This is my first blog entry for Union Fitness! Shout out and thanks to all of you who are reading it. Feel free to share love, laughs, and advice.

If you know me even a little bit, you probably know that I have high functioning anxiety. To me that means: I’m always on the move, I have to do everything 100% start to finish (usually as fast as possible), and when I am not moving or doing, I feel guilty. The guilt leads to depression, which makes me anxious that I’m not doing anything, and around and around it goes. If I don’t do all the things, all the time, at 100%, then it’s not good enough. I’m not good enough.
Picture this:
I had a great first lifting meet in June and I’m feeling like a “real” powerlifter. I started an intense new program which focused on high volume. I was crushing my workouts. I was hitting rep PRs. I was topping what I lifted at the meet in June. Being the “go-getter” that I am, I rushed through an ascending set of squats too quickly, without enough rest between, resulting in a gnarly hip flexor strain. From August to November, my hip flexor hurt when walking up and down stairs, getting in and out of the car, raising my leg to a marching position, crouching down to tie my shoes, putting pants on, even repositioning in my sleep. I endured this pain for two months before finally seeing a doctor. I was prescribed two months of PT and all the fitspo booty exercises you can think of.

As those months crept by, the pain slowly subsided, and I worked with Ryan to overhaul my squat form. You can probably guess that the mandatory rest and rehab did not help my mental health. In an attempt to mitigate my anxiety and depression, I started a new (light) program to get back into the groove AND signed up for a meet in January. My perspective for this meet was to gain platform experience and have fun. I bounced back from the hip flexor strain, felt less pressure to perform at “my best,” and even PR’d my squat and deadlift two weeks before the meet. Low stress training was working!

But yet again, I was impatient. I didn’t listen to my body. I slipped back into old patterns. I blew through light squats five days out from the meet because they were “easy.” I was in pain again, but not my hip flexor – this time, it was my lower back. I took two rest days, used a heating pad, and took pain meds in an effort to take the “total rest approach” I should have used with the hip flexor. No luck there. After an attempt to stretch my back on the GHD left me in a ball on the floor, I called in the expert: renowned Pittsburgh miracle worker, Dr. Lisa. She squeezed me into her schedule and released nearly all of the pain. I decided to go ahead compete in the meet with light attempts, mostly because my brain doesn’t let me quit.

On meet morning, adrenaline was flowing. My back was holding up, so I decided to go heavier on my squat opener. (Bad idea? I’ll let you decide.) The first two squats were great, white lights all around. It was the third I was worried about. I thought, “how much weight did Sara [my wife and meet handler] tell them to load on the bar?” She told me I was going to have to grind it out and not to give up. Because I use jokes to detract from the pressure, I told her I was going to do it for Ruthie (my cat). She told me to get serious and into the competing mindset.

To do that, I had to get angry. It’s a little uncomfortable to admit this, but it gives you some background on me, so here we go. First, I thought about people who kill puppies. That half worked, but it wasn’t quite the right rage. Then, stepping up to the platform, I thought about my sexual assault. I got MAD. I was either going to cry or lift the weight. Three white lights – PR! I felt a big weight off my back (yes, I went there) and no hip flexor pain! There was a twinge in my back, but I just thought it was tired, no biggie.

I felt confident, so I upped my bench attempts and went 3/3 with a PR!

Time for my final lifts. Should I deadlift or should I not? My back was tired. I rolled around on the floor. My warm ups felt heavy. My light opener felt heavy. Should I take a second attempt? My light second attempt felt heavy. As I walked off the platform, I made an uncharacteristic decision: I was not going to take my third deadlift attempt.

Even though I PR’d two of my lifts, I was most proud of myself for FINALLY listening to my body. Letting go of “perfection” and finishing everything is a struggle for my “must finish everything” personality fueled by anxiety. I’m trying to apply this to my workouts as well. If I am feeling worn down, I actually allow myself to back off.

Moral of the story, I’m learning that I don’t have to be the hero. It is okay to slow it down, listen to what my body is saying to me, and leave my “must finish everything” mentality at the door.

Time to put my lessons into practice. See you on the platform at the Iron City Open in June!

