If there’s one piece of workout equipment almost everyone is comfortable with, it’s the treadmill. It seems like there’s always a treadmill open at the gym and it’s a really great way to get in a quick workout. However, it can be easy to fall into a treadmill rut. If every afternoon you come in and walk for 30 minutes while watching TV, it can be easy to stop really challenging yourself while still feeling like you got something done. We don’t want you to fall into that trap! We’ve come up with a bunch of ways to change up your treadmill workout, with options for beginners and more advanced gym-goers.

• Add hills to your walks.

If you love your treadmill walking routine, consider adding a few hills to your daily routine. Every 3 minutes, crank that incline up to a 5 or 6 and maintain your pace for at least 30 seconds. That will give you plenty of time to cool down and reset before taking on the hill again. This is a great way to get your heart rate up a little bit higher without adding running.

• Give the run/walk a try.

If you’re ready to take on some jogging, the treadmill is a great tool to get started! Like the hill workout above, every 3 minutes you’ll instead increase your pace to a slow jog for 30 seconds, then bring it back down until the next 3 minute marker. Be sure to warm up thoroughly for this one. As the running intervals get easier, start increasing their duration. Go up to 45 seconds for a week or two, then a full minute, then 90 seconds. Eventually you’ll be running for the whole duration and you’ll be ready for one of the next few workouts!

• Already an experienced treadmill runner? Add some sprints.

If you get your steady state work in on the treadmill but want to change it up a little 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.

• Still need a challenge? Try pyramids.

If you’re a runner looking for a longer treadmill workout that really maximizes results in a limited amount of time, try a pyramid workout. We use these a lot in our Fatbell classes, but it can easily be applied to running. You can choose to build your pyramid with speed or with incline, but don’t start with both! You’ll get in a good, easy warm-up, then every minute on the minute for 10 minutes, you’ll increase your speed or incline by 2. Once you hit the top of that pyramid, we’re going to work right back down in the same exact way, taking the incline or speed down by 2 each minute. Get a little cool down in at the end and you’ve done a really challenging workout in just 30 minutes!

• BONUS: Get a friend to surprise you!

If you really want to go all out, get a friend on the treadmill next to you and have them adjust your speed or incline (whichever set of controls is closer to them) without you knowing! Cover up your screen and enjoy.

With a busy lifestyle, early meetings, or morning workouts, its easy to opt for just coffee or skip breakfast entirely. Often referred to as the most important meal of the day, eating breakfast can have a noticeable impact on your performance throughout your day.

Mental Performance

Because breakfast helps to restore and boost glucose—a carbohydrate essential to healthy brain function—eating in the morning can contribute to better memory and concentration levels, as well as improve your mood and lower your stress levels.

Weight Loss & Management

When you go to sleep at night, your metabolism naturally slows; one of the best ways to jumpstart your metabolism and get things kicking again is by eating breakfast. If you skip breakfast, not only do you put off starting up your metabolism, but you also risk overeating later in the day.

I know what you’re thinking, that’s great, but I still don’t have time for breakfast, or at least not a healthy one. So, we’ve come up with some quick and easy solutions to get you on track before you start your day!

Overnight Oats

Unlike regular oatmeal, overnight oats use rolled oats and liquid, followed by a resting period in the fridge, to create a porridge-like alternative. No need to waste time cooking on the stove or in the microwave; instead, simply prep the night before, leave in the fridge overnight, and wake up to a delicious, healthy, ready-to-go breakfast. Try these 8 classic recipes to get started on your new favorite oatmeal!

Premade Smoothie Packs

We all love smoothies, but no one wants to spend their morning gathering ingredients, measuring yogurt, or chopping fruit. Smoothie packs are the best way to prep ahead and make later. Spend the weekend before chopping and packing your ingredients, freeze in plastic bags or jars—when you’re ready, simply dump into the blender with your liquid of choice, and off you go! Not only are smoothies easy to pack with fruit for antioxidants and other essential vitamins, but they are also an easy way to sneak in vegetables. Try this yummy Mango Ginger recipe for when you need to break away from your usual berry and banana combination!

