All posts by rnagy

Jocelyn’s Training Log

Fitness, Life Health, , , , ,

For the last few weeks, I’ve been posting some of my training pieces and breaking down my mindset, something I’ve been working on heavily. Being positive and focused isn’t enough these days, you need to understand how to challenge yourself without teetering on the line of being overconfident because the bar loves to break an ego real quick.

 

Going into this session I was tired, not entirely sure how it was going to go but I started by focusing on getting my PT/mobility work done before my primer. This allowed me to prep my body for what was to come and focus on how I was feeling. Regardless if you’re an athlete or going to take a Powerful class, as humans we need to be hyper-aware and self-reflection keeps us in an understanding between body and mind (if you don’t journal, try it – I have a past blog post on this BUT stay tuned for another mindset journaling one soon).

 

After I had finished my PT/mobility and did the primer I had a better feeling of how to attack this session, below you’ll find a typical Strength/Conditioning session:

 

STRENGTH

Front Squats 5×2 (every 3 min)

Start at 70% of your 2RM and build each set

*worked up to 197# for a double then hit 200# for a single and failed my second rep

CONDITIONING 

6 Rounds

Every 5 minutes for MAX weight

3 Power Cleans starting weight 70% of your 1RM (building here)

2-6 Unbroken Ring Muscle-ups

400m Sprint 90%+

:90 REST IS A MUST

*125/135/145/150/152/155

*ALL sets of RMU: 3 UB

 

I’ve never front squatted 200# let alone 197# for two and I’m proud of that because clean & jerking 200# is one of my goals. I try not to compare my numbers to anyone else but myself because we’re in the business of building ourselves up, not knocking all the hard work we’ve done. I think a lot of people get caught up in comparison which in all honesty is very hard to do. I remember when I first started training competitively and how I felt, now as I’ve grown into my own as an athlete I find that comparison is few and far between. The only thing that stands between me and the bar is myself and in regards to mindset, if you want to do anything in life you have to believe in yourself.

 

After the front squat the boys and I moved into our main training piece, I was texting with my coach previously and mentioned that I was going to try and hit 3 unbroken reps for all sets of my ring muscle-ups. I remember clear as day in the middle of the workout regretting sending that text because now I had to hold myself accountable to my words (which I did, thankfully but not without struggle). This is what I mean when I talk about mindset because on my fourth set that last rep was very hard and all I was thinking was throwing my hips as hard as I could to get that last rep, giving up was no option and with that mindset, I succeeded.

 

I ended up power cleaning 155# for an unbroken touch and go set of three, my max power clean one rep is 165#, and being able to do three RMU unbroken for six sets left me feeling on top of the world. It’s been a very long time since I’ve PRed any lifts and made huge gains on my muscle up capacity, I attribute it to doing everything else outside of my life right.

KISS in the Age of HIT

Fitness, Life Health, , , , , , , , , , ,

KISS is it. No not the band. I know CeJ looks like he could be a member of the band circa 1977, yet let’s be honest here, they only have one good song. Now that I have alienated most of the Yinzers who love KISS, let’s talk about training. KISS is an acronym for Keep It Simple Stupid. This is one of the best things I did as a strength coach to improve my coaching and my athletes.

 

How many periodization models can you name? Conjugate, concurrent, western, tri-phasic, block or even 531. The confusion in training can be too much for many people. I know I often made this mistake. I was speaking to our own Cody Miller the other day about how often I have over-complicated my programming (for myself and my athletes). While I have never been a huge fan of HIT training as a year-round training style, I do believe we can learn a lot from these people. Look at Marty Gallagher, Dr. Ken Leistner, Mike Mentzer or even Arthur Jones.

 

HIT

 

For those of you unfamiliar with this style of training, it is simple, short, and hard. Even the great Dorian Yates used many of HIT’s methods to build his impressive physique. Dorian was known for having one of the best backs in the history of bodybuilding. Yet his secret to training was simplicity. HIT stands for High Intensity Training (in their case intensity is used as a mindset not % of 1 rep max). HIT training sessions are generally short with low total sets and most sets being taken to concentric failure or beyond. Training can be done as often as 5 times a week but generally, it is done 2-4 times per week.

