There are plenty of people who you could find to work out with, but true training partners are worth their weight in gold. It’s important to understand that choosing to train with someone else is not required in order to make progress, but it is absolutely necessary to have a great training partner in your corner if you want to be your best. Below is a list of 5 of the most beneficial qualities of a great partner in crime.

1)Help with your form, and see things you can’t:

Contrary to popular belief, a training partner’s main job is not to yell and scream motivational sayings while you’re in the middle of your set. In fact, a training partner’s most important job is to make sure that you are always on point and dialed in. Even the most experienced lifters benefit from having someone to keep an eye on their form and technique. During a set, it can be easy to lose focus of what your body is doing throughout each repetition. This is where your training partner can give you helpful cues (verbal or physical) in order to keep you as safe and efficient with your movements as possible.

2)Push you harder than you would push yourself:

A good training partner will always find a way to bring out the best in you. There will be many, many days that you just don’t feel like pushing yourself as hard as you could or should, but your partner will make sure that you give everything that you can in that moment. There are indeed times that it is beneficial to train on your own, but there is no doubt that you will achieve more with the help of a great training partner than you could on your own.

3)Keep you in check: 

I am very fortunate to have a handful of great training partners. One of the things that I’m most thankful for is their willingness to tell me when I’m wrong, and when I need to be better. One of the worst things that someone can do is to see things that you could do better, but chose not to bring it to your attention. This is where trust and respect really come into play. When your goal is to be the best that you can, you cannot be scared to tell someone things that they may not want to hear. If you know that it will benefit them and their overall goal, then it should be said. This will lead to a tighter bond and stronger relationship in the long run. 

4)Motivate you through their performance:

One of the best things that I’ve done for myself was to find people who were better than I. This is no different than with our professional life. If we want to be better at our job, we study under someone who has more experience, and who has accomplished the things that we want to accomplish. When you are training with people who are better than yourself, you should constantly be doing everything in your power to keep up, get to where they are at, and even surpass them. This will not only keep you motivated, but it will help you learn much more than you would on your own.

5)Build a relationship:

One of the greatest things that I have gained from training with others are the relationships that I have built along the way. To this day, some of my best friends started out as simple training partners. When you spend hours throughout the week, shoulder to shoulder with someone who is pushing you to be your best with the same goals as yourself, there is a bond that is built that is unmatched. In a way, you are trusting them with your life, and they are doing the same with you. It is your responsibility to trust and look out for each other, while having fun and building a great friendship along the way.

Some of you may not know this but I really enjoy weird things and strange movies. I could have an entire conversation with you using only quotes from The Big Lebowski…yeah, well you know that’s just like ahh your opinion, man. So I decided to give you some of my favorite movies that get me fired up to train and get bumpy too!

These will be a bit different than some more obvious movies such as Rocky, Gladiator, Brave Heart, 300 and for all you old time meat heads, Pumping Iron.

1. Mortal Kombat 1995 -“Flawless Victory!”

This movie is about a warrior monk and two mortals led by Rayden (The lightning God) to battle an evil sorcerer and his forces in a tournament to save the world! Fires me right up…..MORTAL KOMBAT!!!!

2. Fight Club 1999- “You do not talk about Fight Club.”

Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter and MEAT LOAF! As the quote says, I can’t talk about it…you’ll just have to watch for yourself.

3. The Mummy 1999- “It’s a sarcophagus..he must have been someone of great importance. Or he did something very naughty.”

A solider, librarian and her brother adventure to the City of the dead to uncover lost secrets but unintentionally wake a cursed mummy and now most right their wrongs to save the world. One of my all time go to action adventure movies.

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles1990- “I have always liked..Cowabunga!”

4 Mutant Jacked up Turtles and their ninjutsu Master Splinter (a Rat) battle against the evil warrior Shredder and his foot clan to save the city. This was the highest grossing independent film of all time until 1999 and one of Jim Henson’s last projects. They will fight for pizza.

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 2002 “There is always hope!”

A littler better known movie here but the final battle in this movie always gets me hyped up.

6. IP Man 2008 “Nobody is #1 forever.”

You think Bruce Lee is bad, well this dude was his Wing Chun Master.

CeJ’s Honorable Mentions:

Road House 1989 “Be nice..until it’s time no to be nice.”

Pain & Gain 2013 “You cant just kidnap a guy and take all his things.”

The Karate Kid 1984 “Sweep the leg.”

Predator 1987 …The handshake scene.

