Category Archives: Fitness

Ladies of UF Dominate

Fitness

I began competing in powerlifting more than 20 years ago. Back in those days of dinosaurs and cave dwellings we didn’t even have RAW competitions. In 2022 RAW lifting is all there is. Times changes and either you evolve or you won’t last. I like to think that I am always open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. Another big change is the amount of strong women now competing. When I began competing there would be a few women in the first flight and that would be the it for female lifters. To be fair we must recognize the ladies who stepped up in those days, they were leaders.

 

We could look at the growth in female lifting from many fronts. We must admit that CrossFit assisted in the growth of female lifting. Additionally the growth of all female sports has clearly assisted in the growth of female lifters. Just looking at the women who train at UF, we had a a female win best lifter at a meet in Ohio this weekend (congrats Caroline), we also had a female squat 396 lbs at the same meet (congrats Emily).

 

One of the things that I am most proud of at UF is how open we are to all lifters. So many strong women train here daily and I want to publicly praise each of them. I will give special attention to a handful here. As mentioned Emily and Caroline killed it this weekend. Few people are as strong as Kelsey. Skylyn brings the heat to every lift, and every moment of her day. Katie may run 20 miles, then come in and squat heavy the next day. Ava has improved everyday that she comes in the gym. Yessie is the OG of female UF lifters. Jaci our Richmond visitor keeps up grounded in the olympic lifts with her multiple national championships. Liz shows heart at all of her lifts. Vicky is getting stronger everyday and we love seeing her growth.

 

As you can see we have a great group of strong women here and want to be a supportive and strong community. Thanks for making us better.

 

Hamer

 

Meet the Ryde Instructors

Fitness, Training

Now that we are almost two months into the newest addition of cardio classes to Union Fitness, we thought it’d be nice to share a little more about the Ryde instructors over the next few weeks. Kayla, Vanessa, and Rachael are first up on this week’s introductions!

 

Kayla Hersperger

 

Hi! I’m Kayla! I’m primarily a yoga teacher but I’ve been teaching RYDE classes since this past summer. I absolutely love putting together my playlists and class plan each week and look forward to teaching on Friday mornings.

 

I started indoor cycling about four years ago at Urban Elements when Britt and Sharon encouraged me to venture outside the yoga room. I hopped around to various studios and then when the pandemic hit, I became obsessed with the peloton bike. Since buying my own, I’m pretty much riding every day between my own bike and the classes at Union Fitness.

 

In my class you can expect to ride to the beat of the music. I take extreme care creating my playlists that are often themed and always exciting. If you don’t have fun in my class, I haven’t done my job. My goal is to get your heart pumping and your face smiling. Basically, we have a party on the bike.

 

Vanessa Matthews

 

Vanessa went to school to be a chemical engineer, but left her career to pursue her passion of fitness full time.  She opened her own personal training business and has taught many different group fitness formats since 2010. In 2015 she was fitness director at a local gym, and won her first figure competition, all of which seemed like significant accomplishments, until her health began to fail in 2016.  When she had her first baby in 2018, health issues continued to spiral out of control.

 

Chronic pain forced her to change her entire philosophy and approach to health, which she believes is holistic, and more about food and mindset than it is about exercise. After a 4.5 year break from teaching, and now with a 1 and 4 year old, Vanessa is back with a new outlook on life.  In her classes, she takes her students on a mental journey as well as a physical one.  If you catch one of her classes, you will feel like you can take on the world!

 

Rachael Riddell

 

Rachael graduated from the University of Colorado Doctor of Pharmacy Program in 2014 and manages a team of Clinical Pharmacists in Pittsburgh. Shortly after finishing pharmacy school, she started teaching cycling, bootcamp, and barre fitness classes in Denver. Her love of all things fitness followed her back to Pittsburgh in 2018 where she has continued to teach around the city.

 

All of Rachael’s workouts (on and off the bike) are intended to challenge what you think you are capable of doing and leave you feeling accomplished. Look forward to a playlist to keep your body moving to the beat in every class.

 

You can catch Kayla, Vanessa, and Rachael early mornings during the week and also on the Saturday rotation!

Are You a Monster Truck or Lambo?