Spinach and Prosciutto Frittata Muffins

 Who says weekday breakfasts have to be boring? These protein packed frittata muffins require just six ingredients and can be prepped and cooked in under an hour. Save yourself even more time and cook them on Sunday night to enjoy all week long!

Breakfast isn’t always easy to pull together most mornings when we’re busy, but try these super quick and easy recipes to jumpstart your day and your fitness!

For me, there’s nothing more satisfying than a really challenging leg workout. I love the feeling of leaving the gym totally exhausted, ready for a big meal and a lot of sleep to recover. I love it so much I do it every Saturday!

Lower body strength training is incredibly important for everyone. Your legs carry you around all day, and the best way to make that job easier is to strengthen them! For those looking to lose some weight, hard leg workouts require a LOT of energy: you’re using some of your largest muscle groups to move that weight. That will increase your caloric deficit and help get you to your goal faster (and with some additional muscle mass). For athletes, building stronger legs means you’ll be able to run, jump, and play longer, with better movement integrity and decreased chance of injury. And for everyone, a really tough leg workout builds mental strength better than almost anything else. You have no choice but to push yourself when you’ve at the bottom of a heavy squat and need to get up!

There are hundreds of leg exercises that are useful in different circumstances, but I’d like to spotlight just a few of my favorites here.

1. Barbell Back Squat

I think we can all agree the squat is the king of leg exercises, and that’s exactly why squat varieties take up so much space on this list! The barbell back squat in all of its varieties (high bar vs low bar, narrow stance vs wide stance) taxes the body the most, and is unparalleled in its ability to build up the lower body. While squatting primarily targets the quadriceps muscles in the front of the legs, when performed well they will also build your glutes, hamstrings, and back. Virtually everyone that comes through the gym for programming will do some type of back squat. There is a tough learning curve with the squat, so we always encourage members to go to one of our trainers for one-on-one technique practice before starting to add a ton of weight.

2. Romanian Deadlift

When I really want to target my posterior chain (the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings), I turn to Romanian Deadlifts. Most people that sit throughout their work day (aka almost everyone) would benefit from some additional posterior chain work. This variety of the deadlift starts at the top, loads the hamstrings and back slowly, and finishes by working the glutes. It’s versatility makes it a great addition to your leg day.

3. Box Step-up

It’s important to not neglect single-leg work when focuses on the legs. You probably have some kind of strength discrepancy between your dominant and non-dominant sides, and we want to start correcting that with box step-ups. These can be done with weight or without, and to all kinds of box heights as you get more advanced. By stepping up and really pushing through your heel, we’ll build both the glutes and the quads on each leg, while working on your balance at the top.

4. Bulgarian Split Squat

This more advanced single-leg exercise is probably the most complained about movement we give to members, but also one of the most beneficial. Like the box step-up, we focus on one leg at a time, but by elevating the back leg in split squat position, we need to focus even more on balance and knee stability, while adding some additional load to the front working leg. When done really well, these target the individual glutes really well.

5. Belt Squat

Finally, a machine exercise. The belt squat is something we’re very lucky to have access to here at Union Fitness, so I like to take advantage of it as much as I can! I stick these in at the end of my workouts, when my legs are already pretty exhausted. These are a great burnout exercise for your quads when done for really high reps (think over 15). Because the weight is being “held up” by the belt, these give the spine a much needed rest at the end of a hard workout.

You can put these together for one brutal leg workout! If you give it a try, be sure to tag us in your training videos on Instagram and Facebook!

We all know we need to lead healthy lives, right? Figuring out what “healthy” means to you though can end up being a little tricky. And on top of that, how do we integrate healthy living into our daily lives? Follow the tips below to begin to integrate healthy living into your daily life.

Only you can make your health a priority but our staff here at Union Fitness can always be of service! Talk to one of our coaches today to help you make your health matter.

Time is something most of us wish we had more of. If you’ve got a busy schedule like most people, HIIT (high intensity interval training) provides a great bang for your buck! Not only does HIIT allow you to maximize your time in the gym, but there are endless forms of HIIT that keep you motivated and having fun. Hill sprints, box jumps, burpee’s, jump roping, and medicine ball slams are all simple yet effective exercises you can do in a HIIT fashion, requiring minimal to no equipment.

