All posts by rnagy

There Is No Success Like Failure

Fitness, Life Health, Training

It seems like often; we emphasize failure more than we do about celebrating success. If we changed the narrative and we celebrated failure the same way we do when we succeed what could happen? Imagine the drastic change that we would see in daily life. The fear would vanish, and people would do incredible things.

 

Some of the greatest people to ever live failed time and time again. When Michael Jordan was cut from his 9th grade basketball team, I bet people didn’t think he would become one of the most influential athletes to ever live. Or how about when Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting while he was alive, now people pay millions. Albert Einstein couldn’t talk until he was 4 and couldn’t read until he was 7 years old. He then went on to change the way we view the world and shaped our own understanding of humanity. Three vastly different backgrounds but ended with the same result. No one could have imagined their impact.

 

No one thought they could become great because they focused exclusively on their failures. However, it is only because of their failure that they achieved something many only dream of. The greatness that is inside many of the people we look up to, can be found in every one of us. To become great at something you must be bad at it first. So the next time you fail, throw your arms up in excitement and celebrate and rejoice, its an opportunity to get better and take that step closer to achieving the impossible. I challenge you adopt this idea. No matter how big or small the challenges you face are it will always be okay to fail. Just continue to try and try again.

 

I leave you this quote from Michael Jordan: “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

 

Dylan

Share Your Story

Fitness, Life Health, Training

Over the past six months, Todd and I have had the wonderful opportunity of working with a member who has been in town as a traveling nurse. When she first came to us, she was coming off of being two years removed from a training routine. She told us that her goals were to get back into the shape she was in before she took time off, and to build her strength with the hopes of hitting personal bests in the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Each week, she showed up 4 times, and most days at 6am. Todd and I knew she was dead serious about her goals, and she proved it each session. So, we put together a plan and provided her the best service we possibly could.

 

After 6 months of not missing a single workout, she signed up for and competed in her very first powerlifting competition right here at Union Fitness. It was safe to say that she was extremely nervous and had no idea what to expect (just as we all are for our first one). However, she showed up, put her heart and soul into every lift, and came out victorious. That day, we witnessed so much growth in her, as she did herself, that we knew she could take on anything that was placed in front of her.

 

We recently asked her to write us a short blog on her experience. At first, she was hesitant, as she didn’t want to be the center of attention, and was worried about what other’s might think. So, we let her think on it for a few days before I decided to have a conversation with her. What she didn’t realize was that she had a beautiful story to tell. One that involved moving 6 hours away to a city that she had never known, by her self. Aside from this, she was working at a job where she knew absolutely no one. She walked into a gym that she knew nothing about after taking 2 years completely off of training. She signed up to work with two goof ball trainers who she hadn’t built a relationship with yet. She then chose to continuously show up at 6am four days per week to achieve her goals, while signing up for and competing in a competition that she had never even seen in person. All of this in just 6 months. What she didn’t realize at first is that there were people who were going through the same challenges, or maybe who were even too hesitant to take those chances, just as she once was. 

 

As I type this, I ask you to do two things. First, take the time regularly to reflect on all of the amazing things you have accomplished over your lifetime. This is something we don’t do nearly enough. Next, pass it along. This is our greatest gift as humans, and without the ability and action of helping others, what good is it to experience and achieve all of the wonderful things that we have? Because, you never know how your experiences and the things that you have to share could impact the lives of those around you.

 

– Curtis Miller

It’s Never Too Late; Start Now

Fitness, Life Health

We are entering the tenth month of the year. 2022 is 75% of the way over and it’s now a perfect time to create better habits heading into the winter. We tend to use the calendar to set our goals and start new challenges. I am here today to tell you NOW is the time!

 

This week the nominees for the Nobel Peace Price will be announced. If you do not know how the Nobel Peace Prize got its name then you are in luck, as I am going to tell you a story. The Nobel Peace Prize is named after Alfred Nobel (1833-1896). Alfred was a Swede who during his lifetime was most well known for inventing dynamite. He invented dynamite to be used for safety. It would help miners remain at a distance while explosions would occur. The issue is that dynamite ended up becoming a weapon. One day Alfred opened the newspaper to read that overnight he had died. The paper had mistaken Alfred’s brother for Alfred. Yet, what he read was a headline about a man who died, and that man had caused more death than any human ever. This was clearly an awakening to Alfred.

 

Alfred did not want to be remembered as a killer, so he made a change. Upon his death he left his fortune to create the Nobel Prizes. He wanted to make humanity a better place for all peoples, and this was his way of paying it forward.

