We hear a familiar story from a lot of members that are having trouble reaching their fitness or body composition goals: “I do great during the week, but once the weekend hits, all bets are off.” Logging 5 “perfect” days – hard daily workouts, healthy eating in appropriate portions, regular sleep – is all well and good, but it’s really easy to throw that all off if you drop your routine completely from 5pm on Friday to 10pm on Sunday!

The number one most important aspect to succeeding in anything – weight loss, strength gains, lifestyle change – is consistency. Unfortunately, it’s just not enough to be super strict during the work week; you need to keep your goals in mind and continue with your healthy habits (most of the time, see below) on the weekends too. There are a ton of ways to make this easier, so here are just a few:

• Don’t over-extend during the week

It can be really tempting to drastically restrict your food, or do hours and hours of cardio during the week to “make up for” the weekends. That then turns into a cyclical pattern of restricting and then binge eating on the weekends, partially because you “earned it,” partially because you’re actually really hungry! If you’ve found yourself in this pattern, consistency across the entire week is the solution. Choose a food goal that you can reasonably meet every single day. That probably means letting yourself eat foods you actually like during the week, and that’s okay. You can build heartier meals and fun snacks into every day life by choosing lighter foods other times of day. When the next weekend comes around, you likely won’t feel as desperate to go nuts on sweets!

• Keep your habits consistent

I would bet you’ve heard that catching up on sleep on the weekends isn’t actually a good thing. Try to apply that idea to every part of your lifestyle. Like I said in the previous point, staying consistent all week long is the way to go, both for eating and for everything else! Try to go to bed and wake up around the same times each day, and strive to get some movement in daily as well!

• Take advantage of weekend fitness opportunities

This is where we can really help! Pittsburgh is full of weekend fitness opportunities. Here at UF, we offer a free community yoga class every Saturday at 10am to get your weekend started. We also now have a Sunday run group that meets at the gym on Sundays at 10am. But don’t stop there – get outside! Enjoy the end of summer in our beautiful parks and on the rivers. Hiking opportunities in and around the city are abundant. Kayaking here is also an amazing experience. Our run group will be heading out for some kayaking on the river this Sunday, August 27 at 11am. We encourage everyone, runner or not, to come give it a try

When it comes to lifestyle change, it’s common to want to take an extreme approach and have an all or nothing mentality. No matter what kind of big feat you hope to accomplish in life, any drastic change from your daily norm can be overwhelming and at times scary, so of course it seems better to rip the band aid off and cut to the chase, right? Well, maybe not so much.

A complete lifestyle overhaul can be a great way to kickstart forming new habits, but if you want lasting change and are transitioning from a state of low motivation to high motivation and excitement, you may want to consider slowing your roll and making sure you’re being realistic and seeing the full scope of how your changes will affect your life.

Whether your goal is to lower your cholesterol or feel and look better, it’s best to have a plan and know exactly what you want in the long term. Getting in the right frame of mind, being prepared for things to take longer than you may expect, and finding ways to enjoy the process of change rather than having a fixed mindset of how things “should be” will be hugely important in staying the course even when challenges arise.

When setting goals and forming habits, it’s important to have both outcome goals (I want to be able to run an 8 minute mile by October 1st) and behavior goals (I will commit to running X number of miles at a pace of X from now until October 1st). Doing so will provide a plan. When there is a plan, there is less likely of a chance that you will deviate because the small steps are far less daunting than the end result. Can you imagine stepping to the start line for a marathon you committed to running 3 months ago but didn’t follow the plan and work up to the necessary mileage over time? That marathon would be uncomfortable, to say the least.

If you want to successfully accomplish a goal, do yourself a favor and take the time to put it down in writing. The goal(s) should:

• Be specific and measurable
• Have a specific timeline
• Be realistic
• Have significance

Now that you have your goals written down, list them in order of priority.

1. Focus on one or two habits per month, whatever you think will have the biggest impact on your life and make it your primary focus.
2. Write down your plan- specifically state what your goal will be each day, when you’ll do it, what your limiting factor(s) will be, and who you will report to.
3. Post your goal publicly or tell as many people as possible that you are trying to form a new habit. If that sounds completely awful, try an online forum or email it to coworkers, friends, and family.
4. Report on your progress daily whether it’s privately written in a journal, or you’re telling the same group of people- note or say whether or not you succeeded at that goal.

