All posts by rnagy

The Best Thing About Working at Union Fitness

State of the Union

What’s going on everyone!

 

As of late, I have been thinking about how Union Fitness has impacted my life and why I was attracted to this gym that is now my work place. At first, I thought that the hard working environment was what brought me in since I love to push my own boundaries much like all of our members, the powerlifters that train here, or our athletes. But after some consideration, I realized that the hardworking environment was just a part of the reason of why I wanted to work here. 

 

The largest influence on me pursuing my own professional growth at Union Fitness is the relationships I have made with so many people here. In my own opinion, the best thing about Union is the aura or vibe that creates positive relationships among our employees, our members, and our athletes. I have met so many awesome people in the 2.5 years I have been here. Some of which, I will remain friends with for the rest of my life. I can’t quite pinpoint the exact reason on how or why Union Fitness cultivated such awesome relationships but what I do know, is that I am thankful for each and every person that has made an impact here.

 

Whether you are a member, an employee, or an athlete, I thank you for making Union Fitness such a positive place to work at. Keep on hustling on your own personal goals and keep being you! We appreciate you all!!!

 

Trainz

 

2024 Push/Pull

State of the Union, Training

Hello Union Fitness!

 

Happy Thursday!

 

We are super excited to host another in house push/pull competition this year. I’ll give you a quick overview of what a push/pull is in case you’re unfamiliar:

 

What is a push/pull?

 

A push/pull is a modified version of a powerlifting meet. It is a bench press and deadlift competition. The meet will be run in flights, a flight is a group of lifters, normally 10-15 lifters. Lifters are arranged by first attempted weight. Bench will always be first, and each lifter will lift their opening attempt. After this attempt the lifter will tell the scorers table what their next attempt will be. Each lifter will get three attempts. Once all bench press flights are done we will move on to the deadlift. The deadlift is run the same way as the bench. At the end, the winners are announced based on a Wilkes or Dots score. This takes into account bodyweight and total weight lifted.

 

Who can do the UF push pull?

 

Anyone! This meet is open to all gym members and friends of members here at UF. We have had people use this meet as an opportunity to train for a bigger meet, get themselves an introduction into powerlifting, or just to set some goals and go for them.

 

When is the push/pull?

 

This year the meet will be held on April 6th. Lifting will start at 10 AM. Weigh ins will be 8:45-9:30AM.

 

What is the cost?

 

We will be charging $25 for this meet. We will donate the money in full to a local charity (working on which charity now and are open to suggestions).

 

What are we doing to help our members prepare for the push/pull?

 

In our #powerful classes, you all have been doing heavy singles in the deadlift and bench press this past week. You will continue to work on your heavy singles throughout next week (3/18-3/22) as well. During the week of the 25th – 29th, it will be more of a “transition week” preparing you for the commands used with both the deadlift and bench press during the push/pull. The week of the push/pull (4/1-4/5), will be a deload week, meaning you will be running through all of the movements, but at a very light weight.

 

 

If you have done our push/pull in the past we hope to see you back again this year.

 

Sign ups are now live on MindBody!

 

Looking forward to seeing you all there,

 

Team UF

5/3/1 Program 101

Fitness, Training

Hello everyone Hanson here,

 

Today’s blog is about one of the classic powerlifting programs developed by Jim Wendler. The core principle of the 5/3/1 program is starting light, progress slowly but steadily, and break personal records (that’s not your 1RM).

 

Starting Light:
While this might be counterintuitive for someone who wants to lift as much weight as possible, starting lighter provides more room for improvement and more practice volume without the crushing feeling of fatigue. It might be a tough pill to swallow for some, it is far better than pain from injuries and stalled progression.

 

Progress Slowly:
This goes hand in hand with starting light, it will help those who want to get bigger and stronger from self-sabotaging their own progress. Instead of aiming at an arbitrary number based on what people advertise on social media, every set’s weight is calculated based on your PERSONAL training max.

 

Break Personal Records:
5/3/1 is set up so you can break your personal records on your 5 rep and 3 rep sets on a weekly basis. To live or die by your 1RM pr every week is one quick way to discourage yourself from making progress. Instead, focus on hitting pr’s with reps with the same weight, if your squat goes from 225 x 3 to 225 x 5, you have definitely gotten stronger.

 

How to set up 5/3/1

 

You are expected to weight train 4 days a week for this program. Each day is centered around a core lift: bench, shoulder press, squat, and deadlift. Start your workout with 5 to 10 minutes of mobility and warmup, focusing on slowly moving through the warmup movement with full range of motion. After warmup, you will proceed to the main training block. Each training cycle lasts 4 weeks, with the following set-rep goals for each major lift.