By Catyln Brooke

The weekend of the monumental snowstorm that never came to be, five of our members competed at the USPA Burgh Bash in the South Hills. And about 20 of our other members were there to support them.

Everyone had some highlights, with four of the five having PR (Personal Record) totals. Sorry Zach!

The breakdown:

Lindsey has coached Robyn since the inception of her powerlifting endeavor. Unfortunately, that weekend, Lindsey was sick. So Robyn was on her own- but not completely. Our whole crew was there to help her! And she hit a PR total despite being completely out of her comfort zone “sans coach.” And this is just part of the process in powerlifitng- learning to be on your own and make your own decisions. Robyn took a light deadlift on her third attempt and I know she was kicking herself a bit for not going heavier- but it will be there and more next time.

Catlyn wrote her own blog entry about her experience, so keep your eyes out for that one. To sum it up, she hit a PR total despite some injuries leading up to this meet. Perseverance!

Nate aka Marshall’s dad
Nate was a father-to-be going into this meet, but on February 1, it became official – Congrats Nate and Casey!! Nate hit a PR total despite going 1/3 on his deadlift. I know he’d like to have that one back, but if he even replicates his last performance and increases his work capacity, he’s going to add another 30lbs or so to his PR total.

Zach aka Big Z
Out of everyone that competed, Zach had the best meet prep…followed by the worst performance. And sometimes it just happens that way, despite doing everything correctly. He struggled with depth on his squats which set the table for an uphill battle the rest of the day. The good – he hit his first 400lb bench. Big Z has a bright future ahead of him and a meet like this only fuels the fire for the next one.

Stew aka Sundaystew
If you don’t know Stew, he’s the jacked bald guy that is always training outside with his shirt off in subzero weather. Stew is by far one of the nuttiest guys I’ve ever met in the sport, but also one of the sweetest. Stew hit a PR total and got out of his comfort zone with some bigger weight jumps between attempts than he’s used to. Stew is new to the sport as well, and despite being ‘the old guy,’ he’s got a lot of potential in him. A 1500lb+ total is only the beginning!!

	Squat	Bench	Deadlift	Total
Robyn Greer	154.3	93.7	253.5	501.5
Catlyn Brooke	209.4	159.8	231.5	600.8
Nate Lester	622.8	407.9	694.4	1725.1
Zach Zidian	644.8	402.3	711	1758.2
Stew Snyder	551.2	341.7	611.8	1504.6

By Casey Williams

I’m in a bit of an undesirable situation in terms of training, but sometimes that’s just how it goes. You play the hand you’re dealt, so to speak.

I saw the doctor for an update on my rotator cuff. He scheduled an ultrasound just to be sure that the tear isn’t worse than we thought. As it stands, my infraspinatus is partially torn. Rehab with Mike Allen from Precision PT has helped- my strength and stability have increased. Typically that means that I’ll be able to bounce back in time.

Also this week I got a liver biopsy. That was far from the coolest experience of my life. I wrote about it on my EliteFTS log if you’re interested in needles and vital organs.

The short of it- I’ve been on Humira for two years and it’s affecting my liver. I need to switch medication, but in order to make a sound decision, it was best (although not necessary) to have a liver biopsy. I opted for them to take a piece of my liver. I’m a giving individual.

---

The other piece of that is I fall into the lucky category of those that produce antibodies to medication. What this means, in a nutshell, is my immune system is a drunk puncher, swinging at anything in it’s vicinity. Namely my colon and medications designed to stop it from attacking my colon. So I need to be treated with dual therapy- a medication to prevent my immune system from attacking my colon, and another medication to lower my immune system’s overall response (an immunosuppressant). So if you have a cold, kindly stay away from me.

As a result, my training is non existent. But LOOK, A SHOULDER WARM UP!

Casey

As perfect as our gym might be, there are some gym frustrations that I believe any gym goer can understand. Here are some that have bothered me and also some solutions to make it less frustrating.

A crowded gym:
It’s Monday, you’re at the gym and it’s time to get the biggest chest pump of your life but when you arrive all the benches are taken. Suddenly, the anger starts to set in– you spent an hour constructing the perfect playlist and the pre workout is peaking. Rather than wasting energy standing there waiting, take advantage of this time to warm up properly. I don’t mean just laying on a bench for sets of 135 for a warm up– I mean take light dumbbells and press them overhead, warm up your triceps with some light cable ext., all while super setting with some face pulls. Now that you are warmed up there might be a bench just magically waiting for you.

