Category Archives: Life Health

Set Some Goals, Reach Some Goals, and Fail

Fitness, Life Health, Uncategorized

Back in January I decided to set some goals for myself. It is now April, the year is 1/3 over and I am no where near reaching my goals. This could easily be seen as a bad thing, yet I could not be happier at how this year has turned out. The goals I set assumed that life would not happen and stand in the way of me reaching my goals.

 

Flashback.

 

January stared strong and I was feeling good. Then I had my first injury in years. When i say injury, I mean can’t train injury. I have had run of the mill bumps and bruises. This was the first time in about 5 years that I was in bad enough shape that I had to change everything that I was doing. The beauty with this injury was that I was able to look at what I was doing, look at my goals, and decide where I needed to go from there. I am very lucky to have people much smarter than I am to bounce ideas off of as well. 

 

As I look back at this injury it was the best thing to happen to my training in years. I have not competed in years and needed a new focus. This led me to being able to work on movements and weaknesses that I have not addressed in years. 

 

As for my goals?

 

I reached none of my January goals. Well, I did reach my reading goal, yet that was never really in question. As far as movement goals, I was not even close to any of them. My question for you is, do you think I would have been better if I had reached my goals and not be injured? I know what my thoughts on this are. 

 

I have never been a person who says, everything happens for a reason. I have twisted this saying to my own view, I believe, wise people learn lessons when things happen. The world and all of its happenings can be random and if we try hard enough then we will learn lessons from all these happenings. 

We can do it all this week if we

Now go out, set some goals, fail, learn, growth , and set some new goals. Fail better and maybe one day you will reach those goals. Whether you reach your goals or you don’t does not matter as the journey is really what matters and you’ll remember the struggles more then the goals. 

An Introduction to Massage Therapy

Life Health

There comes a time in every human’s anatomical experience where they have a tension they can’t relieve, a motion they have issues moving through, or the like. Time goes by; you hope it solves itself. Eventually, it comes down to, “I cannot get this out,” whatever it is. To find relief, we take an aspirin, or apply cold or heat to the area, and these remedies can and will work in a lot of cases. But what do you do when this discomfort becomes recurring, chronic, and these tools don’t get the job done? You seek professional opinion. When you can’t fully figure out why you have dysfunction in your tissue, it is the time to ask for help.

 

The human body is resilient, and it can do a ton, but not without a conduit of some sort. Massage therapy, when it comes to soft tissue dysfunction, is that catalyst, stepping stone to more functional muscle. Conditions such as carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, a frozen shoulder, shin splints, and tight neck are obvious reasons to get bodywork done. This list of injuries continues. It is also beneficial to get work done if you are doing consistent motions, be you a warehouse worker, a bodybuilding athlete, or desk worker; bodywork maintenance will help you avoid injury and extend the life of your physical prowess. Healing and recovery are crucial parts of any person’s lifestyle. With my time in the fitness/wellness field, I profess massage therapy as an essential tool for every person, not because I want to have work (duh), but that I have produced and seen its benefits.

 

These benefits, though often can be seen soon after the session concludes, really only flourish and stick when sessions have regularity. Determining with what regularity is always a conversation between client and practitioner, based on therapist and client availability and severity of dysfunction. To give a standard, most healthy athletes I work with get seen once a month, mostly as a check. If the two of us have a project or a goal in mind, the frequency may increase to twice or three times a month. I am spoiled and think everyone deserves one every week. The more often you see a licensed massage therapist, the more your soft tissue will thank you in power and mobility.

 

The more honest and informative you can be with your massage therapist, or other adjacent practitioners, the better they can assume the skills that will most benefit you. The massage practitioner has a duty to create a beneficial, yet ultimately safe and welcome space for their clients. Tell the therapist about your past injuries and surgeries. Tell them about skin conditions you may have or relevant medications you’re taking, like NSAIDs or muscle relaxants.  No judgment is ever passed in my massage room. Everybody’s journey is different and I just want to make sure people get helped along the way.

 

Humans must do. We must play, we must work, we must do. In this ‘life of do’, we may not always know what we did to create tension in the body, or why it hurts here, or how things got this way, but there are ways to be better, to find yourself in a better position. There is no shame in asking for help to get there. 

 

How Much Ya’ Bench?