HIIT is considered anaerobic exercise, which demands more energy and increases oxygen consumption. Think of the love-hate unable to catch your breath feeling when you do a full out sprint. The benefits of that feeling really pay off! Because your body has to catch up to intake more oxygen, EPOC (excess post- exercise oxygen consumption) occurs to compensate for the oxygen debt that must be paid after the exercise has ended. For minutes to hours after the exercise is over, your metabolism boosting hormones remain elevated, your heart and respiratory muscle activity remains increased, and your body temperature remains elevated.

The best workout is going to be one that makes you feel, move, and look better. HIIT workouts are not everyone’s cup of tea, so it you hate them, don’t force yourself to do them! Getting sweaty, feeling your chest burn, and being out of breath doesn’t necessarily make your workout smarter, better, or more effective. It can be a great addition to a training regimen, but training smart, rather than training hard is the most important factor. Performing exercise that actually makes you happy is what will keep you consistent. Being active in some way each day is so important, so don’t skip the gym or a workout just because you don’t have enough time to sweat.

Other ways of maximizing time would be to incorporate:

1. Dense circuits- Pick 3-5 exercises and complete as many rounds as possible in a range of 5- 20 minutes
2. Supersets- Pick 2 exercises and do one set of each exercise before taking a rest
3. Time your rest periods
4. Stop texting during your workout

LISS (low intensity steady state) exercise, such as walking, also has its time and place. Although LISS isn’t as quick and don’t burn calories long after the workout is over, it does have great benefits:

• Doesn’t tax the CNS
• Improves mood
• Lowers cortisol
• Reduces stress
• Increases NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis- energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating, or intense exercise)
• Aids in recovery
• Sensitizes the body to insulin
• Doesn’t increase hunger like HIIT

On Sunday night, we had the privilege of cohosting a very special event with the Lululemon team right here at the gym. We were joined by other fitness instructors from all over the Pittsburgh region for a couple of group classes, some delicious Pittsburgh Fresh food, and drinks courtesy of Wigle Whiskey!

After getting acquainted with our space and checking in with the Lulu team, our visiting instructors braved a full-on Fatbell class with Beth and Lindsey. While the warm-up included a lot of familiar moves like Mountain Climbers and Wall Sits, the real work came when we started teaching the Fatbell Swing and later, the Turkish Get-up. These moves require strength, stability, and a LOT of coordination, and we all had fun figuring them out together! We finished that class off with one of our favorite (and most challenging) finishers: a medley of swings, burpees, and straight-up sprinting.

Since that workout was exhausting, we moved everyone on to a short restorative yoga class with Alison to cool-down and get ready for the rest of the night. With her guidance and teaching, our instructors went from amped up to chilled out in just under 30 minutes.

We were lucky enough to get to use the Alloy 26 space to get together and talk over dinner catered by Pittsburgh Fresh and a whiskey tasting by Wigle. We shared our experiences working in various fitness disciplines – we had barre instructors, rowing instructors, boxing instructors, personal trainers and dietitians all sharing their viewpoints and stories on the sweat life.

It was a beautiful evening and we hope to host more events like it soon!

Given the recent trend of “athleisure,” it can be hard to differentiate which workout clothes are best for a lazy Saturday and which ones will hold up to an intense sweat session at the gym.

When you are thinking about at the best workout apparel for you, there are some things to always keep in mind. The clothes should be comfortable and nonirritating. Often, if something is too tight or made of a rough fabric, it will rub and chafe. It is also important to choose a fabric that will wick moisture away from your body to keep you cool and dry. Synthetic materials or a polyester/lycra brand are often best at wicking away sweat.

Like anything else, choosing the best workout clothes and the best fit is also a matter of preference. If it works for you, it’s great! I’m here today to share my favorite brands of workout clothing. These brands fit my criteria and offer a variety of types of clothing for different sports and exercises.

Nike is a tried and true favorite. They have a wide range of athletic clothes and shoes for both men and women at a fairly reasonable price. Whether your thing is running or tennis or lifting, chances are high they will have the perfect thing for you.

Lulu Lemon is another cult favorite. While their clothing is often used for comfort rather than workouts, they are also exceptional for an intense workout. Lulu Lemon’s specialty is leggings and jackets made for running and yoga. Although the price tag is steep, their clothes are comfortable, durable, and breathable.