Fitness, Life Health

I have a theory in life that we are all just boats sharing the same river. Within this river are barges, speed boats, kayaks, and everything in between. Each of us is doing our thing yet we are all creating wake for one another. When I make decisions I try to consider not just my fun, I also try to consider the wake that I am creating. This theory stands the test of time, yet one area it never quite worked out is when it comets my training. My training has moved more into the Henry Rollins approach, it is about me pushing to be a better me. This got me thinking, how we train becomes how we look, feel, and perform.

 

Monster Truck vs. Lambo

 

Tenzing and I went to watch Monster Jam last weekend and it was a blast (he watched the trucks, I people watched). Tenzing’s favorite truck (Megladon) was not there, yet his second favorite GraveDigger was there, my truck is El Toro Loco. While watching these impressive machines I let my mind wander about training. How do torque and horsepower work together to make these machines do some amazing tricks. For the uninitiated, give me a minute of your time to revisit some science. Zatsiorsky wrote about three methods to increase muscular tension.

 

  1. Maximal Effort (ME)- Moving a heavy load slowly.
  2. Dynamic Effort (DE)- Moving a light load quickly.
  3. Repetition Effort (RE)- Moving a moderate load for multiple reps.

 

Everything we do in training still falls into one of these methods. Too often I see people fall in love with one of these methods. Some love to be explosive, and train too often in an explosive manner. While others are always “grinding,” and training too often in a heavy manner. The last group love the pump, and always  use using RE to feel “bumpy” when they  leave the gym.

 

No one method of training is perfect and every program has holes in it. The key is to not being just a machine made for torque, (using ME all the time) or one made for horsepower (DE). Training should be a compliment to your life and at times your body will need to run, jump, or shovel snow. Train your body to do all of the above. Movement is medicine and if we wish to be healthy we shouldn’t train solely to be a monster truck or a lambo. We should train to be humans who can move.

 

Another way to think about this is as my good friend Brett Bartholomew said, “lift different weights, at different angles, at different times of the year, at different speeds.” I may have messed up that quote, yet you get the idea. The goal in training is to be prepared for life and to be strong means being strong at all things. The exception is when are preparing for a specific event (powerlifting or marathon will be very different training). Once the event is over return to training for your life.

 

Now let’s all go be a chevy volt.

 

🙂

 

 

 

Toria’s Exercise Variety

Fitness

We all know that humans tend to be creatures of routine and habit. This same concept goes for how we train in the weight room. We can tend to become narrow minded and focused on something so specific that we forget to include a variety in how we train.

 

The body will adapt to any demand that is placed on it. However, if you’re repeating the same training regimen for too long without variety in your exercises, your body will become much less responsive and lose the ability to continue to adapt. By creating a new stimulus, this will help to introduce more progress over time. For example, say that you have box jumps programmed into your routine for 4 weeks. I’m not saying that you should stop doing them all together after 4 weeks, but instead you should try to change aspects such as the number of repetitions and sets that you are doing or introducing things such as decreased rest periods, increased box height, or adding in seated jumps vs. standing. Another example could be for those of you who primarily train aerobically several days per week. Trying to incorporate some strength and mobility training exercises within your program as well could help you see some different or enhanced progress down the road.

 

Variation in your training can also include introducing new things such as trying out a new group class, getting outside to hike/bike/etc. I know it has been ridiculously cold recently but take advantage of the rare sunny days that we get in the winter and get out and get moving. Doing this may help you avoid possible boredom and increase your adherence to staying active. You don’t have to do different things every week and switch up your routine daily, however, just be sure to spice things up and don’t be hesitant to try out some new exercises and ways to be active. 

 

Toria

Ham’s Comeback

Fitness, Life Health, Training

As you may already know I injured myself training three weeks ago. While injuries are never fun we all know that bumps and bruises are part of training. I am going to use this opportunity to fix some issues that I have ignored for far too long. While trying to return to training I am going to keep Jared’s words in my head, “In two weeks you will think you are better, then for the next two months you will do something that reminds you that you aren’t” 

 

I began “working out” the week after my injury (while it appears that my injury is 100% soft tissue, I must be smart in returning). The reason I quoted working out is because there is a big difference between training, and working out. Training has a purpose and is striving towards goals. Working out is aimless and not nearly as focused. To be fair I began this process two weeks ago, and while it seemed aimless it honesty wasn’t. The goal the first two weeks was to move, work on my mobility, and return myself to pain free (mostly) movement. 

 

Now to begin my training.