 

I am not advocating to change your regimen to entirely HIT training, but I am claiming that too many overthink their training and do more thinking than working. I even look at Dr. Micheal Yessis’s 1×20 program as a continuation of HIT training. The difference is Yessis doesn’t train the athlete to fail. Yet it’s still one hard set of work and then moves on to the next exercise. This style of training does have its place in the gym and should not be ignored.

 

Moral of the story

 

When in doubt, train harder. Over my two decades in the iron game, I have seen too many people searching for the answer when the answer is more hard work. Build some sweat equity and push yourself to somewhere you have never been. I know I don’t have the answer yet I know hard work is never wrong.

 

– Todd Hamer

Cody’s Weekly Wrap Up

Fitness, State of the Union

What does it mean to have a good week of training? When we highlight the events of the past week, what makes something noteworthy or not? If you frame everything by reaching objectives, coming closer to goals, or fulfilling some quantifiable metric, you may find that some weeks will be “good” while others will be “bad”. The next question is, is this the most productive way to view training? I would say no.

 

Much of our performance can be outside the realm of our control. The natural fluctuations in your daily capabilities are influenced by a gentle interplay of your genetic potential and your interaction with the environment. These two factors can combine to produce some unexpected results at times. This means that you can have some surprisingly good performances and some surprisingly disappointing ones. So what are we to do if consistently good performance is hard to come by? Focus on what you can control every day and enjoy the activity that you are engaged with for its own sake.

 

My Cardio Lab classes are great. I have the tendency to play games. Games are a way to tap into our natural ability to problem solve, meet challenges, and be curious. My position is that cardio training doesn’t have to be miserable. It doesn’t have to be a chore. It can be a source of joy and self-discovery. If we get our heart rate up, seek out and overcome challenges,  have fun during the process, and reinforce the incentive to return to class, I have succeeded as a coach. If this interests you, you might like my Cardio Lab classes.

 

My personal training clients are numerous, so I’ll just give a quick shout out to each.

 

Ashley Koltonski- Ash came back from surgery this week. Ash is driven, but what really makes her stand out is her love for training. It shows with how willing she was to come back and train. We talk about philosophy and yoga. Or as Ash puts it, “woo woo” stuff.

 

 

Kyle Hartenstein- Kyle has made tremendous improvements over the last couple months. His physique has exploded in a short amount of time. He works his tail off. Some of my best moments during the week are when we update each other on what episode of Gilmore Girls we are watching. Judge us. I dare you.

Nate Kimel- Nate is such a huge personality and a ton of fun to be around. He’s extremely coachable and pushes the limit every day. The strength he has acquired has been impressive. We both have significant others that simultaneously befuddle us and fill our lives with immense joy and contentment. We talk and laugh about their unique idiosyncrasies and how lucky we are to have them in our lives.

 

Andrew Tennenbaum- Andrew is wicked smart. He’s coachable and a hard worker. He’s patient with results, and he keeps making incremental gains in strength. Usually Andrew blows my mind with some obscure and insane project that NASA worked on decades ago. Or we talk about how birds are government drones that are programmed to surveil us (it’s a joke, relax).

 

Eric Price- Eric is great to train. He’s honest with his effort, and he brings it even when he’s traveled extensively during the week. He’s seen some significant gains from his recent efforts. Recently we’ve been talking about how his Eagles have been riding the struggle bus this season.

 

Kim Canfield- I just started working with Kim this week, but she brings a great attitude to training and she gives great effort.

 

 

 

Controlling the Variables

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

When preparing for any event, game, or competition it is absolutely necessary to put as much focus into controlling all of the things that you have the ability to control. It’s also important to understand that there will be many factors that are outside of your control. The main thing to keep in mind is that the chips will fall where they may. There is no use in worrying or getting worked up about things that are out of your hands. The only thing you can do is prepare to the best of your abilities while controlling as many variables as possible. The rest of the time you are just rolling with the punches. Sounds kinda like life, huh?

 

Below is a list of things that you can control in order to achieve the best results possible on the day of your event, game, or competition.

