It’s almost the 2018, so let’s talk about it: New Years Resolutions. I know I’m thinking about mine, so I’m betting your thinking about yours. And of course, our goal for every year at Union Fitness is to help our members reach theirs. With that in mind, I like to encourage my clients to set SMART goals, and no, that’s not just a snarky pun.

In this case, I’m referring to Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-focused, Time-bound goals. Let’s break that down:

Specific: Instead of setting the oft-cited and then oft-neglected goal of “losing some weight,” let’s tighten that up. Maybe you have a goal of losing 15, or losing 2 inches off your waist (or adding an inch to your biceps, we don’t discriminate). We want to make your goals as clear as possible, so that we know when they’ve been reached, what’s keeping us from reaching them, or when it’s time to move on to bigger things.

Measurable: Playing into “specific,” we need to make sure our goals are measurable, otherwise we’ll never know if we’ve accomplished what we wanted! Habit tracking apps can be really helpful for this. Maybe you have a goal of walking for 20 minutes each day. That’s easy to measure, all you need to do is check off each day on your calendar or habit tracker. Looking more long term, a specific and measurable goal would be to walk 20 miles in 40 days.

Attainable: We all get ahead of ourselves sometimes, especially when it comes to weight loss goals. You may feel motivated enough to lose 30 pounds in 2 months, but the reality is that this goal isn’t really attainable (and worse, is definitely not sustainable). For weight loss, a goal of losing 1-2 pounds per week (depending on your size) is difficult but doable. For other fitness goals, like shaving a few minutes off your half-marathon time or getting your first pull-up, ask us! We’ll help you figure it out.

Results-focused: We’re looking at the final picture, not the individual steps that will get you there. Those specific goals like losing 10 pounds are better able to be realized than a more general goal like “eat more salad” or “eat less donuts.” I do still encourage process goals, like mentioned above with the habit tracker, but they still need to be specific – “eat a vegetable at every meal” for example. Still, for a good resolution, think final result.

Finally, Time-bound: Put a date on it. Lost those 15 pounds by June 1, just in time for vacation. Get your first pull-up by February 15. Cut 10 minutes off your half-marathon time by the Pittsburgh Marathon in May. Again, ask us for help setting those time goals. Having a specific date in mind will help motivate you after the initial thrill of the New Year wears off. Everyone needs a sense of urgency sometimes.

Now that you’ve got an idea of how to set those goals, get working on them! I’d actually encourage you to get started as soon as possible, ie. BEFORE the New Year. We’re trying to encourage that with our December new member special: sign up for a contract in December, get your second month for free! If you have a fitness goal that you want to reach, we’re here for you, right now. See you soon!

OH – and we’re hosting FREE Classes all day long on New Year’s Day. So stop in and see what Union Fitness can do for you!

Now that we’re fully entrenched in the holiday season, you might be tempted to let your workouts fall to the wayside while you enjoy all the food and sweets this month has to offer. “I’ll start working out again in the new year,” you might tell yourself. OR, instead of backsliding on your fitness goals for the next several weeks, you could take a different approach and consider hiring a personal trainer. Here’s why:

Automatic accountability

If there’s one thing we all need during this season, it’s a little extra accountability. That’s where a good personal trainer comes in. Not only will your trainer create an exercise program tailored just to your goals, they’ll be there to push you a little bit when you need it. Having a set hour on your schedule to workout a few times a week is usually motivation enough on its own – no one wants to waste their hard-earned money.

Invaluable exercise advice that’s good all year round

Your training plan and the workout tips you get with a trainer will be carried with you for the rest of your life. Learning proper lifting form is invaluable and can only really be done with an expert’s help.

Training flexibility

We know you’re busy this month, and that’s why we provide flexibility with our personal trainers. We might pair you up with two different trainers so you can mix morning and evening workouts. We’re here to help you reach your goals no matter what it takes!

Get ahead of the New Year’s Resolution rush

This one is really the best benefit of all: you’re getting a jumpstart on your 2018 fitness goals by getting started in December! The more work you put in, the more likely you are to stick with your plan. Plus, you’ll have your trainer locked in before our January rush starts.

If this sounds like a good plan to you, now is the time to start with a trainer. Our personal training rates are set to go up in January, so give us a call to get started now.

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, many of us anticipate our healthy lifestyles to take a hit.  The dinner tables will be set with stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, and so much more, making it hard to not go into carb overload. However, it doesn’t have to be this way! There are plenty of healthy alternatives for your favorite dishes so you can enjoy food with your family without the added stress of ruining your diet.

Instead of regular mashed potatoes, try Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes”.

By making this easy swap you are lightening the carb load and saving yourself a ton of calories. There are plenty of different herbs and spices you can add to your “mashed potatoes” to make them just as delicious as the original version. Check out this Creamy Garlic Mashed Cauliflower recipe for some inspo!

Replace your original stuffing recipe with Quinoa “Stuffing”.

