Tag Archives: Bench Press

The Power of Powerlifting

Fitness, Life Health, Training, , , , , ,

This past weekend, Union Fitness hosted the 3rd annual Iron City Open powerlifting meet. With the help of our staff, Doug Nostrant and his team of referees, along with our member volunteer spotters and loaders, we were able to have an extremely safe and successful event. I will be completely honest, this is an event that I was very unsure about happening a couple of months ago, and even up until a few before the competition. As far as I am aware, this was the first event that was held in the western PA area since before the start of the pandemic in March. 

 

What made this event special was not only the competitors that attended and the weight which they were able to lift, but all of the people who came together to make sure that everyone was safe and meeting all of the guidelines and standards necessary in order to be able to hold the event. From the outdoor tent, to the USPA referees making sure that the equipment was properly cleaned after every single lifter completed an attempt. That’s right, the bars and benches were disinfected and cleaned after each competitor touched it. You can’t ask for much more care and safety than that. All while wearing masks and face shields for 7 hours in 90 degree weather. This truly goes to show how strong the Powerlifting community is, and how much love and respect goes into it.

 

I am entering my 8th year as a competitor. During that time, I have personally competed in 15 competitions, and I have either attended and/or helped individuals in another 15 or so events. The more meets that I attend, and the more mature that I become, the more I understand and appreciate everything that the sport of powerlifting has to offer, and all of the people whom I’ve had the opportunity of meeting in the process. On the surface, powerlifting may look like a bunch of meat heads with low IQs walking around sweating, grunting, and yelling absurd statements just so they can pick something up one time and then put it down. However, if you dig deeper and spend some quality time in the community, you will meet some of the most genuine people who you’ve ever encountered, and you will witness first hand how powerlifting can help you become better in every aspect of life.

 

In powerlifting, you have to develop a plan of action and then take one step each day in order to reach that goal. It’s inevitable that you will encounter crossroads, hardships, and even frustration along the way. Over time, when approached correctly, this will equate to many small victories and lessons learned. Lessons which can not only help you become a better athlete, but can carry over into being better in your career, in your relationships, and within your own self. The best part of this is having the ability to pass on these lessons to other individuals so they can benefit from the same things which you have. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. Living, learning, and passing on.

Iron City Open 2020, Wrap Up

Fitness, Training, , , , , , ,

Well folks we hosted our first meet during a pandemic. We had to follow many new procedures and guidelines, yet I am confident that we pulled it off in a safe and strong manner. We want to thank everyone who was involved. Meet organizers, volunteers, competitors, judges, friend and family. Thank you all for coming out and supporting the lifters.

 

As most people know we had to have a meet with limitations on how many people were permitted to be here and while requiring masks. We are proud and happy about how so many people came together and supported one another while respecting all safety guidelines.

 

The meet itself had a very different feel as it was moved from a 2 day meet to a 1 day meet. There was no large crowd of cheering fans and anyone who wanted to watch had to bring their own chair and sit outside. At times it felt more like a picnic than a meet.

 

As for the lifting… let us have an ego here. UF did great! All the lifters who train here did great! Our own Cody Miller won best lifter. The best female lifter was Kelly Piccione. Josh, Bobby, Monica, Stew, Simone  (adopted UF lifter),  all had amazing days! I also want to thanks all of these people for helping make the day successful, Dave, Matt, Josh, Kerry, Liz, Cayt, Vicky, Bryce, Frank, Keenan, Curtis, CJ, Cody, Faruk, Jared, Nate, Derek, John,  Toria, Zain and all others hopefully I didn’t miss anyone.  Thanks to all vendors as well.

 

At the end it was a successful meet and we hope that we met everyone’s expectations. We also must thank you for being members and supporting us through these strange days we are living in.

