All posts by rnagy

It’s Showtime! (with CeJ)

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Some of you may not know this but I really enjoy weird things and strange movies. I could have an entire conversation with you using only quotes from The Big Lebowski…yeah, well you know that’s just like ahh your opinion, man. So I decided to give you some of my favorite movies that get me fired up to train and get bumpy too!

 

These will be a bit different than some more obvious movies such as Rocky, Gladiator, Brave Heart, 300 and for all you old time meat heads, Pumping Iron.

 

1. Mortal Kombat 1995 -“Flawless Victory!”

This movie is about a warrior monk and two mortals led by Rayden (The lightning God) to battle an evil sorcerer and his forces in a tournament to save the world! Fires me right up…..MORTAL KOMBAT!!!!

 

2. Fight Club 1999- “You do not talk about Fight Club.”

Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter and MEAT LOAF! As the quote says, I can’t talk about it…you’ll just have to watch for yourself.

 

3. The Mummy 1999- “It’s a sarcophagus..he must have been someone of great importance. Or he did something very naughty.”

A solider, librarian and her brother adventure to the City of the dead to uncover lost secrets but unintentionally wake a cursed mummy and now most right their wrongs to save the world. One of my all time go to action adventure movies.

 

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles1990- “I have always liked..Cowabunga!”

4 Mutant Jacked up Turtles and their ninjutsu Master Splinter (a Rat) battle against the evil warrior Shredder and his foot clan to save the city. This was the highest grossing independent film of all time until 1999 and one of Jim Henson’s last projects. They will fight for pizza.

 

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 2002 “There is always hope!”

A littler better known movie here but the final battle in this movie always gets me hyped up.

 

6. IP Man 2008 “Nobody is #1 forever.”

You think Bruce Lee is bad, well this dude was his Wing Chun Master.

 

CeJ’s Honorable Mentions:

Road House 1989 “Be nice..until it’s time no to be nice.”

Pain & Gain 2013 “You cant just kidnap a guy and take all his things.”

The Karate Kid 1984 “Sweep the leg.”

Predator 1987 …The handshake scene.

 

Special Guest Selections:

Mom- Flashdance 1983- Fun fact some of the movie was filmed in Pittsburgh

Sky- The Fighter 2010

Uncle Ken- Cool Running 1993 “Rise & shine…It’s butt whooping time!”

 

I hope you enjoyed my list and I would be interested to see what some of your favorite movies that get you ready to train are.

 

Hasta La Vista..Baby!

 

CeJ

Know Your Deadlift

Fitness, Training

Hello House Union, Strongest Crue of Land Pittsburgh,

 

Do you want to be; strong, athletic, ripped, toned, flip cars, pickup household objects with ease or just have a fabulous backside? If you said yes to any of these then it’s time to deadlift. “But I’ve heard it’s bad for my back and I’ll hurt myself, Mr. Bumpy Sir!?” Nay nay my good chum, with well taught form and various progressions, the deadlift can be very safe and beneficial to your daily life and provide exercise longevity. There are so many ways to exercise and multiple variations of the deadlift that can suit your training age and wellness goals. Also you don’t need a barbell to deadlift, you can use; kettlebells, bands, dumbbells, sandbags or even sacs of potatoes if you’re still in quarantine mode. This blog will be less about deadlift technique but the different pull variations out there for you to party with. Today, I will tell you some of my favorite variations on everyone’s favorite Day Time Game Show…Know Your Deadlifts!

 

Conventional: This is your standard great old fashioned pull. Your hips are in a higher position than a Sumo or Trap-bar dead and you are pulling back and up to move the dead weight. This applies a great amount of work for posterior chain development (Calves, Hamstrings, Glutes & Back muscles).

 

Sumo: Picture Sumo wrestlers, this deadlift takes a wider stance, your hips are lower and you have a more upright torso compared to its conventional counterpart. This variation can take stress of the low back and put the emphasis of work on the hips,quads and glutes.

 

Trap-Bar: A hybrid between deadlift and squat, this is a great exercise to learn and progress from for everyone. You won’t have to bend down as low so this can help you get into position if you are less mobile. This variation still works the posterior chain while also  puts a great emphasis on the quads. Most Trap-Bars will produce a shorter range of motion.

