Hello Union family! I don’t want to be corny and sound like every other gym that has ever existed but I truly believe we have some really amazing coaches. I say this very often but I’m proud to say that I work with some very educated coaches, who not only care about staying educated but most importantly they truly care about their clients and members. You don’t believe me? Well read some testimonials for yourself!

Mary does a wonderful job with my one-on-one personal training sessions. She’s extremely knowledgeable on each workout and what muscle it targets. She’s very thorough when explaining exercises and is always willing to show by example. The hour truly goes by so fast and she makes being there enjoyable. I’m happy to have her as my trainer and to keep me motivated!

-John

I cannot say enough good things about working with Dahveed. After years of a sedentary lifestyle, I knew it was time to make a change, so I signed up for personal training. From our first consultation, Dahveed was warm and welcoming and happy to meet me at my skill level. I’m learning so much about my health while building strength and making progress every week. Plus he can get me to do a wall sit, which is no small feat. 11/10 stars!

-Ruby 

I had the pleasure of training with Hannah for about a year, and she was truly the best trainer I could have asked for! Her kindness, humor, and ability to give me that extra push when I needed it made every session enjoyable and motivating. Hannah is incredibly knowledgeable about her training programs, and she was especially helpful when I faced a minor back injury, ensuring I could still progress safely and effectively. She made me look forward to working out—a feat in itself! The only reason I stopped training with her was because I moved out of the area. I can’t recommend her enough!

-Kelsey

I’ve been a member of Union for a long time, first introduced to the gym after spectating my very first powerlifting meet. I initially joined with a goal of building strength, and Union not only supported me through my first powerlifting meet but also adapted when my focus shifted to cardio and mobility—and back to strength again. As a regular at Union whether it’s Cardio Lab, Yoga, or Powerful—I’ve consistently had a great experience. My favorite class is the 5 PM Powerful with CJ and Dahveed. The energy and camaraderie among members help create the best gym community this city has to offer! The programming at Union is always on point. Whether it’s agility and endurance training in the summer or focusing on PRs and refining technique in the winter, every class is designed to challenge, engage, and inspire. No matter your goals, Union offers a workout that will push you to new heights while feeling supported every step of the way. If you’re looking for a gym with top-notch programming and a strong, welcoming community, Union is the place to be.

-Sarah

Toria has changed my life!  Two years ago I sheepishly came to Union Fitness for the first time at the insistence of my kids. It had been years since I had really exercised regularly. Toria worked with me at a pace that I was comfortable with. She was always encouraging, and even took videos I could share with my kids. I’ve been impressed with my own progress, as the rest of my family has. I feel strong and healthy, and I love the workouts! 

-Diana

Rachael and Steph’s morning Cardiolab classes are always challenging! Both coaches are thoughtful in how they create class programming, incorporating different drills/exercises so no class is ever the same. They are motivating and fun, have great music, and provide excellent direction during class! They are some of our favorite coaches at Union Fitness!

-“The Morning Crew” (Katherine, Mike, Rich)

I hope after reading all those testimonials you’re fueled with the energy to start personal training or start joining our classes! We are running a HUGE personal training sale until the end of the year for anyone that is interested. So, if you want to work with any of our awesome coaches stop on by!

UF Team

Hello, everyone! We have some exciting news to share. We have partnered with a local nonprofit called Open Up, an organization dedicated to promoting mindfulness, movement, and belonging for all. Through accessible programming and a welcoming environment, Open Up empowers individuals to cultivate joy, connect with their bodies, and build a sense of community.

Starting on Tuesday, December 3rd, Open Up will be hosting its first annual F.I.T. Fest 2024 (Fun, Inclusive, Together), and we are thrilled to be a part of it as Advocacy Ambassadors. As Advocacy Ambassadors, we will host fitness events and classes, promote Open Up through social media posts, and fundraise — all to help keep Open Up’s classes free and accessible to everyone.

This Wednesday, a few representatives from Open Up will be joining our #Powerful classes to talk about the organization and how you can get involved if you’re interested! If you can’t make it to the classes but would still like more information, we will provide a link at the bottom of this post, along with our donation link.

Let’s make great things happen!

-Dahveed

https://www.open-up.org/fit-fest

https://open-up.monkeypod.io/give/union-fitness-fit-fest-advocacy-ambassador-campaign

Hola a todos!! First of all, we want to start by saying thank you to everyone who attended the bootcamp this past weekend! It was a great day with an excellent turnout. Everyone worked hard, and we received some amazing donations for Hearth. It truly means a lot to see people showing up for this incredible organization and supporting what they stand for.