 

Today I will begin my training again. This will be the first time I train with a barbell or any real weight. I will lay out my plan below. Before I do that here are some specifics about the plan. I discussed this with many people to come up with a solid plan. First thing you may notice is that the program looks upside down. I squat last. Curtis had this idea as I will be warmed up and moving better by the time I get to my squats. In addition the only barbell movement I am doing for the next 2-3 weeks is a front squat. Here is the program.

 

  1. Slider Leg Curl 3×15
  2. Bulgarian Split Squat (31X tempo) 3×8
  3. Chins 3×10
  4. SA Bench with Iso opposite arm 3×10
  5. SA Overhead Press 3×10
  6. SA Row with Iso opposite arm 3×10
  7. Trap Bar Carries 3×20 yards
  8. Front Squat (10 count iso) 3×3-5 

 

That is it. I will still begin each day with bike 10 minutes and about 15 minutes or rehab/mobility work. Wish me luck as I will be SORE. 

The Beauty of Injuries

Fitness, Training

Your body is going to hurt. I tell myself this everyday, as no matter what we do, or don’t do our bodies are going to hurt. As we train (and age) bodies break down, and if we don’t train, we still age and the body will still break down. My philosophy is, if my body is going to hurt then I should make it hurt by doing things. Another saying that helps me make sense of injuries is, “I want to come to end of each day tired, beaten, and victorious.” I have no clue who said this yet I love the thought.

 

MLK Day and Snow.

 

Last Monday was MLK day and as you all know it snowed. When I woke up Tenzing said, “Dad it’s MLK day we should do something for the world.” I responded with sure what do you got? “Let’s shovel our neighborhood.” So we grabbed shovels, remote control trucks (they ran recon), set my GPS and began shoveling. Tenzing did more remote control driving than shoveling, we made it 2.58 miles of sidewalks throughout our neighborhood. When I returned home I was soaked in sweat yet felt good. The rest of the day was spent sled-riding and the basic snow playing stuff.

 

Tuesday Squats and Deadlifts. 

 

Tuesday was normal morning and I felt no soreness from the shoveling. I began my deadlift sessions with a basic warm (about ten min). As always I started front squatting prior to deadlifts. Before I deadlift I have been front squatting 6×2 at 225 with 45 seconds rest. I treat this as both a warm up and a light pre-fatique prior to deadlifting. On set 5 I allowed the bar to control me (always control the weight, don’t let the weight control you), I shifted forward and felt the weight move onto my toes. I finished the set, racked the bar and went back to timing for my next set. Hit set 6 and felt a little off, but nothing too bad. I began deadlifting and something felt “off.” I didn’t know what is was, but my back didn’t feel right. I did some light traction, stretching, and had Toria walk on my back. Went back to deads and did my warm ups sets at 135,225,315, at this point I was two warm ups from my work sets for the day. I normally wouldn’t wear a belt for 365 but figured better safe than sorry. Threw my belt on and pulled 365 as the slowest rep I have ever experienced (ok that’s a lie but it was slow and painful). At this point I knew something was wrong.

 

I made it home to fall onto my couch and not move all night. I am a Boy Scout leader and I had a meeting that night. I attempted to put my socks on yet I couldn’t even sit up. Erica (my wife) began arguing that I was not able to go to the meeting. I argued I could make it and she won when I couldn’t get off the couch. I figured something was bad.

 

Wednesday, Recovery Begins.

 

Wednesday I saw Magic Hands Malik. If you do not know Malik he is one of our massage therapists. Malik spent and hour working my back and hips and it did wonders. Then my guy Jared took a look at me and said what Malik said, you are a mess.

 

Thursday-Monday.

 

I began my rehab. Lots of McGill type rehab/prehab work. If you are not familiar with Dr Stuart McGill than a good start would be google McGill big 3. Dr McGill is the back expert.  The pain has reduced and I was even able to put my own socks on Saturday. Monday is a new day and I feel much improved. The theory is I didn’t do any damage to the disks, yet I did make my muscles angry. So from here I am going to begin training today.

 

Moving forward.

 

Next will I will lay out my rehab and training plan for the next 12 weeks. I am very lucky to be surrounded by so many helpful, smart, and kind people. I will tell you that I am seeing Malik weekly for the next 4 weeks.

 

Until next week, stay healthy.