Special Guest Selections:

Mom- Flashdance 1983- Fun fact some of the movie was filmed in Pittsburgh

Sky- The Fighter 2010

Uncle Ken- Cool Running 1993 “Rise & shine…It’s butt whooping time!”

I hope you enjoyed my list and I would be interested to see what some of your favorite movies that get you ready to train are.

Hasta La Vista..Baby!

CeJ

During this unprecedented time, we’ve all had to find new ways to train. As CeJ would say, “get bumpy.” I’m lucky that, over the years, I’ve accumulated a collection of random weights and a few bars. While it’s nice to have some of these cool things, I still don’t have a squat rack! Lacking a squat rack made me think about how I can train during this time outside of the gym.

Here are some things I’m doing to keep my training moving forward:

• I have set a schedule and seven days a week I stick to that schedule. I still wake up at 5:15 am, and without boring you with the details of my life, I am busy until about 6 pm.
• I broke down my weaknesses to decide how I would train.
• I was realistic with this list, as I don’t have all the fun things that we have at UF.
• I set a plan.
• I have been sticking to that plan.

This is where my training began. Now here is what I have to work with:

• A fat bar
• A power bar
• Random bumper plates of differing sizes
• A few random bands
• A few kettlebells

Knowing these factors, here is what I put together. I stole ideas from the greasing the groove theory. If you want to know more about this, I wrote an article a few years ago about this theory. Click on this paragraph for the link. The idea is I will do the same lifts at pretty much the same weight daily. 

• Snatch 3 X 3 (always superset with some sort of a jump); weight 135 lbs
• Clean 3 X 3 (superset with a sprint); weight 185-205 lbs
• Deadlift 3 X 3 (superset with an ab exercise); 335 lbs…or as I call it, all my plates
• Floor Press 3 X 20; weight 135 lbs

Finish with kettlebell walk variations. I do overhead, waiter walks, overhead bottom up, farmer walks, or whatever else I think of. I just walk up and down the street.

I know this is probably too many Olympic lifts for most of our members, but I believe a good coach must understand movement, not just lifts. So take some time and work on your weaknesses. These could be mental or physical. Let’s just all be stronger together.

TH

With things changing in the news daily, it’s hard to tell when we will be reunited at our favorite hangout, Union Fitness. We can only hope that it will be sooner rather than later. With the time off, we have all had plenty of opportunity to sit and ponder our plans for when we can train again. At a time where our bodies are fresh and our motivation will be higher than ever, it will be easy to jump back into training and push things hard without any thought or hesitation. My advice to you, before you hit the ground running, pump the brakes.

If you’re reading this, there is a good chance that you have found some way to stay active during your downtime. If you are fortunate enough to have access to equipment, then that’s great. If you don’t but have been going for walks, bike rides, or doing bodyweight workouts, that’s great as well. Or, if you’ve decided to take this time to relax and focus on other aspects of your life, I applaud you as well. As a matter of fact, if you’ve been continuously pushing yourself for any significant amount of time, then you will have benefited from this time of rest, and your body thanks you. Regardless of how you have been spending your forced time off, there are some things to consider before jumping back into training once our favorite gym is able to open up it’s doors.

1. Respect where you are currently: If you have not been able to perform regular at-home workouts, then there is a very good chance that your strength, stamina, and overall conditioning will be slightly lower than it was when you were training regularly. Because of this, take your time during your first week back in the gym. Don’t overreach and be patient with your progress return.

2. Let yourself readjust: If you have in fact been able to train regularly but in different forms then you’re used to, then your overall conditioning could be different than it was before. For example, if you were used to using barbells and dumbbell, but are now using bodyweight circuit style routines, then your strength may be slightly lower, but your endurance and stamina could be higher. On the flip side, if you were used to performing cardio based workouts only but you have been focusing on resistance exercises, then your strength and muscle mass have potentially increased, but overall endurance has possibly decreased. Either way, understand that when you return to your regularly scheduled programming, there’s a chance that your body may be operating and feeling a little differently.

3. Control the accelerator: When you return, you will feel fresh, reenergized, and excited to get back into the swing of things. If you have not been able to train the way you were prior to this, then you will want to gradually build your way back up. I would not recommend jumping right back into where you left off. By doing this, you may be putting yourself as risk of injury, which could potentially set you back longer than you’ve waited to return to the gym. There’s also a good chance you will want to stay forever in fear of missing out on this opportunity again. You will feel great at the time, but your body and mind will hate you over the next few days, so take things slow.