If you’re having trouble thinking of ideas, here are a few to consider, remember: start small!

1. Going to the gym one day more than you do currently
2. Trying a new exercise
3. Going on a walk where you might spend an hour watching TV
4. Incorporating a new vegetable in your diet you’ve never tried
5. Replacing one meal a week where you would eat out with one cooked at home

Here at Union Fitness, we like to stress that it’s not just what you do in the gym that counts. Those other 23 hours a day are pretty important too. That’s why today’s post is going to focus on workout recovery: a few things you can do to rehab your tired muscles after a hard workout and prepare yourself for your next training session as quickly as possible. As usual, I’d like to focus on the basics of recovery before moving on to more advanced methods. If you’re only sleeping 3 hours per night, a cupping session isn’t going to make up for it! So let’s start at the beginning:

1. SLEEP

The number one thing you need to do to recover from a hard workout is sleep! You should be aiming for at least 7-8 hours quality hours per night to reap the best effects. That focus on quality is key: it is during REM sleep that the circulation growth hormone production increases, which helps repair our muscles from the breakdown experience during a training session. Adequate sleep also increases mental alertness, which gives you the motivation you need to kill it at work, at home, and in the gym. Sleep is priceless and the very first thing we encourage people to work on. Do you find yourself choosing between that early AM workout and getting more than 5 hours of sleep? Choose sleep every time. In the future, you can work on getting to bed earlier to fit that workout in too, but sleep comes first.

2. Eat enough nutritious food

You can give it your all in the gym 5 times a week, but if you’re eating poorly, your progress will likely be slower than expected. Much of this is common sense. If your diet consists primarily of fast food and processed sugar, it’s time to make the switch. If you’re eating super healthy but only 1000 calories per day, you’re undercutting your ability to get stronger every day. The amount of food needed to support your training depends on several factors (height, weight, gender, age, type of training, etc) and we are here to help you figure that out. Focus on consistently eating well first, quality of food second, then the calorie math. The key: lots of nutrient dense foods that sit well with you will help you perform better.

3. Restore some mobility

Strength training and heavy cardio routines like distance running rely on tight muscles to produce the needed amount of force to overcome a weight or propel you forward. This is a good thing, to a point. If you’re noticing your mobility is becoming inhibited by your training (or your daily life), it’s time to focus on some stretching and mobility. We offer Slow Flow Recovery yoga just for this reason! The key to stretching is to do it regularly, so aim to get to class every Wednesday at 6pm and throw in some of the poses you learn there a few times a week for the best results.

4. Active Recovery, aka light cardio

At this point hopefully you’ve bought into the idea that rest is very much important to improved performance. That does not mean that you should be spending entire days fixed to the couch binging on Netflix! The next step in your recovery process is some light activity: think walking around outside enjoying the sunshine, trying a new trail in the park, maybe even some relaxed kayaking or climbing! I encourage everyone to try to get outside for cardio while the weather is nice, but a light treadmill or bike workout are just as useful. Getting your muscles moving will help deal with any soreness you have and keep your blood flowing.

5. Massage and myofascial release

Finally we have some more hands-on methods (pun totally intended). We’re lucky at UF to have access to an excellent massage therapist in Marco, so please utilize him! Semi-regular massages are a fantastic way to help increase circulation and relieve localized muscle tension. It can also be an incredibly effective way to relieve stress! If you’re looking for an even more accessible way to work out muscle tension, you’re in luck. We have a variety of tools for your recovery needs, from foam rollers and lacrosse balls to all kinds of body tempering devices. What is body tempering? Think reverse foam rolling with a friend. You place a very heavy cylinder on a sore muscle group (like the quads as pictured) and sit with the discomfort that inevitably comes with working out knotty tissue! Your goal is to slowly roll the muscle out until you find a particularly sore spot, then keep it there. Shoot for at least 30 seconds. Ask our staff to help you out with the harder to reach places like the hamstrings, calves, and back. The real beauty of these devices is they let you work on passive tissue: you don’t need to hold yourself up and stabilize like you do when you’re foam rolling. You get to lay back, feel the pain, and then experience the difference when it’s over.

