Category Archives: Fitness

How I Approach Different Client Types: Pt. 2

Fitness, Life Health

Hello readers! I am following up on a previous blog post where I spoke on my methods for working with athletic and non-athletic individuals. This time, I’ll be discussing how I approach injured clientele. Here, when I talk about ‘injured’, I mean a site that has experienced severe to serious trauma, from a muscle tear/broken bone to chronic soft tissue dysfunction, inhibiting strength and mobility. 

 

Massage is contraindicated for acute injuries. Ask your doctor what bodywork and therapies are advisable for your injury.  

 

My utmost concern when I do massage, especially with an injured individual, is the client’s safety. Similar to how health care practitioners take the Hippocratic Oath, I also vowed to do no harm. So, I have vast and growing knowledge of conditions and states of conditions where I cannot do work on a client. 

 

Though there are times where massage is contraindicated, or unwarranted due to safety, I can direct people to a professional that is better suited for them. Sometimes that professional is a physical therapist, an orthopedist, or even a nutritionist. But usually I direct them to their personal care provider, as they have more referral resources available to them than I when it comes to an injury. 

 

Additionally, unlike a massage therapist, PCPs can prescribe X-Rays and MRIs. They are expensive, yet I strongly suggest them as they can pinpoint the injury and discern its condition. Once all the proper scans are taken and the client’s doctor has stated that massage is safe, I can then perform bodywork. 

 

The first step is to assess the tissue at and around the injured site with some range of motion testing. This process I also conduct with non-injured persons. Active and passive range of motion show me how your tissue and joints move given the trauma of the injury. Soft tissue is resilient and often clients are surprised at how well they can move during this assessment. Though it is necessary to mobilize the site for it to heal, we will stop any bodywork that is painful so as not to exacerbate the injury. 

 

From there, I determine which muscle groups are in need of manual therapies and get to work. These therapies can include cupping, electrical stimulation, applications of heat or cold, or other modalities. It will take more than one or two sessions to get tissue to optimal, but clients generally feel better afterwards compared to when they walked in. It is important to note that your recovery is integral after manual therapies are applied; stress management, diet, and sleep determine how well you take to the massage, injured or otherwise. The body is astoundingly proficient at healing, given the proper conditions. Work with the professionals and practitioners available to you to find which conditions are best for you. 

 

Thanks for reading! I hope you learned something! Be sure to read my preceding blog “How I Approach Different Client Types” to see how I approach athletes and non-athletic persons. Take it easy! 

 

MJA

Friday Powerful Class Update

Fitness, Life Health, Training

Beginning the first week of November, our Friday Powerful class will be taking a slightly different approach. If you are someone who trains throughout the week, whether it be at our classes here at Union Fitness, or your own workouts, you know first hand how the body and mind can feel by the end of the week. Taking this into account, our Friday class will now be a combination of bodyweight training with a focus on movement and mobility, followed by a cool-down period with an emphasis on stretching. Our goal here is to help you recover from a long week of work, those grueling training sessions, and anything else that life has thrown at you, while also preparing your body for any tasks that the weekend has in store.

 

Don’t get it twisted, this will still be a great and challenging workout, just as we always aim to provide for our members. However, we will be introducing you to a slightly different approach to training that will yield you the same results as our previous class, but with the addition of getting your body exposed to different movements and positions that will have a long list of benefits. Whether you sit at a desk or are on your feet all day, this workout will have an increased benefit on not only your day to day function, but also your long-term function and strength down the road.

 

For added benefits, we recommend combining this class with one of our amazing Yoga classes throughout the week. The combination of the two will have your body and mind prepared to take on any challenge that is thrown at it. I can promise you that by investing in these workouts, you will see an increase in movement quality, joint & muscular function and strength, and an increase in overall well-being. For more details or any questions, be sure to grab me at the gym and I’ll be more than happy to help. 

 

– Curtis Miller 

Tell Me “Why”

Fitness, Life Health, Training

Hello UF Community!

 

I was training one of my clients yesterday, and we were listening to classic throwbacks by the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, etc. As we all know, one of the Backstreet Boys most famous songs is “I Want It That Way” from the year 1999. The chorus of that song goes a little something like “Tell me why (ain’t nothin but a heartache)… Tell me why…”

 

I have some food for thought for you today. I want you to think about your reasons “why.” What I mean by that is not necessarily just to think about why you might have a heartache or even why you may have joined the gym, but to reflect on why you do certain things in your everyday lives. Take some time to think about your true passions and your daily personal values. Examples could be why you chose your current job, why do you love or hate what you do for a living, why did you decide to get up and out of bed this morning, why did you choose your current 2022 goals, why did you do that extra set of deadlifts last night or eat that extra donut for breakfast.

