All posts by rnagy

Sweep the Sheds with CeJ

Life Health

Unioners, remember that you are never too “big” to do the “small” things.

 

The title of the blog “Sweep the Sheds” comes from a mantra of the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby team.  The All Blacks are one of the most known and winning organizations in sport with a win percentage of over 75% (in the span of 100 years). The All Blacks leaders believe in humility, taking responsibility for their own actions, and leaving their entitlement at the door. After every victory, lose or practice the All Blacks stay back and clean up their locker room to make it look as good or better than it did before, even though it is not their specific job. This may seem like a small detail but an important attribute in building a team that works together and shows pride and respect for their organization.

 

Everyone gets a little more hyped up to do the right thing when people are watching and the lights are on but  true character can be shown when they don’t know people are watching. Leadership, community and basic good qualities can be built and are on display in our everyday actions. Every interaction can be a job interview as some old gray bush once told me.

 

So remember to tidy up after yourself, say hello to people you walk by, hold the door open for someone and be nice…until it’s time to not be nice (and that’s a blog for a different day).

 

Can anyone name that movie?

 

Cheers,

CeJ

Ham’s Training Log

Training, , , , ,

Coming out of 2020 I was training with the Wizard himself, Charles E Jasper (we share the same middle name). I love training with CeJ as he brings a ton of intensity and dedication to each and every lift. Yet, I needed a change and it is hard to train with fellow employees at UF as both of us need the exact same time off to train. I decided to reach out to a good friend for programming. Ryan Nosak has been a good friend for a decade now and trains a ton of very successful athletes and non-athletes. Also, he trains at Quads gym with automatically gives him street cred.

 

Ryan knows me well enough to know my weaknesses and his philosophy (similar to mine), is attack your weaknesses. So without further ado here is what I am doing on week two with Ryno at the steering wheel and Ham pushing the car.

 

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

SATURDAY
  1. Safety Bar Squat AMRAP @80%, 3 x 6-8 @70% 1. BB Bench AMRAP @80%, 3 x 6-8 @70% 1. Deadlift AMRAP @80%, 2 x 6-8 @70% 1. Hamstring Curl 3 x 12-15 1A. Close Grip Bench 3 x 8-10 @65%
2. RDL 3-4 x 6-10 2. Seated BB OHP 3-4 x 6-8 2. Pull Ups 3-4 x 6-8 2. Leg Press 3 x 10-12 1B. Deadstop DB Row 3 x 10-12
3. DB RFE Split Squat 3-4 x 8-10/leg 3. Dips 2-3 x 8-10 3. Meadows Row 3-4 x 8-10 3. Hack Squat Machine 3 x 10-15 2A. Machine or DB Fly 3 x 10-15
4. Seated Calf Raise 3 x 15-20 4. Side Lateral 3-4 x 8-12 4. BB Curl 3-4 x 8-10 4A. Leg Extension 2 x 15-20 2B. Cable or Machine Rear Delt Fly 3 x 15-20
5. Abs 3-4 x 10-20 5. Skull Crusher 3-4 x 8-10 5. Abs 3 x 10-20 4B. DB Walking Lunge 2 x 10-15/leg 3A. DB Shrug 3 x 15-20
5. Standing Calf Raise 3 x 15-20 3B. DB, Machine or Cable Pullover 3 x 12-15
4A.  Preacher Curl 3 x 12-15
4A.  Cable Pressdown 3 x 12-15

 

This program is starting off much like a bodybuilding style program. Again, Ryan knows me and is attacking my weaknesses. I would be remiss if I didn’t add that in talking to Ryan about this what impressed me was the questions he asked. Here is a small sample of questions and info I gave him.

 

  1. How many days a week do I want to train? (4-5).
  2. How much time can I dedicate to training? (1-1.5 hours).
  3. What do I enjoy doing? (Long answer).
  4. Can I train on the weekends? (yes but prefer shorter days).
  5. I also added that on Friday mornings I ride my bike and my heart rate tends to be at or above 90% for 20-30 minutes so this is not an ideal day to train hard.

