All posts by rnagy

UF Adventure Team

Fitness, Life Health, Training, , , , ,

For those of you who couldn’t join us last Saturday we had a fun day of outdoor exercise and showed our new expansion (The Performance Lab). We here at UF are happy to be expanding our services to all of our members. One area I am hoping to see growth is our outdoor activities.

 

One of the events we had last weekend was the first ever UF bike ride. It was a small affair with 4 riders, but an active and fun group. We rode our bikes from here through the Northside and into the strip district for a nice tour of our fine city. The ride consisted of a few nice little climbs but nothing too bad.

 

I hope events such as this ride become a more normal activity here at UF. With all that we as a society have been through in the last three months let’s all try to get outside more. Find ways to connect with your community and see the beauty in the world. My challenge to UF is to find ways to be active, while remaining safe and healthy.

 

Thank you all for what you do, and if you have new ideas as to how we can get outside and be better people, neighbors and friends please tell us.

 

Peace and Love,

 

Todd Hamer

Welcome Back!

Training, , ,

As you may have seen this Saturday June 13th, 2020 we will be showing off our new digs. This blog is just a reminder about what we will have going on, and how we will have a great and safe day of training.

 

All training this Saturday will be outside on our brand new turf area adjacent to our new performance center. Here is the schedule.

 

9 AM Powerful with CeJ

10 AM Yoga

11 AM Cardiolab

12 PM Powerful

1 PM Bootcamp

2 PM Yoga

2 PM UF Bike ride. Bring your own bike and we will ride the local trails for an hour or so.

 

We have a few local sponsors that will may have some free stuff for you :-)! So bring a friend and we are keeping all classes under 15 people. All classes will be held outside so that we can all train safely.

 

Hope to see you Saturday!

Todd Hamer

CeJ’s and Hams Awesome Adventure

Uncategorized

T’was a hot day in the land of the Northside. As our quarantine was coming to a close some of us braved this heat to begin our training cycles. During the time away many of us (mainly me, Ham) were not able to keep up on our training. Others (CeJ) did, mainly because his girlfriend is tougher than CeJ.

 

With our return we have decided it’s time for us to train together again. A little history of our relationship, CeJ and I have known each other for 6 years and have trained together many a time. We pretty much know what to expect from one another.

 

Our day…

 

Today is our first “conditioning day” back together again. The plan was 3-5 sets of the following,

 

Farmers 320 lbs total walked from UF to Building 4 (no clue distance).

5 Box Jumps.

8 D Ball Throws over shoulder 80#.

 

Luckily our good friend and UF superhero WARD jumped in with us as he thought it looked amusing. The first set was hotter than a pepper sprout (as my southern friends would say). After my first set I placed my body in the shade and top a nap. Set two I began my full body cramps, set 3 was a dark place for me. CeJ decided to remind me that I am a full decade older than he is and he did two more sets.

 

Morale to the story is when we return be who you are and accept that you may not be ready to train the way you were back in March. The road to strength is a long and windy one, respect the trip and have some fun.

 

Keep improving my friends.

 

Todd Hamer

Welcome to the NEW UF

Uncategorized, ,

Union Family & friends,

 

We are pumped to see your smiling masked faces and tossing around all of the elbow bumps as we get back into the kettlebell swing of things.

 

We have great news, huge news, the best news coming your way, Saturday 13th from 9am-3pm we will be having a day of outside socially distanced classes to show off our addition to our main UF location. “What will be there President Bumps-a-Lot?” Well let me tell you my friends, we will have Pittsburgh’s DJ truck providing jams, Fit Fresh Kitchen meals, Come Ready Protein Drinks and You of course! “Wow, how cool, tell me more”! You got it buddy, check out the schedule below and come get bumpy with all your favorite UF Coaches.

 

Saturdays are for Social Distance and Getting Bumpy

 

9am: Powerful w/CeJ

 

10am: Yoga

 

11am: Cardio Lab

 

12pm: Powerful w/Curty

 

12pm: Yoga on the Lawn

 

1pm: Bootcamp

 

2pm: Yoga

 

2pm: Bike Adventures w/Hamer (BYOB) (Bring Your Own Bike)

 

We are very excited to show off our new space and have our UF family back together, so excited that if you want to bring a friend, please do (just give us a heads up please). We will also use this time to come together and donate to the Pittsburgh Food Bank, any canned goods are welcomed and appreciated. Any of our members that are business owners and would like to join us in this event please reach out.