 

I’m challenging you to dig a little bit deeper into your thoughts today, because why not reflect on why it is we do what we do and feel the ways that we do daily.

 

I kept this one short and sweet, but I hope that it gets those brain wheels turning and you discover some deeper knowledge within yourselves.

 

Toria

 

Jenn’s Long Strange Trip to Pittsburgh

Fitness, Training

Where do I even begin… I came to Pittsburgh in October of 2021 on my first ever assignment as a traveler at UPMC hospital and was only planning on staying for a 3 month contract. Little did I know 3 months would turn into a year. It has truly been a pleasure and an honor that I had the chance to get to know Curtis and Todd and the rest of the amazing employees and other members of Union Fitness.

 

I started my fitness journey way back in July of 2019 in my home state of Delaware with 2 personal trainers, one for weightlifting that I saw 3 times a week and one for CrossFit that I also saw 3 times a week, with one day of rest. My main goal at the time was to lose a little weight and tone up in the process however, it didn’t take long at all for me to get hooked on powerlifting! The feeling of being able to lift heavier weight each week was intoxicating and I knew I would never look back. Everything was going great and I finally found the courage to sign up for my first meet which was supposed to take place in May of 2020, then disaster struck and Covid shut the world down. Although I stayed very busy in the hospital, my meet was cancelled and my fitness journey came to a complete stop.

 

Fast forward about 2 whole years later to when I found Union Fitness, and decided to get back in the game in late March of 2022. I knew from the very first time I talked to Curtis on the phone to set up my initial consult that it was going to be a great fit for me! After my face-to-face consult, it was decided that my 4x a week training would benefit the most by splitting 2 days each with Curtis and Todd and I just cannot say enough positive things about these two gentlemen. They each have their own unique training styles and I am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from both of them. In just 6 months, after not setting foot in a gym for about 2 years, I was able to surpass my PRs from 2019 as well as compete in my very first meet here at Union Fitness! They pushed me, encouraged me, tested me, gave me advice, believed in me, made me laugh constantly, and stood by me every step of the way! It amazed me how they continued to come up with new workouts and ways for me to train and push myself. Just when my body started getting “used” to one thing, sure enough I would have that awesome full body soreness for a couple of days after a new idea they had Lol. I have grown so much as a person and a lifter thanks to them and thanks to all of the wonderful family at Union who I have come to know and will truly miss.

 

I hope my travels will bring be back here one day. Quite possibly for the fall meet in 2023! It has been an honor and a pleasure! Thank you everyone! And a very special thank you to Curtis and Todd! I’ll be forever grateful for everything you both have done for me!😊

 

Jenn

There Is No Success Like Failure

Fitness, Life Health, Training

It seems like often; we emphasize failure more than we do about celebrating success. If we changed the narrative and we celebrated failure the same way we do when we succeed what could happen? Imagine the drastic change that we would see in daily life. The fear would vanish, and people would do incredible things.

 

Some of the greatest people to ever live failed time and time again. When Michael Jordan was cut from his 9th grade basketball team, I bet people didn’t think he would become one of the most influential athletes to ever live. Or how about when Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting while he was alive, now people pay millions. Albert Einstein couldn’t talk until he was 4 and couldn’t read until he was 7 years old. He then went on to change the way we view the world and shaped our own understanding of humanity. Three vastly different backgrounds but ended with the same result. No one could have imagined their impact.

 

No one thought they could become great because they focused exclusively on their failures. However, it is only because of their failure that they achieved something many only dream of. The greatness that is inside many of the people we look up to, can be found in every one of us. To become great at something you must be bad at it first. So the next time you fail, throw your arms up in excitement and celebrate and rejoice, its an opportunity to get better and take that step closer to achieving the impossible. I challenge you adopt this idea. No matter how big or small the challenges you face are it will always be okay to fail. Just continue to try and try again.

 

I leave you this quote from Michael Jordan: “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

 

Dylan

Share Your Story

Fitness, Life Health, Training

Over the past six months, Todd and I have had the wonderful opportunity of working with a member who has been in town as a traveling nurse. When she first came to us, she was coming off of being two years removed from a training routine. She told us that her goals were to get back into the shape she was in before she took time off, and to build her strength with the hopes of hitting personal bests in the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Each week, she showed up 4 times, and most days at 6am. Todd and I knew she was dead serious about her goals, and she proved it each session. So, we put together a plan and provided her the best service we possibly could.