Gymshark is a less mainstream, but equally awesome, brand of workout clothing. They have clothing for both men and women ranging from jackets to leggings to underwear. Their items are especially good at wicking away moisture as your workout – always a good feature.

Finally, Old Navy can be a good choice for less expensive items for men and women alike. They offer a wide range of leggings, sports bras, and tanks for women that are all very reasonably priced. For men, they offer t-shirts, jackets, joggers, and more. I’ve found that their products have held up well over time, especially for the price.

Now, let’s talk shoes. With the EQT 10-miler quickly approaching, having good fitting running shoes is a must. Using the right running shoes for you can be essential in preventing injuries and hitting that new PR you’ve been aiming for. There are shops around Pittsburgh, like Pro Bike + Run or Fleet Feet, that will analyze your gait and the wear patterns on your old running shoes in order to find the best ones for you. Getting fitted for shoes is a great idea for all runners whether you are training for your first 5k or a more experienced runner working towards a longer race.

These are just some of my recommendations; there are many more great brands out there. Is there another brand you are a diehard fan of? Be sure to let us know in the comments!

What most people think when they hear “pushup” is the standard variety of this move. It’s easy to execute, but proper form is crucial.  Maintain your focus through each movement and start to set good habits!

Here’s how to get set up to do a push up:

• Start in plank position with the hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
  • Angle your hands in the most comfortable position for you, straight forward, slightly turned inward if it’s less stressful on your wrists, or on your knuckles on a semi-soft surface like grass or carpet.
• Your feet should be in the most comfortable position for you. For some, that might be shoulder width apart. For others, it might be that the feet are touching. Generally speaking, the wider apart your feet, the more stable you’ll be.
• Picture a metal rod running from the top of your head down through your heels. Keep your body in line throughout the movement. Your butt shouldn’t be sticking way up in the air or sagging.
  • If you have a problem getting the proper form with your body, try clenching your butt and then tighten your abs to engage the core. If you’ve been doing push ups incorrectly, this might be a big change for you.
• Your head should be looking slightly ahead of you in a neutral position. If you’re doing them right, your chin should be the first part of your head to touch the floor, not your nose.
• Steadily lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle or smaller, keep your elbows back, pause slightly and then explode back up until you’re back in the same position.

If you’re not quite strong enough to complete a standard pushup with proper form, work on a modified stance until you can. You can also try doing a pushup off of a wall while standing if this modified pushup is too much at first.

If you’re looking for more of a challenge, here are other push up variations!

• Wide– Place the hands farther out to the side of the body than in a standard push up for more chest and shoulder activation.
• Narrow– Place the hands closer to the body than in a standard push up for more chest and tricep activation.
• Decline– Elevate the feet on a bench or box to get more upper chest and shoulder activation.
• Diamond– Put the hands together so that the thumbs and index fingers form a diamond, place the hands below the center of the chest to isolate the triceps.
• Pike– Raise the butt into the air so the body forms a triangle with the ground. It looks a little like the downward dog, but the arms are more perpendicular to the ground. This is a fantastic way to work up to a handstand push-up, just gradually elevate the legs for more shoulder activation.
• Staggered– Place one hand farther forward than the other to emphasize one side of the chest. This may be useful for someone whose strength is lagging on their non-dominant side.
• Negative– Lower the body slowly, but keep the “up” part of the movement fast. This is a great way to build size and strength in any exercise.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that exercise is good for you.  One thing you may not be aware of though is this scary sounding thing called “sarcopenia”.  Sarcopenia is actually the fancy, scientific term for how we lose muscle mass as we age.  Ehh, not so big of a deal, right? WRONG! Between the ages of 30-80, men and women can lose anywhere from 30%-50% of their muscle strength.  The loss of muscle mass doesn’t just mean it’ll take you a little bit longer to open the pickle jar either, but some real, scary consequences like heart disease, bone loss, obesity, and cancer to name just a few.  There’s some good news though: it’s never too late to start your fitness journey.