 

Romanian Deadlift (RDL): This is a partial movement variation of the conventional deadlift. The RDL starts at the top (unless you are picking the weight from the floor) and with a slight bend in your knees you hinge back til the weight is around mid-shin or below the  knee (hamstring flexibility may limit you), then squeeze those glutes and return the bar back to your hips. This exercise targets the muscles of the posterior chain and can take stress off the knees and quads.

 

Snatch Grip: This variation uses a barbell and the setup is very similar to the conventional deadlift, the main difference is that your hands hold that bar with a wide grip (around where the ring of the bar is). The Snatch Grip will challenge your upper back and grip a lot more than the conventional pull and have an increased range of motion.

 

Flash Round

 

Block Pull: The weight is raised up on blocks/mats to decrease the range of motion and can be beneficial to target specific muscle development or lockout strength.

 

Deficit Deadlift: The lifter will be elevated by blocks/mats and the weight will be at a deficit, this increases the range of motion and helps the lifter possibly improve leg drive and starting strength.

 

Single Leg RDL: One leg is rooted in the ground while the other moves freely in this exercise. A great option to work on muscle imbalances and challenge your balance. This exercise really firers up the calf, hamstring and glute of the rooted leg.

 

Staggered Stance RDL: Similar to the Single Leg exercise above except both feet are grounded. The lead leg in the staggered stance takes the work, with both feet on the ground it is easier to balance and increase the weight.

 

Dimmel Deadlift: Think RDL but much more dynamic with a slightly shorter range of motion.

 

Thank you for tuning in to Know Your Deadlifts and I hope you enjoyed this episode and took something fun away. What are some of your favorite deadlift variations that I didn’t list or some you just want to show more love to. Please share and comment.

 

Remember we pick things up & put them down….for fun.

 

Cheers,

CeJ

Qualities That Help Us Get the Most Out of Life

Life Health

Throughout my career, I’ve always tried to learn from those individuals who have built their success on learning how to get the most out of life. A majority of those individuals all seem to practice very similar habits and poses certain qualities that help them achieve their goals and live their life to the fullest. The following are six qualities that I believe are some of the main staples that will help you live your fullest life.

 

1. Have passion and drive:

In my opinion, these two things set the tone for everything else that we are going to discuss coming up. Passion is something that carries over into all aspects of life. Whether it’s with your career, relationships, hobbies, etc., having passion for something will allow you to achieve great things. We all understand that there will be hard times and tough situations that come along the way. That’s inevitable. But being passionate about everything in your life is one of the only things that can keep you moving even when it seems like everything is standing still. Whatever you decide to do in your lifetime. Do it with passion.

 

2. Believe in your abilities:

Believing in ourselves is something that we are all taught to do from a very young age, but something that we seem to forget along the way. Maybe this is because we let others influence our thought processes and decisions, or maybe it’s because we actually stop believing in ourselves. Either way, a majority of the time the difference between us achieving our goals or falling short comes down to how much we truly believe in our ability to succeed. Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right”. The mind is an extremely powerful thing, and positive self-talk is an extremely beneficial tool. If you one hundred percent undoubtedly believe in yourself and everything that you set out to do, you will be successful.

 

3. Don’t be afraid to fail:

Failure has the power to teach us some of our most valuable lessons. Without failure and learning from our mistakes, there is no growth. I think can all admit that we have been able to take something positive away from something that we failed in the past. Maybe it was a sporting event growing up. Maybe it was a test that we took in college. Or maybe it was a job opportunity that we missed out on as an adult. All of these failures presented us with an opportunity to learn from our mistakes and become better prepared for our future experiences. However, it’s not just as simple as failing and getting better. We have to be open-minded to the situation and willing to learn in order to see the benefit of the lesson. If we choose to play the victim or develop a fear of failure, we will never have the courage to take advantage of the opportunities that are placed in front of us.

 

4. Value all relationships:

Throughout our lifetime, we are all involved in relationships with others who have had an impact on us. Think about your family and friends. People who have supported and helped you along the way in your efforts to achieve your goals. Maybe they even believed in you in times when you didn’t believe in yourself. Without these relationships, you would not be where you are today. It’s also important to value past relationships, even if they even had a negative outcome. Even though we don’t like to think of those, it’s important to understand that we still grew from those situations. Without even realizing it, those relationships helped shape us into who we are today. Whether good or bad, relationships have taught us things that hold much value, and have helped us to learn and grow along the way. Don’t ever take them for granted.