Exchanging your carb-filled stuffing with a protein-packed version is a great way to enjoy this holiday favorite. Not only will you feel better about what you ate, it’ll taste delicious too! Try making this Quinoa Sage Stuffing this year!

Make a healthy version of Mac & Cheese.

A creamy, cheesy mac & cheese is one of the best parts of Thanksgiving. There are plenty of healthy ways to get the same great taste for half the calories. Give this Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese a try!

Fill up your plate with a delicious salad.

Piling on the greens will leave less room on your plate for the unhealthier options. Not only will it taste good, it’ll feel good too! With so many fall-inspired salads it’ll be a hit at your dinner. Make this Apple Cranberry Walnut Salad!

A green bean dish you can feel good about.

Save the calories by opting out of a creamy green bean casserole. Instead, make Crispy Roasted Green Beans everyone will love! These green beans will be so tasty; you won’t even miss the crispy onions.

Swap out Pumpkin Pie for Pumpkin Bars!

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without the sweet taste of pumpkin pie after dinner. Whip up these pumpkin bars this year so you don’t have to restrain yourself during dessert. Check out the recipe here.

Switch it up, No Bake Apple Cobbler instead of Apple Pie!

Not only will these Apple Cobblers taste delicious, you can save time and oven space because you don’t have to bake them! This dessert will help you from overindulging because they will already be portioned out! Skip the pie and enjoy this instead.

It may not be easy to convert your entire Thanksgiving dinner into a healthy feast but by swapping at least one unhealthy option out for a better one is a step in the right direction! Don’t stress yourself out over your meal, enjoy it, and we’ll see you back at the gym! Happy Thanksgiving!

As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, so does one of the most anticipated running events of the year.  While these races are not quite as intense as the recent New York City Marathon, Turkey Trots are a much-anticipated country wide phenomenon.

The tradition began more than a century ago with the Buffalo Turkey Trot.  It was established in 1896, a year before the Boston Marathon began.  The tradition began as a way to burn off some of the food you will inevitably ingest over the course of Thanksgiving Day.  This logical, (though slightly flawed since the average 5k burns fewer calories than a single piece of pumpkin pie contains), was embraced by people across the United States.

Since its founding in 1896, the Turkey Trot has grown in popularity.  It has morphed into a fun, family event that almost everyone has heard of.  In Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas, there are numerous Turkey Trots you can choose to partake in on Thanksgiving morning.

The most well-known Pittsburgh Turkey Trot is the 27th Annual PNC YMCA Turkey Trot.  This race is presented by United Healthcare and boasts a variety of race distances to choose from.  There is a 1 mile family fun run, a 5K Turkey Trot, and a 5-mile Turkey Trot.  The starting times are staggered between 8 AM – 9:15 AM.  For more information or to register for this race, visit

https://www.active.com/pittsburgh-pa/running/27th-annual-pnc-ymca-turkey-trot-presented-by-unitedhealthcare-2017

If you are searching for a medium length race, the Seubert Struttin’ Our Stuffin’ Turkey Trot could be for you.  This race 4.4 mile travels a pathed path through North Park, a mere 13 miles outside of the city.  The proceeds benefit Our Own Home, an organization that works to support individuals with mental illness and developmental disabilities with housing, employment and independent living skills.  To register for this race, visit

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seubert-struttin-our-stuffin-turkey-trot-registration-open-til-1122-registration-38052173074

Another Turkey Trot in the area is the Sewickley Turkey Trot, located approximately 15.5 miles from Pittsburgh.  This 5K race begins at 8:30 AM and all proceeds benefit Faith in Action.  To register, visit the link below.

http://www.heritagevalley.org/pages/turkey-trot

The final Turkey Trot located in proximity to Pittsburgh is the Emerald Fields Turkey Trot.  This race, located about 21 miles from downtown in Mars, PA offers both a 1 mile fun run and a 5K.  To register, visit

https://www.active.com/mars-pa/running/distance-running-races/emerald-fields-family-5k-2016

Whether you are looking for a fun race to do with family or are trying to burn off a few extra calories before your Thanksgiving feast, a Turkey Trot is a great way to begin Thanksgiving morning.

They are plentiful throughout the country, so if you are traveling out of Pittsburgh for the holiday, be sure to look for ones near you. And, if you choose to run one, be sure to share your pictures with us using the hashtag #UFTurkeyTrot.

Here at Union Fitness we are blessed with so many extraordinary members! It’s incredibly challenging to pick just one member for each Member of the Month. We have such a diverse community yet many like-minded pursuits. When deciding upon October’s Member of the Month, the coaches here had a unanimous vote! Congratulations to Frankie Pierri!

We sat down with Frankie for a little Q&A to get to know him a little bit better. If you’ve never sat down with Frankie for a chat before, lemme tell you, you’re really missing out. Not only is he smart and articulate but he will bless you with many hilarious stories including some about his terrifying childhood dreams about Ursula the sea witch from The Little Mermaid. Good times!

