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:

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

Our secret is officially out– there’s no hiding the massive 127lb additions to the Cardio Lab. For the New Year we decided to ditch the spin bikes in favor of Rogue’s Echo bike, which is an air bike or sometimes called a fan bike. So what’s so special about them? First and most importantly, these bikes are a special kind of terrible and we all know by now there’s nothing I love more than a special kind of terrible. It uses wind resistance via the large fan in the front so the harder you work, the more it works you. The push/pull handles incorporate your chest, back, arms & abs– something the spin bikes weren’t capable of doing. It’s great for HIIT, metabolic conditioning and forging mental toughness (as if Cardio Lab needed more of that anyway!) So here’s your guide to using these fantastic aerobic beasts.

The Monitor:
Thankfully the monitor is super user friendly. You simply press the green START button and all your stats are on one screen. It tracks distance, calories, watts, heart rate & time without having to hit multiple buttons to scan through them.

On the right side there are options for timed intervals (like the old trusty Tabata :20 sprint/:10 rest x 8 rounds). There’s also options to set workouts based on time, distance and calories.

To reset the stats on the screen, press the red STOP button and then the START button to begin a new session.

Adjusting the seat:
The seat adjusts up and down and also front to back. To adjust the seat higher or lower, twist the knob below to the left and pull outwards.

Once the knob is pulled out towards you, grab the seat to pull higher or lower until it clicks into one of the holes. Remember to retighten the knob or you risk the seat crashing down mid sprint.

To adjust the seat front to back, use the knob towards the back of the bike, underneath the seat. In the same fashion, glide the seat forward or backwards and retighten the knob.

Test it out:
Skeptical or curious about the power/torture of these machines? Test out this simple workout:
10 rounds of :30 sprint/ :30 rest.
Once you get yourself peeled off the floor after this, come find me and let me know how you faired.

Happy air biking everyone!

This week, we interviewed Mike Allen, a physical therapist that has helped several UF members and has been the main source of my success in rehabbing a recent back injury.

Mike was recommended to me by a friend, Nate, who has also had tons of success using Mike’s knowledge to rehab tweaks that have come up over the years. I am usually rather skeptical of physical therapists because of their (typical) lack of knowledge in competitive lifting. But Nate reassured me that Mike has many years of experience working with barbell movements (which you can read about below) that give him a huge advantage in helping athletes of all kinds.

Mike has helped me tremendously with my back and is currently helping with some elbow issues I’ve had for a long time. He does a great job at listening to what you have to say about your injury while analyzing the movements that cause pain in the first place. This helps Mike give his patients the right amount of corrective exercises to help them start feeling better and lifting sooner.

Mike will be at Union Fitness on Monday, January 7th from 5-8 pm to do free 30 minute injury screens. Please sign-up in advance at the front desk!

Tell us a little about yourself!

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Physiology and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy having graduated from the Slippery Rock University School of Physical Therapy in 2006. I’ve spent countless hours of post-graduate work improving all facets of my practice as a physical therapist, and as a strength and conditioning coach.  
My journey into Physical Therapy started as a youth and high school athlete, having experienced PT first hand on numerous occasions through various sports related injuries.  I’ve always had an interest in science, and thought that physical therapy would be the perfect field for me to combine my interest in science and my love of sports and strength and conditioning.   
My hobbies outside of work are strength training, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and visiting the great selection of restaurants and craft breweries our city has to offer.  
My background in sports include varsity basketball and baseball in high school, and was a member of the powerlifting team at Slippery Rock University.  I’ve competed both raw and in single ply gear, however prefer raw lifting vs geared.  I also competed in the Mr. SRU bodybuilding show in 2002, in my one and only venture into bodybuilding.  Most recently I’ve developed a passion for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, having started training in 2010.

What do you find that is unique about your approach to treating people?

My approach to treating patients is very eclectic.  I utilize parts of many different systems of evaluation and treatment, that help me achieve the best results.  Every patient is unique in and of themselves, and require a different approach to treatment.  I like to keep a full tool box of manual therapy tricks and exercises to prescribe that help patients to move and feel better.  I do incorporate a lot of strength training and strength training principles into my prescriptive exercise programs, as I believe that a foundation of strength and the development of the movement patterns associated with strength training translate extremely well to everyday life.

What are the most common mistakes you see in warm-ups?

There are several common mistakes I see in warm-ups.  One is too much or too aggressive of foam rolling and other soft tissue work.  There’s a common misunderstanding on how soft tissue treatment works (we can do a blog post on this) and that causes people to over do it.  It absolutely has its place and can help to improve movement quality before training, but people often spend way too much time and apply way too much pressure.  Some light rolling for a minute or two and move on.  Another common one I see is too much emphasis on static stretching and not enough on developing proper movement patterns.  Developing movement patterns specific to the exercises you are about to perform is much more important than spending too much time stretching isolated muscle. No need to spend 30 minutes warming-up.  Address some soft tissue tightness with a foam roller or other device briefly, get into some movement patterns specific to the demands of your training, and get to training!

