As I’m writing this, it is 39 degrees outside and I’m wearing not one, but two jackets (and a scarf, but it’s October so that’s ok). The cold seemed to come on overnight and I wasn’t ready! I’m guessing you weren’t either. While this transition is a little bit hard to handle mentally, it also means it’s time to make some adjustments to our running schedule. Right now, temperatures are PERFECT for running: it’s a little bit chilly and breezy but still sunny, so you won’t lose nearly as much sweat as you do in the summer months. Fall running in Pittsburgh is the best. However, come December things will get a bit trickier as temperatures get below freezing and the snow starts accumulating. Here are a few tips to help keep you on track this winter:

1. Adjust your training expectations. As weather conditions deteriorate, it’s important to consider injury risk and safety when you’re out on the road. What this really means: slow down. Winter isn’t a great time to focus on speedwork when you’re running on the road. Use these few months as an opportunity to expand your cardio base with some long slow runs. You’ll warm up as you accumulate distance on those runs, making the whole experience more comfortable as well.

2. Gear up. I’m not normally fond of pushing people to buy new gear for training, but in the winter months it’s necessary. The key to staying warm on your runs in the winter is layering. Look for moisture-wicking materials to help pull the sweat off your body so it doesn’t freeze while you’re outside. You’ll also want to look for something to cover your ears and nice warm gloves – no one can run comfortably when their head or hands are cold! This is also the season to think about your visibility on the road. As the days grow shorter, the need for reflective clothing increases. Reflective vests are easy to come by and do the job really well. You may also consider something like Yak Trax to give your shoes some extra traction while running. I don’t love these for the road, but if you run a lot of trails, they’ll probably be a good fit.

3. Consider moving indoors. When the weather is really terrible, take it inside. We have lots of treadmills waiting for you in the gym! To change it up a bit, try treadmill sprints. After warming up, set the treadmill to a very fast pace for you. Every minute on the minute, you’ll hop on to sprint for 15-20 seconds. Jump off and rest for the duration of that minute. Start with just 4 minutes once per week. Increase by 1 minute every other week until you hit a full 10 minute workout.

4. Use your new schedule to prioritize some crosstraining. We are always encouraging our runners to add some strength training to their fitness regimen, and the winter months are really the best time to give that more focus. For most runners, working on core and glute strength are top priorities, followed by single-leg and upper back work. The stronger and more stable you are, the longer and faster you’ll be able to run once the weather warms back up!

5. Always run with friends! Our weekend run group is going strong all winter long. We’re pushing it back to Saturdays at 1pm to try to head out at the warmest time of day. When the weather really isn’t cooperating, we’ll do some incline and speed work on the treadmill. There’s always something to do, so come run with us!

There are few things in this world that make lifestyle changes “easy,” because there are a lot of growing pains involved.  To truly impact your weight and health in a big way, we have to change our mindset. Rather than focusing on ‘eat this chicken and broccoli’ we should be focusing on behavior that make it effortless and enjoyable. People already know what they should be eating or doing to lose weight, the problem is in the execution. Eating chicken and broccoli is a behavior that could lead to an outcome of weight loss, but if you hate every bite of that food, you’re not creating likelihood for long term success.

Where the mind goes, the body will follow

Just a few weeks of eating better and exercise can give a tremendous boost in how you look and feel both physically and emotionally. But we tend to overlook the power of our minds to create the healthy body we want. The thoughts we think have a great impact on the outcome of our health and our internal thoughts create chemical changes in the body every second. Someone who thinks more positive thoughts will enjoy a stronger, healthier body than someone who thinks more negative thoughts.

A few helpful ways to change your mindset are to practice gratitude and meditate. When you’re feeling like everything is going wrong, take a moment to consider other areas of life that are going right. Sometimes we focus on one area of our life that we may not be as happy with and forget about all the other great things happening.

All it takes is simply thinking about or writing down a few things you’re grateful for each time you think a negative thought. It could be internal, such as having nice hair, or external, such as having clean water to drink. Practicing this helps give perspective on the fact that things are really not as bad as they may seem. Insight Timer is a great guided meditation app to help you gain clarity and peace. There are endless meditation types ranging from 5 minutes to an hour.