If the benches are still preoccupied don’t stomp out of them gym quite yet. It’s time to make some friends. Step one: Introduce yourself. Step 2: Ask politely if you may work in with them. Step 3: Bench until your chest muscles feel like they are going to tear your shirt apart.

You forgot your headphones:
I know, now you have to listen to whatever awful playlist Alison or Alexa put on (just kidding they are wonderful). But seriously maybe you rely on your headphones to keep the laser like focus during those grueling sets.

To avoid this rookie mistake I would always recommend to keep a backup pair in your car or gym bag. These don’t have to be like your fancy wireless beat headphones but that cheap gas station pair are better than nothing.

If you don’t have headphones you just might just learn a new favorite song listening to the music we have playing over the speakers or maybe our music is so bad that it will actually make you push harder to get the workout over. Either way there is a silver lining

No training partner:
There are times when I am training all by my lonesome to only look over at Alexa and Alison’s deep love while they train. It hurts. I get it guys and gals, I’ve seen some of the beautiful bromances in the fitness center and that stings a little too.

Or what if there is a day your partner doesn’t show. Before the agony of betrayal sets in, realize that maybe your workout won’t be the best but you better believe you can still put the work in. Put your head down and see how fast you can pump it out without the chatter between sets. When you finish your set, start the clock to see how long it takes you to recover. Once the second set is finished, try to beat your rest time from the previous set. You will find that your muscles are burning so bad they are about to fall off.

Or referring back to the first frustration solution- it’s that time again to make some friends. See if you can work in and ask for a few tips. You are guaranteed to make some friends if you ask someone for a little advice. 99% of the time if you ask me for advice I will talk to you for about an hour (fair warning).

Lack of motivation:
There are some of those days where you got nothing in the tank. Your motivation is at an all-time low and you have already had three cups of coffee (or whatever blue concoction you bought at your local supplement store)… you just don’t want to be at the gym. You would rather be at home crushing a bag of chips while watching something on TV. I get it.

If you are already at the gym– pat yourself on the back! Push the barbell around or try out a new machine that you have never used before. Maybe the new machine will challenge you in the perfect way. Before you know it you are dripping in sweat and muscles that you have never felt before burn so bad you end up using the handle rail to walk back to your car.

If that machine does spark any motivation, take it slow and learn the form. But I challenge you to step in the gym next time, walk straight up to that machine and give it everything you got.

by Ryan McUmber

I recently changed my training from a hypertrophy based to a Triphasic/hypertrophy program. Alison wrote the program, and I said let me go through this madness with you. My prevailing goal thus far in 2019 has been muscle growth while keeping my main lifts strength based.

Anticipating this one because I have not been through a Triphasic and I get jazzed up about new approaches and working towards muscle growth. So, the philosophy behind the Triphasic program coupled with my personal spin on the areas I want to focus on in the hypertrophic assistance work makes for a happy Alexa.

We just ended our third week. The first 2 weeks were eccentrics. The third and fourth are isometric/pause. The last two are concentric/explosive.

Here is what we did for our last day of eccentrics:

5 count eccentric deadlift @ 70% – 4×5
Eccentric rear foot elevated split squat – 4x6per.
Eccentric hip thrusts – 4×5
1a. GHR back raises w. 25# plate 4×8
1b. Glute bridges – 4×20
2a. Banded kick backs – 3×20
2b. Fire hydrants – 3×20
2c. Table top glute kick ups – 3×20
Conditioning – Tabata KB swings

Below is a video of the 5-count eccentric deadlift:

I am going to start off by saying that I typically, and I mean 92% of the time, train alone. I have for most of my 10 years of training. Even before weight training, snowboarding was a big passion of mine and that is not a sport or leisure pursuit that you need teammates or someone to be present.