4. Be patient: Don’t expect things to come back instantly, but know that it won’t take as long as it did the first time around. If you have already developed a base of strength and conditioning, then your body will adapt and return to it’s previous state relatively quickly. Unfortunately, you will be much more sore than normal, there’s just no way around that. Those first few workouts are going to be a challenge, but within a short amount a time, you will be back firing on all cylinders. 

Now that we have taken a few things into consideration, here is my advice. Before you step foot back into the gym, make a plan. Begin by scheduling your first 3-4 weeks of training and stick to it the best that you can. Be sure to take all of the things that we have discussed into consideration. Next, set goals. With those goals, think small, not big. Next, give yourself some leeway on your workouts. For your first few training sessions, make the duration shorter than what you’re used to. If you are lifting, consider lowering your intensity for the first few sessions to let your body get reacclimatized. If you were previously performing barbell squats, bench press, and deadlifts before leaving the gym, don’t start back with the same weights you were using, and certainly don’t consider trying to find your current max. Likewise, if you were used to running multiple miles on the treadmill daily, don’t start back up directly into the same distance or intensity. Finally, be happy that you are able to be back exercising and doing something that you enjoy. When something that you love and rely on is taken from you, it puts into perspective how much it truly means. So, set some new goals, make a plan, enjoy the process, and remember why you started all of this in the first place. I hope to see all of you soon. Cheers.

Is it valuable, What is it, how to develop one, etc.

Around 15 years ago, I was out of college nearly 5 years and married for a few.  My wife had finished some post college schooling to become a registered dietitian and I decided I wanted to pursue an MBA, while working on my career.  I loved the MBA classes because my mindset was different.  I was truly enjoying what I was learning, and it didn’t hurt that I was paying for all of it in lieu of just a portion.  Regardless, besides the business things I learned, the most valuable personal item I had to develop as an assignment during this time was a Self Development Action Plan (SDAP).  

This assignment was one of the hardest I have ever done, but probably one of the most rewarding and it has helped provide direction for my life over the past 15 years and will continue to help well into the future.  It required me to picture myself through the rest of my life and figure out where I want to be in every phase and then write it down.  Next the important part was to develop goals and actions that would allow me to achieve my future self.  This is very similar to a fitness plan, but it involves every part of your life.

So what makes up a SDAP?  It starts with a chart that includes columns with the following headings: Goals, Strengths, Weaknesses, Strategy, and Evidence of Accomplishment.  Here is a simple silly example that is on my SDAP:  

Goal: have my own teeth when I die, 

Strength: I have them now; 

Weakness: I don’t go to the dentist as much as I should and I love sugar, 

Strategy: stop eating so much sugar, floss and brush at least twice a day, and visit the dentist at least twice a year, 

Evidence of Accomplishment: I still have my teeth when I die.

I decided to break down my SDAP into categories.  My major categories include personal and professional.  Under Personal I include subcategories: Physical health, Mental health, Family, Social, Home, Travel, Financial well being, and recreation.  Under Professional I included subcategories: career and training.  Within each subcategory I have a number of goals, which I think I ended up with over 100 goals, by the time my instructor stopped asking for more.  The goals should be both near term and long term goals.  A short term example that I had at the time: 

Goal: pay off student loans in the next two years, 

Strength: I hate carrying debt, 

Weakness: other financial demands, Strategy: utilize all “extra” money to pay off loans (tax returns, expense checks, bonuses, etc.), 

Evidence of accomplishment: loans paid off by 2006.

The last step, which I believe is the most important.  Review, update, and add to your SDAP on a quarterly basis.  You will find, as I do every year, that you accomplish some goals or are utilizing the strategies to accomplish them, you develop new goals, and some of the goals you set before aren’t really important any more.  Also if you want real accountability, share your SDAP with your partner.  It is a great way to share and discuss your life with someone you trust.

Brad Ott

I have a few updates for those who read my last blog post about how I’m moving through this trying time. After the blog was posted some of you reached out which left me feeling blessed to be part of this community and Union Fitness in general. You guys inspire me endlessly and challenge me daily which is why I’m letting you all in a little something I’ve started working towards. This will be the start of a series for me, something not only to keep me motivated but also provide educational and useful content for those who would appreciate it.

For a little insight, I haven’t been coaching very long but 2 and a half years truly does go fast and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else or doing anything else. Recently I’ve started working towards my nutrition certification, this is something besides coaching that I am very passionate as well. I’ve always been briefly asked my advice when it comes to nutrition and I figured there couldn’t be a more perfect time to add to my arsenal than now.