 

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Set 1 65% x 5 70% x 3 75% x 5 40% x 5
Set 2 75% x 5 80% x 3 85% x 3 50% x 5
Set 3 85% x 5+ 90% x 3+ 95% x 1+ 60% x 5

 

For the weight calculations, we are basing it off your training max, which is 90% of your competition/max effort 1RM. For example, if your absolute 1RM for bench press is 315lbs your training max will be 315 x 0.9 = 285 lbs. So, for week one, your first set of bench press will be at 285 x 0.65 = 185 lbs. for 5 reps, and then 285 x 0.75 = 215 lbs. for 5 reps, and the last set 285 x 0.85 = 245 lbs. for 5 or more reps with all-out effort. The magic happens on that last set where you really push yourself to set that multi-rep PR! But don’t ignore the nice foundation you’re building with the first two set and assistance work you’ll do after.

 

Assistance Work:

Along with the bench press, squat, shoulder press, and deadlift, 5/3/1 includes assistance exercises to build muscle, prevent injury, and create a balanced physique. My favorites are strength-training staples like chin-ups, dips, lunges, rows, and back extensions. I like to do 4 to 5 sets of 15 reps for those assistance exercises. The goal is NOT to go as heavy as you can for those assistance exercises. The goal is to keep the tension in the muscle while maintaining good form as you go through sets of 15. For exercises such as chin-ups and dips, I just use my body weight, and for exercises like the lunge and rows, I have 30lb dumbbells in each hand.

 

5 Tips to a successful 5/3/1 program from Jim Wendler himself:
1. Start with a realistic idea of your one-rep max, and follow my instructions to base all training weights on 90% of that max. You can make it easy on yourself by spending a couple of workouts working up to a four-rep-max set of each of the four core lifts.

2. Your 3RM should be about 90% of your 1RM. Once you have that 3RM, you can skip a step in your calculations and just use it for all your subsequent percentages.

3. The final set of your core lift in each workout is the one that produces mass and strength, so give it everything you have, and get as many reps as you can with that weight.

4. The exceptions are the deloading workouts in Week 4. You’re giving your muscles a break, not trying to establish new PRs.

5. When you start a new four-week cycle, add 5 pounds to your 1RMs for bench and shoulder presses and 10 pounds for squats and deadlifts, and recalculate training weights using the new numbers.

 

I will be adding more content relating to 5/3/1 in the future as I am currently 1 cycle into this training myself! Feel free to ask me any questions about this training if you see me around the gym!

 

Keep on lifting!
Hanson

Get Down With Turkish Getups

Fitness, Training
Greetings Unionits,
On this wild journey we call life, have you ever got down on the floor, stood up from the floor and then perhaps later got back down on the floor? If your answer was a striking, “why, yes I do believe so” then you gotta get down with the Turkish get up.
If you’ve been taking our Thursday #powerful class, you may already be a champion Turkish Get Up-er. If you’ve been coming to #powerful class and have never heard of a Turkish Get Up, then you’ve just been caught red handed, skipping out on a fun class. Have no fear, there is still time to learn and perform the TGU (Turkish Get Up).
Let’s talk about this magical big bang for your buck exercise. The TGU takes your body through all 3 planes of motion, transverse (rotational), sagittal (forward & backward) and frontal (up & down). We’re talking abdominal strength with rotation and bracing, shoulder stability with an overhead press, lower body strength with bridges and lunging. This is a most excellent full body exercise and one not to scough at. Not only can the TGU provide overall full body strength , this exercise contributes to injury prevention by improving our coordination, balance, mobility and stability. Wowzer, how neat! Also, you’ll impress all your friends and bring your enemies to their knees with your new found feats of strength.
Now that we’ve hyped the TGU up, let’s talk about how to perform the unbelievable act.
1) You’ll start flat on your back with your left arm pressed to the sky like you are  preforming a single arm floor press. Your right leg will be straight on the floor with your left leg bent as if you were about to attempt a single leg glut bridge.
2) Now, let’s move. From position 1 you’ll begin to reach that left arm straight up to the sky while you simultaneously roll your hips to the right and start to brace on your right elbow and forearm.
3) From position 2, keep reaching that left hand to the sky while you now press through your right hand to kick stand your upper body off the floor.
4) Once your upper body and back are off the floor you’ll continue to reach that arm to the sky and now push through that left foot to drive into a glute bridge. Now take your right leg, which should be straight and thread it back underneath your hips to be in a 1/2 kneeling position with your right kickstand hand on the floor.
5) Now push your kickstand hand off the floor and drive that left hand tall so we are now in a 1/2 kneeling single arm overhead press position. If you’ve made it this far, congratulations, really just 1 more step to get up.
6) From your 1/2 kneeling overhead position you’ll use the strength from your left leg to lunge yourself tall into a standing position. Still keeping that left arm straight and tall to the sky.
Yahooo, you’ve done it and got up to the standing position of a TGU. You may now be thinking, “well am I done or do I have to come back down to the floor?” Just like the brainiacs you are, that is absolutely correct. You do have to come back down to the starting position to complete a TGU. Just take the steps I provided you with and do them in reverse to climb back down to the floor safe and sound.
Let it be known that when you are learning this exercise or any new movement that technique quality is far more important than overall weight. Step away from your ego, my doods. If you want I’d be more than happy to show you your next favorite exercise in person, whenever you’re ready.
Party hard,
CeJ