 

When I worked at a CrossFit gym, I of course trained with the class, this was both new and challenging for me. However, it pushed me to new levels, levels that I was not aware of. Eventually, I went back to bodybuilding/strength training because this is where the heart beats.
Finding a training partner is like finding a pair of jeans. It is rather difficult to come by. Maybe I was stubborn or I have had bad experiences with partners that just were not fully committed.
AND it is rare to find someone who has similar or complimentary goals and one you click with. Honestly, the desire for that interpersonal support is primal to our nature.

 

Recently, I started working mornings. A 5am type of morning. This was a complete lifestyle change. I am a super morning nerd, but 5am is a special kind of beast. Now that I am working a new shift I had to change some of my routine and training times around. So, Alison and I started training together. She just recently wrote a triphasic/hypertrophy program. I told her I would train with her because I just ended my program and I was searching for something new…cue Alison walking down the hall with a glimmering light shining above her head.

 

We are wrapping up the second week and let me tell you about the benefits of having her and the benefits you can experience from a training partner.

 

1) Accountability
Of course, making excuses is easier than doing the work. Of course, bad habits can creep up. But, having a partner to hold you accountable and remind you of your why can be the perfect solution. Don’t let them down! However, if you are having an off day, body is feeling run down, or you are simply near a perpetual state of over-reaching, then rest. Be honest with your partner and communicate, this situation is not an “excuse” it is being mindful of your body. It is better than putting in half the effort and who knows, maybe your partner needs it too.

 

2) Outside Perspective
THIS is probably one of, if not THE most important benefits of them all. We all come from different training backgrounds and have read, studied, and been schooled in different areas. One thing I always lacked was the second set of eyes. Alison, the coach that she is, is the perfect piece to this puzzle. She has called me out for not executing my squats for a steady 5-count eccentric. I have called her out for rushing through EVERYTHING, to her defense her background is CrossFit and Olympic lifting, so think fast and explosive. But, she has me there to remind her that her goals have changed and we need to slow down and concentrate on the isolated area. I have her to remind me of what phase we are in (i.e. eccentric), as well as her plethora of experience to help me through my days.

 

3) Healthy Challenge
I am by no means an extremely competitive person (only with myself). Having a partner to challenge you can be a healthy dose of competition. Alison and I have been keeping tabs on our water throughout the day. She mentions that she has 80oz in by 1:00pm, so I am chugging and filling. Getting water in above 75-80oz has always been a challenge for me, so this should be perfect. Grab your partner and check in, keep the challenges going.

 

4) Collaboration
You and your training partner will have different strengths, weaknesses, and ideas. Listen to each other, share ideas, cues, and make a masterpiece program that is a balance of both partners. This could be helpful if you are the type who tends to choose the same old stale exercises each cycle. I know I have a set few that are my “go to” exercises, but I also want new ideas that brighten up my training and could potentially be an effective piece. For example, at UF we recently got a landmine. So, Alison and I put our thinking caps on and collaborated on some fun and ridiculous ways to use it. Try new things, listen, and be humble.

 

5) Support during the lows
Not every day is going to be peaches and cream. Having a training partner can help push you, motivate, and inspire. A good training partner is there to listen, push you through it, and remind of why you started.

 

6)Celebrate
Share your successes. Yes, you can get excited over a new PR or reaching a goal, however it feels good when someone is there with you to celebrate with and share the experience.

 

Remember, let go of your self-deceptive thoughts, insecurities, or even your ego, and train with someone you like being around, someone you trust, and will push you to be better. You never know, your partner could be an important element to your success.

 

Love,
TP

I didn’t want to write this but my coworkers encouraged me to do it anyway.

 

Why? Because I’m not really training.

 

It’s not that I don’t want to train. I didn’t for awhile (see last month’s training log for what I was doing while feeling burnt out). I should have recognized that for the sign it was. At this point I really just can’t.

 

I won’t go into details, but I’ve been dealing with some health issues for the past few months, and they’ve really come to head in the past 8 weeks or so. I thought this was something I could power through on my own, or that I was exaggerating to myself. Turns out that was wrong. I’m meeting up with lots of doctors now and have hope that things will get better eventually, but in the meantime, training with any real intensity is completely out.