Other small changes you can make daily:

1. Make sure you’re prepared. Meal prepping and planning when you go to the gym will help keep you on course and accountable.
2. Reduce your meal portion size. Use smaller plates at home or ask your waiter to box up half your meal before bringing it to you.
3. Eat protein and fiber at each meal. Both contribute to satiety, keeping you fuller longer.
4. Replace soda with water. If you hate water, try a zero calorie water enhancer, sparkling water.
5. Take the stairs rather than the elevator. It will help on the days when you’re actually in a rush.
6. Take a class with your favorite coaches at Union Fitness! No explanation necessary 🙂

You have the ability to choose which way you want to go. Do everything you can to make it happen. Don’t make excuses. Don’t wait for it to happen.

—> Make small changes daily that compound to big results <—

Do you look forward to workouts or do you absolutely dread them? Either way, having a killer playlist will be sure to help you power through. As the weather finally starts to cool down, it suddenly becomes harder to find motivation to hit the gym or the track for a nice workout, but we all know how crucial it is to stay consistent. So if you’re like me and want to cuddle up in your bed for the rest of the year, get up and don’t let the cold weather get you down! Download Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora or whatever you prefer and create the perfect workout playlist to get you pumped up!

Beyonce is always a go-to! – Her old stuff is great and her new stuff is even better. If you don’t have her Lemonade album, get it now! Those 12 songs will power you through workouts for months. Some of her greatest to workout to are:

• Freedom
• Flawless
• Don’t Hurt Yourself

Kayne West never fails in the gym- His songs are sure to get you pumped and keep you pumped for the entirety of your workout. Anytime I do cardio or anything high-intensity, Kanye is always there to keep me going— some of his best are:

• Stronger
• Power
• Can’t Tell Me Nothing

How about some oldies, but goodies? Sometimes all we need are some nice throwbacks to pump us up! If these following songs don’t sound familiar to you, just look them up… chances are you know them and they will get you pumped!

• Sail- Awolnation
• Show Me the Money- Petey Pablo
• Lose Control- Miss Elliot
• Gangstas Paradise- Coolio

You can never go wrong with a good remix and there are a ton of really good ones out there! They are made for a reason… to speed up those really slow songs that we all know and love. And what better way to get pumped up than listen to song that was made just for that. Some of my favorite remixes are:

• You and Me Flume Remix- Disclosure
• Pursuit of Happiness- Kid Cudi
• Can’t Feel My Face- The Weekend and Martin Garrix

So if you are someone who dreads hitting the gym, make your active life a little easier and have a good playlist on hand. Music is a great way to distract yourself from the pain of your weightlifting or you long jog. Get in the workout zone with the right songs and power through that workout!

A common goal that we see here at the gym is being able to do a pull-up.  I mean, what’s not impressive about that, right?  Hoisting yourself above a high bar doesn’t have to be an impossible feat!  Whether you’re currently working towards your first pull-up or working towards 100, here are some things you can do to help improve your pull-ups.

Do More Pull-Ups!

The first (and best) step to accomplishing any goal is to practice! And then practice and practice and practice some more. You won’t get a pull-up by just staring at that bar so ahead and get to work.

Dead Hangs

The pull-up starts with a dead hang, so it makes sense to start your training here. Everyone, even those with serious pull-up power,  can benefit from these because training your grip leads to a seriously strong upper body.  If your grip is already pretty strong, try incorporating some towel hangs or weighted hangs to really spice things up.

Scapular Pull-Ups

Since the pull-up uses predominantly back muscles, scapular pull-ups are a great movement for those having trouble activating their lats.  Your lats should be the first muscles firing in a pull-up.  This exercise teaches you how to hang with straight arms then pull your shoulder blades down your back, mimicking the first lat pull while strengthening your back muscles.

Negatives

Negatives are the eccentric or downward portion of a movement and they are a powerful & fast way to see progress. Step on a box or jump to get your chin above the bar then slowly lower yourself until your arms are straight.  For those a little more advanced, try some weighted negatives and lemme know how sore you are the next day!