 

Let’s have some fun, stay safe and come together as a UF community.

 

Cheers,

CeJ

Stronger Together

State of the Union,

We want to let you know that we are here to support you through all that is happening in our country.  The tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery have ignited demonstrations around the country.We stand in support of and in solidarity with the people and communities who are championing equality.

 

In our community we want these unfortunate events to highlight the importance of diversity and inclusion and our stand against racism.

 

The issues people are voicing today are deep-rooted and require meaningful change.  We understand that to make change takes action.  Solving these issues will take an unrelenting commitment to fight against racism and on behalf of equality.  That action needs to begin with all of us and we look forward to working to build a more equitable future for our company, communities, and country. To help drive these vital changes, going forward we are committing that a portion of all future charitable donations by Union Fitness will be committed to Black owned businesses, community based organizations and underrepresented people in our local neighborhoods.

 

We wish you all well.

 

UF

Four Pillar’s: Nutrition

Uncategorized, , , ,

Nutritional deficiency: an inadequate supply of essential nutrients (as vitamins and minerals) in the diet resulting in malnutrition or disease.

 

Nutritional deficiencies are common among most people. In the first link below Dr. Rhonda Patrick talks about how people who don’t take a multivitamin have inadequate vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin A. I am not prescribing vitamins but I want to give you an idea of how common it is to be deficient. She goes on to discuss that people who take a multivitamin can still be deficient in these vitamins.

 

If you remember in my last article I talk about optimal levels. I talk about how you don’t have to be deficient in something to feel the symptoms of not being at optimal levels. Now, the best way to know what your levels are at, of anything whether it be hormones or vitamins, is to get blood work. But once you get blood work done you are probably asking “what is an optimal level?” This is where I believe a dietitian can play a huge role. There are many experts online that give free info on such things. My favorites on nutrition are Dr. Rhonda Patrick, Dr. Eric Serrano, and Stan Efferding. Playing with your levels, to a degree, shouldn’t be harmful. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND GETTING YOUR VITAMINS FROM FOOD FIRST! Meaning if you are low in a vitamin try to consume the food that has an abundance of it before mega-dosing with a vitamin supplement.

 

Let’s talk about absorption. Many people like to go out and buy a multivitamin that has every vitamin and mineral. Getting the multivitamin that has 3000% of each thing. Don’t do this. Please. Certain vitamins inhibit other vitamin absorption so you might as well throw that pill into the toilet and save some of your time. Calcium is notorious for this. Calcium is known to inhibit iron and zinc. So if you are taking one of these I would avoid taking them with foods that are high in calcium such as dairy unless prescribed by a doctor or dietitian. Now there is also the opposite, certain vitamins increase absorption. For example, Vitamin D helps calcium absorption. Keep this in mind when taking certain supplements or about to buy some multivitamins that guarantee everything in them.

 

 

I am sure you are reading this saying “well I eat healthily and take a multivitamin so I am probably at optimal levels let alone deficient in the vitamin.” For that reason, Let me share my experience with vitamin deficiency. When training more constantly I would eat red meat as my main source of protein, for more than half my meals. But during this time I was becoming chronically tired, yawning throughout the day, not recovering from workouts, and craving ice-cold water constantly. When I say poor recovery, I mean it once took 7 days to recover from a hamstring workout. I first tried to increase my sleep time from 7-8 hours to over 9 hours; it didn’t work. I started increasing some anaerobic training thinking this would assist in recovery; now I wasn’t recovering from the anaerobic training. I finally reduced my time lifting weights: which made a moderate difference but decreased my progression.  I finally spoke to two different nutritionists. One recommended B vitamins supplement (which I was already taking) and the other recommended an adrenal cleanse. Both did not work. Finally, I had a blood test that showed I was deficient in Iron. Now, if you are thinking this makes no sense considering the amount of red meat I was eating you would be spot on. But then I had another that showed the same results. I started supplementing with 15 mg of iron and after 2 days, my energy levels increased to the equivalent of feeling as though I drank 3 cups of coffee. My workout recovery improved, naps during the day were no longer necessary, and I barely yawn now. It also resulted in drinking far less caffeine. This could be from multiple factors but either way, it’s important to check what you might be missing.