 

Todd Hamer

 

 

Iron City 2020

Training, , , ,

As many of you know, the Iron City Open is being held tomorrow here at Union Fitness beginning at 9am. We have put in place as many safety precautions as we could think of so that it can be a sanitary environment while allowing people to return to an activity that was once a normal part of their lives. We understand the incredible responsibility involved, and we appreciate everyone who has contributed to making this event a success.

 

If you haven’t been a part of the powerlifting community, it’s as supportive a tribe as you will find. Winning is rarely the main focus for the competitor. The majority of powerlifters are concerned about doing more than they’ve ever done before. To take the hero’s journey. To have the courage to leave the known, travel into the unknown, slay the dragon, and bring back something useful from the journey. And you might think that a personal record is the useful thing that they bring back, but it’s not. The useful thing is a greater knowledge of the self. Getting a better understanding of what is possible and what may still be possible for every individual…this is the prize.

 

The powerlifters who understand this universal struggle are there to spot, wrap, encourage, and console anyone who is willing to step up to the platform. You better believe this will be going on tomorrow. And if you need a word of encouragement or someone to chalk your back, come find me.

Iron City Open Update

Uncategorized, ,

To all of our members and friends I hope you are as excited as we are about seeing lifting again. I wanted to make sure we get an update out as the meet is now one week away.

 

The meet will be held Saturday August 22, 2020. Weigh ins will be Friday and Saturday (for specifics check with USPA). The meet was originally scheduled as a two day meet, yet the USPA as well as UF have decided with the reduced numbers it no longer made sense to spread it out over two days.

 

We will be allowing spectators. This is an outdoor event and state rules limit it to 50 total people. We are hopeful that we have a nice crowd and we are also hopeful that it stays under this number and we do not need to turn anyone away. We will be strictly following mask guidelines so please be prepared with your mask at all times. Lifters will be permitted to remove their mask for their attempts.

 

We are also working on food trucks as well as a beer truck to make the day more enjoyable for everyone. We ask that everyone please show extra patience this year to help us and the lifters have a great day.

 

If you have any questions, comments or concerns please contact me directly anytime. Lifters with more specific questions please see USPA Pittsburgh instagram or contact Doug directly.

 

Todd Hamer

todd@unionfitness.com

Review of Muscular Tension

Training, ,

One of the best books one can read to understand training (IMO) is  “Science and Practice of Strength Training,” by Vladimir Zatriorksy. Dr. Zatriorsky was a professor at Penn State for years and I was lucky enough to meet him and spend time trying to understand what he was saying (he is really smart).

 

In the book he discusses the three methods to increase muscular tension. This is important to understand if you want to increase your strength levels. I have listed the three methods to increase muscular tension, I also added in descriptions and examples of each.

 

  1. Dynamic Effort Method- This is moving a light weight as fast as possible. This could be doing anything from jumping to throwing or doing any explosive lift. Louie Simmons made this popular with speed bench and speed squats. Dr. Fred Hatfield also helped grow this method in his book “Bodybuilding, A Scientific Approach.” He used the term Compensatory Acceleration Training (CAT). While I do not think these are 100% interchangeable I do believe they are similar enough that you can replace one with the other. Either way keep your reps between 3-6 and move something explosively.
  2. Maximal Effort Method- This is the exact opposite of Dynamic Effort. Now the intent is to move a heavy load. Velocity can, and often will, drop below .2 m/s. In lifter terms this is learning how to strain against a heavy weight. This is a very effective way to increase strength yet we must be cautious as technique will often break down and the opportunity for overtraining exists here.
  3. Repetition Effort Method- This is the method everyone knows. The goal here is to train a muscle until it fatigues. This could be done with 3×10 or for timed sets 3×45 seconds. One variation I believe we should highlight here is escalating density training. This is done by doing lower reps with very short rest periods. One could do pull ups for 20 sets of 3 with 10 seconds rest. This is a way to achieve huge volume and a ton of reps without letting technique break down.