I was happy with Ryan’s questions because as an experienced coach myself I know the most simple questions often give the best information. I have found too many coaches who major in the minor and forget that how much time one has can profoundly affect an outcome. Also, what do you enjoy doing is an underrated query.

 

Please feel free to follow along with me and Ryan with this new journey and let’s see if I get better or just stay not too bad :-).

 

Have fun, train hard, and don’t take it too seriously.

 

Hamer

 

 

 

Let’s Celebrate Our Women

Life Health, Uncategorized

March is women’s history month and we here at UF are home to many strong and awesome women. I would like to take a few minutes to highlight just a few of our awesome female members. This is a very short and incomplete list, but please take a moment and celebrate these (and all the other women of UF and all other places in our world).

 

Kelsey Garonzik– If you have not met Kelsey you should. She is the superhero of UF female lifters. She is one of the finest lifters and a very nice person. One warning is Kelsey has one of the best dry sense of humors in the gym.

 

Madison Fitzgibbons– Our own west coast transplant. Madison shows her hard work through her consistency at UF.

 

Ashley Koltonski– Ashley brings a ton of positive energy every time she arrives at UF. She is our own bad ass, yoga, weightlifting lady. We are better for having Ashley at the gym.

 

Isabella Mustane– Try to keep up with Isabella, I doubt you can. Isabella is business in the gym. She could be outside doing handstand push ups or squatting big weight, either way she is probably outworking me.

 

Emily Twargowski- Emily is the model of consistency at UF. Emily never misses a class and we are always impressed by how she is always willing to try new things.

 

Diane Johnson– I am kind of nervous typing this as if I mess up Diane might fight me. In all seriousness Diane comes in daily to work hard and is committed to improvement daily.

 

Rachel Davis– Rachel is one our hardest working cardio members at UF. Coming back from Covid shut downs cardiolab classes have not been busy. We have all seen Rachel in there taking a class by herself and working hard.

 

Give each of these ladies a hand and your respect for showing strength and dedication daily. I personally thank each of you as without you UF would not be what it is.

The Little Things Matter

Fitness, Life Health

Why am I not getting stronger?  Why am I not losing weight? Why am I not feeling recovered?  Why am I so tired? Have you caught yourself asking similar questions, maybe even as a slight whine or complaint?

 

I hear these thoughts from others and I catch myself thinking it from time to time. While there is a possibility that the answer is more complicated, that is not my point with this blog.  More often than not the answer is so simple – so simple that we don’t even want to be reminded that the change needed is completely in our control.

 

When these thoughts start to pop up, it can be easy to combat that with the thought of quitting altogether. Sometimes that even sounds sensible in the moment. However, I know we are all logical enough to know that lashing out will not lead to anything productive.

 

There are two things that I have found to help bring back logic to my thoughts, refocus my plan of daily actions, and provide grace in the other areas of my life.  Before even mentioning the two tips, I must preface with something cliche.  You MUST know what you want and why you want it so badly.  Without a clear destination it will be challenging to determine the steps needed and the motivation to complete those steps on the difficult days.  Once you do know what you would like, it becomes easier to dial in on the little things.  So here are two things to think about:

 

  1. If you are following a program and beginning to experience a plateau, stick to the plan. There will come a time when it is appropriate and necessary to adjust, but if it has only been a short amount of time since the initial start or a recent adjustment, continue to follow the plan.
  2. This second part is a little bit harder. Be completely honest with yourself – writing it down or saying it out loud to someone helps me to think WHOOPS, yeah I am definitely not doing everything I can.
  • If it is about weight loss/weight gain, there is more than likely a minor adjustment that will be so apparent once you write it out. Are you eating five times the serving of nuts instead of one? Aside from your training session in the gym are you living more of a sedentary lifestyle than usual?
  • If you are not recovering, are you doing your recovery work or saying “ehh I’ll do it tomorrow”…everyday?
  • If you are feeling tired, what does your bedtime routine look like? Are you watching a few extra shows or maybe drinking caffeine a little too late?