 

What Alfred teaches us about ourselves depends on your perspective. The way I see it, he reminds us that we can always adjust our sails. One of my favorite new artists is Jade Bird and in her great song, “Now is the time” she shares these lyrics:

 

“Never have I ever seen a better day to get upDoesn’t matter ’bout the weatherNow’s the time to go and get it”
As Alfred Nobel or Jade Bird reminds us, now is the time. It doesn’t matter what the past is, what the weather is, or past mistakes. All that matters is that we are here today so make a change. Now is the time to start anew and I challenge you to join me on a path of strength, health, and empowerment.
Hamer

 

One Year at the U

Life Health

Hey everyone Dahveed here! I know it’s been a little too long since my first blog, but better late than never. Around 1 year ago I walked into Union looking for a new gym and more opportunities to expand myself as strength coach. I would have never thought I was going to get a job that fast, and I don’t regret one bit.

 

Being at Union has been one of the best working experiences I’ve ever had. My coaching  has expanded tremendously, coming in every day and learning something new from either coaches, or members is something that’s pretty awesome. Now I know I sound like some sort of nerd but it’s honestly something so awesome to experience! For example yesterday Todd Hamer was talking to me about why I burned out a little faster than him during our training session, and it was because of our training experience. You guys are probably like “duh Dahveed that’s how it works,” but I just find it fascinating because this explains “old man strength”. These are the types of things that I get to constantly learn and I love it.

 

Something that I really love about this place is the fact that I have a fantastic team with me. I have worked in a lot of places and none have really felt like a team. Let’s say some personal emergency happens and everyone tries to help in anyway they can. It also doesn’t stop with the staff, this place helps out with the community more than any gym ever whether it’s fundraisers, free classes, volunteering, etc. These are things that makes me really appreciate UF even more.

 

This place has brought so much to my life, and I feel like I was at the right place at the right time. I’m really happy to be a part of this gym and this community and I thank everyone who has welcomed me!

 

Your favorite Venezuelan,

 

José Dahveed Jorge

Sport Massage and the Texas Bar Open

Life Health, Training

A few weeks ago, Union hosted the Texas Power Bar Open powerlifting meet on September 10th. I was one of the massage therapists asked to provide on-site sports massage therapy to the competitors. It has been an opportunity I’d been looking forward to since I began to study massage therapy, so I was elated to oblige and do my best for down-to-earth and hard-working athletes. I want to talk about my experiences leading up to and at the meet itself.

 

Several of my clients had begun to train for this meet months in advance. It was very inspiring to be a part of their growth and progress throughout this time. I was there for the tough training days and the really uplifting, powerful weeks, to be physically supportive with bodywork and a cheerleader in their corner. I truly enjoy helping people do and be their best so, I don’t do it for the thanks, but I did receive and appreciate them.

 

The day of the meet was active and exciting, everyone suited in their singlets and t-shirts. I rolled in with my table, chair, and Theragun in hand and made my way to the station under the easy-up, dodging lantern flies. The day began to blow by, competitor after competitor, one effortful lift after another. Soon, I too got to work; lifters that I knew and had not known yet came to me with twinges here and tightness there, combining my knowledge and intent to make magic happen for them. Their words, not mine. With the ten to fifteen minutes I lent my hands, I believe I was able to make a positive difference in those athlete’s performances. 

 

My takeaways from the meet:

 

  1. Doesn’t matter who you are, you can be strong.
  2. Making use of an on-site therapist is only beneficial.
  3. I can’t wait to compete again, and have the crowd behind me next year. 

 

To end, a definition and sign-off quote:

 

Sports massage, or athletic massage, is the application of massage techniques that combine sound anatomic and physiologic knowledge, an understanding of strength training and conditioning, and specific massage skills to enhance athletic performance. This bodywork practice enables an athlete to attain their highest potential by accelerating the body’s natural restorative processes, enabling them to participate more often in rigorous physical training and conditioning.

 

“To be anyone else but the happiest version of yourself is a waste.”

 

MJA

Movements You Should Do Daily

Fitness, Life Health

I trained two people at UF. Duke and Jenn, each person brings something different to us and challenges me in different ways. Jenn just did her first powerlifting meet and has a goal of mastering pull ups. Duke is a seasoned lifter, he has done CrossFit, powerlifting, and been training for well over a decade. Having these two people to train with is great as it creates such an awesome environment for me to learn. Each brings a different strength, weakness, as well as personality to their training.