 

This is just a short overview of these methods and entire college course could be taught on this yet I want all of you to have the basic understanding of what is going on. If you ever want to talk any further on this topic please stop me as I could go on for days. So maybe ask someone else as I wouldn’t want to bore you.

 

Hamer

Iron City Open Update

Uncategorized, ,

We at UF are proud of our connection to the local powerlifting community. As the GM I was lucky to step into a position that the great relationships were already built in the lifting community. First let me thank you for being such a big part of UF.

 

We had to make a decision on whether it was appropriate to host the Iron City Open. At this point we are moving forward with the meet. For those of you who want us to hold the meet I am sure this is great news. For those of you unsure, we are doing all we can to keep the meet safe and hold ourselves to a high standard. What I do believe is we can do this in a safe manner. Here is a list of what we are doing to keep this meet safe and of course fun.

 

  1. Weigh ins will be limited to lifter and official.
  2. Masks will be required by everyone (the lifter may remove it for their attempt).
  3. The barbell will be sanitized and cleaned between each attempt.
  4. There will be no chalk bowl (bring your own chalk).
  5. No spectators inside the tent.
  6. The meet will be inside the tent with warm ups occurring in our performance lab with the garage door open.
  7. Each lifter will only be allowed one person with them at the meet (a handler)
  8. Temperature checks for each person entering.
  9. UF staff will be here all day to make sure all rules are being followed.
  10. UF has the ability to end this meet or excuse anyone from the facility who is not following the rules.

 

We believe with these precautions in place we can hold a safe, fun and effective meet. We look forward to working with the USPA again and anyone who has anyone questions, comments or concerns should reach out to Todd Hamer.

 

Thanks and BE STRONG!

Being a Female in a Male Dominated Industry

Fitness, Training, , , ,

I get many questions related to being a female in the strength and conditioning world. Often times it is related to how I work with other male coaches (sport coaches or strength coaches) and/or male athletes. Further, I am often asked how I train females differently than males. From a general sense I truly believe it does not matter if you are male or female in this profession, as long as you are confident in who you are as a coach and are able to connect with the people you are working with. Working with any athlete comes down to can you teach the movements you have programmed, and can you motivate the athletes to achieve their highest potential related to what you are working on each day. I find it is almost easier to coach males from a technical stand point if you know what you are talking about. If you give them a coaching cue, they try it and it works, they usually realize you know what you are talking about and are ready to respect and work with you – regardless of being male or female. Females tend to be a bit more skeptical at first and inquisitive as to why they are doing the movement in the first place. Male coaches and strength coaches more often then not value having a female to work with to create a more well-rounded staff. Again, if you know how to do your job there should really be no problem. 

 

I like to think we’ve gotten past this issue in 2020, yet there are still some people out there that would probably disagree. There are no exercises that a female cannot do that a male can and vice versa. A barbell will not make a female big and bulky. I lift weights at least 5x a week and still look do not look like a bulky man. A female can bench press a bar, just like a male. From a very general perspective exercises can be done by both females and males. It is important to note that there are some difference in programming that could be applicable to create the “best” program for a male vs a female. For example, the Q angle of female hips can make them more susceptible to certain injuries, and thus we can program accordingly to attempt to reduce that risk. I may do more hamstring and posterior chain work with a female than a male, yet the exercises I choose are still possible to be effectively done by both sexes. It is also very possible for a male to be deficient in posterior strength, putting him in the same injury risk category. At the end of the day programming should be designed based on the human needs not a broad category such as male or female. 

 

From a career perspective it is important to note that within strength and conditioning it is easier to get a job as a female than as a male when you are first starting out. However, that changes when it comes to progressing in the field. A male is much more likely to progress to a higher title such as associate director or even director faster than a female. That is a very real frustration in this male-dominated field. I am incredibly grateful for the women who have been in this field way longer than me and have fought for their career progress. There are several female directors of strength and conditioning that are doing great work. This is just something to be aware of and to fight for your worth in the field.