 

After 6 months of not missing a single workout, she signed up for and competed in her very first powerlifting competition right here at Union Fitness. It was safe to say that she was extremely nervous and had no idea what to expect (just as we all are for our first one). However, she showed up, put her heart and soul into every lift, and came out victorious. That day, we witnessed so much growth in her, as she did herself, that we knew she could take on anything that was placed in front of her.

 

We recently asked her to write us a short blog on her experience. At first, she was hesitant, as she didn’t want to be the center of attention, and was worried about what other’s might think. So, we let her think on it for a few days before I decided to have a conversation with her. What she didn’t realize was that she had a beautiful story to tell. One that involved moving 6 hours away to a city that she had never known, by her self. Aside from this, she was working at a job where she knew absolutely no one. She walked into a gym that she knew nothing about after taking 2 years completely off of training. She signed up to work with two goof ball trainers who she hadn’t built a relationship with yet. She then chose to continuously show up at 6am four days per week to achieve her goals, while signing up for and competing in a competition that she had never even seen in person. All of this in just 6 months. What she didn’t realize at first is that there were people who were going through the same challenges, or maybe who were even too hesitant to take those chances, just as she once was. 

 

As I type this, I ask you to do two things. First, take the time regularly to reflect on all of the amazing things you have accomplished over your lifetime. This is something we don’t do nearly enough. Next, pass it along. This is our greatest gift as humans, and without the ability and action of helping others, what good is it to experience and achieve all of the wonderful things that we have? Because, you never know how your experiences and the things that you have to share could impact the lives of those around you.

 

– Curtis Miller

It’s Never Too Late; Start Now

Fitness, Life Health

We are entering the tenth month of the year. 2022 is 75% of the way over and it’s now a perfect time to create better habits heading into the winter. We tend to use the calendar to set our goals and start new challenges. I am here today to tell you NOW is the time!

 

This week the nominees for the Nobel Peace Price will be announced. If you do not know how the Nobel Peace Prize got its name then you are in luck, as I am going to tell you a story. The Nobel Peace Prize is named after Alfred Nobel (1833-1896). Alfred was a Swede who during his lifetime was most well known for inventing dynamite. He invented dynamite to be used for safety. It would help miners remain at a distance while explosions would occur. The issue is that dynamite ended up becoming a weapon. One day Alfred opened the newspaper to read that overnight he had died. The paper had mistaken Alfred’s brother for Alfred. Yet, what he read was a headline about a man who died, and that man had caused more death than any human ever. This was clearly an awakening to Alfred.

 

Alfred did not want to be remembered as a killer, so he made a change. Upon his death he left his fortune to create the Nobel Prizes. He wanted to make humanity a better place for all peoples, and this was his way of paying it forward.

 

What Alfred teaches us about ourselves depends on your perspective. The way I see it, he reminds us that we can always adjust our sails. One of my favorite new artists is Jade Bird and in her great song, “Now is the time” she shares these lyrics:

 

“Never have I ever seen a better day to get upDoesn’t matter ’bout the weatherNow’s the time to go and get it”
As Alfred Nobel or Jade Bird reminds us, now is the time. It doesn’t matter what the past is, what the weather is, or past mistakes. All that matters is that we are here today so make a change. Now is the time to start anew and I challenge you to join me on a path of strength, health, and empowerment.
Hamer

 

Movements You Should Do Daily

Fitness, Life Health

I trained two people at UF. Duke and Jenn, each person brings something different to us and challenges me in different ways. Jenn just did her first powerlifting meet and has a goal of mastering pull ups. Duke is a seasoned lifter, he has done CrossFit, powerlifting, and been training for well over a decade. Having these two people to train with is great as it creates such an awesome environment for me to learn. Each brings a different strength, weakness, as well as personality to their training.

 

This week Duke is on a family trip and he is also coming back from a slight back strain. A few weeks back he aggravated some soft tissue in his back and we have had to adjust slightly to train through his injury. Knowing the this week is a planned travel week got me thinking. What are movements someone should do daily? Also, how we can make these a habit whether we are traveling or just sitting at home? So I made a short list of movements that I would recommend everyone does daily.