 

5. Balance:

If you want to live a full life, you have to have balance. The tricky part is understanding that balance is not always going to be 50/50. There will be times where it becomes necessary to put more focus on some areas of your life than others. Understand that this isn’t a bad thing, but do not lose sight of the importance of the other areas. Maybe one of your goals has always been to start your own business. In order to make that happen, you are going to have to make it a number one priority. Know that a large majority of your time and effort will be spent on achieving this. At the same time, understand that those other things in your life such as family, friends, your health, etc., all play a role in your success. Without being able to balance those different areas of your life, you are potentially risking the chance of losing them all. By having balance in your life, you can in fact achieve all of your goals while living a more fulfilled life in the process.

 

6. Pass on:

Each of us has our own unique experiences and skills that we have acquired throughout our lifetime. However, those things mean nothing if you do not share them with others. Teaching and helping others is one of the most rewarding things you can do. There is nothing better than being able to share your knowledge with those eager to learn and get better. We all were once in that same place, wanting to know more about the particular topic. Most of us were fortunate enough to have a mentor, teacher, or friend that had the patience to share a little bit of that with us. We should each strive to be that person for someone. Not only are you passing on skills and knowledge to others, but you also end up learning more about it in the process. Ultimately, we all should aim to be a teacher, passing on our knowledge to those eager to learn.

 

– Curtis Miller

Ham’s Training Log

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During this unprecedented time, we’ve all had to find new ways to train. As CeJ would say, “get bumpy.” I’m lucky that, over the years, I’ve accumulated a collection of random weights and a few bars. While it’s nice to have some of these cool things, I still don’t have a squat rack! Lacking a squat rack made me think about how I can train during this time outside of the gym.

 

Here are some things I’m doing to keep my training moving forward:

  • I have set a schedule and seven days a week I stick to that schedule. I still wake up at 5:15 am, and without boring you with the details of my life, I am busy until about 6 pm.
  • I broke down my weaknesses to decide how I would train.
  • I was realistic with this list, as I don’t have all the fun things that we have at UF.
  • I set a plan.
  • I have been sticking to that plan.

 

This is where my training began. Now here is what I have to work with:

  • A fat bar
  • A power bar
  • Random bumper plates of differing sizes
  • A few random bands
  • A few kettlebells

 

Knowing these factors, here is what I put together. I stole ideas from the greasing the groove theory. If you want to know more about this, I wrote an article a few years ago about this theory. Click on this paragraph for the link. The idea is I will do the same lifts at pretty much the same weight daily. 

 

  • Snatch 3 X 3 (always superset with some sort of a jump); weight 135 lbs
  • Clean 3 X 3 (superset with a sprint); weight 185-205 lbs
  • Deadlift 3 X 3 (superset with an ab exercise); 335 lbs…or as I call it, all my plates
  • Floor Press 3 X 20; weight 135 lbs

 

Finish with kettlebell walk variations. I do overhead, waiter walks, overhead bottom up, farmer walks, or whatever else I think of. I just walk up and down the street.

 

I know this is probably too many Olympic lifts for most of our members, but I believe a good coach must understand movement, not just lifts. So take some time and work on your weaknesses. These could be mental or physical. Let’s just all be stronger together.

TH

 

 

 

 

Things to Consider When Getting Back Into Training After Time Off

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With things changing in the news daily, it’s hard to tell when we will be reunited at our favorite hangout, Union Fitness. We can only hope that it will be sooner rather than later. With the time off, we have all had plenty of opportunity to sit and ponder our plans for when we can train again. At a time where our bodies are fresh and our motivation will be higher than ever, it will be easy to jump back into training and push things hard without any thought or hesitation. My advice to you, before you hit the ground running, pump the brakes.

 

If you’re reading this, there is a good chance that you have found some way to stay active during your downtime. If you are fortunate enough to have access to equipment, then that’s great. If you don’t but have been going for walks, bike rides, or doing bodyweight workouts, that’s great as well. Or, if you’ve decided to take this time to relax and focus on other aspects of your life, I applaud you as well. As a matter of fact, if you’ve been continuously pushing yourself for any significant amount of time, then you will have benefited from this time of rest, and your body thanks you. Regardless of how you have been spending your forced time off, there are some things to consider before jumping back into training once our favorite gym is able to open up it’s doors.

 

1. Respect where you are currently: If you have not been able to perform regular at-home workouts, then there is a very good chance that your strength, stamina, and overall conditioning will be slightly lower than it was when you were training regularly. Because of this, take your time during your first week back in the gym. Don’t overreach and be patient with your progress return.