 

I’ve dropped almost all lifting, definitely all hard conditioning (goodbye Cardio Lab classes), and all running. I’m still trying to get to yoga 2-3 times per week, but find myself taking child’s pose a lot more often. I’m trying to do a few resistance exercises every other day to slow down the muscle atrophy I’m experiencing. And I’m spending a lot of time on the elliptical. A whole lot. Mostly because I can read while doing it, and getting a bit of a sweat on helps with any health anxiety that crops up.

 

I won’t lie: this has been really difficult for me. I miss being able to challenge myself physically. I don’t like being this tired all the time. I don’t like how my body feels – weaker than it’s been in many years.

 

My consolation is that I now have more time to focus on some of the other things I love. With the Strength Project getting under way and a second #powerful (women)’s class each week, I’m excited to focus more intently on coaching. I’m spending a lot more time writing about things that matter to me – mainly self-care practices for women that spend all of their time and energy on others and not enough of it on themselves. And I’m reading so much more. I’ve finished three books so far this month, and counting.

 

One of the things that keeps me feeling sane without training is a regular practice of gratitude. Casey asked me to start this practice within the first few weeks of meeting him. I’m still doing it and need it more now than ever. Sometimes I resist it; nothing feels like it’s going the right way, or I’m in a lot of pain. But I always find something, and I always feel better for it.

 

No, I can’t train right now. But I have a great place to live, plenty of food and water and clothing, a silly lovable dog, an amazing job working with people I genuinely care about, a great support system. Life is pretty good.

At Union Fitness, we believe that today is the right day to make a shift towards a healthier life – no matter what day “today” happens to be. We didn’t do anything crazy for January 1, but we are giving you an opportunity today, January 14, and that opportunity is the 2019 Strength Project.

 

What is the Strength Project?
It’s your 2019 health and fitness challenge. Whether you’re just getting into fitness or an old pro looking for something new to try, this one is for you.

 

The objective:
To complete 28 UF classes between January 14 and March 14.

 

The prize:
You choose, a one-hour massage or two personal training sessions.
PLUS you’ll be stronger and fitter than when you started!

 

What you get:
For two months, you’ll have access to our UF Unlimited membership, which includes access to both the Fitness Center and the Strength Lab, and as many Cardio Lab, yoga, mobility, #powerful, and bootcamp classes you can handle.
You’ll have two 30 minute coaching sessions with one of our staff members, focusing on figuring out your personal goals and how to get there, and then checking in on your progress as we near the end of the challenge.
You’ll get FIVE free prepared meals from Fit Fresh Kitchen Co., a meal prep service that conveniently delivers directly to Union Fitness, to encourage that healthy lifestyle outside the gym.
Plus, we’ve created a private Facebook group for all Strength Project members, just to help build some additional accountability (and give you all a place to complain about us, it’s fine).

 

The details:
To get to 28 classes in two months, you’ll need to average 3.5 classes per week. Guess it’s a good thing we added those weekend classes! We want every Strength Project member to experience a wide variety of classes, so we’re breaking those 28 down this way:
At least 4 yoga/mobility classes (REbuilt, REcharge, REvive, Refresh all count here)
No more than 10 Cardio Lab classes
The remaining 14 classes will be #powerful, #powerful (women), #powerful with CJ, or #powerful bootcamp classes.

 

The cost:
A one-time payment of $199, and we’ll put any existing membership on hold so you don’t miss out on what you’ve already paid for.
So you’ll get the UF Unlimited membership, normally $100 per month, PLUS coaching, accountability, some delicious free food, your prize at the end, and hopefully some new gym friends. Pretty sweet deal.

 

This will be our second round of the Strength Project, after taking a year off in 2018. In fact, it was a member of the 2017 Strength Project crew that convinced us to give it another go! Here’s what she had to say:

 

“I did the Strength Project last time around. It’s great for accountability but you know what I thought was the best part? The friendships I made & continued to have even after it ended. I love the community at Union and I’m definitely better for being a part of it. We may have different goals and on our own journey, but it doesn’t mean we have to go it alone. I look forward to the challenges each class brings, the friends I’ll make, encouraging others & the growth I will inevitably see in myself.”

We already have a solid group of people signed up and we hope you’ll join in on the fun! Today, January 14, is the last day to sign up, so please come see us at the front desk or give us a call at 412-224-5220 to get set up!