What do you believe should be in every strength and conditioning program?

Aside from fundamental basic movement patterns, every strength training program should incorporate unilateral (one side) and multi-planar (moving through various planes of motion) exercises.  Often times people having underlying strength or mobility deficits, and unilateral training can both hep to identify these, as well as correct them with the proper exercise.  Bilateral exercises like squats and deadlifts should be the foundation of your programs, but because they are bilateral exercises, often times strength or mobility deficits on one side of the body are compensated for and go unnoticed.  This can lead to underperformance and/or injury.  I also believe that multi-planar exercises should be incorporated.  In both sports and in daily life we don’t function in one plane of motion, we move in multiple planes.  So why not combine those planes in our training, and teach our bodies to be strong and move efficiently through all of the planes of motion.

Where can people find you and what does your facility provide?

I can be found at Precision Physical Therapy and Performance located at 4706 William Flynn Hwy, Allison Park, PA 15101.  We can also be found at www.precisionptandperformance.com, and on both Facebook and Instagram.  We offer:
-Physical Therapy
-Transitional Wellness Program  – A program that transitions patients to a strength and conditioning program that is designed by me
-Sports Performance – Strength and Conditioning for Youth, High School, and College athletes
-Arm Care for baseball players
-Yoga
-Pilates
-Massage Therapy
I have enjoyed working with many of the members of Union Fitness, and look forward to working with many more of you.  Please like us on Facebook and Instagram, and watch for informational videos we post to help you all move and feel better.  

I believe this will be our last blog post of 2018, and the theme that comes to mind is gratitude.

Our staff had a (personally) challenging year- in summation:

I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in 2017 and it’s still challenging me through 2018. Lindsey is dealing with her own auto-immune issues and is working toward remedying some symptoms she’s overlooked in the past. Alison had a new baby and came back to the gym with a new chip on her shoulder (sorry morning crew). Ryan moved across the country and also found a way to give himself rhabdo. And Alexa just graduated college. Deep breath…that’s a lot…and it felt like a lot. But we grew- literally and figuratively. Our staff is getting bigger, growing stronger, and hopefully becoming better versions of our previous selves.

I asked our staff to send me a couple quick notes on some things they are grateful for from this year. For better or worse, here is what I got back:

Lindsey
This has been one of my most challenging and most fulfilling years. I am most grateful for my closest friends, who love me and support me but also push me to grow and be a better human.
Aaaand I’m grateful for my little dog, who never leaves my side even when I wish he would.

Alexa
Oh geeze. What am I grateful for…
I think it’s safe to say that 2018 was a big year for many of us. A big growth year. I graduated, something that is very bittersweet for me. I got engaged. And I started my journey at Union Fitness. I am going to pick one thing though because Casey wanted this to be quick…and since I am coming up on my one year I am choosing my job at Union Fitness. I am so grateful for this. I have met many intelligent and generous human beings. Union Fitness has given more to me than they even know. I walked in humble and introverted as usual. Willing to learn, shut off my ego, and keep playing student.
But over months I have cried, opened up, and developed many relationships. I was given the opportunity to write a blog on a topic that is very personal and dear. This was a huge moment for me. I am best at expressing myself via writing and their belief in me to do so was empowering.
I am also grateful for the clients I work with. Being able to help people through training, bettering their relationship with their body, and connecting with them on a personal level is what genuinely lights up my heart.
I’ll cut this here. I just want to say
thank you Casey and to the UF staff for bringing me into UF and always believing in me.

Alison

Ryan
I’m grateful for my friends and family.

(I called him out and said “seriously, that’s the best you can do?”)

So he came back to me with-

I’m grateful for cookies, and tacos, and banana bread bro.
Also the opportunities that were given to me this year.

(You earned them, bro.)

Casey
I’m grateful for the trials and tribulations that 2018 has brought to my doorstep- both welcomed and unwelcome. I’m not one to be content with anything, for better or worse. I’m learning that being content in certain areas of my life doesn’t necessarily equal complacency. My experience with U.C. has been the most difficult thing that I’ve personally dealt with, and the thing that I have grown the most from. It’s funny to say this, but I’m grateful for my diagnosis. It has forced me to slow down. It has forced me to value my health (when I have it). It has forced me to shift my perspective in so many ways that I would have never experienced otherwise.

And, to be cheesy, I’m grateful for Union Fitness. I get to come into ‘work’ everyday and help people get stronger. My aim has been and always will be to teach anybody that walks through the doors and is willing, how to become the strongest version of themselves possible. But not through spoon feeding- through engagement and empowerment. This is your journey- and it’s not about the weights. It’s about overcoming your former self. Transcendence through challenging what you thought maybe was not possible. Think about the best version of yourself that you can be (and want to be) and go be it. There is nothing stopping you other than the excuses you keep telling yourself. Make 2019 whatever you want it to be…because you can.