Fitness, Life Health, Training

A long time ago Saturday Night Live had a skit called “How Much Ya Bench?” This as a Chris Farley classic. It was just a bunch of meatheads talking about bench press and all things meathead. This skit is now over 20 years old and I still love it. I love it for many reasons, first reason is that it’s funny. Yet, the second reason I love to watch it is to see how far lifters have come. I remember 20+ years ago the bench was the lift everyone talked about. At Push/Pull events there were many more benchers than deadlifters. Today it is quite the opposite.

 

Lifting in the 1990’s and into the 2000’s was dominated by bench press and men. Today meets will have people deadlifting, squatting, and women crushing big weights. What we see is that lifting has progressed far beyond where it was 2 decades ago. It is now usual to see a meet that has even numbers of males and females. Also, deadlift numbers have exploded. Lifters are stronger, healthier, and look much better.

 

My point to all of this takes me back to one of my favorite quotes.

 

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” Charles Darwin

 

As a lifter if you wish to move forward then you MUST adjust to the sport. I often hear lifters talk about how it used to be. Yes, I have great memories of “how it used to be,” it is great to recall some great times. I remember competing against and amongst some legends and I look back positively on those times. Now, I have been passed by many young lifters and I have even learned from them. I am still trying to adapt. This takes me to one other quote that I try to live by.

 

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” Oscar Wilde

 

Morale to my story is that we must keep moving forward as well learning from and leaning on the people younger than us. Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome.

 

 

 

 

 

Dylan’s Triathlon Experience

Fitness, Life Health

What is one thing you find impossible?

 

Last year I decided to do what I previously thought was impossible. After joining my local gym, I took up swimming as a form of cardio. While in the pool one day I began chatting up another member and he mentioned that he was currently training for a triathlon. Feeling inspired, I went home and signed up for the next race that would take place in Maryland. With no formal swim training, no bike and only a few 5k races under my belt, I was in over my head (no pun intended).

 

Now that I was signed up, I needed to know how much I should be training (the race distances were 0.75k for the swim, a 15-mile bike, and a 5k run). So, I began working the hardest on my weakest link, which was swimming. I watched all the videos I could find on swim technique (breath count, streamline form, etc.) and developed a good stroke. I would swim three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday) with increasing volume as the race got closer. For the most part I would spend about 2 hours in the pool each training session.

 

The order of a triathlon race goes: Swim, Bike, then Run. That just so happens to be the order of importance in my training as well. While developing my best Michael Phelps impression, I also was on the hunt for a bike. With most places asking well over $1,000 for a decent bike I struggled to justify spending that for one race. I ended up finding a good deal on an old Trek road bike that is 3 years older than I am. This ancient relic is what I would do my training on and what I would ultimately use on the big day. For my bike training I rode twice a week (Wednesday and Saturday). Each ride would be between 5-15 miles depending on how I was feeling that day. I was also supplementing my bike training by riding my bike to and from work. This leads me to the reason I thought this venture was impossible.

 

At the time of training I was working 40 hours a week at my job and also 25 hours a week at a coaching internship. The only thing I did in my spare time was eat, train, and sleep. There were days I wanted to quit and skip training or call into my internship and say I couldn’t make it. In those moments I remembered why I was doing what I was doing. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do what I thought was impossible. Every day I would wake up and repeat the mantra that kept progressing me forward: I am Endless. Endless energy, endless motivation, and endless determination to reach my goals.

 

I knew the running portion of the race would be the easiest for me because of my background in sports. So, I only trained 1-2 times a week and most of the time I just ran the distance of the race, which was a 5k. As time went on and the day of the race approached, I started including multiple sports a day into my training sessions. So some days I would swim then go run on the treadmill right after. Others I would even do all three sports in the same session.

 

When race day finally came, I was nervous and had doubts that I didn’t train hard enough. These doubts disappeared as I stared out from the starting line over the lake we would be swimming in. Again, I repeated my mantra and prepared for the countdown. When the start timer hit zero, we were off. As soon as I hit the water it’s like I forgot everything I practiced. My breathing was off, form was terrible, and I couldn’t see anything because of how dark the water was. But, these issues didn’t stop me from completing the hardest swim of my life. Getting out of the water I was so disoriented; I didn’t know up from down. But, I trotted over to the transition area, strapped up on my bike and took off.

 

The next 15 miles of the race were a breeze. The bike became my strongest part of the race and allowed me to catch up to many of the others. The course ventured over multiple uphills and downhills and overall we covered about 2500 meters of elevation. I took this time on the bike to pause mentally and enjoy the scenic views of Fort Ritchie, Maryland. As I had the final transition area in sight, I knew I only needed to push myself a little bit more.

