Hey Friends!

I’m Hannah, a NASM certified personal trainer. I am a Pittsburgh native and have over two years of experience with individual and group training within the city. As a coach I strive to help each person I work with to create their OWN version of a healthy and happy life. I am from an active household and was taught how important it is to live a healthy life through movement. I grew up playing softball and golf. When I’m not in the gym I still love to get out on the course in my free time and I’m always looking for new hikes to go on with my dog Quinn. My biggest piece of advice is to find a way to make training FUN!! It is a lifelong commitment to your health, why not enjoy it?

See ya around the gym!

Hannah

Hello everyone! My name is Mary Howski, and I am a new trainer at Union. I am a student at Pitt, studying Exercise Science. About 90% of the people in my program want to pursue Physical Therapy, but there are a few of us, myself included, who want to follow a strength and conditioning route.  

There are two main things that led to me choosing this career path. First, I grew up playing year-round, super competitive volleyball for school and for club teams. I was a libero as well as the person who chose the warmup music and gave the pregame pep talks for my club team. This team is the reason I first started being involved with sports performance as we had several sessions per week of lifting, conditioning, etc. to help us excel at our sport. It was difficult, but also very rewarding and enjoyable. I loved the time spent in the weight room and on the turf because I loved our great coach-player dynamics and bonding with my teammates and best friends. 

Second, I have always had an immense passion for exercise and health in general. Since grade school I’ve been active, and I began to enjoy it more in high school when I started lifting. During my freshman year of college I studied psychology at Boston College, but I decided to study for my personal training certification. Throughout this process I realized the real extent to which I love training. I thought that my personality, passion, and desire to learn would make me well suited for a career in sports performance. So, I transferred to Pitt and have absolutely loved school since then. I love working hands-on with physical activity and general health, whether that means learning from a professor, another coach, or the other ExSci majors. I absolutely crave figuring out all that I can to help athletes perform at an excellent, efficient level.  

I have experience in personal training, teaching group exercise, and shadowing/working with teams. This summer I will have the privilege of working with Pitt Men’s and Women’s Basketball, and I could not be more excited to be in the weight room with their very hard-working coaches and players.  

Outside of the gym, I love to read, go to concerts, and discover new music. I’m also a huge fan of long walks, painting my friends’ nails, and figuring out how to meditate. I am also a massive Cleveland Cavaliers fan. After finals week is over, I’m planning to spend some more hours at Union with all of you extremely dedicated and impressive people! I’m so grateful to be here! 

Mary

Hello Friends of Union Fitness!

This past weekend we hosted our fourth annual Push/Pull fundraiser competition. It was a huge success, and we were able to see some awesome lifts from all our participants. There were some lifters who had participated in powerlifting meets or the push/pull in the past, and there were some who had never stepped up on a platform before. It is always so great to see everyone try their hardest to crush some PR’s and celebrate even the small wins. We also raised a little over $500 to donate to HEARTH. An organization that provides a range of supportive services and housing that empowers homeless families, who are survivors of domestic violence or other trauma to become independent, self-sufficient, and adequately housed; to foster housing opportunities to prevent homelessness and encourage safe, affordable housing.

I would like to take a moment to say thank you to every individual who helped us out that morning, and put their best effort forward.

CJ – thank you for killing it on the mic and for keeping the morning flowing.

Jen – thank you for being an amazing judge and helping select bench rack heights for all of the lifters.

Jared – thank you for also being an amazing judge and helping with weigh ins for the gentlemen.

Ward & Dahveed – thank you both for the stellar spotting job throughout the morning. You guys were sweating the most out of everyone from working so hard.

Ava – thank you for being an amazing photographer, we appreciate all of the hard work you put in.

Sandhya – thank you for keeping me in line and ensuring all the flights and lifts were recorded correctly. Also, for being a great videographer.

For those of you who competed, we are all very proud of how far you’ve come in your training and are excited to continue to watch your progress. Congratulations on competing in either your first push/pull or your second/third/fourth. Looking forward to next year!

Toria

Hi Union Fitness Team! As many of you know, I have spent the past couple months interning here at Union Fitness to broaden my knowledge of and grow my skills in the fitness field. With my internship sadly nearing its final weeks, I would like to highlight some of the important lessons I have learned throughout this experience, as well as sincerely thank everyone for the pivotal role you all have played in my growth as a fitness professional.  

One of the most prominent things I have learned during my time at Union Fitness is how many different ways we can move our bodies to achieve our fitness goals. Through joining different classes, I have learned so many new and creative exercises that target all the same muscles without having to stick to the same repetitive routine or conventional movements. This keeps exercising interesting, as performing the same movements each week can become a very monotonous and mundane experience which can make it difficult to find excitement and motivation when entering the gym. Switching up your routine every now and then by trying new exercises or focusing on different modes such as cardio, plyometrics, weightlifting, yoga, etc. can keep exercising an exciting experience! 

A key aspect of reaching your fitness goals is the type of environment you are surrounded by. As I have seen here at UF, a supportive environment can help you PR, reach your fitness goals, and boost your mood more than you think. Many times I have witnessed members and staff supporting each other throughout their workouts, ultimately pushing each other to achieve what they set out to pursue. I have both seen and experienced the difference that a supportive environment can make when it comes to lifting heavy weight or completing another set when it feels super difficult. The supportive environment fostered by UF has helped me learn just how important it is to cheer each other on and how far that support can go. 

This experience has taught me how important it is to take care of your body when it comes to exercising. While this sounds like a given, oftentimes we forget to properly warm up our bodies and stretch out after completing a challenging workout. Warming up your body correctly through performing mobility exercises and dynamic stretches prior to beginning a workout can make or break your performance. Taking the time to stretch out your muscles post-exercise is also imperative to keeping your body moving at its best. Coupling these practices together, while also listening to your body and giving it what it needs in terms of fuel and rest, is essential in preventing injury and keeping your body healthy. Rest is just as important as exercise! 

Lastly, one of the biggest lessons I have learned during my time at UF is not to be afraid of asking questions, asking for help, and trying new things. This is how you learn and build your confidence! Through asking questions and jumping into new experiences, I have learned so much about not only the fitness field, but myself as well. The welcoming community at UF has helped me feel comfortable and confident in my journey through learning and growing as a fitness professional, and I am grateful for everyone who has played a part in my experience! 

Over the course of my time at Union Fitness, I have learned and grown so much in so many aspects. I am excited to continue throughout my last few weeks here and look forward to what else there is to learn! 

Amanda Giunta