 

This week Duke is on a family trip and he is also coming back from a slight back strain. A few weeks back he aggravated some soft tissue in his back and we have had to adjust slightly to train through his injury. Knowing the this week is a planned travel week got me thinking. What are movements someone should do daily? Also, how we can make these a habit whether we are traveling or just sitting at home? So I made a short list of movements that I would recommend everyone does daily.

 

  1. Squat- I know this is obvious. There is probably no movement that is better for the entire body than a bodyweight squat. Cues are simple, keep your feet flat on the ground, your sternum up, and get as low as you can. Do this daily, for reps, for time, and for fun.
  2. Standing Quad Stretch- As a society we spend to much time in a forward leaning position. This will tighten our hip flexors (which include the quads). So grab your foot and pull it towards your butt. Just like with the squat, what matters is that you do the movement. How long, how many reps, and other variables doesn’t matter. Movement matters.
  3. Childs Pose to Cobra- Have you ever heard of creep? No, not the song (even though it’s a great jam). Creep in layman’s terms is when the fluid around your disk moves (generally this shift is posterior). Think about it like this, if you are sitting (and probably leaning forward) your disks are being pushed to open up posteriorly and the fluid will move more to the back. Doing these movements will help move this fluid and set your back into a more neutral position.
  4. Toe Touch- This movement has received a bad rap over the years. Yes, it is a fact that repeats flexion is bad for the spine. Yet, I’d contend that if you are doing all of these movements combined than the net affect will be a positive. So bend over and touch your toes.
  5. Lateral Lunge- A mistake I made way to often as a young coach was not moving through all three planes of motion. There is front, sagittal, as well as transverse. Move in all three of these planes and your body will feel better.
  6. T Spine Movements- There are many different movements here. You could do the worlds greatest stretch, multiple wall stretches, or lying t spine work. Just make sure you are moving your thoracic cavity.
  7. Being Bi-Pedal-This means walk more. If you want to be healthy, walk, if you want to think, walk, if you want to meet new people, walk. Most great thinkers walk and just let their minds be free. The adage about 10,000 steps a day is great, yet the science is pretty clear if you want to be healthy 8,000 steps is plenty. I average 15,000 a day, yet I have also never had a “real job.”

 

This is my short list and a simple catch all of movements you should do daily. These can be done whether traveling or at home and shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes.

 

Hamer

Encouraging Women to Lift Heavy

Life Health

A few weekends ago I was at our powerlifting meet at here at Union Fitness, where there were some very heavy lifts, and even some records set. But that wasn’t my favorite part. My favorite part was seeing the excitement when a strong female lifter hit a lift that she has been trying to accomplish for a while. The confidence and happiness these ladies radiated on that platform was something I hope every woman gets to experience in her lifetime. 

 

I encourage all women to lift heavy, to get out of out comfort zone and see just how strong you really are, because I promise however strong you think you are right now… you’re way stronger. I see it every day, when I am training female athletes and I convince them to just put a little more weight on the bar, and they lift it. It gives them the confidence to keep putting even more weight on the bar. After all, we can only grow by continuously stepping out of our comfort zone. 

 

By lifting heavier weights, it builds confidence and can help you focus on the strength you are building instead of focusing on how our bodies look. I think this is something a lot of us women can benefit from. We start to see ourselves in a different light and fall in love with our bodies again. I want all women to see just how strong and powerful we are, when we start to focus on our strength instead of things society has convinced us that we should focus on.

 

Once I started powerlifting, I started to see myself as this strong, powerful, badass woman instead of being so worried about how I looked in the mirror. Now I am happy, strong, AND I love what I see in the mirror, and before lifting heavy weights I didn’t think I could ever get here. Many people in my life recognized the confidence I was starting to build after I started lifting heavy. And I recognized it too, which is why I believe one of the best ways to empower women is through strength. 

 

Maria Fautali

Live DJ Charity Event Recap

Fitness, Training

Hello!

 

Rachael jumping on the blog today to say THANK YOU to everyone who participated and donated to our charity DJ Bootcamp on September 17th. We raised $450 dollars for PPWP and had a ton of fun doing it! We had a perfect weather day, lots of smiles, hard work put in, and couldn’t have done it without the awesome community we have here at Union Fitness. 

 

Thank you to the UF mgmt. team for making this happen and to everyone who helped make the day possible (from set up to clean up)! Looking forward to more events in the future!