 

By the way, your fancy pre-workout is not going to fix your vitamin deficiency but it will mask it.

Dr. Rhonda Patrick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0u8UdZeOhc&t=158s

Calcium and Iron 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21462112/

Calcium and Zinc 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9174476/

Vitamin D and Calcium 

https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/osteoporosis/role-calcium-vitamin-d-bone-health

Examples of Combinations of Vitamin’s 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/Nutritions-dynamic-duos

Trigger Points

Life Health, Training,

Have you ever encountered a situation that made you feel emotionally triggered? Well, the muscles in your body can feel triggered, too. In fact, your body has trigger points at any given moment. You may or may not have heard your Massage Therapist mention trigger points, but today I am going to delve into the what’s, why’s, and hows of these little (maybe big) buggers.

 

“I have a knot in my *fill in the blank,” said by all of us at some point. Technically your muscles don’t have little people inside tying the fibers together into knots, but what you are feeling does seem knotty and rope-like. Those are the trigger points. Muscle fiber(s) can become triggered typically by something like injury or overuse. These lesions that are now within the sarcoplasmic reticulum cause a release of excess calcium ions which create the sustained muscle contraction. These sustained contractions lead to a poor supply of oxygen which in turn decreases the ability of the small tears from healing.

 

By the muscle remaining contracted, it is shortened which decreases the range of motion as a defense mechanism to prevent injury. You may begin to notice this happening as pain in the relative area and/or weakness. While the muscle is doing what it is programmed to do to prevent injury, it is not effectively doing the action it is meant to do which is a problem. Think about it: you want to do a bicep curl but your bicep (“problem muscle”) says, “naw I don’t feel great, the other guys can help”. The bicep is the prime mover and not doing the work, so in order to complete the curl, our body has to recruit other muscles around the area to do something that is not their job, or at least not their primary role. Can you see how although the body will perform the movement, it isn’t optimal? The longer we decide to work through the pain and allow compensations to occur, the trigger point will worsen causing the muscle to become weaker and more dysfunctional. It will continue to prevent the affected muscles from fully lengthening and relaxing as well as tire quickly, recover slowly, and contract excessively. If we want to continue to become stronger and function well, we need to move optimally.

 

Although we are capable of working through the pain during the early stages, that is also when we are most able to combat the problem before it develops into something more serious. There are a few different ways to take care of your muscles if you are already feeling the symptoms. You can try on your own through the use of foam rollers, body tempering items, percussion guns, or other items that can release the surrounding fascia. If you would like to plan a professional treatment once or twice a month and let someone else do the work, I would recommend finding a Massage Therapist you can trust. Having someone who is trained to palpate muscle, identify trigger points, and also understands the surrounding area is a beneficial option for your recovery.

 

At the end of the day, despite how careful we are and how great we are with taking care of our body, there will always be trigger points floating around the body. It is not a reason to live in constant fear, avoid movement, or overthink how you move. However, if you are aware of your body mechanics and devote yourself to proper nutrition, sleep, and forms of therapy, you can certainly help prevent and mitigate further problems from occurring.

Welcome to the Green Phase

State of the Union, , ,

As per the governor’s announcement today, we are now moving into the green phase of re-opening. What does this mean to us? It means Union Fitness will be re-opening! Before we can re-open, we have some house cleaning to do. 

 

Equipment loan program.

 

If you borrowed equipment from the gym, we ask that you return it next week. We will have staff in the gym from 12-3 every day for you to drop off any equipment that you borrowed. When you drop it off, make sure the staff checks off what you are returning. If you have issues with drop off times, email todd@unionfitness.com and we can work with you. 

 

Expanded UF.

 

Our expansion is nearing completion. We were planning on having a party to open this space, yet we feel it is inappropriate to host a large event right now. Instead we are doing a day of outside classes on June 13th. We will have a schedule posted next week for our kickoff. We will have free classes all day and they will all be held outside on our new turf.

 

Iron City Open.

