All posts by rnagy

Get Moving Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Life Health, Training

Recently I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. In trying this new sport, I’ve found new strength within myself that has allowed me to set and work towards new goals which have been enjoyable. Staying in your comfort zone can be tempting, but it can be difficult to grow and improve by doing this . By stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things, this can help you develop new skills, challenge your limits, and build confidence within yourself. Recently I’ve expanded my interest in various types of activities such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, different forms of strength training, and yoga. You don’t have to stick to these three things however if you’d like to experience something new, I’d give them a try.

 

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a martial art that focuses on grappling and ground fighting techniques. It’s a great way to build strength, improve flexibility and coordination, and develop self-defense skills. When you practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, you’re constantly learning new techniques and strategies, which can help you develop problem-solving skills and mental toughness. It can also be a great way to meet new people and build a sense of community.

 

Programming different forms of strength training, such as Conjugate Method, Isometrics, or French Contrast, can also help you step out of your comfort zone and push yourself physically. Strength training can help you build muscle mass, improve athletic performance in your desired sport/activity, and increase mental fortitude. It can also help you develop a sense of discipline and focus as you work towards achieving your fitness goals.

 

For some reason so many people are afraid of yoga. It’s another activity that can help you get out of your comfort zone and develop new skills. Yoga involves a series of poses and breathing exercises that can help you improve flexibility, balance, and strength through reducing stress and improving mental clarity. When you practice yoga, you’re learning to connect your mind, body, and soul, which can help you develop a greater sense of self-awareness and mindfulness.

 

Trying new activities can be intimidating, but it’s important to remember that growth and learning often come from stepping out of your comfort zone. By challenging your body and mind you will reach new levels you never imagined. Whether you decide to try Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, strength training, yoga, or another type of activity entirely, the benefits of challenging yourself and trying new things are numerous. So, why not take the plunge and try something new today? You never know what kind of growth and transformation it might bring.

 

Dylan

Birthday Week at the U

Uncategorized

Beware the ides of March. We all know that March 15th is a day to be wary of and this makes me convinced that CJ will drop a dumbbell on my face during this day. Until that happens, I want to take a moments and celebrate all the B-Days we have this week at the U.

 

Gabriella Turano begins our week out with a big B Day shout out from us to her on March 14th. If you have not had the pleasure of meeting Gabriella, please do it soon before she leaves us. Gabriella is a senior at Pitt, she is majoring in exercise science, and plays goalie on Pitt’s lacrosse team.

 

Haley Morgan is next up to bat as the queen of the ides of March. Haley has the honor of being born on March 15th. Haley is also our queen of yoga. She handles all things yoga for us here at UF. The team of yoga instructors she has is amazing and if you have not spent some time unwinding or getting your butt kicked in yoga then give it a try sometime.

 

Curtis Miller is batting third this week with a March 16th B-Day. If you are a UF regular, then you should know Curtis. He has been around here for about four years now and always makes an impact. While he is no longer full time, he is still around and helping everyone from top level lifters to beginners.

 

Dylan Heisey is batting clean up for us on this birthday week with a March 17th B-Day. During his college days, Dylan was coached by my good friend David Kitchen. He came in here looking for a job and I texted David and asked “should I hire him?” I will not tell you exactly what David said….but we ended up hiring him. Most of you may not know Dylan because he works with our college teams exclusively. However, ff you see him around then go ahead and introduce yourself as he is our Olympic lifting friend.

 

Did you know this fact? You would only need 26 people in a group to have a 50/50 chance of two people sharing a birthday. This may seem at odds with common sense, but birthdays tend to cluster around weather events. Big snow storm? Conveniently enough, 9 months later a bunch of children are born.

Admirable Leadership Qualities

Fitness, Life Health

To build on Toria’s blog from yesterday on mentorship, I wanted to touch base on the qualities that I feel make a good leader and ultimately a good person. Although I am a Navy Veteran and have seen and done many things that some people have not, I am still very young and have much to learn. As I sit here and wish I could say that I emulate all these qualities that I will explain in this blog, these are qualities that I need to work on and I am actively working on to become a better person.

 

1. Empathy- In my opinion, this attribute is the most important one of all. This is the ability of being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes to try and understand the way they may feel. This can happen by actively listening to someone’s problems, issues, or ideology whether you may disagree or agree with them. This means not being ignorant to what they are talking about.

