Blog

posted on April 29, 2021

My name is Blake Halfpenny and I am originally from Eagle River, AK. I spent several years in Spokane, WA and Norwalk, CT playing hockey before arriving in Pittsburgh. I am going into my junior year at Chatham University with a major in exercise science where I also play D3 NCAA ice hockey. After I finish my bachelor’s degree I am interested in pursuing a master’s degree in kinesiology with aspirations to either open my own training facility one day or be the head strength coach for an NCAA program.

I had my first internship for strength & conditioning at the U-District sports training facility in Spokane and have been in love with it ever since. I enjoyed strength training ever since I began as a 12 year old with my dad, but when I was at the U-district I grew to love the creativity and improvisation that you can apply to a strength program to get the most out of your athletes and clients. There is so much more to physical health than just the basic notion of how much a person can lift. The amount of information and research that is still out there when it comes to increasing ones mobility/ flexibility, explosive power, speed, stability, and all of the other aspects of physical health is what keeps me fascinated with the profession and world of strength & conditioning.

I am excited for my time at Union fitness due to the extensive knowledge throughout the training staff. Every trainer has a different skill set that adds versatility to the gym and allows myself to learn from several different points of view when it comes to intensive training. From training at Union for several months before I started my internship I could feel the positive buzz and culture throughout the facility from day one. This was extremely important to me from my prior experience with training facilities. Union also has a unique mix of athletes and people from all over Pittsburgh that come to train which is different from most public and private training facilities. I am excited to take away everything I can from the extensive client base and each trainer here at Union.

When I am not in the gym I am most likely playing hockey or spending time with friends. Training for hockey both off and on the ice is probably my favorite thing to do. I enjoy helping people improve in any way I can when I am not training myself. I enjoy working on the ice with young kids and also helping close friends train on and off the ice. A fun fact about me that most people don’t know is that I am an only child.