 

The meet we host every year has been postponed, and we are planning on hosting this meet in August. Let’s keep our city healthy so we can get back to doing what we love!

 

Finally, we will have new policies for everyone entering the facility. Here is a list of the new policies we will be enforcing.

 

Re-Opening Procedures Union Fitness

  1. Everyone entering UF will have their temperature taken. Anyone with a temperature above 100 degrees will not be allowed to enter.
  2. If you have any symptoms of COVID-19 we ask you to stay home and observe the CDC guidelines regarding quarantining periods before returning to UF.
  3. If you test positive for COVID-19 or become aware that you have been exposed to someone who has the disease we ask that you promptly inform Todd Hamer so that we can have the sanitation procedures recommended by the CDC completed for the impacted areas.  We will keep this information confidential and will not identify you.  Our staff will be following the same procedures.
  4. Everyone who enters must first go to the locker room and wash your hands.
  5. Please respect everyone and wipe down equipment before and after each use using the disinfectant wipes provided by UF.
  6. All staff will be required to wear masks while inside the UF space.  All clients must wear masks when entering and exiting Nova Place, until they are within the UF space.
  7. Personal equipment cannot be left within the facility until further notice. 
  8. Gym capacity will be 20 people maximum in fitness center, 15 people maximum in strength lab, 10 people maximum in cardio lab and 12 people maximum in performance lab.
  9. A maximum of 5 people will be allowed in the locker room at any one time. We ask that you do not spend unnecessary time in the locker room. If there are 5 people or more in the locker room, please wait your turn.
  10. Use the hand sanitizer provided.

 

Please be patient and understand that we are all getting through this together. We will  do all we can to assist our members and work to resolve any issues you may have.

 

These procedures will be updated as the situation evolves and we receive guidance from applicable governmental authorities.

Redefining Your Goals

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Like many of you I have found myself at a stopping point and asking the hard question, what am I working towards now? As complex beings we are built on the bases of looking for the next thing, it could be a vacation, a performance goal whether professional or personal or finally getting to that home project we’ve been pinning on Pinterest for about a year. Whatever it is to you, getting started is the most agonizing part of the journey.

 

In todays blog I am going to talk steps related specifically on redefining your goals:

 

#1: Start Where You Are

 

Analyze where you are in your life in the present moment. What are you wiling to do during this time and what aren’t you willing to do, there is no right or wrong answer. Understand that where you are in the present moment isn’t a place you will be forever and have empathy for yourself, knowing there isn’t a time limit on when you have to remove yourself from this space.

 

Let’s start with a 5-minute journal every morning, here are some questions you can ask yourself:

      • How am I feeling? Why might I be feeling this way, good or bad.
      • Can I be accepting of this feeling? If the answer is no, what is limiting me from accepting this feeling?
      • What is one thing I am grateful for today?

 

 

One thing I’ve noticed over the past few months is when I take time for myself in the morning it sets the tone for my entire day. I used to coach CrossFit at 5:30AM Monday to Friday, for 2 years straight then go to my day job and it was draining. At the end of the day when it was time for me to workout and give to myself, I found that I had nothing left to give. It was only when I started slowing down, even just to enjoy my coffee in the morning that I felt fuller day by day.

 

 

#2: Action Creates Momentum

 

Any small action will ultimately create momentum towards the final goal. With this in mind, what is one action you can take today to move you closer to tomorrow? It could be as simple as folding that laundry basket you’ve been avoiding or going for a 10 minute walk. Folding that laundry basket could turn into getting to those dishes from last night or that walk could turn into doing a Union At Home workout. All you need to do is start, even if it’s just getting out of bed in the morning, that in itself could be everything. 

 

 

#3: Find Your Routine Again

 

So we’re journaling, we’re taking small actions within our lives and maybe we’re just feeling better overall. Like I said in #1, taking time for yourself will help keep your cup full because if we are continually emptying our cup over and over again something is going to break. We’ve all been clearly thrown out of our routine and probably getting eager to get back to it, so what does that look like? 

 

Grab your phone or a piece of paper and draw out your ideal week:

    • Label it for Monday through Friday
    • What time do you wake up at? How do you start your morning?
    • What does taking time for yourself look like? Is it working out or just enjoying a few extra minutes in bed with your favorite book?
    • Do you have kids? Have you wanted to find things as a family to do together?
    • Are you single? Have you wanted to make more time for your family/friends?
    • Are you in a relationship? What does a date night look like to you?

