yes, I know that last sentence was very scientific. Just trust me it’s good.

 

Cardio/Conditioning for Heart Health.

 

I am sure everyone has heard how this is important. Heart health and cardio are linked together like peanut butter and jelly. Kenneth Cooper wrote the book, “Aerobics” in 1968 and since then, the answer to all things heart related is Cardio workouts. While this book makes some great points, it is still from its time and is a bit solipsistic. What should be taken from the book is that cardio is rarely a bad thing to do. But what type?

 

HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training is great to stress the heart. I believe that everyone should stress their heart intensely once or twice a week. This type of training is similar in its adaptations to resistance training. While HITT is great, it can be overdone and does create a lot more stress for all parts of the body.

 

LSD or Long Slow Distance training has been referred to as Zone 2 training. In simple terms, this is keeping your heart rate at a controlled pace for longer durations. With this tyoe of training, you can track it based on heart rate (try to stay under 140) or just try to have a conversation during exercise. For example, if you can’t talk then it’s too fast, and you should slow down.

 

The biggest adaptation from LSD training is an increase in stroke volume due to an increase in volume that the left ventricle can hold. This is where stretching of the left ventricle occurs to make more room for blood. This will add to stroke volume, and if you do this in conjunction with increasing the strength of the left ventricle, then you will be a blood pumping machine.

 

LSD training can be done with walking, biking, hiking, jogging, or an any machine. Again, the key is to just keep the heart rate elevated for 20-60 minutes and you’ll reap the benefits.

 

After all of that, I’ll finish with this basic set up to your cardiac output training. Do LSD training 2-3 days a week for 30-60 minutes. Do your strength training 3 days a week for an hour.  Lastly, add some HIIT training in 2 days a week, with focusing on just getting that heart rate over  or at 90-%.

 

 

 

 

Tentative #Powerful Schedule

Fitness, State of the Union, Training

Hello everyone, we are sharing our tentative programming for the 1st half of 2023 for the Powerful classes we have at Union Fitness. We are doing this to keep everyone who is in class more informed about the types of workouts they will be doing so that if they have interests in other areas then they can do that as well.

 

• January 1st till April 16th
Plan- Prepare for UF Push-Pull Meet
Programming- Emphasis on Squat, Bench, and Deadlift with accessories to aid those movements
• April 16th till April 23rd
Plan- Prepare for UF Push-Pull Meet
Programming- Focus on tapering/pulling back on workouts to prepare for meet day
• April 24th-End of June
Plan- Change to Variations of Main Movers (Squat, Bench, Deadlift) and increase volume/capacity
Programming- Changes to different types of bars and focusing on building muscle/increasing work capacity/ heart health/body composition/overall functionality

 

Monday- Squat with accessories
Tuesday- Bench Press with accessories
Wednesday- Deadlift with accessories
Thursday- Pressing Movement with accessories
Friday- Conditioning with Functional Mobility accessories

 

Thank you for your continued attendance and support with our Powerful classes at Union Fitness. We love having each and everyone of you in our classes. We enjoy seeing the growth of you all in your general fitness as well as your growth as human beings. Thank you again for choosing Union Fitness as your gym of choice!
If you have any questions or feedback then please do not hesitate to ask or inform us. We want to do our best to create the most inclusive training environment as possible!

 

Zain

Meet the Interns; Michael Dowling

Life Health, Training

My name is Michael Dowling, I am a senior earning my Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise Science at the University of Pittsburgh. Since January of 2023, I’ve had the awesome opportunity to be an intern at here at Union Fitness. For almost four years I have been going to the gym five to six days a week trying to better myself and get stronger. In the future I plan to compete in some powerlifting competitions, my first meet being Unions very own private “Push Pull” on April 23rd, 2023. I also plan to eventually compete in bodybuilding competitions in a few years after some more growth. My hobbies outside of the gym include cooking, spending time outdoors, being a cat dad, disc golfing, and watching sports. 

 

Union fitness is unlike any other gym I’ve ever heard of or worked out at. Not only do we get to work with the awesome and strong community of the north side, but we also get to work with Point Park University and Chatham’s athletic teams. As a young and still learning student in the fitness realm, I’d like to pursue a future career in strength and conditioning, more specifically as a strength coach. Union has provided me with awesome opportunities to help build these skills required to be a strength coach. So far, I’ve gotten to work with both men’s and women’s: soccer, track and field, baseball, lacrosse, and hockey teams. Working with these teams has been nothing but awesome. I love watching a team grow stronger as a whole and closer together as a team through working out and bonding. 