Partner-Assisted Pull-Ups

If you are close to a full pull-up but just cant quite make it there, go grab a friend (or make a new gym friend)! Have them assist you by placing their hands underneath your feet and apply pressure as needed to elevate you higher.  Of course, don’t forget to return the favor!

If you need help with pull-ups (or anything else for that matter!) come to one of our strength training classes or sign up with a personal trainer today! May your backs be strong and pull-ups a-plenty.

We’ve been having a lot of fun in our Fatbell Revolution class lately. So much fun, in fact, that we just had to share some of our favorite Fatbell movements with you so you can join in on all the good times!

I have to admit, it’s difficult to pick only five! There’s just so much you can do with a Fatbell and once you pick it up, the possibilities are endless. Here’s our, in no particular order, current favorite five:

1. Lateral Walking Swing
Legs, Booty, Arms, Repeat. Side step and swing your way to a new & improved fitness routine. This movement can be deceivingly hard as you coordinate a lateral walk with a Russian swing but it’s well worth it! Trust us when we say your legs, booty & arms will thank you.

2. Figure 8 Swing
This swing is guaranteed to make you feel like a fabulously coordinated fitness superstar! It incorporates a one arm swing with a loop around & in between each leg. Want to get even more superstar-ish? Grab a partner and try smoothly handing off the Fatbell in between swings. In the very least, it’ll be good for a friendly laugh (and hopefully no black eyes. Be careful, friends)!

3. Kneeling Windmill
This movement is part mobility, part stability, part strength and a whole lotta badass. Combining hip hinge movement and spinal rotation creates a tough exercise that will challenge the whole body.

4. Single Straight Arm Sit Up
Can we say core burner?? Weighted sit ups can be difficult on their own, but add in some unilateral movement and that’s where things get spicy! This movement has the added bonus, of not just core work, but also shoulder stability & strength.

5. Split Lunge Swing
Just when you thought lunges couldn’t get any more fun, add a Fatbell! This variation is basically a jumping lunge and swing combined. Your heart rate will go up, your legs will burn and you’ll smile through the sweat because this movement is just plain ole fun!

Can’t get enough of these movements? Join us for Fatbell Revolution to practice these exercises and even more!
Monday: 6:30am & 5:30pm
Tuesday: 4:30pm & 6:30pm
Wednesday: 4:30pm
Thursday: 6:30am & 5:30pm

Feeling like you need a long break after this week? Yoga is the secret to a great Friday detox routine. Many have discovered this, but have you?
Over 5,000 years ago, yoga was developed by the Indus-Sarasvati culture. The original purpose of this practice was to develop a habit of meditating. This way people could create physical strength and stamina that allowed the mind to remain calm in many situations. This powerful method of relaxation is what led to what we use today to exercise the body. The history of yoga makes it more than a meditation outlet. It makes it a way of releasing tension not only from our bodies but also from our spiritual lives.
However, the great thing about yoga is that if you are not into the spiritual benefits of it, there is a long list of benefits that can help your overall health and performance.
One of this benefits is improving your flexibility. Flexibility is extremely important because it lowers the chance of injuries and increases physical performance. Stretching can also increase the blood flow in the body and overall nutrients absorbed by your muscles. This type of coordination can improve reaction times, memory and IQ scores. This is due to the action of clearing your mind during a long period.
Through the different yoga motions and sequences, your heart rate tends to increase. This type of reaction is beneficial to your endurance and resting heart rate. As your body adjusts to the movements, these workouts can increase muscle strength on your back. This is important to ensure that you maintain good posture during your workout, especially when lifting heavy weights.
Other studies made by the University of Wisconsin have shown that the prefrontal cortex showed more activity during a yoga session, which can lead to a better mood. These types of reactions your body has can also help you sleep, which leads to being less tiered and stressed.
Now that you know what yoga can do for you, don’t miss out on all the benefits this practice has to offer not only for your physical endurance but also for a better healthy lifestyle.
We hope to see you during our Happy Hour Yoga Fridays at 5:30 p.m.