All posts by rnagy

End of 2020 Update

State of the Union, , , , , , , , , ,

Here we are at the end of 2020. Nothing new can be said about this year so I won’t try. Yet I can give everyone an update as to where we are and where we are heading as a gym.

 

2021 Bootcamp with LEG1ON! 

We are starting 2021 off by doing a bootcamp with our friends from LEG1ON. This will happen Jan. 1, 2021 from 11-12 (maybe 12:30). This class will be free to everyone, so bring a friend and let’s have some outdoor fun! Sign up on MindBody.

 

Equipment Loan Program

For those of you who borrowed equipment over the last few weeks, please return the equipment by Saturday, Jan 2, 2021. When you return the equipment, please check in so we can check you off the list.

 

Return to Normal Schedule

UF will return to its normal schedule on Jan 4, 2021. This includes classes as well as all other gym operations. We will be requiring masks at all times. Please be respectful of those around you and continue to follow the mask protocol.For the rest of this week, our schedule is Dec. 31, 9AM-4PM, Jan 1, 9AM-4PM (we will be closed due to bootcamp from 10:30-12:30). Jan. 2 and 3 are regular weekend hours 9-4.

 

Plans for 2021.

One of our most popular programs in the past has been The Strength Project. We decided this year it was not appropriate to run this program. We are hoping to bring it back in late spring as a kick off to summer. We will continue doing smaller challenges until then. Our December challenge is wrapping up and we will post winners in our Newsletter.

 

This will be the final blog of 2020 and I want to thank everyone who is reading this. We all know it has been a strange year and we are proud of what we have done to try to help everyone get through this time. We will continue to try to do what we can to make the world a stronger, healthier, and smarter place as we move into 2021. Below is a list of organizations that we worked with this year. We will continue to look for partners in the region that make the world a better place.

 

Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh

Allegheny General Hospital

NorthSide Food Pantry

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

Wounded Warrior

Urban Impact

 

We have some big plans in 2021 and have some big partners ready to join us, so stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

 

5 Ways to Make Your Pulls Ups Spicier than Rick Sebak’s Eggnog

Fitness, Life Health, ,

Happy Holidays my friends!

 

During December the members and staff of UF had a Challenge to see how many Chin/Pull-ups you can total for the month. The sheer word pull-up runs chills down the spine to many as they flash back to middle school P.E. as a gym teacher in questionable length shorts blows a whistle and shouts at you. Well have no fear, CeJ is here with 5 variations to help build you up to overcome your fears and frustrations of Chins/Pull-ups.

 

5 Variations

 

1) Band Assisted on Rack: Set any band on the J Hooks of the rack (make sure the Js are set tight and won’t fold in). Carefully step on the Band and grab the bar. The band will assist you a lot at the bottom and just a tad at the top. Always work great technique and full range of motion to engrain movement patterns.

 

2)Band Assisted on Bar: Similar to the movement above but now the band is attached to the bar and you can either put your knee or foot in the band. Foot will give you more assistance, knee will give you less.

 

3) Eccentric (Down Slow): Get up by jumping, climbing or just start at the top of your pull, with this movement, we just focus on the descent. Once at the top take 3-5 seconds down, control yourself to the bottom of your pull.

 

4) Isometric (Hold at Top): Similar to the movement above, now we are just holding ourself at the top position for as long and strong as we can.

 

5) Chain, Weighted, Band Resisted: Take your standard issue pull and now toss some resistance on. Still keep great form and give it hell.

 

Remember, any of these exercises can be modified and adapted to fit where you are in your wellness journey.

 

Video Demos are posted on our Instagram page, give em a peep!

 

Take your time with these and progress slow. You can do this with a positive attitude and a solid mindset. If you want a little push here and there, just let us know and we can get you there! If you have any questions, please let us know.

 

Cheers,

CeJ

New Year, New Strength, New Friends

Life Health, Training, , , , , , , , ,

UF and LEG1ON Training are excited to host our first ever combined bootcamp. On January 1st, 2021 UF and LEG1ON will come together on the UF outdoor turf to host a bootcamp that is free to all.