 

2. Let yourself readjust: If you have in fact been able to train regularly but in different forms then you’re used to, then your overall conditioning could be different than it was before. For example, if you were used to using barbells and dumbbell, but are now using bodyweight circuit style routines, then your strength may be slightly lower, but your endurance and stamina could be higher. On the flip side, if you were used to performing cardio based workouts only but you have been focusing on resistance exercises, then your strength and muscle mass have potentially increased, but overall endurance has possibly decreased. Either way, understand that when you return to your regularly scheduled programming, there’s a chance that your body may be operating and feeling a little differently.

 

3. Control the accelerator: When you return, you will feel fresh, reenergized, and excited to get back into the swing of things. If you have not been able to train the way you were prior to this, then you will want to gradually build your way back up. I would not recommend jumping right back into where you left off. By doing this, you may be putting yourself as risk of injury, which could potentially set you back longer than you’ve waited to return to the gym. There’s also a good chance you will want to stay forever in fear of missing out on this opportunity again. You will feel great at the time, but your body and mind will hate you over the next few days, so take things slow.

 

4. Be patient: Don’t expect things to come back instantly, but know that it won’t take as long as it did the first time around. If you have already developed a base of strength and conditioning, then your body will adapt and return to it’s previous state relatively quickly. Unfortunately, you will be much more sore than normal, there’s just no way around that. Those first few workouts are going to be a challenge, but within a short amount a time, you will be back firing on all cylinders. 

 

Now that we have taken a few things into consideration, here is my advice. Before you step foot back into the gym, make a plan. Begin by scheduling your first 3-4 weeks of training and stick to it the best that you can. Be sure to take all of the things that we have discussed into consideration. Next, set goals. With those goals, think small, not big. Next, give yourself some leeway on your workouts. For your first few training sessions, make the duration shorter than what you’re used to. If you are lifting, consider lowering your intensity for the first few sessions to let your body get reacclimatized. If you were previously performing barbell squats, bench press, and deadlifts before leaving the gym, don’t start back with the same weights you were using, and certainly don’t consider trying to find your current max. Likewise, if you were used to running multiple miles on the treadmill daily, don’t start back up directly into the same distance or intensity. Finally, be happy that you are able to be back exercising and doing something that you enjoy. When something that you love and rely on is taken from you, it puts into perspective how much it truly means. So, set some new goals, make a plan, enjoy the process, and remember why you started all of this in the first place. I hope to see all of you soon. Cheers.

Jocelyn’s Nutrition Series

Clean Eating, Diet, Life Health, Meal Prep, Nutrition

Union fam, welcome back for PART 1 of Nutrition with Jocelyn. If you missed my first post on the UF blog about this new series, no worries because you’re reading at the right time. For those who aren’t aware, this is a new series I will be writing not only to keep my own spirits high and excited during quarantine but to aid in a hands on approach to what I am currently learning through my Nutrition Certification. I’m thrilled to be able to write such content for those interested that also encompasses my terrible humor you all might experience if you just so happen to see me during work at Union Fitness.

 

The first in our series is going to focus on eating well during quarantine. I’m not going to bore you to death with scientific information and I’m not going to tell you what you need to do, I’m simply here to help you find ways to fuel your bodies and encourage you to make small changes that ultimately will set you up for success post-quarantine. 

 

I know right now we’re all feeling a little blah and I’m not going to lie, I’ve indulged in a few pints of Ben & Jerrys here and there, drank a little too much and some days just really wasn’t feeling hungry at all. This is all a product of my own emotions, we as humans are very complex beings and with that comes actions that sometimes necessary don’t align with our overall goals (especially if you’re a female and it’s that time of the month). I’m here to tell you its OKAY to have days or weeks like this. The goal is to not let it be something that drags you back into a place that you worked so hard to get out of. This also doesn’t mean you have to make drastic changes all at once, I simply want you to start right where you are and start small.

 

Let’s start with an exercise

 

Right now I want you to picture what yesterday looked like for you, let’s start with a few questions. Grab a piece of paper, a pen or pencil and answer these honestly.

What time did you get up? 

What did you have for breakfast, lunch and dinner? 

Are you snacking in between those meals? 

What did your workout look like? 

Did you workout? 

What was your mood upon waking and before bed? 