Meet the Interns – Ricky

State of the Union

Hello!

 

My name is Ricky and I am a senior Exercise Science student at the University of Pittsburgh. I am from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, so I am a big Philly sports fan. If you have any interesting sports takes, I am always open to entertaining conversations.

 

My hobbies include lifting, playing sports, and going out with friends. Some of my goals include working with personal training and hopefully eventually getting to work with professional sports teams.

 

I look forward to meeting new people and learning from the knowledgeable staff here at Union Fitness!

 

Ricky

The Best Exercise You Don’t Want to Miss

Fitness, Life Health, Training

It is no secret that fitness coaches and trainers will debate over what kind of exercise is best for people. Whether it is weight training, aerobic activity, yoga, certain programs, speed work, plyometrics, sprinting, or HIIT, every fitness professional is biased to what they learned or how they currently train. All forms of exercise have their benefits in slightly different ways. But in general, they all promote a healthier and happier life. For example, HIIT training or high intensity interval training is extremely beneficial for your heart and brain. It decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease and/or can prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s or dementia through the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Another example, is weight training. Weight training has many benefits including building stronger and healthier muscles as well as boosting your metabolism. To build on this even further, yoga can help with mental health as well as increasing your flexibility. This increase in flexibility will aid in preventing injuries in the future.

 

In saying all of this, you might be asking what is the best exercise routine? Well, that’s where I am here to tell you that the best exercise routine is the one that you can stick to. In short, all exercise is extremely beneficial for you. So do the exercise that keeps you coming back to the gym or pushing yourself. If you love powerlifting then keep powerlifting, if you love running then keep on running, and if you love doing plyometrics then keep on doing your plyometrics. Sometimes we over complicate our exercise routines and forget why we exercise in the first place. We exercise to feel better mentally and physically. Movement is life! As soon as you stop moving then that’s when your body starts to fall apart. So, everyone who is reading this please do me a favor, never stop moving your body and always strive forward!

 

-Trainz

Meet the Interns – Hanson

State of the Union

Hi everyone!

 

My name is Hanson Zhang, I am currently a senior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Exercise science. I was born and raised in China for the first 11 years of my life and moved to Fairfax Virginia when I turned 12. I plan to go to Physical Therapy school or start my own personal training business when I graduate.

 

I am very excited to be interning at Union Fitness, as it provides me with great experiences and knowledge related to personal training and strength and conditioning. I enjoy martial arts, weightlifting, and a bit of video games during my free time. I’m looking forward to working with and learning from all the fun people in Union fitness!

 

See you around!

Hanson

Training With A Concussion

Life Health, Training

A few weeks ago, I was playing ice hockey and fell backwards during one of our practice game drills. For those of you familiar with the game of hockey, you know that there is minimal padding on the backside of your body as you are supposed to fall forward or to the side when you play. Unfortunately, I lost control and caught my backwards fall with my head. I knew that I was doomed immediately because I did not remember what we were just doing or how I exactly fell. Luckily this happened with about five minutes left of practice, so I just left the ice and drove home. I was experiencing tension headaches, light and sound sensitivity, extreme fatigue, brain fog, and trouble with focusing while in busy environments.

 

I was able to get in with the UPMC Concussion Clinic doctors two days after it happened, so treatment began quickly. Since then, I have also started Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy once/week on top of my typical training here at UF. During my computer and physical assessments, the doctors found that my eyes are having trouble focusing and working together, and my short-term memory capacity is terrible.

 

Part of my concussion treatment program is to take part in exertional therapy, which is intended to induce my symptoms but will speed up my recovery process and have me feeling better soon. If any of you have ever had a concussion, you know how difficult it can be to get back into your normal everyday routine without feeling fatigued and defeated. No matter how tired and weak I am feeling, I make it a point to do my exercises and train my brain and the rest of my body daily.