 

My goal as a future coach is to try to make my athletes truly enjoy and believe that working out is good for them as people not only physically, but mentally. I also would like to help any individual achieve any goal they have set out. I believe physical fitness is an extremely important aspect of human life on earth, the human body is an amazing thing and will find a way to compromise in any situation. You may be a grandparent trying to pick up your grandchildren, a college basketball player trying to increase their speed and vertical jump, or a powerlifter trying to increase their total at the next meet; you should always try to push yourself harder than last time. The weight room doesn’t discriminate against anybody, and exercise should never be seen as a punishment. 

 

I’ve been extremely lucky to have a mentor like Todd Hamer, who is one of a kind. When we first met, I could tell Todd was a genuine person who wanted to share his knowledge from 20+ years of strength and conditioning experience with all those smart enough to listen. He has been an awesome mentor thus far and has taught me a lot about strength and conditioning and a lot about the importance of interactions with people throughout life. Due to covid, the internet, and many other factors, face to face interactions and experiences are at an all time low. Todd often reminds me to seek out human interactions and the little things in life, even if it’s just asking your cashier or server “what’s your name, where are you from?”. 

 

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be here every day of the week at union, and I hope to meet you some time. Please say Hi if you see me! 

 

-Michael Dowling 

 

mwd32@pitt.edu

The Big 7

Training

Hiya my Unioners and friends of friends,

 

Sometimes we can get lost in the sauce of training and forget the classic exercises. Some may not even know where to start when building a workout/training program. So let’s take a gander at the 7 fundamental movement patterns that you should include in your workouts, a few variations and the main muscles they work.

 

The 7 Fundamental Movement Patterns.

 

  1.  Squat                                                                                                                                                       Squat Common Variations: Air (Bodyweight), Goblet, Front, Barbell Back, Zercher, Safety Bar, & Leg Press.Main Muscles Engaged: Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings, Adductors, Spinal Erectors, Abdominals.
  2.  Hinge                                                                                                                                                       Hinge Common Variations: Barbell Deadlifts, Romanian Deadlift, Trap Bar, Kettlebell Swing, Good Morning, Back Extensions, Reverse Hypers.Main Muscles Engaged: Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings, Spinal Erectors, Abdominals.
  3.  Lunge                                                                                                                                                      Lunge Common Variations: Dumbbell Lunges, Split Squats, Bulgarians, Lateral/ Reverse, Slider, Curtsy.Main Muscles Engaged: Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings, Calfs, Abdominals, (If Holding Weights) Traps, Forearms, Delts.
  4.  Push                                                                                                                                                           Push Common Variations: Barbell/Dumbbell Bench Press, Overhead Press, Push-ups, Incline Press, Push Press.Main Muscles Engaged: (Vertical Push) Deltoids, Triceps, Pectorals, Upper Back, Scapular Stabilizers (Horizontal Push) Anterior Deltoids, Triceps, Pectorals.
  5.  Pull                                                                                                                                                               Pull Common Variations: Chin/Pull-ups, Barbell/Dumbbell Row, Machine Lat Pulldowns, Cable Rows, Inverted Rows.Main Muscles Engaged: (Vertical & Horizontal) Elbow Flexors, Latissimus Dorsi, Posterior Delts, Trapezius, Rhomboids, Scapular Stabilizers.
  6.  Brace                                                                                                                                                        Brace Common Variations: (Isometric -movement / Anti-rotation) Planks, Pallof holds, Weighted Holds. (Isotonic- movement against constant tension) Weighted Sit-ups, Crunches, Russian Twist, Weighted Carries.Main Muscles Engaged: Rectus/Transverse Abdominis, Obliques, Spinal Erectors.
  7.  Locomotion                                                                                                                              Locomotion Common Variations: Running, Rowing, Cycling, Swimming, Sled Pulls, Ski Erg and more.Main Muscles Engaged: Will depend on the modality. Uses can be for Aerobic/Anaerobic conditioning,Work capacity & power/speed development.

 

These are the 7 Fundamental Movement Patterns you should be working through during your training week. If you want some assistance putting it all together,  stop in and let’s get the pieces put together for you. Perhaps another blog could be on the way explaining how we can mesh all of these movements into our training.

Stay Bumpy My Friends,

CeJ

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