Training has been headed in the right direction as a whole. However, a resurgence of health issues is taking center stage at the moment.

To put it plainly, I’ve been feeling like garbage lately- a little more so than usual. I  haven’t been able to maintain bodyweight which is usually a sign of some underlying issues for me.

I had a blood test done- Prometheus ADA- which checks the level of Humira in my blood stream, along with any possible antibodies that my immune system would have created to fight the Humira (my body seeing it as an invader). I had this $1500 test done before when I was feeling sick and it came back that my antibodies were high, rendering the Humira ineffective. So we added Methotrexate and it helped balance everything out. Then I came off of the methotrexate as planned, and the Humira was effective for some time- up until now.
Seeing that this same issue has popped up, it’s likely time to switch drug ‘families’. A little scary if you’ve ever been in this position, but what else can I do? Go on feeling like shit?…I’ve never been one to settle for “OK.”
My doctor is leaning toward Remicaid or Entivyo. Both have successful track records in putting Ulcerative Colitis into remission. So the plan of attack is as follows from now through January…
1) Friday I have a doctor’s appointment with a liver specialist.
2) Mid-January I have a colonoscopy. Fun!!
3) Then my doctor will assess the health of my colon and we’ll decide which drug to switch to.
In the meantime I’ll be training the best I can and keeping my fingers crossed.

Box jumps- 36” for 8 sets:

Deadlifts- speed work- 585×1 for 5 sets:

Squats- Cambered bar 565×5:

It’s that time again. Welcome to December’s State of the Union.

The end of 2018…it has been a hell of a year, both good and bad. We grew as a gym. We’re hoping our members grew in their own way as well. We saw our members hit personal bests in marathons, on the scale, and with barbells. We had many go out on a limb and try new things- powerlifting meets, cardio classes, and first time yogis. We danced and sang through Deutschtown. We mourned for Squirrel Hill. And we wonder what next year will bring as we spend time with friends and family around the dinner table for the holidays.

 
 
To follow along with our core values, here is a link to our website:

About

 
UF values- EPIC: Education—Passion—Integrity—Community

Education
We are extremely proud to announce that Alexa is graduating with her degree in exercise science from Chatham University! She’s been stalwart in figuring out exactly where she wants to land in this world. Through a few changes in majors and multiple internships, she’s been true to herself. And for that, we’re even more proud. She’s a genuine human being and without any effort brings a smile to everyone she crosses paths with. Alexa- thank you for your time, effort, and dedication to the Union Fitness community and to yourself. You make the world a better place just by being you!

Passion
Dedication could be interchanged on this one…Alison came to me and said we need 5:30am classes. I’m not at all a morning person and I trust Alison because she’s the most reliable coworker that I’ve ever been around- so I wasn’t about to find out for myself. A couple months later, all of our morning classes are filled up, and some even waitlisted. So thank you Alison for your passion and dedication. And thank you Union Fitness members for your passion and dedication! It takes a lot of mental fortitude and discipline to set that 4-430-5am alarm and not hit snooze. Kudos to you all. Keep it up in the new year!

Integrity
We dropped the ball last year and didn’t get involved with a giving tree early enough. So we all set calendar reminders for this year and threw it out to our community via social media. We had a ton of suggestions and support, and ended up settling on the Light of Life rescue mission on Western Avenue. We try to keep these things as local as possible, and the Northside is so welcoming and easy to access, so we’re grateful for that. All of the tags were taken from the tree with a few days to spare (30 in total) so next year let’s shoot for 40, and we’ll keep raising the bar from there. Thank you all that took the time, effort, and resources to donate. You’re absolute gems and you all make UF what it is.

Community
Out of the blue on a random day of the week, a member sent me a personal instagram message. I don’t want to share all of it, but the gist of it was…

Thank you for a great gym- the staff and the members are always nice and welcoming. But most importantly, I look forward to going there. I don’t do everything perfectly in terms of my own training…”but I am happier now than where I was before I started a year ago…So before the busy Christmas season…I just wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you.”

This is what gets me out of bed every day. This is what fuels our staff. Thank you for your message (you know who you are). And even better, I shared it on our social media and got so much love in response. There is no secret formula. We try to treat you all with love and respect and kindness. Everyone is on their own journey here and there is no need to compare your first or second step to someone else’s marathon. When you walk through our doors, we want you to take ownership of your health and wellness- this is YOUR GYM. So continue to treat the space, and more importantly, your fellow members with love and respect. We’re all in this together.

Thank you all. I look forward to 2019 with each of you.

-Casey