 

Hamer

 

 

5 Reasons to Use a Personal Trainer

Fitness

If you’re reading this then it’s safe to assume you actively engage in regular exercise at the gym or you would like to start. People use the gym for so many different purposes. There are hundreds of ways to train and lift that it may feel overwhelming sometimes. The fitness industry has become a deep sea of downloadable workout plans, exercise supersets from TikTok, and countless number of YouTube videos entitled, “Do these 10 exercises in the gym.” So where does one start? If you are new to lifting or even have a little bit of experience, I believe talking with a personal trainer is a great first step. Below, I will list 5 reasons why a personal trainer is beneficial to those just starting out and those who are getting ready to play in the NFL.

 

Accountability

A personal trainer is more than just someone who counts your reps. They are someone that genuinely cares about your growth. By working with a personal trainer you have a built-in accountability partner which will make the choice of going to the gym or staying home a little bit easier. When there is someone that we don’t want to let down, we are more likely to show up when it matters. If you struggle sticking to a routine and need someone to hold you accountable, get a personal trainer.

 

Personalization

 Most good personal trainers take into consideration many factors when working with a client. What goals you have, your exercise experience and what you are capable of all play a major role in how an exercise program is designed. So, a personal trainer is there to take these aspects into consideration and use them, along with their education, to create a plan that’s right for you.

 

Motivation-

A personal trainer knows when and how to safely push a client to the next level. When working out solo you may not have that same energy and internal motivation to go one more rep or hold that plank for the full amount of time. Along with motivation in the gym, a trainer may provide you with tips and advice for outside the gym that can help you get through those difficult situations in your life.

 

Niche Specialties

The great thing about the fitness industry is the opportunity to train any way you would like. Whether that be for pure aesthetics or for functionality, the gym is open to anyone. Sometimes though you may have limitations or a certain exercise may seem too difficult and you don’t know where to begin.

 

 Personal trainers have many certifications that they can specialize in and use to train niche clientele. So if you are someone that wants to learn how to powerlift, you can find a trainer who specializes in powerlifting and they can help you step into who you want to be.

 

Safe Exercise

With the amount of information online, it may be tempting to try something new in the gym. Although the exercise may seem pretty straight forward there are many things that can go wrong. This can lead to the number one thing most people try to avoid in the gym: Injury. An injury in the gym means a set back on the path to pursuing your goals. A personal trainer will provide guidance and proper tips for each exercise and will ensure that you are safely completing each rep of every set. They will help prevent injury and make sure those setbacks are few and far between.

 

If you are interested in personal training or would like more information about how a personal trainer can help you, call or ask a staff member next time you are in the gym.

 

Best Wishes,

 

Dylan Kopp

Bicycle Times.

Fitness, Life Health

Nothing says Pittsburgh winter like cycling. I am here to tell you that you are invited to ride your bike to DC with me.  No, I will not ride in the middle of the winter. For those who don’t know there are two trails that connect, to run from Pgh to DC. I have ridden it many times, and have led groups on it. Here are some details.

 

When?

May 25th-May 30th. The ride takes 5 days and each day averages 68 miles.  We get rooms in each town we stop in and get showers, dinner, and a possible libations.

 

Who’s riding?

 

Great question as I have done this with one other person and led twenty-five. So we will see who joins us.

 

How will we get back?

 

Depends on group size. Larger groups, we all chipped in and rented a touring bus. Smaller groups, we get picked up by friends or CeJ.

 

How good do you have to be at riding?

 

This is not a hard ride. The steepest grade is 1.5 percent. It follows the old railroad tracks so isn’t too bad. It is more mentally fatiguing than anything else.

 

How do I sign up?

 

Talk to Todd Hamer.

 

So get in RYDE class and get ready to ride with me.

 

Welcome to Ryde at Union Fitness!

Fitness

As you may have heard, our friends at Urban Elements and Cycology (UEC) will be closing their doors at the end of the year. But as one door closes, another one opens. We are excited to welcome them to the Union Fitness family! Starting New Year’s Day, we will begin offering Ryde and Ryde Fusion classes, taught by former UEC instructors.

 

For those of you I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet, my name is Rachael and I have been coaching Cardiolab and Bootcamps for the past several years at Union Fitness. One of my passions is teaching cycling and I could not be more excited to bring two wonderful communities together.

 

What is Ryde? Why is It Different?