 

Here’s a quick overview of what my exercise program looks like for someone with the specific type of concussion and symptoms that I have:

 

  1. Brock String – hold a string with colored beads at eye level starting at the tip of your nose – shift focus between the beads until you begin to see two beads of every color while focusing on one at a time. Continue working through each colored bead, focusing individually on each one at a time. Repeat 10 times.

 

  1. Pencil “pushups” – hold the pencil at arms length away and focus on the tip of the pencil – bring the pencil in towards your nose and when it becomes double try to make it clear – then bring the pencil back outwards and repeat. Repeat for 3 sets of 10.

 

  1. Vertical & Horizontal Saccades – moving the eyes up and down and then on a diagonal from each target (a piece of paper with an X drawn on it) as quick as you can for 30 seconds in each direction. Repeat 3 times.

 

  1. Walk in a straight line while moving your head up and down then walking in a straight line while moving your head side to side. Repeat each movement down and back 3 times.

 

  1. Backwards ball tosses with a partner – stand with your back facing your partner behind you – toss the ball to one side and when your partner catches it, have them toss to the opposite side (shown in video on Instagram). Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps/side.

 

  1. Vertical ball movement – hold the ball in front of you – extend the ball up overhead and then follow it with your eyes/head down to the ground. Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps.

 

  1. Visit a busy environment as often as I can (grocery store, gym, etc.) – since I work in a gym that hasn’t been an issue. This will help me out with my sensitivity to movement, sounds, lights, etc.

 

  1. I have added in 20 minutes of cardio/day. I’ve been riding the Ryde bikes or a recumbent bike if the Ryde bikes aren’t available for 10 minutes at a moderate intensity, and then hopping on the treadmill for a 10-minute incline walk or 10-12 minute run/walk intervals. If I am at home and the weather stinks, I will ride the Peloton bike for 20-25 minutes that day.

 

I don’t think I’m forgetting anything here, but this is my very basic treatment program that I just started following this past week. I am hoping to add in some more heavy weights and a higher intensity of cardio in this upcoming week.

 

If you have any past concussion experience and would like to talk about how you dealt with it whether that be training or just existing, I would love to chat!

 

Hope you all have a great rest of your week,

Toria

Meet the Interns – Yuheng

State of the Union

Hi Everyone!

 

My name is Yuheng, and I am a senior Exercise Science student at the University of Pittsburgh. I will be attending Arcadia University this fall to obtain my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. I am from Northeast Philly and have lived in Florida for a few years. I am a competitive powerlifter for the Pitt Powerlifting team.

 

Outside of the gym, I enjoy traveling, seeing nature, and cooking. I am excited to learn from everyone this semester. If you ever have questions or need help around the gym, don’t be afraid to ask!

 

Yuheng

Meet the Interns – Amanda

State of the Union

Hello, my name is Amanda Giunta, and I am a senior at the University of Pittsburgh pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and interning at Union Fitness for my final semester.

 

I was born and raised in Bloomfield, New Jersey, and came to Pittsburgh to continue my education with an end goal of becoming a Physical Therapist. While my ultimate goal is to earn my DPT, I am also currently pursuing certifications in group exercise instruction and personal training. Through my coursework, I have developed an interest in group fitness instruction specifically for cycling, yoga, cardio conditioning, and Pilates classes and would like to strengthen my skills and learn more about these practices during my time at Union Fitness. My goals for this experience include expanding my skills and knowledge in the fitness field, exploring the various modes of physical activity and rehabilitation, and developing the abilities necessary to effectively help people reach their fitness goals.

 

For some background information, I grew up participating in various sports and coached younger children in many sports as well. I played basketball and softball for ten years, was a cheerleader and gymnast for a few years, and was a cross country and track and field athlete at Bloomfield High School where I graduated from in 2020. My involvement with the BHS track and field and cross country teams allowed me to serve as a team captain for two years, providing me with the responsibility of creating and implementing workouts for team practices. My competitive athletic career ended with the onset of the pandemic, but I was honored to leave behind accomplishments such as one school and one course record, as well as having an award named after me at my high school. My time spent in the BHS athletics program sparked my interest in the physical therapy and fitness fields. I was also a clinic counselor and a one-on-one aid for a child with special needs for Bloomfield Recreation in my hometown, where I helped children of all ages develop sport-specific and developmental skills such as teamwork and coordination. Outside of athletics, I thoroughly enjoy spending time with my labradoodle puppy, friends and family, and going to the beach.

 

Hope to see everyone around at UF!

 

Amanda