 

The run portion of the race went well however, by that point I was drained. I moved as fast as I could, but every step felt like I had cement blocks around my feet. The entire run portion though I could see the finish line in my head and pictured crossing it. At the final straight away I gave it everything I had and finished strong with a time of 2 hours and 58 minutes.

 

I was exhausted, tired, fatigued, or whatever adjective you want to use. But I finished and I proved to myself that I could do what I thought was impossible. I challenge you to come up with something you think is impossible for you to do and go for it. Find that local race, powerlifting competition, or speaking event that you have always wanted to do but never thought you could. Life is short, enjoy the ride.

 

-Dylan Kopp

UF Ladies Night, Part 2

Fitness, Life Health

It’s almost the time for our second Ladies Night here at UF! It will be held this upcoming Saturday April 9th. Last month’s event was a ton of fun, and we are looking forward to hosting this every second Saturday of the month from now on. We plan to keep the style the same where we will have open gym from 4:30 – 6:30pm and starting at 5:00pm we will run a mock Powerful class. With this class, there will be three separate workouts written on the white board. There will be a squat circuit, deadlift circuit, and a bench press circuit for those of you who may come in without a plan and would like some guidance and something to work through.

 

The Cardio Lab, Fitness Center, and Strength Lab will all be open for you to get your workout in for those two free hours. This event is open to both current members and non-members, so be sure to bring a friend! Please sign up online through our website under “Classes” prior to coming into the gym. We are looking forward to seeing all of you there to have some fun and meet some fellow strong ladies!

 

Toria

The Brains Behind the Brawn-Allison Ream

Life Health

“If you continue to think the way you’ve always thought, you’ll continue to get what you’ve always got.”-Kevin Trudeau 

 

This quote is one that has always stuck with me, as someone who has always struggled to get my grips around the idea of change. But if we aren’t changing, we aren’t growing right? Once I’ve committed to this idea, I’ve seen great things fall into place. An example that comes out of this is undoubtedly with weight training. I know we’ve all had those thoughts while facing a bar. “I’ve never lifted this much.” or “This doesn’t seem like something I could do.” As a psychology student, I recognize the power that those thoughts have over your actions. Sometimes we may even just freeze. Part of growing yourself in the gym is mentally committing to flipping those thoughts. We must learn to embrace things that are new-that weight that is heavier than last time, or that exercise you struggle to get through (specifically Bulgarians).

 

If you strengthen your mindset, your body will follow. Once you find that sweet spot where your motivation stems from, you can take those steps to reach a place of optimal performance. Whether your mountaintops or your valleys are what fuel you, use what works. Sometimes we may find that the same thing that motivated you yesterday just isn’t doing the trick anymore. Change it! Our off-seasons may not look exactly like game time, and that’s okay. But when you practice integrity and positivity in your small moments, the big moments will come to you with ease. Your mind and your body are so powerful separate, so imagine what they do when they work in harmony!

More Than Just a Membership

Life Health

When most people initially join a gym, they don’t realize the opportunities that the experience can open for them. Sure, you could go ahead and do your own thing at home, but you won’t be gaining the social and personal benefits that you would get from being present at the gym. When you sign up for a gym membership, you are signing up for way more than just a membership. The gym is a great place to build new relationships and network while also strengthening your mental and physical health.

 

For those who are new to a gym and are maybe just starting out their fitness journey, it can be intimidating to walk into a gym for the first time. We have all been in that situation, and I was personally in that position just a few short years ago. My advice would be to not be afraid to try new classes and exercises that you may have never considered doing before. Check out a new class and use this opportunity to see some new faces and maybe learn some new exercises. From there, you could potentially build relationships and find gym buddies to have during classes and outside during your own training time as well. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Our members and our staff at UF are some of the friendliest people and are willing to help anyone and answer any questions that come their way. 

No matter what stage of being a gym member that you are in (brand new or old), each of us have our own background and experience, but we are all at the gym to do the same thing: to better ourselves. So, whether you are coming in just to take classes, have a personal training session, or to hit that PR, there are several ways that you will benefit from joining and utilizing a gym. 

 

Make sure to say hello to any new faces that you might see throughout your training sessions and ask questions if you’re ever unsure of anything. You never know where that simple question or hello might take you!