I absolutely love this time of year. I despise cold weather, snow and all things winter in Pittsburgh BUT I do love the newness of a fresh start that is a New Year. So with the start of 2019, I started a new program. Yay for new programs!

 

To finish off my last cycle, I maxed out my front squat and back squat. I ended up gaining 20lbs on my front squat and 25lbs on my back squat.

 

 

I used these new maxes to map out my next training cycle. This cycle I wanted to focus on gaining back some more pre-baby strength, double down on glute building and continue to work on rebuilding my wrecked C-section core. I realized with my last cycle that I was really struggling with the monotony of my program, which was causing me to dread workouts or even skip them entirely. So with these things in mind, I decided on a triphasic of sorts program with a concentration on glutes and core. This would provide me with the variety in training that I craved while being consistent at the same time.

 

Over the holiday break (when I worked out only twice in two weeks) I had an epiphany moment–I needed some accountability in my training. With Alexa transitioning over to working mornings, it was the perfect opportunity to rope her into being my training partner. She’s been a breath of fresh air and exactly what’s been missing from my workouts. Not only am I getting the built in accountability that comes with a training partner but I’m also getting little snippets of wisdom. Luckily for me, Alexa can’t turn off the personal trainer in her. I hadn’t realized just how many bad habits I’ve acquired from rushing through workouts by myself. If you don’t already have a training partner—get one! I highly recommend!

 

Here was Week 1:

	Day 1
5 count Eccentric Squat	4×5@ 70%
4×5@ 70%	4x6per
4x6per	4×8
Box Jumps	Box Jumps
Banded KB Swings	4×8
Squat Pulses	4×10
10 min Alt. EMOM:
A) Prowler D&B
B) :30 Plank

 

	Day 2
5 count Eccentric OHP	4×5@ 70%
Landmine Lateral Raise	3×10
Seated FB Shoulder Press	3×12
Hollow Body FB Figure 8’s	3×20
Eccentric Pull Ups	3×6
FB Side Bends	3×20
Cable Upright Row	3×12
AB Wheel	3×10

 

	Day 3
5 count Eccentric Deadlift (70%)	4×5@ 70%
Eccentric Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat	3x6per
Eccentric Hip Thrusts	4×5
GHR Back Raises	4×10
Glute Bridge	4×20
Band Kick Backs	3×20
Fire Hydrants	3×20
Table Top Glute Kick Ups	3×20
Tabata
Kettlebell Swings

 

	Day 4
5 count Eccentric Bench Press (70%)	4×5@ 73.5
Eccentric Bent Over Row	4×6
Single Arm FB Bench Press	3×10
Eccentric Bicep Curls	3×10
Hanging Leg Raises	3×10
Facepulls	3×20
Cable Tricep Pushdowns	3×12
Cable Crunches	3×12
FB Flyes	3×10
Ring Rows	3×10
TRX Ab Medley	3x5per

 

Recently my training has been a little sporadic. I have been jumping in with Casey when he has been doing upper body, which has been a brutal amount of volume. Lower body days have been mostly testing movements and weights that don’t agitate the back. Luckily things have been progressing but I definitely got ahead of myself last weekend when going a little heavier than I probably should have. Going heavier on the weights did cause some old pain to come back but luckily nothing too bad. Although it is frustrating I need to realize that overall my back is progressing, with a few ups and downs, and be grateful for that. If you are suffering from a setback, try to focus on the overall progress. My back injury is not as severe as some people’s injuries. I can’t imagine the frustration of some, but for peace of mind I recommend mapping out how far you have come vs. how far you want to go.

 

With one day of upper body being very intense, I choose the other day to be mostly bodyweight movements that don’t beat me up too badly.

 

The goal of the workout is simple. I want it to be quick, get my heart rate up, and get a sweet pump. What’s also nice about this workout is that it can be done outside or at any playground you would like.

 

These are supersets. For example you will do a set of pull-ups and immediately do a set of push-ups.

 

 

3 to 4 sets
Pull-ups x5-8
&
Feet elevated push-ups x12-15

 

3 to 4 sets
Feet elevated bar row x12 paused at the top
&
Dips x8-12

 

3 to 4 sets
Body weight tricep ext. x15
&
Bar face curl x15

 

Hanging leg raises 3×15