If this is your first time hearing about Hearth, let me give you a quick overview of who they are and their mission. HEARTH is a transitional housing program located in Pittsburgh’s North Hills. They provide a safe, supportive environment for mothers and children overcoming domestic violence, homelessness, and trauma. Their goal is to empower these families to regain independence, stability, and healing through essential services and a strong sense of community.

If you couldn’t make it to the bootcamp this past weekend but would still like to donate, you’re in luck! Our donation bins will remain open until the end of the month.

We are extremely grateful to have such an amazing community of people helping us do these wonderful things. We hope you all have an amazing week and a happy Thanksgiving!

Dahveed and The UF Family

Hello world of Union Fitness!

You have probably already seen us post challenges and specials these past few months on our social media pages and on our TV’s inside of the gym. In the month of October, we ran a special where if you “tag and share your workout or experience at Union Fitness on social media for a chance to win 20% off your next month’s membership dues!”

The winner of this special was our very own Fernanda Padilla Ramos! She is an avid Powerful class and yoga class goer here at Union Fitness, so you have probably seen her around. She is awesome and has been putting in the work to get consistently stronger and fit in our classes. We are excited that she was the winner!

Keep an eye out for our upcoming specials and challenges, and it could be you featured on our social media pages next! For November, the member with the most scan-ins to the gym will receive 20% off their next month’s membership dues. As always, if you have any ideas or feedback, please feel free to let any of us know. 🙂

UF Team

Hola amigos y amigas! If you’ve been to Union recently, you may have noticed signs and bins set up for donations. We are partnering with an amazing organization called HEARTH, and we’re collecting food pantry items as well as other essential living supplies. 

You may be wondering: What is HEARTH? What do they do? And what is their mission? 

HEARTH is a transitional housing program located in Pittsburgh’s North Hills. They provide a safe, supportive environment for mothers and children overcoming domestic violence, homelessness, and trauma. Their goal is to empower these families to regain independence, stability, and healing through essential services and a strong sense of community. 

HEARTH offers a range of resources designed to help families get back on their feet: 

• Weekly Case Management: Tailored support that connects families to local resources and helps them rebuild their lives. 

• Food Pantry & Free Store: Families have access to food, clothing, and other basic essentials onsite. 

• A Supportive Community: With a garden, playgrounds, laundry facilities, and a clothing closet, HEARTH fosters a nurturing environment for all residents. 

• Life Skills Programs: Empowering mothers with tools they need to thrive, including parenting support, financial education, and job readiness training. 

Many families arrive at HEARTH with very few belongings and are in immediate need of support. Donations are critical in providing essentials like food, baby supplies, and hygiene products. Your contributions will directly impact the comfort, safety, and well-being of these families as they start over. 

How You Can Make a Difference: 

• Donate Essentials: Items like food, toiletries, and baby supplies help families meet their basic needs. 

• Make a Financial Contribution: Monetary donations fund essential programs, case management, and housing support. 

• Volunteer: Help organize donation drives or assist with childcare on Monday evenings and other events. 

• Spread the Word: Share HEARTH’s mission with those around you to increase awareness and support. 

Your generosity gives mothers and children the resources they need to heal, regain independence, and rebuild their lives. Every donation, no matter the size, helps create lasting change. 

To donate or learn more, visit the website or contact them directly. Thank you for helping us make a difference! 

Dahveed

¡Saludos hermanos y hermanas!

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve been promoted to Head of Personal Training here at Union! This new role is a significant milestone and reflects the hard work and dedication I’ve put into my career.

When I first started on this path, I thought everything was laid out clearly, and I could achieve my goals within 5-7 years. However, after the pandemic, life, like for many others, came to a screeching halt. I had to rethink how I should progress in my life and career. During this time, I met my fiancé. We did long distance for about a year until I decided to move to Pittsburgh, and I am extremely happy I did.

Moving here has helped me grow so much as a person. It was the first time I lived more than 25 minutes away from my mom and brother. I thought it would be easy, but it turned out to be much more difficult, especially being away from my brother. We’ve always been together until the day I moved here, so it was tough to be so far apart. Ultimately, I believe it was good for us to grow on our own, and it has helped us become closer than we were before.

Coming to Pittsburgh has also opened many doors for me, including working at Union, where I’ve had the opportunity to meet and become good friends with many wonderful people. This move has also led to new career opportunities, like this Head of Personal Training position.

I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and hope to make everyone proud. I know this journey is not over; it’s only the first step!