 

2. Reliability- This is the ability of other people being able to rely on you. This means living up to your promises and doing exactly what you said you were going to do. For example, if you tell a friend that you will help them move out of their house then you better be there and not bail on them. This also means showing up to work on time or finishing work that you promised someone by a certain deadline. If no one can rely on you then how can you be a good leader?

 

3. Walking the Walk/ Getting in the trenches- This is what I call doing the grunt work. If you are in a leadership position then you shouldn’t put yourself above others. This means that you should work hand in hand with the people that you lead with the things that they do. For example, if you are a doctor, maybe it would be a good idea to do the work that your nurses do to get on their level and show them that you care about what they do. Using myself as an example, I cannot be the Lead Personal Trainer here at Union Fitness and not workout myself. I need to stay healthy and workout as hard as I can so that my clients can believe that they can do the same themselves.

 

4. Being caring- This goes hand in hand with empathy. No one wants to work for someone that does not care about their well-being. I think if people genuinely know that you care about them then that will entice them to work harder and be their best self around you!

 

With all these qualities being mentioned above, some people may not think that they are in a leadership role but I beg to differ. Each day that you make an interaction with someone is the opportunity to inspire someone else. Whether that is at work, at home, at the gym, or when you are out having fun with friends, someone could be looking up to you. So do your best to be the best person that you can be!

 

Zain

Importance of Mentorship

Fitness, Life Health

The world recently lost a very good friend and mentor of mine, Dr. Allan Shook. He put up a hard fight these past few years and he unfortunately lost his tough battle last week. Since he’s been gone, I’ve taken some time to reflect on how important his mentorship was to me, and how important it is to have people like him in all our lives whether it’s inside the gym or outside. Dr. Shook and his influence played a big part of why I am where I’m at today. He helped to guide me through the journey of realizing where I was in life vs. where I wanted to be. Dr. Shook was a big part of my life and one of my greatest mentors, but I am also lucky to have several other mentors and friends right here at UF that I would like to give credit to:

 

When I first started here as a part time front desk employee back in 2020, I had little to no knowledge on the gym business world and I wasn’t much of an avid lifter. So, I was very fortunate to work somewhere that I would get to lift with a variety of experienced individuals and learn about how to run a gym from selling memberships to coaching classes clients, and teams.

 

Before I started here, I honestly had no idea who Todd, CJ, or Curtis were. (Well CJ came and spoke to the Exercise Science Club I was in at Slippery Rock University, so I knew of him, but didn’t know the current CJ that we all know and love (most of the time)). I ended up just sending a random email to Curtis one day asking for a job or to shadow him, and he had asked me to come in for an interview. Since then, the three of them have become some of my biggest mentors and good friends along the way.

 

Curtis – Throughout my time spent with Curtis, he has helped to shape me into a better trainer and a better person. He always answers any client or exercise questions that I may have, as well as giving me a hand with my own training. Curtis took the time out of his own busy client schedule to help me prepare for my very first Powerlifting meet back in September. He would help me to program and execute my workouts effectively so that I could have a successful meet. He’s a positive role model and mentor for me and for a lot of people.

 

CJ – I’m not sure where to begin with CJ. I always joke about how he’s the older brother that I never wanted (even though I always did want an older brother). CJ is the reason I was able to become comfortable with coaching group classes. I used to take CJ’s Powerful classes, and after a while of shadowing and learning from both him and Curtis, he offered me a coaching spot of my own. Without him throwing me into the fire and then starting to coach on my own, I would have never been comfortable with leading classes. He was able to help me develop those leadership skills and overcome my shyness.

 

And finally, Todd – I think we officially became friends when he tossed a beer at me at 9am one day, and I chugged it. Back when I first started at UF, he allowed me to coach some of his classes as well as shadow him to gain some other coaching skills. I knew Todd was well respected and well known in the strength and conditioning world, so I knew I could learn a lot from him while at UF. Todd has what seems like an endless network of people within the field and outside of the field as well. I think it’s mostly because he starts up a conversation with anyone within earshot of him whether he knows them personally or not, but also because he’s great at what he does. Since I’ve been at UF, he has challenged me to be better every day, and is always eager to throw out some knowledge.

 

I never realized how much of an impact these three would make on my life when I first met them. I am very fortunate to have found a place like UF and I think it’s important for us all to find people who we look up to and can help us grow daily. Whether it’s within your career, or within life in general.

 

 

Toria

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.