 

We have been trying to reach out and work with other local training facilities to offer Pittsburgh a better fitness and strength community. LEG1ON opened in 2020, and immediately gave us a gym that was open to working with us. Due to this relationship, we will be having more joint offerings in the future. The details of the bootcamp are below.

 

Time and Date: Jan 1st, 2020. 11 AM-Noon.

Location: Union Fitness, 100 South Commons, Pittsburgh PA, 15212

How do I sign up? Sign up on MindBody.

Is there a cost? This class is free to everyone.

What can I expect? You can expect two of the best gyms in Pittsburgh coming together with their best instructors, to give you a great workout to start the new year.

Will it be safe? Our outdoors space at UF is big, and we require masks at all times when on the premises.

 

We hope to see you here on Jan 1st to meet some new friends and have some fun.

 

Todd Hamer

 

Staying On Track During the Holidays

Clean Eating, Fitness, Meal Prep, Nutrition

It’s that time of the year. The holidays are here and the new year is upon us. You’ve worked hard to get to this point and want to make sure that you stay on track during the holidays and into the new year. Although getting to this point has been a bit different than past years, the same rules still apply.

 

1) Take the time to sit and reflect back on the past 365 days and all of the things that have gotten you to this point. This includes the good, as well as the bad. Each decision that we’ve made and experience that we have encountered has placed us here, exactly where we are supposed to be. What we choose to do with it going forward is up to us.

 

2) Think about how you will approach the upcoming 365 days. What will you do to continue upon the path that you are on, or how will you make the adjustments for some things that you would like to change? If you have you achieved your goals, then great. Keep doing it! If not, then that’s okay. We don’t always get to check them off the first time around. Going forward, set small goals and put together a mental outline of what you want this next trip around the sun to look like for you, and then take the steps necessary to make it happen. 

 

3) Don’t stress about working out or not working out. If you want to continue to exercise and stay active over the next few weeks, that’s great! Keep it rolling and keep that momentum driving forward. If training isn’t appealing to you at this time and you feel as though you need a mental and physical break, then by all means, take it. You’ve been building and conditioning your body for days, months, and years. It is not going to get erased in just a few weeks.

 

4) Be open minded with your diet. Just as with training, if you have been consistent with your nutrition, then a couple weeks of eating Christmas food will not ruin the progress that you’ve made over the last year. Enjoy a good meal with loved ones, have some cookies, and drink a glass of your favorite beverage (milk included). It’s okay to be a kid again.

 

5) Find alternative forms of activity. Whether you choose to partake in exercise or not, do something that may be outside of your normal routine. Take a day to explore some new land, pick up a new sport, or play outside with friends and family. One of the best things you can do is go for a morning walk to collect your thoughts and reflect. Maybe even do some bodyweight squats and pushups along the way. Who knows, you may even stumble upon something new that sparks your interest going forward.

 

6) Most importantly, enjoy time with others, or even just yourself. Remember what this time of the year means to you. Regardless of what’s going on in the world, this does not change. Tell the people in your life that you love them, look out for each other, be grateful for the things and those people in your life, and remember that each day is a blessing.

Fill Those Sleeves. Holiday Edition.

Life Health, Uncategorized, ,

As 2020 comes to an end let’s remember why we train. We all know we train to fill our sleeves. As my good friend Dr Jacked (Scott Caulfield) has often reminded me, a good deadlift is important yet big arms are important(er). With big arms in mind let’s review some old pump up exercises from yesteryear.

 

Curl the ladder– In order to curl the ladder all one needs is an empty barbell. Take the bar and hold it at 90 degrees for a ten count then do 10 curls, repeat this for reps 9-1. Be sure to get a good 10 count hold between each set of curls. Do not set the barbell down until all reps are done.

 

100 rep curl– Simplest pump ever, just grab a bar and curl it for 100 reps as quickly as possible.

 

Dip & push down superset– Slow controlled set of 10-20 bodyweight dips as soon as you complete these begin with 25 band pushdowns. Make this a drop set by decreasing dip reps each set while increasing pushdown reps.

 

Roney push up challenge– This is named after a good friend Jim Roney. We used to use this as a finisher after bench day. Set down a pair of dumbbells. Do 1 push then 2 push ups with hands on the dumbbells. Then make it 2&4, then 3&6… keep going until 10&20.