 

Toria

 

Beware the Ides of March Madness

Fitness, Life Health

A strange thing has been happening in UF. Our daily attendance increased from January to February. In the fitness industry it is an unwritten rule that growth happens in January, and then drops off for the next few months. It is human nature to get excited about anything new. A new year, a new workout routine, a new gym etc.. The key is to keep moving when the new and shiny become the mundane, and daily routine.

 

March is the most important month of the year. As we experienced this weekend March can do whatever she wants and we are powerless to stop her. March can snow 8 inches, be 70 degrees, and even entice us with her green beer. The reason I see March as the most important month is it’s our last chance to really commit to a healthy and strong summer. You may have spent the previous two months training hard, or you may have fallen off throughout the new year. No matter what happened in the past two months, if you wish to be a better you for the summer, March is the time. Here are a few ways that you can stay on point to reach your summer goals.

 

  1. Math! Alwyn Cosgrove used to list out what percent of the year was gone in each of his newsletter. So remember at the end of March you will be 25% of the way done with this year. Are you 25% of the way towards your goals.
  2. Set some goals around current events. March Madness is a great chance to either be better or drink too much and eat garbage food. Instead of falling off during March Madness fill out a bracket with exercises. Make each game a bet with yourself. If team  A. wins then run a mile, if team B. wins then do 100 push ups. Make each game a different bet and have fun with March Madness.
  3. Et Tu Brute? Beware the ides of March. Also, beware the friends who truly want the best for you, yet will push you to bad decisions. We all have our own el guapo, make sure you are stronger than your el guapo (go watch the three amigos if you don’t get that reference).
  4. Schedule your summer event. It doesn’t matter if you have a vacation or a meet. Just make sure you schedule something, anything. Count the weeks and work backwards to schedule your goals.
  5. Enjoy the nice days (when we have them), and get out of the gym. Vitamin D is free so go get it when the sun is shining.

 

I hope this list keeps you on track and helps you reach new goals.

 

Hamer

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

Life Health, Training

Change has always been a part of my life. I spent a lot of my younger life jumping from town to town because of my dad being in the military. We traveled all over Venezuela so being new in a lot of places is something that I was used to. Even though I moved a lot with my family, it did not prepare me for moving to the US. When we moved around Venezuela we knew we were going to come back to our hometown but not this time.

 

When I moved to the US I experienced a lot of discomfort. I didn’t know anyone- didn’t speak the language, didn’t know any places- I was lost. I had to force myself out of my comfort zone to do anything. At first I was terrified. I remember lunch being very quiet and lonely. I would see all these kids talking to their friends and laughing, and I wanted that. I decided that I would embrace that discomfort and reach a new goal I had set for myself- “be able to hold a full conversation in English and make friends”. It worked. I did everything I could to achieve that goal and it made setting new goals for myself easier as I graduated high school, and moved onto college. Watching myself be able to change in a way I never thought I would be able to, only furthered my drive to want more for myself after I graduated from college.

 

There was one more recent venture that gave me that same feeling of discomfort, and it was moving to Pittsburgh. When I moved to Pittsburgh the first couple of days were great but after 2 weeks, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I again had no friends, no job, no money but what I did have was experience with this discomfort so I started setting new goals for myself to be able to achieve all of those things. I wasn’t having any luck finding jobs, money or friends until I went into this little gym named Union Fitness (maybe you’ve heard of it) and I talked to this guy named Todd Hamer (weird guy, don’t talk to him), and he offered for me to come work a powerlifting meet. I was faced with that same feeling of discomfort but I knew that if I went to this meet, I would be opening new opportunities for myself. I met a lot of wonderful people and I got this great job!

 

We all have those feelings of being uncomfortable in new situations but we can’t let those feelings dictate how we live. Understand and acknowledge those feelings, but don’t let them hold you back from great, new opportunities.

It’s Ladies Night

Fitness, Life Health, Training

Hello Everyone!

 

We are super excited to say that we are going to be offering our first ever Ladies Night here at UF! This will be held next Saturday March 12th from 4:30 – 6:30pm and we are planning to continue to offer this event on the second Saturday of every month moving forward. The Strength Lab, Cardio Lab, and the Fitness Center will all be open for us to train in for those 2 free hours. All ladies are welcome whether you are a current member or a non-member. Come on out and have some fun, bring a friend, hit some PR’s, and meet some fellow strong ladies. 

 

We are looking forward to seeing all of you there and continuing to create a strong community together! 

 

Toria