 

Training program: Although it is not necessarily the most important aspect as most people believe, a properly designed training program is certainly a huge piece of the puzzle when it comes to your overall success. A program that is precisely planned will help you be better in all aspects of physical performance while also helping to keep you injury free.

 

Nutrition & Sleep: These are two areas that often go hand in hand, and in my opinion are two of the most important yet underrated aspects of overall performance. When you have a nutrition plan that works for both yourself and your goals, you will have more energy, you will recover better from your training sessions, and you will make better overall progress. Similar to this, the right amount of quality sleep will also have an overall affect on the same things. When incorporated together, they can have a huge impact on your overall performance and success.

 

Stress, attitude, and your response: We cannot always control some of the things that happen to us in our life, or in the world. But we do have control over how we choose to respond to those situations. Stressors are everywhere, and always seem to find us at the most inconvenient times. Through techniques such as meditation, visualization, positive self talk, advice from quality people, etc., you can control those stressors and even use them to benefit your training and performance.

 

Individual relationships/ people you choose to be around: Choose to be around good people who will lift you up and good things will happen. Chose to surround yourself with people who hold you back, and that’s exactly what will happen. Having the right people in your corner for guidance and support is absolutely necessary when you want to be your best. Quality individuals will always keep you on track when you’re heading in the right direction, and will put you in check when you veer off course. 

 

Control these variables, and you will give yourself the best chance to succeed. Do not worry about or focus on those other things that are out of your control. Prepare to the best of your abilities and good things will happen one way or another. Stay strong, my friends.

Movemember & Men’s Health

Life Health, , , , , , , , ,

The votes have been counted, and we have declared Movember the winner for this month’s education and charity event.  What do you think of my stache? Pretty cool, huh?!? Below is a little reminder of what Movmeber is all about.

 

Movember is an annual event where all partaking grow mustaches during the month of November. This is done to raise awareness of men’s health issues such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and men’s suicide. The Movember Foundation runs the Movember charity event, housed at Movember.com. The goal of Movember is to “change the face of men’s health.”

 

By encouraging men (whom the charity refers to as “Mo Bros”) to get involved, Movember aims to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis, and effective treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths. Besides annual check-ups, the Movember Foundation encourages men to be aware of their family history of cancer and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Using the mustache as the driving symbol of the movement, Movember focuses on the three key areas of prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health/suicide prevention.

 

Now gents, I’m asking you to let the hairy caterpillar blossom and promote awareness for men’s health. Remember that we men are stubborn about mental health and think we are too tough to get sick. It’s time to change the narrative here and educate men on how to indicate early and prevent these issues. We have people who love us and want to see us live long and strong lives. Ladies, you’re in this one, too! You have fathers, brothers, sons, and friends who need your support and a kick in the ass at times to take care of their health. This month I will do a few more blogs on this topic. This one is just for you to help me bring attention to this issue, so tell me about some topics you’d like to hear about.

 

Click here you can go and donate to promote Men’s health awareness. 

 

CeJ

How You Move Through Struggle Matters

Fitness, Life Health, , , , , , ,

If you read my training log last week you would know that I’ve been working on mindset,  in regards to how I am talking to myself during training. I’m a big believer in self-love and I practice this every day with my morning routine, listening to my body and prioritizing my mental health above all things.

 

I’ve been having a rough go at it recently, and honestly this last week felt like it would never end, I didn’t even want to go to training on Sunday because I hadn’t been eating. I was beyond exhausted and felt like I had absolutely no energy to give to a training session. But, I ended up going and for that, I am thankful because 2/3 of my training pieces were mentally stimulating and I pushed myself past the point at which I thought I would’ve failed.

 

My main training piece looked like this:

 

2 Rope Climbs

10 Clean + Jerks @ 125#

2 Rope Climbs

8 Clean + Jerks @ 135#

2 Rope Climbs

6 Clean + Jerks @ 145#

2 Rope Climbs

4 Clean + Jerks @ 155#

2 Rope Climbs

2 Clean + Jerks @ 165#

 

Let’s break this down a little bit, the rope climbs were just there and a minor formality to get to the barbell. The clean and jerks themselves were what I was struggling with mentally, after not fueling myself for at least a week I was feeling weak and just not prepared to lift heavy weight under fatigue. I was thinking all these things in my head during my warm-up sets and I only touched the 135# bar once before the workout.