These are your basics. Get enough sleep. Eat well. Stretch and do some relaxed activities. Use the recovery tools at hand, whether they’re our body tempering cylinders or our massage therapist. Recover better to perform better.

The idea of hiring a personal trainer can be really off-putting to a lot of people. You might think of the Jillian Michaels-style personal training, constantly screaming in your face and telling you you’re “JUST NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH.” Fortunately, the personal trainers at Union Fitness don’t buy into that model of training. Whether you’re new to the gym, returning after taking a few months off, or a regular gym rat looking to get stronger and meet your goals faster, our personal trainers are here to help! Here are a few reasons why we think everyone would benefit from personal training:

1. Perfecting your form
Getting a knowledgeable form check is easily the best reason to invest in a personal trainer. It can be tempting to try teaching yourself how to deadlift using only Youtube videos and perseverance, but the truth is investing a little bit in proper coaching will pay off in dividends (aka you won’t be paying for physical therapy due to poor form later). Whether you’re looking to perfect your air squat, your bench press, or your snatch, we have trainers with the credentials and experience to help. Perfecting your form early, before you settle into bad habits, will set you up for success.

2. Working on stability and imbalances
Along the same lines, people often want to jump right into heavy lifting when they start out at the gym. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the best path to success. Repetitive movement patterns and poor posture can create strength and muscle imbalances that should be corrected before loading your movements. A good personal trainer will perform movement and postural assessments before starting any new program. You’ll work on imbalances and stability and some technique work on the big lifts before moving on to load them. Again, it’s all about setting you up for long term success.

3. Programming optimized for you
While there are tons of lifting programs available on the internet, they are, by nature, cookie-cutter programs. Hiring a personal trainer means you have an expert designing a program specifically tailored to your goals, strengths, and weaknesses. If you start a new bodybuilding program with lots of benching that you found online while trying to recover from a shoulder injury from your Rec softball league, things will likely go south quickly. A trainer will help strengthen your rotator cuff AND show you how to bench properly, so you decrease the risk of re injury.

4. Learning new movements
Sometimes you just get bored doing the same old things in the gym every day. That’s ok! Our personal trainers will give you some new ways to work your body, on top of using the big movements that are proven to work. Look for them to use lots of different implements: medicine balls, battle ropes, suspension trainers, and definitely the sleds and prowler. A personal training session can definitely give you some new inspiration in training!

5. Extra accountability
Last but not least, your personal trainer is a new accountability tool. It can help to have some “skin in the game,” like investing in an expert to help you reach your goals. Your trainer will put a lot of effort into creating your workout program, and in return expects you to give it your best effort. No, that doesn’t mean being perfect and getting everything right all the time. It DOES mean showing up on time and putting in the work.

You can check out info about our coaches on our website. Personal training at Union Fitness is currently priced at a steal: $50 per session for 5 sessions, $45 per session for 10 sessions, $40 per session for 20 sessions, or the best deal we have: $400 per month for 3 training sessions per week PLUS an included Fitness Center membership. That’s just $33 per session and includes your regular membership! Contact us for more information or to get set up for a free personal training consultation.

Rest Days. Take a moment to ask yourself how many days off you take each week. I don’t mean doing cardio for 30 minutes, I mean completely off. You may be the ambitious type who’s in the gym every day, sometimes more than once. If you’re feeling burned out, unmotivated, or are not performing well, consider adding more rest to your schedule.
Here’s a few reasons why:

● Your muscles grow when you rest. Lifting creates micro tears in muscle fibers that repair during rest. This is when your muscles become stronger. Yes, it’s important to work your muscles hard but it’s equally as important to give your body enough time to recover.
● More free time. Hitting the gym for lengthy workouts every day is a big time commitment. It’s important to make time for other quality-of-life boosters too, such as hanging out with friends and family, learning something new, and having “me” time.
● Less moodiness. Exercise can be a potent anti-depressant but too much can have the opposite effect, causing anxiety over demanding workout schedules and feeling run down.
● More energy throughout the day. If you’re crashing in the afternoon or dragging during the day because you’re so tired and sore you can barely move, you’re doing too much.
● Better quality of sleep. If you need excessive sleep to fuel your workouts or are unable to sleep even when you’re very tired, both are indicators that something is wrong.
● Avoiding burnout. We all have limited resources: time, energy, money, physical reserves. Spending too much of them on exercise can lead to burnout. Exercise is a lifelong pursuit, and it should make you happy. Find a balance that works for you and your life.