Real Ryder bike isn’t just a stationary bike, it’s movement is dynamic and adds another level to a cycle class. You can expect a Ryde or Ryde-Fusion class to be a full-body cardio experience with climbs, sprints, jumps, tabatas and more. Add music that makes you want to move and I am certain you will love Ryde just as much as I do.

 

Who’s It For? Do I Need Riding Experience?

Ryde is for anyone looking to add variety to their fitness routine. You do not need to have experience with indoor or outdoor cycling to enjoy a cycle class. Let your instructor know before class starts if you haven’t had experience with a Real Ryder Bike and any current or previous injuries. There may be some modifications that we recommend depending upon the situation. Regardless of your fitness level, a Ryde class is an excellent cycle-based fitness option to incorporate into your schedule (especially during winter in PA, let’s be honest).

 

What To Expect – Schedule & Components.

Our introductory schedule starts the first week of January with plans to add in the coming months. Mornings: Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5:30 am 30 minute RYDE. This can be followed up with one of our 6 am offerings (Yoga, Powerful, or Cardiolab). Evenings: Tuesday and Thursdays at 5:30 pm 60 minute Fusion-RYDE. 30 minutes on the bike followed by 30 minutes of bootcamp. Weekends: 45 minute RYDE Saturday at 8:30 am and Sunday at 9 am.

 

Meet The Instructors.

Our UEC Ryde instructors are very excited to join the UF crew so keep an eye out on the schedule for them! Billy, Kayla and myself will be leading the morning classes and Mallory and Natalie will be teaching in the evening. Meagan will be every Sunday and we will have a rotating schedule for Saturdays. Everyone brings their own style of teaching to the bike and makes each class a different and challenging experience!

 

Sign Up Soon.

We can’t wait to join you on the bike so get yourself signed up on MindBody! Classes will be live 12/27. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or catch me before or after classes.

Science Stuff You Should Learn

Fitness, Life Health

In the world of health, strength, and fitness there are numerous confusing terms. As one who has spent 20 years in this industry I blame myself, and those in my profession for this confusion. I and we must do a better job communicating science. Today I want to give you some basic terms, acronyms, and phrases that may help you.

 

  1. EPOC- EPOC stands for Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption. It’s a very simple concept, that I will try to explain in easy terms. Imagine if I asked you to meet me at the parking garage. If you walked to 300 yards and I sprinted there when you arrived I’ll still be breathing heavy. We would have done the same amount of work (work is defined by displacement, so we both are equal in these terms), yet I am still winded. My body is still trying to overcome the changes in energy systems, yours is chillin. This is EPOC in real terms.
  2. Basil Metabolic Rate- This is how many calories your body burns by just sustaining life. There are a multitude of BMR calculators online. Age, sex, bodyweight, conditioning levels, and many other factors will affect this. Good rule of thumb if you are active then add a zero to the end of your bodyweight, and that’s a decent starting number.
  3. HRV-Heart Rate Variability. With the proliferation of smart watches I have seen a lot more people checking their HRV. In basic terms this is the time consistency of the time between heart beats. Think of it like this a good HRV is if your HR was 60 beats per minute and your heart beaten at 1.00 seconds then 2.00 seconds and continued this way for 60 seconds. Rule of thumb if your HRV is good then you are ready to train hard!
  4. RPE- Rate of Perceived Exertion. RPE was originally developed as a score of 6-20. The idea was 6 meant rest and heart rate would be at 60 BPM, whereas 20 meant full go, h and HR would be closer to 200. Now in lifting this isn’t even close to correct. RPE scale is now an easy 1-10 scale. The idea is 10 being as hard as you can do an activity and 1 being little to no work. The issue as I see it is that RPE is too subjective. IMO it should be looked at in the context of the training as well as using our next phrase, Velocity Based Training.
  5. VBT- Velocity Based Training. VBT is simple as it looks at fatigue as how much velocity drops on a given movement. With VBT There are a ton of rules of thumb as to how to use it. Yet, IMO VBT should be tied to RPE so that lifters can better use both of these ideas in their training.
  6. “Don’t fake the funk on a nasty dunk” Shaq. How does this pertain to strength and fitness? It doesn’t, yet it does. My man Ethan just told me I need to work this phrase into today’s blog, and any chance to use this quote is good for me. I will add that a closer reading of this phrase means, come into your session today with a positive attitude and prepared to not just fake it, but to work HARD.

 

Happiest of Holidays and a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!

Todd Hamer