 

Surf the rack– This can be done with any exercise (curls, extensions, lateral raises etc.). Start at a weight you can do ten reps with (let’s say 45 lbs.). Do ten reps, set the weight down and go to the next set of dumbbells down the line, do ten with that weight and continue until you have touched every lighter dumbell.

 

I hope this has given you some good ideas on how to get a pump this holiday season. We all need a little different way to make sure we are still having fun with training.

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly Wrap Up

State of the Union, , , , , ,

We must begin this wrap up with a HUGE THANK YOU to all of our members. We understand that 2020 hasn’t been an easy year. We have also been doing the best we can to keep everyone training and safe.

 

This week we have moved all training to our outdoor space. We will continue to follow all of the governors orders, while still giving you a safe place to train. In addition we are also offering 2 in person classes per day Monday-Friday as well as 2-3 virtual classes per day. These classes are a little different, we will offer three different types of classes. The first class is a traditional bodyweight class, the second will be with weights and the final will be an educational class.

 

In addition to all of these measures we are still loaning out equipment. Please come by and grab some equipment to keep your body moving during this holiday season.

 

Finally I personally want to wish you the happiest of holiday seasons. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanza and Happy New Year! This is the last week prior to Christmas and if you eat too many cookies, drink too much egg nog or don’t exercise as much as you should over the next few weeks, it’s ok. Enjoy the season and unless you are preparing for a show then you can stop counting your macros this week and just be in the moment.

 

Hours of operation for the next two weeks.

Dec 20th-Dec 23rd normal hours.

Dec 24th 9AM-4PM.

Dec 25th Closed.

Dec 26-Dec 30th normal hours.

Dec 31st & Jan 1st 9AM-4PM.

 

 

 

 

CeJ’s Rock N Rolling Mobility

Life Health

Union Fam,

 

It’s chilly, it’s dark, you might be stranded inside your dojo for the time being slamming away on your keyboard, or falling down the rabbit hole of tik-tok conspiracy theories. Have no fear, CeJ is here with some mobility exercises that can fire your day up and get you moving, grooving, and feeling right!

 

Run through 3-4 Sets of 5-10 Repetitions of each exercises 1-5 and repeat. (Rest as needed)

 

1) Sun Salutations.

2) Squat to stretch , add in rotations, squat to stretch with push back and rotation.

3) Inchworm to spiderperson to figure 4 and walk back.

4) Glute bridge with reach across, single leg glute bridge, Iso glute bridge with leg chops, Iso glute bridge with leg abduction/adduction.

5) Cannonball to V-sit, Cannonball to butterfly.

 

Make sure you breathe well during these exercises. Breathe deep into your nose, smooth exhale out of your mouth. Take your time with each exercise and work to increase overall range of motion as you go. Turn your favorite tunes on and get to rocking with some fun flow mobility exercises.

 

Thank you for reading and if you’d like to see demos of these exercises, they will be on our Instagram or just let us know and we can send you the videos.

 

Cheers,

 

CeJ

 

P.S. Who would be down for a mobility class taught by the Rock n Roll Wizard himself? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and let us know how you enjoyed these mobility exercises.

 

Breathing and Bracing for Strong Lifts

Fitness, Training, ,

Properly breathing and bracing is one of the most misunderstood aspects of a strong lift, but one that can play a major role. We’ve all either done it ourselves or have seen it at one time or another. Someone unracks their squat or sets up for their deadlift, they go to take a big breath to build tension and their chest gets full of air and the bar shrugs up on their shoulders. While this may seem like a great way to get tight, it is actually doing the complete opposite. What we actually want is too pull air deep into our diaphragm while expanding that pressure downward and outward into our abdominal muscles, obliques, and our lower back.

 

To understand this a little better, let’s break it down with a little bit of anatomy. When we take a breath before a lift we want to fill our diaphragm, not our lungs. Our diaphragm is located underneath of our lungs in the bottom portion of our rib cage. When done correctly, filling the diaphragm and keeping it locked in throughout the entirety of the lift can keep you in a strong and proper position and can allow you to lift more weight safely. When the diaphragm is filled and pressurized correctly, it can help connect the major muscle groups of our upper body to our lower half. This will help to build a tremendous amount of tightness and rigidity from head to toe.