There is no age limit on fitness! Yet we understand that it can be a scary thing to step into a realm you’re unaccustomed to. This holds true for adults and teens and toddlers alike! My five year olds just started kindergarten a couple weeks ago. For weeks leading up to the start, they would have nightmares about people not being nice to them, being unable to make new friends, and simply being unable to find their way to the classroom.  Walking them into their new school on that first day, I held their trembling little hands and wiped away their tears as I said goodbye. Fast forward just a couple hours later to pick up time, those previously frightened little girls had the biggest smiles on their faces and couldn’t stop talking about how much fun they had.  Now they willingly hop out of bed, jumping for joy at the thought of going back to kindergarten each day.

You see, it’s normal to be fearful.  It’s normal to have those feelings that something will go wrong. When you’re starting a new fitness routine, it’s not quite unlike starting kindergarten. Will people be nice to you? How will you know what to do? Will you know all the exercise movements or know how to work the equipment? You ask yourself, “BUT WHAT IF I FART IN YOGA CLASS?!?!” (For the record, it happens and no one cares!)

Luckily for you, once you start your new fitness adventure, whether it be a spin class, yoga class or strength training, you will be jumping for joy to go back too. And although you most likely won’t have your mom there to hold your hand, we do have fitness trainers and coaches available to guide you every step of the way (and yes, we are qualified to wipe away tears too!)

We dare you to be brave! Take that class, lift those weights, let go of those fears! We promise, you won’t be sorry you did.

Working out: whether you love it or you hate it, we could all use a little help to shake things up from time to time. Fitness apps are a great way to invigorate your workout at the gym, or motivate you to stay active when you’re not—but let’s face it, there are a million to choose from. So, we’ve done the work for you:

For the Runner

Run Tempo This app will pull music directly from your phone and curate a playlist to keep your workout upbeat and help you power through. Just select your desired BPM and Run Tempo will adjust your music to guide your pace. The best part? Run Tempo runs in the background, so it won’t be disrupted by any other exercise or running apps.

$0.99

Strava If you’re the competitive athlete, then you’re going to love Strava. Built with competition in mind, this unique app links you with other runners while you run for a virtual race. Runners love this app for the accurate start/stop detection and its connectivity to Apple Watch. Not much of a runner? The app is adapted for cyclists as well.

Free

For the Yogi

Yoga Studio With guided meditation and yoga classes for every level from beginner to advanced practice, Yoga Studio provides over 80 classes to help you find your Zen when you can’t get to your usual in-studio class. Know what you’re looking for in your routine? Choose from over 280 positions and build your own custom class. Find yourself forgetting to work out? Yoga Studio connects to your phone’s calendar so you can set reminders for yourself.

App: Free | Classes: $1.99/month

Down Dog Bring the studio experience home with you. Down Dog provides a new vinyasa sequence with each use, so you’ll never get bored of your routine. With clear vocal instruction and an accompanying playlist, this app provides a comprehensive yoga experience. Friendly for beginners or experts, Down Dog will help any yogi improve their at home practice.

App: Free | Membership: $3.99/month

For Everything Else

Nike+ Training Club No gym? No excuse. Nike+ Training Club provides you with over 150 free workouts ranging from strength and endurance to yoga and mobility. With personalized, adapted training plans, NTC works around you and your schedule to give you the body you want. NTC syncs your workouts to Apple Health to help you track your progress and record your activity. The best part? Your workouts are lead by some of your favorite athletes like Serena Williams and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Free

Sworkit With the ability to choose the length and type of your workout, Sworkit puts the power in your hands. Choose one of the offered six week plans and work towards getting “Leaner,” “Fitter,” or “Stronger.” Upgrade to premium for guided plans and trainer consultations. Rated one of the best apps in terms of safety, stretching, and progression, Sworkit builds total body workouts suitable for any fitness level. With sets ranging from an office stretch to a full cardio set, Sworkit can help you get your ideal body.

App: Free | Premium upgrades available

It can be a challenge to fit a workout into a busy schedule, but with these apps, there’s no excuse for missing a day—so get up and get moving!

Need a place to integrate your favorite new running app? Join the UF Run Group, which meets Sundays at 10am. Running between 2 and 6 miles on the North Side, UF Run Group welcomes runners of all training levels!