 

 

When was the last time you really sat down and looked at your entire week, start to finish. I’m sure most of you go through the paces much like myself and let the days blend together but sometimes a little structure goes a long way, even if its just writing it down.

 

#4: Pick One

 

Without essentially picking a goal we’ve starting analyzing our own lives and doing things to move us closer to tomorrow. We’ve done this by, understanding where we are presently and taking time for ourselves that turns into small daily actions that make us feel better. This allows us to dream up what could be and results in attainable goals to choose from. Your current goals could essentially be finding fun things to do with your partner, kids, family or friends. It doesn’t need to be something that so far out of reach or a goal that takes months to achieve. 

All we need is to understand that the world we live in now is so different than the one we had a few months ago and our goals should reflect that. It is also of the upmost importance to realize that where you are personally is different from someone you see on social media, put yourself first and take the steps you need to keep your cup full.

 

Disclaimer: 

 

Obviously I’m no expert in any one thing but I’ve found as an athlete and coach that there are tools I’ve obtained over the years that have helped me grow, I’ve learned these from coaches, mentors, close friends and even podcasts I’ve listened to. If anything I hope one of these four things help you look inward and find your growth even if its just looking at tomorrow.

 

Much love,

J

Improve Your Sleep

Life Health, , , ,

Do you ever wake up from a night of sleep or a quarantine nap and swear your body secretly did a super intense workout? A lot of factors can contribute to your quality of sleep, but one somewhat simple solution could be due to your sleep position. Now of course, altering your position won’t help you fall asleep quicker or ensure a deeper sleep, but it will help your body feel better in the AM.

 

You’re probably wondering “what is this magical sleep position”? You might also be wondering how am I supposed to monitor this if I am asleep? The good news is that however you choose to sleep right now might be okay with only small adjustments. The bad news is that you can’t watch, you’ll have to pay someone to stay awake and splash water on you every time you move. Just kidding, thankfully.

 

So, here is the simple answer. The spine needs to remain neutral and what that means is that all three curves of your spine need to be aligned. This includes your cervical (neck), thoracic (mid back), and lumbar (low back hip area). With that said this does eliminate certain positions but still leaves you with probably your most favorite. Here’s a breakdown of a few tips:

 

Sleeping on your side: This position is one of the most popular and while it is good for pregnant women, it’s still a valid option for others as well.

 

The downfall: your upper leg will stay in hip adduction and internal rotation pulling the lumbar spine. Your bottom arm may also become numb which can lead to impingement. If sleeping on your side with your knees also bent in fetal it can cause shortened hip flexors which can affect the position of the pelvis.

 

The fix: place a pillow between your knees to prevent your top leg from pulling on your spine. A little bit trickier considering you are asleep, but try to rotate sides throughout the night or at least every night to avoid the same arm being on the bottom. Finally, stay on your side if you’d like, but try to keep your legs straight rather than bent.

 

Sleeping on your stomach: Also a comfortable position and may help ease snoring.

 

The downfall: Your head may be turned for breathing, your arm may be overhead, and the cervical and lumbar spine may be more elevated than the thoracic.

 

The fix: Sleep with your face flat down on a pillow by placing your forehead on the pillow allowing you to still breathe but better align your spine. You can also add a pillow under your stomach to raise that to a neutral position. It would also be beneficial to keep your arms by your side.

 

Sleeping on your back: The position commonly known as “the best”, but it still has its own advantages and disadvantages.

 

The downfall: It may aggravate low back pain or sleep apnea. Pregnant women should also avoid this position, at least towards the end. The positive side is that your spine is in a neutral position. There is not necessarily a fix given your spine is already neutral; however, if you suffer from sleep apnea or low back pain it may not be the best choice. When it is all said and done, the most important factor to keep in mind is that your spine remains neutral, no matter the sleep position you choose. It’s a nice treat to know that you still have the ability to choose a favorite way to sleep while also helping you feel much better when you wake. So, grab a few extra pillows and play around with the way you sleep. Your AM self will thank you. 🙂