What time did you actually go to sleep?

 

Now look at your answers to these questions, how do they make you feel? Do they all align with your goals or do only some of them align with your goals? Write down your answers to the questions below the above ones you just answered.

 

The purpose of this is to simply reflect, to understand why you made the decisions you did and how your emotions are a direct collate of those actions. There is no right or wrong answer.

 

When I talk about eating well what I really mean is mindful eating, knowing what you’re putting into your body and being mindful of how it’s going to make you feel. We are all emotional eaters, food is something that calms us and makes us feel good even if we’re not eating the most nutrient dense foods. Let’s take myself for example, what if I’m looking for an alternative to that pint of Ben & Jerrys ice cream, I might want to still eat 1 pint a week but I want something that can curb that extra craving I’m having on any given day. Protein shakes are a very good alternative to ice cream or something that can calm my sweet tooth. You can use a blender, add milk or a milk alternative and top it with whipped cream and/or chocolate chips. The consistency is almost identical when ice is added and I’m also knocking on my sweet tooth door whilst getting my protein intake as well.

 

All I’ve done is added something into my day that checks all the boxes, I didn’t eliminate the Ben & Jerrys because I’m allowed to indulge and if I want it I’m going to have it. The issue with some diets is they make us think there is only one way to eat and reframes our mind into having a bad relationship with food. Well I’m here to tell you there are many ways to eat healthy and that “one-size fits all” approach is totally bull. We need to eat for the lives that we live and every person is different from the next. What works for you might not work for me and we should never force ourselves into eating that will make us feel overwhelmed or limited into what we can consume.

 

Lastly, let’s knock on the door of those who love to snack (even though I consider Ben & Jerry’s a snack, you’ll find me eating the whole thing during Too Hot To Handle on Netflix). We’re mostly looking at those quick bites that are easy to pull out of the pantry and are something that can keep us full till lunch. Well I have an option for you and if you aren’t aware this series will also include small-business that I love and are a healthy alternative.

 

Nash Nutrition

 

Based out of Youngstown, Ohio Nash Bars are a  mouth-watering option for a quick snack. These nutrient dense bars come in four different favors for our peanut butter, chocolate and blueberry loving individuals. They are so dense that I find myself full for a lengthy period of time that I am able to get through a few more hours of work or a hard training session but also know I’m putting something into my body that makes me happy (we’re all about mood here guys). For example, the peanut butter chocolate chip option macronutrients are as followed:

 

300 calories

16g of fat

23g of carbohydrates

20g of protein

 

Most “protein” bars aren’t the most exciting things to eat, they lack taste or when we’re eating them we feel like we’re doing it to eat something healthy. Instead, Nash Nutrition does a really good job at providing options that again for me personally check all the boxes. Now before you ask, this isn’t a paid post on the UF blog and I don’t get free bars from Nash to promote, this is simply a plug for a nutritious option where if you purchase you’re also supporting a small-business during quarantine (which is something we here at Union are promoting on a weekly basis, being a small-business ourselves). 


Now back to our regularly schedule program

 

If we backtrack to our little food exercise we did, are there opportunities within that day where you could either add or replace a food with something that would make you feel better. If we start small like replacing one snack with something healthier, that one small change will lead us into making better choices day by day. The goal here just to reiterate is to become more mindful with our eating, aware of what we are putting our bodies and how our bodies are reacting to it.

 

Everyone wants to feel good but that doesn’t mean you need to stress yourself out or completely cut yourself off from certain foods. If you choose to make mindful decisions with your eating then you will find yourself having a better relationship with food and feeling better about all decisions that are food-based. 

Home Built Fitness

Fitness, Life Health, Training

If you are reading this, there is a good chance that you have been getting creative with your at-home workouts recently. It makes me happy to see everyone continuing to stick to their goals, regardless of the circumstances placed in front of us. Although this pandemic is a very rare occurrence, there is a good chance that something like this may happen again (or at least something that may keep us out of our favorite gym). Because of this, it might be beneficial to work on putting together a home gym. This way, we can pick up right where we left off without any worries or hesitation when this happens again.

 

I do understand that by being the director of a gym that relies on members, it kind of goes against the grain telling you to start putting together your own gym so you can train at home. But I also understand that what makes a gym great is it’s community. There’s nothing better than training with or around a group of like minded individuals who are all pushing each another to be better. It’s also important to be realistic, and understand that there will always be times where it just may not be possible to make it into the gym, and that occasionally a workout may need to be done at home (if possible). 