 

Rachael

Why Union Fitness?

Fitness, Training

I am proud of the work we do here at UF. I also know that we offer more than most commercial gyms in the area. Today I want to highlight some of the things that make us different than the other gyms in the area.

 

Special Events.

 

  1. Fundraiser Bootcamps. Rachel Riddell hosted a fundraiser bootcamp this weekend. we were happy to have 30 members and non-members here at UF to RYDE and enjoy a nice day outdoor on our turf.
  2. Comedy Shows- We led a bootcamp then hosted a comedy show with a fundraiser for the LGBTQ+ community.
  3. Bike Rides. We are happy to have worked with POGOHas well as Bike PGH to host numerous bike rides throughout out community. While raising money for bike safety.

 

Private space for our classes. 

 

We are one of the few gyms that offers a private training space in a different building for our classes. Our performance lab is the perfect space to take our flagship class powerful. We also host yoga as well as other events in this space.

 

Team Training.

 

We are proud to be the home of both Point Park University as well as Chatham University athletic programs. We oversee the training of the teams from both of these fine local universities. To the average member this may not seem like a great thing, yet having the college students around always brings an extra energy and intensity to the gym.

 

PITT IS IT. 

 

UF loves our hometown. We also love Pitt and are happy to have our Pitt powerlifters train here. While most of the Pitt lifters don’t lift here full time, most of the lifters do train here at different times. Seeing and supporting these young lifters brings a great energy to UF.

 

Fitness Center.

 

The fitness center does not get enough love. The fitness center offers everything you would need to get strong and fit. UF has many pieces of cardio equipment as well as racks, dumbbells, and kettlebells.

 

Strength Lab.

 

The strength lab is the Cadillac of training. We have everything you need to get strong and then some. Monolifts, platforms, racks, competition benches, and many different barbells. The strength lab always has competent spotters and a great group of lifters, who are willing to help each other and you get strong!

 

Personal Training. 

 

I am very proud of all the personal trainers that we have here at UF. The trainers here are a diverse group of strong trainers, and they do an amazing job with their clients. Curtis oversees all of this and he is a rock star with empowering our trainers.

 

Powerlifting.

 

One thing UF is known for is our powerlifting. We have our share of strong humans, and we host two meets a year. One thing that separates us from other gyms with powerlifting is our willingness to help all lifters. This weekend, World Record holder Bonica Brown trained at UF alongside many first time lifters back in the strength lab.

 

There is a basic overview of UF and why I know that we are the best at what we do. Come visit us anytime, and ask any questions.

 

Hamer

 

 

 

First Meet Experience

Fitness, Life Health, Training

This past Saturday, Union Fitness hosted the 2022 Texas Power Bar Open which happened to be my first meet that I’ve competed in. I have spectated and volunteered at three other meets that were hosted here at UF, but never actually lifted in one.

 

I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by several “meet veterans” at UF who were able to help me prepare for everything in the months beforehand. Curtis, Todd, and Zain helped me stay ready and answered all questions that I had both during training and on meet day.

 

I learned so many new things about myself and powerlifting throughout my training. I was able to test my limits, hit some solid PR’s, and I learned how to successfully train for a meet.

 

Going into meet day, I knew next to nothing about weigh-ins, lift commands, or how the flights of lifters worked throughout the day. Thankfully, I had the UF team with me for weigh-ins to help me know what I needed to bring and how the flow of it all went. I started training with the lift commands towards the last weeks of training, so I was still a little rusty but ended up not missing any of them on meet day. As far as the flights of lifters went, I had Zain by my side all day to help me to know when I was going to step out onto the platform and also what numbers I would strive to hit on the next attempts.

 

I ended up going 8/9 on my lifts, which I was very happy with. And I also hit a huge deadlift PR, which I was very excited about! I couldn’t have made it through the whole day without Ava, Diana, and Miranda (who all three also competed and did awesome) helping to motivate me and we hyped each other up all day, Zain who helped me with everything from warmups to figuring out my next attempts to getting me platform ready, Curtis who helped with my training program for months and he shared all of his powerlifting wisdom with me, Todd who gave me some pre squat trap slaps to get me ready to lift and as I’ve said before he’s my everyday hype man, and last but not least my dude Malik who kept my muscles ready to make the gainz and hit my lifts.

 

Thank you to everyone who helped make my first meet experience a great one. I’m planning to do some more in the future, and I’m looking forward to it!

 

Toria