If you’re worried about losing strength or gaining fat during rest periods, consider this: If you spend 11.5 months out of the year getting in shape, how much fitness can you honestly lose in 5-14 days? Very very little. In fact, you’ll probably come back stronger than before. Even in terms of fat loss, you can still get lean when taking a break from training if you keep an eye on your caloric intake.

Strategically training around rest periods:
Deload. Almost all athletes take periods in their training to reduce one or all of the following factors: volume, intensity, and frequency. Typically, you’ll want to train intensely for 3-6 weeks then take a deload week. In addition to deloading, it is recommended to take a full week off from training after every 3 cycles (18-24 weeks) of continuous training. Longer cycles of 16-18 weeks are often followed by periods of 5-10 days completely off from training.

During this time, make it a priority to do something completely different. Stay out of the weight room, do bodyweight circuits in the park, hike, or swim. Don’t be afraid to do some easy training every 3-4 months to give your body and mind a break, you won’t lose anything and you may find that you gain a lot (both physically and psychologically) when you come back to the gym.

Running marathons can seem like an impossible feat, but for some, running a 5K can also be terrifying. The long distances can sometimes prevent you from signing up for a race. But, if you’re ready to dip your toes in the water and sign up for a race, the GNC Live Well Liberty Mile is the perfect option.

This one-mile course occurs in the heart of the Cultural District. The race starts on Penn Avenue between Fifth and Sixth Street and finishes near Triangle Park.

This race is designed as an activity to do with friends and family – even the young runners in training!

If you are still feeling nervous, even after training hard, the Steel City Road Runners are hosting Liberty Mile Time Trials. This way you can assure yourself you’re ready to go when the big day comes.

If you still don’t feel comfortable, you can sign-up as a volunteer, or swing by to watch 2016 defending champions Heather Kampf and Ben Blankenship.

After all races are complete, awards will be given based on chip time per age categories. Starting with 13-years-old and under through 80-years-old and over.

The event takes place July 28 and the schedule is:

• 7:00 PM – One for Fun presented by Fleet Feet; Pup Trot presented by Humane Animal Rescue
• 7:25 PM – Kids of STEEL
• 7:50 PM – Masters presented by UPMC Health Plan
• 8:00 PM – Unstoppable presented by Fleet Feet Sports
• 8:10 PM – Pro Women presented by GNC Live Well
• 8:20 PM – Pro Men presented by GNC Live Well

Don’t forget to stick around after to enjoy free beer and celebrate your accomplishments. All you have to do is show your race bib tear off at the participating restaurants. These include Harris Grill Downtown and BRGR Downtown.

For more information, check out their website: http://libertymile.org/

We’ve gotten a lot of requests for workouts you can do from anywhere now that summer is here. Whether you’re vacationing by the lake with family or traveling to the desert for work, you’ll want to keep getting your workouts in and might not have access to a lot of equipment. We’re here to help! Here’s an all bodyweight workout you can do, with some special stipulations to make it as challenging as you need it to be as you go!

You’ll be doing a total of four mini AMRAP workouts. AMRAPs mean “as many rounds as possible,” so you’ll want to keep a pen and paper nearby to keep track of your progress. The only other thing you’ll need is a stopwatch!

Each AMRAP round will last 5 minutes, and you’ll take a 2-minute break between each one. The workout looks like this:

5 Reverse Lunges (per leg)
10 Squat Jacks
20 Mountain Climbers
30 Jumping Jacks

You’ll get as many rounds and reps as possible in 5 minutes, then rest. For each successive round, you’ll try to add 5 reps to each movement. So round 2 would look like this:

10 Reverse Lunges (per leg)
15 Squat Jacks
25 Mountain Climbers
35 Jumping Jacks

And so on! This will get very difficult by the end, so try to pace yourself a bit and keep water nearby!

We love to see how you get your workouts in when you’re not at the gym, so tag @UnionFitnessPGH on Instagram with your workout videos!