 

Now, the term “home gym” can mean many different things. It can be a collaboration of simply the absolute necessities and nothing more, or an array of equipment for a full body weight training workout. Either way, having your own at-home equipment at your disposal will allow you to get a quality workout in during a time of need, and will easily pay for itself down the line. Listed below are two separate lists of at home equipment. One for the individual on a limited budget or with limited space, and one for the individual who has access to a larger area, looking to invest a little more into equipment.

 

Budget built:

 

1.Yoga mat: If you have hardwood floors or are down in your garage, this is definitely a necessity for all floor exercises.

 

2.Resistance bands: You can replicate almost any exercise with a quality set of resistance bands. Companies such as Elitefts sell bands individually, or in a variety pack, ranging 

 

3.Adjustable dumbbells: Yes, these can be a bit pricey compared to a set of resistance band and a yoga mat, but their versatility speaks for itself. The list of exercises you can perform with a pair of dumbbells are endless, and will easily pay for itself over your time training at home.

 

Bang for your buck:

 

1.Power rack: If you have the space and the funds, a power rack is an absolute necessity for strength training. Squats, bench press, overhead press, rows, and pull-ups can all be performed using a power rack, just to name a few.

 

2.Adjustable bench: Having an adjustable bench over a flat bench with increase the number of exercises that you can perform.

 

3.Power bar: It’s hard to get strong without being able to perform compound lifts. A good quality power bar will last a lifetime, and is one of the best investments you can make.

 

4.Plate loaded dumbbells: Since you will have an array of 45, 25, 10, and 5 pound plates, you won’t need to purchase a pair of adjustable dumbbells (unless you prefer). Plate loaded dumbbells are simple, durable, effective, and can be used for almost any exercise.

 

Whichever you choose, there is no doubt that you will be able to have a quality training session during those times of need. We only get one body, invest in taking care of it so it will take care of us for many years to come.

Hello Iron Chefs of the World

Clean Eating, Diet, Life Health, Meal Prep, Nutrition
Today I bring to you some more tasty quarantine foods we have devoured. Both the Swedish Chef, Chef Boyardee and the late great Chef Bourdain approve of these delectable dishes. I present to you a snack, appetizer, meal & dessert.

Road House Kick Deviled Eggs:

 Ingredients; Eggs, Mayo (lite), Spicy Brown Muzzy (mustard), Salt, Pepper, Garlic & Onion Powder and Paprika.
Directions; Gracefully place eggs in a pot of water and boil for 5ish minutes-peel eggs,  slice them in half & toss the yoke in a bowl with all other ingredients- mix away- stuff filling into the halved eggs and dust with some more paprika and Blammy!

Jalapeno & Goat Cheese Sweet Pepper Poppers:
 
Ingredients; Sweet Peppers, Goat Cheese, Jalapeno.
Directions; halve sweet peppers, mix goat cheese and diced jalapeno into bowl, stuff filling into the sweet peps then toss in the oven at 400 for 10 or so minutes and you got some nice Poppers.
 
Hold on to Your Butt Sichuan Shrimp & Eggplant with Rice:
 
Ingredients: Shrimp, Eggplant, Sticky Rice, Chili Garlic Paste, Sichuan Peppercorns, Honey, Ginger, Low Sodium Soy Sauce, Veggie Broth, Dried Chilis, Green Onions & Corn Starch.
Directions; Cook rice- Toss all sauce ingredients into a pot and simmer til you get a thiccck sauce- saute shrimp & eggplant with any of the seasoning above- toss all together and hold onto your tongues.

Black Bean, Avocado & Dark Chocolate Brownies:
 
Ingredients; 1 can Black Beans, Avacado, 3 Eggs, 1/2 cup Unsweet Cocoa Powder, 1/4 cup Butta, 1 tsp Vanilla, 1 tsp Baking Powder, 3/4 cup Sugar (we used half stevia brown and half regular), 1 tsp Salt, Dark Chocolate Chips.
Directions; Mix it all up- layer mix over foil in a baking pan at 360 for about 20 minutes-Let cool for and few and wipe the drool off your mouth-Enjoy.

Please let me know what you think of these food ideas/recipes. If you have some fan favorites you’d like Union’s Top Chef to try, send it on over! Have fun with these and make them your own special way.
Bon Appetit,
-CeJ

Self Development Action Plan

Uncategorized

Is it valuable, What is it, how to develop one, etc.