 

Going into the workout I wasn’t confident but I lead with confidence, that’s where the difference lies. I would jog from the bar to the rope and walk to the bar from the rope, this was a strategic plan to keep my heart rate consistent and from skyrocketing. I knew I didn’t need to worry about the rope climbs but that I wanted to keep myself from failing any clean and jerks because having to hit that lift again after failing is soul-crushing (especially at a high percentage).

 

As the workout went on I still didn’t feel confident but I kept leading with an attacking mindset and staying calm. One of my training partners even mentioned after the workout that I looked like I was going to have a panic attack before the workout but he was proud that I kept myself collected throughout. As I move through workouts like this I’m starting to learn myself a little bit more and it’s crazy even after six years of CrossFit there is still so much I am realizing about my capabilities.

 

I was never once negative during this workout, I didn’t feel great but I also didn’t allow myself the space to dwell on the way my body felt. I trusted my training and what I had prepared for up until this point and I was not disappointed. I’d say this workout was a struggle for me, even if you visually couldn’t see it, it’s the mentality that takes the wheel regardless if you’re not feeling 100%.

 

I’m proud of how I performed in this workout and it was truly a test of what I have been working on endlessly in my training. Next time you’re having an off day in regards to your training (or simply life in general because I feel anything in the gym can be related to real-life in one-way shape or form) remember, how you move matters. Even if you don’t feel your best, be confident in yourself that you’ve done all the right things to help you push through.

Halloween BoooooCamp

Fitness, Life Health, , , , , , , , , ,

We had a lot going on this past weekend here at the UF headquarters.  The weekend started off with our second powerlifting meet of the year.  We had about 60 competitors lifting and dropping tons upon tons of weights.  We always love hosting these events.

 

We also had our Halloween BoooooCamp over at our friends’, ACB (Allegheny City Brewing). CJ “The Grim Reaper” Jasper led our team of ghouls and goblins over to put on a very scary workout that included, rowers, Rogue bikes, ski ergs, battle ropes, and the deadly prowler.

 

We had 15 “trick or treaters” that came and crushed our workout!  We were lucky to have sunshine and great weather to give our trick or treaters an awesome experience.  What made this special is that we had a healthy split of Union Fitness members and non-members that came out and joined the fun.

 

I have to say CJ held NOTHING back on this 5 station, 3 min round, non-stop, grueling workout!  10 mins into the workout the sweat was rolling off the heads of the brave souls that came out for the spooky event.

 

Here at UF, when we work hard, we play hard!  After the 5 deadly stations, we were all treated to the tasty craft beers at ACB. Matt, Amy, and their staff always treat us well with all the different flavored beers.

 

Whenever we do special events or mobile workouts, our General Manager Todd Hamer is adamant about giving back to the community.  This BoooCamp was dedicated to Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  We asked the attendees of the BoooCamp to bring gift cards for our friends over at the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, and they did not disappoint!  We have worked with WCS before and we love all the amazing work they do for victims of domestic violence.

 

Please stay tuned to our blog and our social media pages for updates on our next events.

 

Grayson

Weekly Wrap Up

Uncategorized, , , , , ,

Happy Friday Union fam, it’s been a great week here at the facility and going into the weekend we have a handful of things planned for our members and clients. But first a slight recap from myself (Jocelyn):

 

I can only speak for myself but I know the rest of our staff would agree, getting to spend our time with all of you is a privilege none of us take lightly. We all got into this field because we enjoy guiding people along their own fitness journeys and with that being said it is truly one of the few reasons that gets me out of bed in the morning. Now, some days are harder than others obviously but sometimes all I need is great one hour coaching session to get those endorphins going again, if you’ve taken any of my classes you know I’m always dancing and cracking really bad jokes.