Nutrition can appear to be complex and overwhelming but once you begin to understand the basics of eating well, it becomes less frightening. I remember when I first started counting macros, it was a tad overwhelming at first but once I found a routine and foods I knew I could easily prepare everything came together. I felt fueled for every training session and prepared for every day even if it was a rest day and all I had to think about was work. Now, counting macros, keto and all those structured diet plans we see daily aren’t for everyone. Your nutrition needs to be catered to YOU and it should never feel like a burden.

Although for the past year I haven’t counted but that doesn’t mean I’ve strayed from the path of fueling myself properly. Having counted macros for a few years I built a routine and basic knowledge of what I need to feel good and have general knowledge on my daily intake. I’ve continued this approach for about a year now but I know in the coming months I will be ready to take a serious dive back into being more dialed in and structured. You’re probably wondering why stop? Well, life is the answer. I’ve had a whirlwind of a year and found that dialed in nutrition was the least of my worries when I already live by the 80/20 rule. Life is all about give and take, you need to adjust as circumstances change but I’ve also never lost sight of my goals, I’m just living as the complex human being I am.

If you’re reading this you’re wondering what I am I going to be writing about or what this series will entail, well let me tell you. Along with sharing nutritional info and practices I am learning day to day I am going to be supporting small business’ that are healthy alternatives for cravings and/or options for fueling your body properly. This will be a hands on approach to have a little fun with what I am currently doing and it is my hope that I can inspire those reading to make small changes within their own lives or try something new.

So, if this is something that interests you I highly recommend you keep tabs on when each part of the series comes out and what business’ I’ll be supporting that week. I’m looking forward to this little challenge as I haven’t always been a fan of going outside my comfort zone (however, Todd has somehow willed me into almost enjoying it – Thankful is an understatement). With all that said, I hope you enjoy this coming series and please reach out via email or DM me on Instagram if there are things you would like to see discussed.

Email: jocelyn@unionfitness.com

Instagram: @jlemay

Much love Union,

J

Music has always been a big part of my life. Growing up, I remember my dad letting me sit on his lap while we would drive down the road to visit my Aunt. I was only a few years old at the time, but I distinctly remember the songs on the radio, and he would be singing every word. My dad was one of four children who grew up on a farm in southern Delaware. He and my Uncles were very close growing up, along with his cousins and all of their friends. I’ve heard so many stories over the years about them jumping in a van and driving states away just to see Creedence Clearwater Revival, Steve Miller Band, The Eagles, Bob Seger, and many other bands play live in concert. Apparently that was the thing to do back then. I envy them for that.

As a young teenager, my dad and I would spend every weekend out in our garage working on our 1970 Mustang. We would still listen to those same songs that he continued to hold onto from his younger days. I didn’t mind at all, but I would always laugh under my breath, making fun of him in my mind. I had no idea that I would turn out to be the same. That I would also find those songs that I would hold onto. I’m 31 years old now, and although my taste in music has changed slightly over the years, there will always be certain songs that hit a little deeper and put me in a different state a mind, especially when it comes to training. Everyone knows what I’m talking about. Those songs that you can always go to for that extra push, when you need to dig deep for those few more reps or when that extra weight goes on the bar. It’s a hard feeling to describe, but it’s one that you feel down in your bones. Nothing beats it.    

Here is my ultimate training montage. What’s yours?

Warm-up: 

1. Fortunate son: CCR
2. Mama said knock you out: LL Cool J
3. Hells bells: ACDC

Heavy sets:

1. Fire Woman: The Cult
2. No leaf clover: Metallica
3. Victory: Diddy

Accessory work:

1. Dead but rising : Volbeat
2. Where the hood at: DMX
3. Still Dre: Dr. Dre

Conditioning work:

1. Like a stone: Audioslave
2. Sleep now in the fire: Rage against the machine
3. King nothing: Metallica

Hello my magnificent mates!

If you follow me on The Gram @jasper_c53 (shameless follow plug) you may have remembered one of my first Teach Me Tuesday episodes on the magical, majestic health pill, better known as promenading, ya know, taking a stroll, marching around, a good old fashioned jaunt or for you purists…walking!

Taking regular walks can deliver many physical & mental health & wellness benefits.

Walking can help prevent, control or decrease: Heart health problems, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and high-stress levels.

Walking can help improve: Overall mood and happiness, balance and coordination, boost immune function, get the creative juices flowing and increasing muscle and bone strength.