 

When it comes to explaining and better understanding this method, I like to use the soda can analogy. Take an empty soda can and place a small dent in the side of it. Now place that soda can on a table and push down on it with your hand. There’s a 100% chance that it collapses with little effort. This is equivalent of breathing high into your chest. Now take another soda can without a dent in it. Place it on the counter and again try to push down on it with your hand. There’s a chance you wont even be able to collapse it this time. You have now successfully filled your diaphragm and braced completely. Which one do you think is better for a big lift?

 

As mentioned in the video, a simple and effective way to practice this technique is with a small micro mini band around your mid section. Be sure to place the band above your belly button as that is where you will get the most expansion from your diaphragm. This is also where you should place the center of your lifting belt if you wear one. Focus on taking a breath and pushing it downward and outward. While practicing this, be sure to look at yourself in a mirror. If your shoulders rise when you take your breath, then you are taking your air up into your lungs and your chest. Revert back to the soda can analogy. Continue to take your time and focus on your breathing and bracing every session and you will notice an immediate and sustained carryover to the quality and performance of your lifts for years to come.

 

Stay strong, friends.

Outdoor Training, Online Classes, and Trying to Do What We Can

Fitness, Life Health, , , ,

Now that we have had a weekend to fully grasp the new orders from our state government I would like to give everyone an update as to what we are doing. Our goal is to follow all rules and regulations,  while doing the best we can to serve each and everyone of you. I have listed here how we are trying to do this in these unique times.

 

  1. We are offering outdoor activities to the best of our abilities for all of our members. Our turf area is mostly covered and we are going to do our best to keep it warm and snow free.
  2. We are offering online classes for free via instagram. We decided against using zoom as we don’t want to charge anyone for this service. So please log on and do some training with us. We have broken the classes into four categories. 1. Bodyweight class. 2. Class with weights. 3. Educational class (this will be more lecture based).      4. Yoga. Please feel free to sign up for any of these.
  3. We are loaning equipment up until the week that we will be permitted to re-open.
  4. We are spending this time reviewing our classes and schedules to best serve our members.
  5. We are also moving and cleaning under, over, and around all equipment. When we re-open we hope to be the cleanest gym on earth.
  6. While operating our normal hours we will be closing the outdoor training area from 6-7 AM&PM for powerful class. Anyone who is interested in taking this class we will upgrade you for the next 3 weeks free of charge.
  7. We are offering a 25 dollar 3 week membership to anyone who belongs to another gym. The one condition is that you keep your gyms membership. We do not want to take members. We understand that we are very fortunate to have our outdoor space, and want to offer people a place to train if they currently don’t have one.

 

This is our list as of now. As with everything we do we are always open to hear what you have to say. If there is anyway that we can serve you during this shut down please reach out. As stated early we will follow all the state rules and regulations, and will still do what we can to offer you a great place to train.

Covid Update

State of the Union

Dear Union Fitness Member,

 

In accordance with Pennsylvania state regulations announced on December 10th, we will be closing our indoor spaces only starting December 11, 2020, at 9PM. To take care of our members we will once again be loaning out equipment beginning immediately. Come see us or reply to this email and we will do our best to satisfy as many of you as we can. Starting Monday, December 14th we will be running online classes and posting at-home workouts on our social media platforms. WE WILL BE OFFERING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES TO ALL THAT ARE INTERESTED AT OUR PERFORMANCE LAB. Masks MUST be worn at ALL TIMES during these workouts.

 

Hours of operation will remain the same, Monday-Friday 5AM-9AM and 9AM-4PM on the weekends. We will be reserving 6-7 AM and 6-7 PM for class only time on the turf. Powerful will be the only class during this time.

 

Anyone wishing to suspend their membership, please email us.

 

Any additional questions can be emailed to me directly, at todd@unionfitness.com

 

We will send out further updates via email and our social media pages when available.

 

Stay strong, stay safe & we’ll go through this. In UNION there is STRENGTH.

 

– Todd Hamer

GM of Union Fitness