 

On Monday’s and Fridays I coach my class MOVEment which is a slight play off of the CrossFit programming I have grown to love and what got me to enjoy working out. It’s fun for me to come up with workouts and watch my classes run through them, you’ll always leave a MOVEment feeling like you got a solid hard workout.

 

With classes still gaining traction during this pandemic I’ve had some great opportunities to get to know clients in classes one on one. When I first started here at Union back in January I was a fresh face and then the pandemic hit and we were all forced through virtual connection. Luckily social media in that respect was a game changer and when we came back, seeing some faces I haven’t seen in a long time made me so happy. 

 

I might be biased but Cardio Lab might be one of my favorite classes to program for, my Tuesday crew is about the same every week and they have all come to expect the same thing from me, a hard workout (but they secretly love it). I’m sure they all come to listen to my Halsey inspired playlists and my terribly awful dance moves, I know I need to work on them guys.

 

If you’re around this weekend, come take a Friday evening MOVEment with me at 6PM for a great grindy conditioning piece or hangout with me on Saturday. I’ll be here at Union for the Kabuki Open and going over to Allegheny City Brewery to hangout while CJ and Grayson coach some of you all through our Bootcamp and Boo’s!

 

So, if you’re free come hangout, have a beer and enjoy a (fingers-crossed) beautiful day!

 

Much love Union fam,

 

Jocelyn

Exercise is Medicine

Fitness, Life Health, Training, , , , ,

I’m sure you have all heard of the phrase “Exercise is Medicine” before, but have you ever taken a few minutes to reflect on what it means to you? 

 

It is so easy to get stuck in a repeat cycle of being unmotivated and feeling a little bit down. We all have those mornings when the alarm goes off and all you want to do is close your eyes, roll over, and go back to sleep. Once you have one of those mornings it seems like the rest of the days that follow tend to go the same way. This time of year, (when the weather gets colder, the days feel longer, you eat a lot of great holiday food, and you wear heavier/bigger clothing) it can be difficult to find that motivation to get yourself out of bed and do anything – especially get to the gym and exercise. The days when it is most important to find some time for yourself to go out and exercise are those days where you have no motivation, and maybe not feeling like yourself. The benefits of exercise are more than just physical. 

 

Even just one short 10 minute workout per day has a high amount of benefits. Exercise can get your heart rate up, reduce some daily stresses, and increase concentration throughout the rest of your day. You don’t need to set aside hours of your day to go to the gym to see some gainz. Just be sure to give yourself some time to get that workout in and I can guarantee it will turn out to be the best time of your day! 

CeJ Mustache You A Question

Fitness, Life Health, , , , ,

Hello to my hairy, well groomed, bald and hairless Brothers & Sisters of Union!

 

I have a very important task I mustache you to partake in. I want your voice to be heard, and I need you to vote! Yes, of course go vote on November 3rd for a few of those political blokes, but this one has the fate of my face on the ballot.

 

Your options for this vote are Movember (Grow a Mustache) or No-Shave November (Grow it All).

 

Movember: is an annual event involving the growing of mustaches during the month of November. This is done to raise awareness of men’s health issues such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and men’s suicide. The Movember Foundation runs the Movember charity event, housed at Movember.com. The goal of Movember is to “change the face of men’s health.”

 

By encouraging men (whom the charity refers to as “Mo Bros”) to get involved, Movember aims to increase early cancer detection, diagnosis and effective treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths. Besides annual check-ups, the Movember Foundation encourages men to be aware of family history of cancer and to adopt a healthier lifestyle.Using the mustache as the driving symbol of the movement, Movember focuses on the three key areas of prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health & suicide prevention.

 

No-Shave November: The goal of No-Shave November is to grow awareness by embracing our hair, which many cancer patients lose and letting it grow wild & free. Also, donating the money you typically spend on shaving and grooming to educate about cancer prevention, save lives and aid those fighting the battle.  

 

Whatever charity has the most votes, is what I will rock on my face for that month, set up a UF charity page and continue to educate everyone on these health issues. Please vote in the comments, DM and share this blog and let’s spread the word on men’s health.

 

Cheers my friends and let me hear you SCREAM!

 

-CeJ