Want some tips to get those boots moving…Here ya go! Make walking more enjoyable by:

• Walking with friends (6ft apart for now) or listen to music or a podcast (I’ve been on beer history podcast as of late).
• Start slow and build up your walk time.
• Keep your route fresh but always walk in a well-lit area and let people know where you are going to be.
• If you miss a walk, no biggie homie, all is well and just remember how good walking makes you feel physically and mentally.

There is so much to see out there and walking is a great way to see it at your own pace while you grab a little exercise and boosting your wellness.

So when you’re feeling blue- Take a walk.

When you’re energy is crashing- Take a walk.

When you’re feeling sluggish after a meal- Take a walk.

When you want to take control of your wellness- Take a walk.

When you need some time to think- Say it with me now…Take a walk!

When you want to catch some rays and see some sights- All together now…Take a walk!

Cheers my fine strutting friends!

-CeJ

I’m not going to lie, writing about anything training related is particularly challenging during this time but I wanted to follow up after Todd’s initial blog post about why we train. I think it’s important from a coaching perspective to understand that sometimes we face things in our daily life that throw us for a loop. From an athlete perspective I see no light at the end of the tunnel, it’s almost as if those two identities are very separate sometimes. It’s a plug and play situation, when the coaching mentality demands me I’m there but when I get to be an athlete the tables turn.

Let’s first understand why I’m feeling this way:

It’s no secret that what we are going through in our daily lives has literally turned all of us upside down. I actually went probably 3 days without contact (except for work related purposes) with anyone outside my house, it was pretty lonely and I felt isolated. Now one could argue that I’m doing it to myself, that obviously people would talk to me if I reached out and I am aware of that yes but thats besides the point. A good friend of mine sent me and article this past week and it talked about “grief” and how it relates to our current lives.

We are all technically grieving the loss of our freedom to live the lives we’ve been blessed to be able to live up until this point. Our new normal is very different than the normal we were immersed in before and now we find ourselves trying to make sense of it all. It’s almost like a bad breakup, I want to lay in bed all day watching Netflix on my laptop with a bottle of wine while I demolish a whole pint of Ben & Jerrys. I have no drive, no motivation, I’m just okay.

Now let’s find out how we manage these feelings:

Training has always been my go to when dealing with inner issues or to deal with things that life throws my way but training looks a lot different now. I used to use the drive to the gym to blast my music as loud as I wanted and get pumped up for my session now I roll out of bed, throw my workout clothes on (which is also similar to my entire wardrobe) and walk out my front door to what is now my gym. The first week we were in quarantine I didn’t really workout and I drank a lot of wine, it was really hard to find a new routine and I was very irritable. 

It’s hard going from having access to so much to now being forced to do what you can with what you have. It’s a perspective I’m still getting used to but I do not take what I have for granted. I’ve slowly worked myself into realizing that this is a time to be working on skills that are weaknesses for me and focus on building a stronger back and upper body (two things that have caused me a great deal of issues this year alone). Even though training doesn’t seem like training anymore, it’s still training. I still have a coach, I’m still working towards being the best me I can possibly be and I’m still moving my body. These things have not been taken from me and as more days pass my motivation to train will come back. 

From an athletes perspective most of you can understand what I’m going through but when my coaches brain kicks in it fights with that other part of me. In regards to that I have a patch on my vest that says “hard work pays off” and as a coach I want to grab myself and tell her that this is a time in your life when it all matters. We all have defining moments that we can remember clearly, situations that have shaped us into who we are and this is one them. Being in quarantine is going to separate people and it’s already happening now, you have to ask yourself, what kind of person do you want to be when all this is said and done?

So we’ve reflected, what now?:

Understanding how you are feeling is the first step, second is learning how to manage those feelings without them taking hold of your life and the last step to simply put it is to live. Both sides of me are important and will play significant roles in how I move through this defining moment in history. The biggest take away I have from all of this is that there is no giving up, I mean honestly being in quarantine is the easiest thing I have gone through in the past year. I’m not going to open up that can of worms but reflecting on all of this, I have a lot to be thankful for and three of them being, my family, relationships and health. 

Now, I’m certainly losing my words as I reflect on everything I’ve written above. As I said before, motivation is lacking in all areas of my life and the only way to move through it is to recognize it. I suppose what I’m saying in a few short words (even though it took this entire blog to understand) is that it’s okay to grieve the loss of life as it was but we cannot let ourselves fall into a vast pit of emptiness. Let yourself feel, let yourself mourn but know

that day by day you need to to invest in yourself and use this time for growth.

Much love,

J