P.S. I got triples of the nova, triples of the road runner, AND triples of the barracuda

Love y’all,
Dahveed

My first time coming into Union Fitness was when I was a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh. I had just joined the Pitt Powerlifting team and was coming off a bodybuilding prep for 2 separate shows. My goal at the time was to be the best as I could possibly be in powerlifting. In essence, I wanted to lift as much weight as I possibly could. While I was lifting at Union for the first time, I was enamored with the community and the overflowing amount of knowledge that this environment provided. Everyone from the coaches to the members were so strong but also willing to teach you what they knew. In that moment, I knew that I had to be at Union Fitness if I wanted to grow not only as a powerlifter but also as a person. Fast forward to 3 years later, I had the opportunity to intern at Union Fitness in the Spring of 2022 where I met Curt, CJ, Todd, Toria, Miranda, Ethan, and many others. Along with that, I also got an inside look of Union Fitness’s community outside of powerlifting. The relationships that I saw from our group classes, our clients, our athletes, and our members is what convinced me that I needed to work here.

Fast forward again another year later, Curtis had stepped down from his position and there was an opening for being the head personal trainer. This is what I had been waiting for and I was extremely excited to apply. Although I had a stiff competition with Maria and Dahveed, I was fortunate once again to be selected as the head personal trainer. I did not want to take this position lightly especially with how great my predecessor Curt was before me.

I did my best to be who I am as a person but also continuing to carry on the legacy and knowledge that Union Fitness has provided for me and so many others. Through all the ups and all the downs, I am forever grateful for this opportunity and experience that was given to me. I have put my two weeks in at Union Fitness and my official last day as the manager of personal training and services will be Saturday September 21st 2024. However, do not fret, I will be staying on part time and continuing to train clients and maybe teaching a class or two when I have the time!

I wanted to take the time to thank each person that I have interacted with during my time here. This goes from teaching powerful bright and early with the OG squad at 6am, teaching powerful at 5pm with the evening homies, teaching countless cardio labs with the dedicated yet psychotic few, all the personal training clients that have trusted me with their progress, and all the members who have made my time as enjoyable as possible. Lastly, I want to thank my coworkers for their trust in me and allowing me to be part of the team with them. I truly felt at home with these people.

Over the past few years, I have gained many new relationships that I hope I can keep for the rest of my life. I view you all as my friends and I care about each and everyone of you. Without a doubt, the community is the best part of Union Fitness and I will die on that hill.

Like I said earlier, I will still be here but in much more limited role. However, next Saturday September 21st I would love to get drinks with everyone that would like to come. We will meet right after the mock meet at approximately noon at federal galley. Please feel free to stop by if you would like!

Zain signing off

Hello!

My name is Demetrius Butler but you may commonly hear me referred to as Meech. I am currently an intern here at Union Fitness as I am enrolled in undergrad at Chatham University as an Exercise Science major. I am a Pittsburgh native and a fan of all Pittsburgh sports teams (even through the tough years) and actually went to Ringgold High School, which is about 40 minutes south of the city. I was a 4-year varsity starter there in basketball and achieved my dream of playing college basketball.

During my time at Chatham, I completed 2 years with the team when I then decided to go a different direction. I obtained a coaching job with the South Park High School Boy’s Basketball Team and I have been an assistant with the program for coming up 3 years now. My love and passion for the game has brought me in this direction and now it is time to spread my knowledge with the younger generations. I have always liked fitness because it helped keep me in shape for the upcoming seasons, so now I figured I will learn as much as I can to stay in shape and healthy now that I am no longer playing.

Being here at Union Fitness will allow me to expand my skills so that I can help prep my future teams in the offseason while also helping them avoid injury during the season. I am looking forward to being here and helping out all of my new teammates!

Thank you for taking the time to read a little bit about me, if you have any questions feel free to ask!

Meech

Hey everyone!

With my internship coming to an end this week I just wanted to write one more blog to share my experience at Union Fitness over the past 4 months. I have had so much fun interning at Union Fitness! Everyone has been so welcoming, and I have enjoyed getting to know the staff and members here. I have never been a part of a gym facility where everyone knows each other and is like a family, and I’m so glad I got to experience that here! 

 I have learned so much while being here. Being in Exercise Science classes for 4 years has taught me a lot, but I feel as though I learned the most while being at my internship because I was able to utilize the knowledge I have gained through classes. Throughout the past four months, I have been able to gain knowledge in all types of exercise fields including personal training, coaching group classes, shadowing Physical Therapy, and getting a glimpse of what it’s like to operate a gym. I will forever be thankful for this experience and the staff who have helped me grow and gain knowledge along the way! 

After leaving Union Fitness, I will be starting my new job as a Physical Therapy Aide for UPMC. I will be going back to school next year to gain my Doctorate in Physical Therapy (fingers crossed I get accepted to Nova Southeastern- Ft. Lauderdale!). Again, I had so much fun interning at Union, and it was great meeting you all this summer!! 

-Alicia