 

As stated in the beginning, troubleshooting generally leads to these little things but there may be a time that you really are doing everything in your power.  If you find that is the case, I like to follow up with analyzing how I am prioritizing my time and effort.  Expecting yourself to succeed in every area of life at the same time is too much for anyone.

 

Once you know where your focus is at the time (your physical health, mental health, a project at work, a new season of life) these can be good ways to narrow down what needs to change and help provide peace of mind. That season will eventually change and life will hand you a new component to prioritize (or you will choose something else), which is perfectly fine.  New phases will certainly come again and you will soon have the chance to switch roles of effort and practice grace for the others. 

 

Cayt

Know the Difference; BMI & Bodyfat

Fitness, Life Health,

Let’s talk about BMI & Body Fat %. Both are useful tools to determine overall body fat and certain weight related health risks.

 

BMI stands for Body Mass Index, which can be calculated by taking your weight in kilograms divided by the square of your height in meters, or just use any BMI calculator online. BMI is a quick screening tool that can determine your body fat and risk of certain weight related health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, increased blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other health risks. BMI is not perfect though and should really only be taken as a surface layer scan. BMI does not directly assess body fat. Muscle and bone are denser than fat so BMI can overestimate body fat in athletes or more active populations or underestimate body fat and bone density in older or more sedentary populations. Remember BMI does not consider, activity, health history, diet, if you smoke or drink, age, race, gender and more. You are more than a number, and this is just a surface level screening tool.

 

Body Fat % research has greatly improved over the years and is a better overall picture of weight related disease by distinguishing body fat from muscle. Body fat % tests are not as quick as BMI screenings but because of that, they can be more individualized. Some common and readily available BF% tests are done with skinfold calipers or bioelectrical impedance scales & the ease of access can sometimes provide user errors. However, water displacement, bodpods and X-rays can be much more accurate, yet a bit harder to get to. If you have a reliable skinfold tester, they can be pretty accurate and quick to gather results.

 

Remember this information is all out there at your fingertips, I just wanted to give you a quick spark of information to clear up any misconceptions or to jolt conversation or curiosity.

 

Stay Bumpy my friends,

CeJ

SMART Goals and UF?

Fitness, Life Health, Training, , , , ,

When planning a training session or a group of training sessions one must ask what is the end game? Always start from the goal and work back. At UF we have many people training for meets, races, as well as different sporting events. With this in mind I ask you to take a moment and ask yourself honestly what are your goals.

 

Goals 

 

Start with the basics with goal setting. Make your goals SMART goals. If you are not familiar with SMART goals, SMART is an acronym for;

 

  1. Specific
  2. Measurable
  3. Achievable
  4. Realistic
  5. Timely

 

Take a little time to write your goals down. Maybe you want to increase your bench press by 20 lbs in 12 weeks or maybe run a 5k before May. No matter what goal you have in mind make it SMART.

 

Where does your goal fit in the gym?

 

At UF we are very lucky to have Curtis Miller as our Director of Customer Engagement. In short Curtis’s job is to make sure you are in the right place within our gym. Some people have very specific goals and for that need personal training or classes. Others may just need a treadmill to run on their training days. Regardless of what you need Curtis will help find you the place to be in the gym.

 

Different goals, Different Equipement.

 

If your goal is to be a high level lifter you may need some programming or training. At least I would assume you need a membership in the strength lab.

 

If your goals are to drops a few lbs and move a little better then a cardio membership may fit you better.

 

If you want to push yourself and be apart of a fun community then UF Unlimited may be for you.

 

If your goals are to sweat and move your body then the fitness center membership could be your option. This membership may be the most underrated option we have at UF. It is a great way to get into the gym (at a very affordable option) and train using some great equipment.

 

I listed each of these out because I have seen many people who have goals that do not align to their actions. Jim Rohn once said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most amount of time with.” I am not sure if this is necessarily true, yet after twenty years of coaching I can say that from my experience, who you spend time with clearly influences you and your habits. Your habits will lead to your outcome.

 

Even as I self reflect on my training I see many mistakes. I asked myself yesterday am I a mountain biker who lifts or a powerlifter who mountain bikes? Also, I am aging in both activities quickly so maybe I’ll never set a SMART goal or maybe I need to see Curtis and find out my goals?