 

Around 15 years ago, I was out of college nearly 5 years and married for a few.  My wife had finished some post college schooling to become a registered dietitian and I decided I wanted to pursue an MBA, while working on my career.  I loved the MBA classes because my mindset was different.  I was truly enjoying what I was learning, and it didn’t hurt that I was paying for all of it in lieu of just a portion.  Regardless, besides the business things I learned, the most valuable personal item I had to develop as an assignment during this time was a Self Development Action Plan (SDAP).  

 

This assignment was one of the hardest I have ever done, but probably one of the most rewarding and it has helped provide direction for my life over the past 15 years and will continue to help well into the future.  It required me to picture myself through the rest of my life and figure out where I want to be in every phase and then write it down.  Next the important part was to develop goals and actions that would allow me to achieve my future self.  This is very similar to a fitness plan, but it involves every part of your life.

 

So what makes up a SDAP?  It starts with a chart that includes columns with the following headings: Goals, Strengths, Weaknesses, Strategy, and Evidence of Accomplishment.  Here is a simple silly example that is on my SDAP:  

 

Goal: have my own teeth when I die, 

 

Strength: I have them now; 

 

Weakness: I don’t go to the dentist as much as I should and I love sugar, 

 

Strategy: stop eating so much sugar, floss and brush at least twice a day, and visit the dentist at least twice a year, 

 

Evidence of Accomplishment: I still have my teeth when I die.

 

I decided to break down my SDAP into categories.  My major categories include personal and professional.  Under Personal I include subcategories: Physical health, Mental health, Family, Social, Home, Travel, Financial well being, and recreation.  Under Professional I included subcategories: career and training.  Within each subcategory I have a number of goals, which I think I ended up with over 100 goals, by the time my instructor stopped asking for more.  The goals should be both near term and long term goals.  A short term example that I had at the time: 

 

Goal: pay off student loans in the next two years, 

 

Strength: I hate carrying debt, 

 

Weakness: other financial demands, Strategy: utilize all “extra” money to pay off loans (tax returns, expense checks, bonuses, etc.), 

 

Evidence of accomplishment: loans paid off by 2006.

 

The last step, which I believe is the most important.  Review, update, and add to your SDAP on a quarterly basis.  You will find, as I do every year, that you accomplish some goals or are utilizing the strategies to accomplish them, you develop new goals, and some of the goals you set before aren’t really important any more.  Also if you want real accountability, share your SDAP with your partner.  It is a great way to share and discuss your life with someone you trust.

 

Brad Ott

How to Support Local and Small Businesses

Life Health, State of the Union, Uncategorized
Hello my friends,

 

During these strange times a lot of our favorite small and local businesses are taking a hit from the effects of CV-19 and social distancing. It’s time like these that if we are able to lend a hand to those small business and choose their products/ services over the big mega-mart business, now is the time. I know for dang sure when all this is over I want to sprint to my favorite small businesses in person and give them my love and support. I’ve ordered take out (food, craft beers & coffee) from my beloved local business and plan to order a handful of gift cards to distribute to family & friends to support while we still practice social distancing. Until then here are some ideas of things we can do to keep our friends  & cherished businesses alive.

 

Support Small & Local Businesses 

 

1) Share your go to businesses on your social media page and give them a shout out for their goods.
2) Leave a review on Google, Yelp our that business’ web-page to help boost online ratings.
3) Refer your friends to what these businesses have to offer and the current services they provide.
4) Buy gift cards now for future expenses.
5) Don’t cancel events that you planned with that business, reschedule.
6) Check to see if the business is offering online services (therapy, music lessons, financial advisement etc). Shameless shout out check out UF’s Instagram live classes they are offering.
7) Pick Small/Local over the mega-marts and big companies when shopping online or in person.
8) Take care of the service workers that you are picking up your take out or craft beer growler with a nice tip.
9) Offer your unique services that may be able to promote or assist your favorite places.
10) Give a donation.
11) Be a good person, say thank you and reach out when you can.

 

If you know a friend or just want to share your favorite small/local business please comment on and share this article. At Union we are in the works on some ways that we can support our members businesses and the places around us. I can’t wait to see you when things get under control. Stay strong, healthy and go support your local business.

 

“Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends.” -The Beatles

 

Cheers,

 

CeJ