 

  1. Squat- I know this is obvious. There is probably no movement that is better for the entire body than a bodyweight squat. Cues are simple, keep your feet flat on the ground, your sternum up, and get as low as you can. Do this daily, for reps, for time, and for fun.
  2. Standing Quad Stretch- As a society we spend to much time in a forward leaning position. This will tighten our hip flexors (which include the quads). So grab your foot and pull it towards your butt. Just like with the squat, what matters is that you do the movement. How long, how many reps, and other variables doesn’t matter. Movement matters.
  3. Childs Pose to Cobra- Have you ever heard of creep? No, not the song (even though it’s a great jam). Creep in layman’s terms is when the fluid around your disk moves (generally this shift is posterior). Think about it like this, if you are sitting (and probably leaning forward) your disks are being pushed to open up posteriorly and the fluid will move more to the back. Doing these movements will help move this fluid and set your back into a more neutral position.
  4. Toe Touch- This movement has received a bad rap over the years. Yes, it is a fact that repeats flexion is bad for the spine. Yet, I’d contend that if you are doing all of these movements combined than the net affect will be a positive. So bend over and touch your toes.
  5. Lateral Lunge- A mistake I made way to often as a young coach was not moving through all three planes of motion. There is front, sagittal, as well as transverse. Move in all three of these planes and your body will feel better.
  6. T Spine Movements- There are many different movements here. You could do the worlds greatest stretch, multiple wall stretches, or lying t spine work. Just make sure you are moving your thoracic cavity.
  7. Being Bi-Pedal-This means walk more. If you want to be healthy, walk, if you want to think, walk, if you want to meet new people, walk. Most great thinkers walk and just let their minds be free. The adage about 10,000 steps a day is great, yet the science is pretty clear if you want to be healthy 8,000 steps is plenty. I average 15,000 a day, yet I have also never had a “real job.”

 

This is my short list and a simple catch all of movements you should do daily. These can be done whether traveling or at home and shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes.

 

Hamer

Live DJ Charity Event Recap

Fitness, Training

Hello!

 

Rachael jumping on the blog today to say THANK YOU to everyone who participated and donated to our charity DJ Bootcamp on September 17th. We raised $450 dollars for PPWP and had a ton of fun doing it! We had a perfect weather day, lots of smiles, hard work put in, and couldn’t have done it without the awesome community we have here at Union Fitness. 

 

Thank you to the UF mgmt. team for making this happen and to everyone who helped make the day possible (from set up to clean up)! Looking forward to more events in the future!

 

Rachael

Why Union Fitness?

Fitness, Training

I am proud of the work we do here at UF. I also know that we offer more than most commercial gyms in the area. Today I want to highlight some of the things that make us different than the other gyms in the area.

 

Special Events.

 

  1. Fundraiser Bootcamps. Rachel Riddell hosted a fundraiser bootcamp this weekend. we were happy to have 30 members and non-members here at UF to RYDE and enjoy a nice day outdoor on our turf.
  2. Comedy Shows- We led a bootcamp then hosted a comedy show with a fundraiser for the LGBTQ+ community.
  3. Bike Rides. We are happy to have worked with POGOHas well as Bike PGH to host numerous bike rides throughout out community. While raising money for bike safety.

 

Private space for our classes. 

 

We are one of the few gyms that offers a private training space in a different building for our classes. Our performance lab is the perfect space to take our flagship class powerful. We also host yoga as well as other events in this space.

 

Team Training.

 

We are proud to be the home of both Point Park University as well as Chatham University athletic programs. We oversee the training of the teams from both of these fine local universities. To the average member this may not seem like a great thing, yet having the college students around always brings an extra energy and intensity to the gym.

 

PITT IS IT. 

 

UF loves our hometown. We also love Pitt and are happy to have our Pitt powerlifters train here. While most of the Pitt lifters don’t lift here full time, most of the lifters do train here at different times. Seeing and supporting these young lifters brings a great energy to UF.

 

Fitness Center.

 

The fitness center does not get enough love. The fitness center offers everything you would need to get strong and fit. UF has many pieces of cardio equipment as well as racks, dumbbells, and kettlebells.

 

Strength Lab.

 

The strength lab is the Cadillac of training. We have everything you need to get strong and then some. Monolifts, platforms, racks, competition benches, and many different barbells. The strength lab always has competent spotters and a great group of lifters, who are willing to help each other and you get strong!

 

Personal Training. 

 

I am very proud of all the personal trainers that we have here at UF. The trainers here are a diverse group of strong trainers, and they do an amazing job with their clients. Curtis oversees all of this and he is a rock star with empowering our trainers.

 

Powerlifting.

 

One thing UF is known for is our powerlifting. We have our share of strong humans, and we host two meets a year. One thing that separates us from other gyms with powerlifting is our willingness to help all lifters. This weekend, World Record holder Bonica Brown trained at UF alongside many first time lifters back in the strength lab.

 

There is a basic overview of UF and why I know that we are the best at what we do. Come visit us anytime, and ask any questions.

 

Hamer