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly Wrap Up; It’s Meet Week

Training

It is upon us, a chance for you to show us how strong you are! The UF Push Pull is this Sunday outdoors (yes it will be warm) on our turf. If you did not sign up and still want to lift we do have a few spots open (and we will accept same day registration). If you do not want to lift then please feel free to stop on by and watch some lifting and support our gym.

 

Lifting starts Sunday at 10 AM and we will probably have 2 flights of lifters.  Weigh Ins are from 8-9 followed by the rules clinic at 9:15. The entire meet should only be a few hours long, and then we are going to host a small get together for everyone to celebrate the lifting.

 

Other updates.

 

We are very excited for the return of Haley to teach our yoga. We do appreciate everyone patience as we have used subs and we thanks the subs for helping out.

 

Update on state COVID rules. We are now permitted to operate at 75% of capacity. While we have not had any issues with being at 50% it is exciting to have the ability to host more members. Please remember masks are still required.

 

Strength Project. For those of you participating, don’t forget to sign in every time you come to the gym to earn your free massage.

 

Thanks to each and everyone of you and be STRONG.

 

Todd Hamer

 

 

 

 

The Benefits of Hybrid Training.

Training, ,

In today’s world of training and exercise, there are so many programs, training styles, and philosophies floating somewhere around the internet claiming to be the best. Many of which go against the beliefs of some other programs. Two training styles in particular that have typically been believed to contradict one another are bodybuilding and powerlifting.

 

Typically, when we think of bodybuilding, we think of building muscle. Slow controlled repetitions using moderate weight with an emphasis on muscular contraction in order to build lean muscle. On the flip side, when we think of building strength and power, our mind typically goes to powerlifting. Explosive and forceful repetitions using heavier weights and higher intensities with the goal of building maximal strength. Both of these concepts have their place and can play an important role within a training program, regardless of the intended goal. The problem comes with the belief that these concepts must be used separately. In reality, there are many benefits to using them simultaneously. 

 

I am currently working with a member who is preparing for her second powerlifting meet. Prior to powerlifting, Caroline competed in bodybuilding with very good success. During her time training for bodybuilding, she developed quality lean muscle and balance among all of her muscle groups. Over the past year, she decided to give powerlifting a shot and found out that she loved it. Due to her background in bodybuilding, she already moved with great control, but her repetitions somewhat lacked the force production needed to move maximal weights which she needed for powerlifting. Keep in mind, this is very typical for someone just starting out. Over the last few weeks, she has progressed greatly with her mindset and approach to each repetition, and her overall strength has been increasing significantly due to her ability to move the bar with greater intent.

 

We have realized that the combination of her bodybuilding mindset and background was helping her with her strength training. Her ability to control the weight and feel her muscles engaging, combined with her explosiveness from her athletic background was unlocking some hidden potential. This is the same mindset that I have carried during my time as a competitive powerlifter, and something that I believe will help anyone even if they are not competing. In doing so, this has the ability to build lean muscle, increase coordination and motor control, decrease the chance of injury, and develop greater strength and power, just to name a few. All of which are things that we all will benefit from throughout our lifetime.

 

So the next time you’re training, don’t just focus on moving the weight slow and controlled, or solely think about being explosive and fast. Take the time to learn what it feels like to use both, and how they can both benefit your overall goals and outlook on training. 

CeJ and Sky’s Meet Prep

Fitness, Life Health

To my most excellent Dudettes & Dudes,

 

Week 1 of our 12 week meet prep adventure is in the books! Believe it our not, Skylyn only wanted to strike me once or thrice while I was wrapping her knees for our first go around in knee wraps. Let me tell you, the first time in wraps were a doozy and we didn’t even crank up the tension yet. Think of knee wraps like long elastic fabric that cover the knee and lower quad. Once you learn how to use knee wraps, they magically add pounds to your squad, that is if you are ready to embrace the numbness in your toes. Since we have both never trained in wraps, every squat session we will be wearing knee wraps. The first few weeks we will be working in the 65%-75% range for 4-5 sets of 5 just to feel squatting in wraps and learning how to use them properly. We’ll post a video of how to wrap knees and squat in them coming soon. Then you can hear us squeal and curse at each other. 