1. 1. What’s your favorite lift? And why?
      Bench Press. Because benching is cool.
   2. Who’s your favorite coach?
      I’m gonna have to say Casey. He has always treated me like I was a member of the gym even before I was signed up. He takes the time to answer all of my text messages and is always very involved in what I’m doing here.
   3. Who’s your favorite member at UF?
      Nate is my least favorite member because I’m most threatened by his bicep veins.
   4. Where do you work?
      Nordstrom. I’m the Service Experience Manager at the Ross Park location.
   5. What’s one thing about you that the members should know?
      I used to be the lead vocalist in a Deathcore band.

1. 1. What’s your favorite cereal?
      That’s an easy one. Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

1. What is your spirit animal?
   Red butted baboon. Because my ass is usually really red.

Thanks for being such an integral part of Union Fitness, Frankie! We love having you as a member and are so proud of all your continual hard work and progress!

Everyone knows that core exercises are important, but at the same time it seems like core work is the most hated part of any workout routine. For that reason, it’s also the most frequently skipped. Having a strong core is important for everybody. If you want to go through life without low back pain, core work is needed (especially if you sit at work all day). If you want to deadlift 300lbs, a strong core will help you brace properly and keep your spine in line as you move the weight. If you want to run a sub-4 hour marathon, a strong core will help you move the most efficiently. If you love to go out dancing with your friends every weekend, a strong core will let you stay on your feet longer and pull off cooler moves and tricks. In short, it’s good for everyone!

Core work doesn’t have to include only the boring basics like sit-ups and crunches. In fact, I’d advocate against those exercises in most cases. We use a rotating group of core exercises for our Strength Lab members that I’ll show you below. We typically have members train their core directly twice a week, with some easier movements daily.

A key concept to remember: the core does NOT just mean abdominals! Your core consists of the entire lumbopelvic hip complex: abdominals, glutes, hips, lumbar spine, and pelvis. We must train all of the muscle groups of the core to get the most balance and stability for our daily life and athletic pursuits. The following exercises cover several of these muscle groups, and put together will be a great place to start increasing your core strength.

1. The Plank
   We all know it, most of us don’t love it, but the benefits of the plank outweigh how tough they are! We encourage all kinds of planks: starting with holding the high push-up position. Be sure to keep your spine in one straight line (like a plank of wood) vs. letting your low back and glutes sag or trying to compensate by raising your hips up. Squeeze your glutes through the whole movement for best results! Once you can hold a high plank for a full 60 seconds, it’s time to move on to the forearm plank. Eventually, you’ll start adding weight to the movement!
2. The Glute Bridge
   You could probably guess, but this one is all about strengthening the glutes. For those of you that sit through the majority of the day, you may have noticed that it’s hard to really feel your glutes working while you’re working out. That’s a big problem given that the glutes are some huge powerhouse muscles! Ideally, you’ll feel them working whether you’re on the elliptical, doing squats, or sweating through a Bootcamp class. The glute bridge is simple: lie down on your back with your knees bent and soles of the feet flat on the floor. Toes should be pointed straight forward, feet about shoulder width apart. You will then raise your hips up until they are completely extended and you’ll squeeze your glutes as hard as you can! Repeat for at least 10 reps.
3. Wall Abs
   This is a favorite of ours: a slightly more difficult version of the Dead Bug exercise that does a great job at teaching the brace. Lie on your back with your head 1-2 inches from a wall. Place your palms on the wall, raise your head and shoulders off the floor, and pull your knees in towards your chest. While pressing your low back down into the floor, you will extend one leg all the way out while pulling the other knee into your chest. Alternate at least 8 times. The key here is pressing your back into the ground the entire time! The feeling we’re creating with this exercises is the same feeling we’re trying to achieve while bracing.
4. The Pallof Press
   This exercise trains anti-rotation of the core: meaning you’ll be able to keep your core stable and in line when something is trying to turn you around or side-to-side, like running. Grab a band and attach it to the rack at sternum height. You’ll take a few steps out to the side, assume an athletic position while bracing your core and squeezing your glutes, and pull the band out to your chest. The movement starts when you then press the band out directly in front of you. You’ll feel the band trying to rotate your body toward the rack, but you’ll resist it by engaging your core. This one really stresses the obliques as well. You can either do longer holds (20+ seconds) on each side, or do shorter hold reps (10+ per side).
5. Band X Walk
   This final exercise is also working the glutes, but more specifically the gluteus medius, a small muscle on the outside of the hip that helps create stability in your knees. Place a band under your feet, cross the band and pull it up to shoulder height to make an X. Get into an athletic position: slight squat, knees pushed out in line with the toes, braced core. Then start taking side steps, really focusing on using the outside hip to “push-off.” Take at least 12 steps in each direction. This one burns!

I hope you can implement at least a few of these in your training!

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.