 

We laid out our blueprint for our first 4 weeks and we will be training 4x a week, staying pretty specific to the main lifts (squat, bench & deads). 

 

 Below is what our 4 days will look like:

 

Squat Day vs Wrap

Duffalo Squats 4-5×5 for Rpe 8

SSB Eccentric Squats 4-5×3 (5Down)

Leg Press 3-4×10

Elevated Reverse Lunge 3-4×10-12e

Ham GHR/Back Ext 4-5×12-15

 HLR 4-5x

 

  1st Bench Day

Duffalo Bench Press Work Up to RPE 8 x1

Duffalo Bench Back Downs at 85% 4-5×3 Paused

Duffalo Spoto Bench Press 3-4×6-8+

DB Incline Bench 2×20 

 Barbell Skull Crusher 4-5x 8-10

Chest Sup Tbar 4-5x 10-12

Facepull/PullApt/Rear Delt 3-4×15-20

 

Deadlift Day

Speed Box Squats SSBvs 3chain 6×3 RPE 6/7

Block Pull vs 4Chains 4-5×2 70%-80%

Snatch Grip RDL 3-4×6-8

BB Row or TBar Row 4×8-10

GHR/Leg Curl 4-5×12-15

Abs Rollout 4-5

 

2nd Bench Day

Floor Press w Football Bar vs 2chain 6×3 @ RPE 6/7

Close Grip Incline 3-4×6-8

Weighted Dips 4×10-12

Weighted NG Pull-Ups 4×10

DB/KB Tri Extensions 4-5×12-15

Front-Side-Rear 3×8-10e

 

So far we are moving and grooving weight pretty well, dumping down some coffee and giving it hell with all our training sessions! We are working to keep our rest periods shorter and complete all our sessions in around an hour and a half. Let’s enjoy the ride and see where in the world we end up! If you have any questions, please let us know. 

 

-CeJ

Hamer’s List of Gym Essentials

Uncategorized

Change is the only guarantee in life. Today I sit inside a gym that was once a fast food restaurant. This is movement for a better tomorow isn’t it? Knowing that lifting, life, and all of us will keep changing and growing here is my half-hearted look at gym essentials and how they have changed over the years.

 

  1. Shoes. Some people live and die with the olympic shoes (not a bad choice depending on stance, mobility, and depth of your squat). I came of age during the Chuck Taylor craze, I realize most have moved to Vans and I can dig this. I do ask that you don’t call your shoes “lifters” as it is dumb.
  2. Short shorts. I can admit that the length of shorts got out of control in the 1990’s and early 2000’s yet we don’t need to swing the pendulum as far as we have now (this is mostly directed at the guys in the room). Ward keeps telling me that Magnum PI had it right. I just say shouldn’t be past the knee yet mid thigh is fine, no need for shorter.
  3. Training shirt with the properly cut off sleeves. There are a multitude of ways to cut sleeves off. CeJ chews his off prior to training. My advice cut the sleeves off at the armpit, don’t be the homemade string tank top dude.
  4. Your special belt. We all know a good lifting belt can make a huge difference yet when your special belt is necessary for curls maybe your belt isn’t that great.
  5. All the mobility devices. I won’t lie I fell into the foam rolling craze 15 years ago and it’s great, yet if you carry your foam roller, tennis ball, buffer, theragun and three golf balls then maybe it’s time to cut back.
  6. Headphones. If you know me you know this is a pet peeve of mine. I try to be in the world as much as possible and I do have my favorite music yet I implore everyone to be in the moment with those around you. Building a better community takes communication.
  7. Deodorant. We have all had that training partner who didn’t do a great job with hygiene. One of the beauties of UF is that we have deodorant for you to use. A caveat to this there is no need to use the entire bottle of cologne prior to training.

 

This is just a short list of what we need and don’t need at the gym. I hope you understand that while this is a light hearted look (with maybe some truth).

 

Stay Strong,

 

Todd Hamer