 

Overall being a female in strength and conditioning has its challenges just like any other career. If you know how to do your job, are confident in who you are as a coach, and understand how to motivate people, you will be fine. At the end of the day I focus on why I got into this career – to help people (any gender) get better. 

Four pillars: Training

Training, , , , , , ,

Disclaimer: There is a big distinction that I want to make when you read this article. To accomplish any goal you must work hard but doing pointless work for the sake of working hard is dangerous. Hard work does not need to be complicated but precise and consistent.

 

This training article is not going to be about how I believe everyone needs to be a “beast”. There are enough videos out there that yell at you for an hour telling you to work harder. This article does not address what the best program is either. If must know I believe 5/3/1 is, simply because it’s easy to follow.

 

Of course, I believe that a good program helps to achieve a goal but the real challenge is to recover from that program. Hence why the first two pillars are about recovery. I truly mean a challenge. It is psychologically and physically challenging to recover better. It takes time and self-discipline. Now how to address programming.

 

Training needs to be simple. The more complex the program is the more room for error on your part. Most people do not need an intricate program with the latest research. Yes, I believe that some programs are better than others but what I mean is when you are starting out, make the simplest program ever. By simple I mean you are going to come in and do 3×20 on leg press and hamstring curls. Done. That’s a wrap for the day. Now, what are you doing tomorrow? The easier this program is, the more likely you are going to do it for a long period of time. The length of time following a program is far more important than the intensity of the program.

 

 

Injuries will slow you down. Injuries are inevitable no matter what level you are at, how long you have been doing it, or the intensity that you bring. What I believe to be far more controllable is the severity and length of the injury. Most people can remember that their shoulder felt weird that day when they decided to max out. Or when you woke up and your back wasn’t fully prime for that hard deadlift day. You probably did the workout anyway because you are no (whatever word you choose) and now your back/shoulder has been hurting. Congrats.

 

Here is another idea. Do the things that specifically only make your body feel good. If the pain or aggravation persists go see a doctor or physical therapist but what do they know. People know that I am bias towards physical therapist but a good therapist can help tremendously in keeping you on the path to accomplish your goal. Now ideally you have a program that has certain warm-up exercises or assistant exercises that will help the reduce severity of an injury that was to come.

 

Your primary focus should be on your weakness. Again the program doesn’t need the most complex excel sheet you can find but it does need to work on your weak points as the focus. In my case, my hamstrings are not a strong point for me. They have no idea what they are doing and are constantly sore. Hamstring exercises have always been in my programs but not to the extent they should have been. When I currently train legs  ¾ of the workout are now hamstring focus and my back has thanked me for it. This is where a coach, personal trainer, or training partner can be a tremendous help. One of these people should let you know what “thing” needs to focus on.

Training Log; CeJ, Ham and The Skylyn

Fitness, Training, , ,

Today we will take on a trip around the Union Fitness bump team.

 

We are lucky enough to have guest lifters join us often here at UF. Today Skylyn joined CeJ and myself for a fun bench session. The following is what went down.

 

Warm Up

Jump Rope 100 reps without a miss. This is something that should be done daily.

Band Pull Aparts 150 reps with different angles and bands.

 

Lift

Strength is still down BIGTime since the lock down. SOOOOOO…..

Bench

bar 45 2×10

95×5

135×5

185×3

225×2

245×2

265×2

275×2

285×1

 

1a Shoulder Save Close Grip Bench 225 3×8-10.

1b Chins with 26# 3×6-8.

 

Drop Set Dips 2 sets, 2 chains x10, 1 chain x10, BWx20, Band Assisted x20.

Drop Set Cable Rows I forget the weights, but we did 20 reps and 4 drops (so well over 100 total reps).

 

We finished with some fun arm pumps on cable machines.

 

Since returning from the lockdownI have returned to training with CeJ and I realized how much fun it is training with good people. I often see lifters who are looking for a “coach,” my best advice to you is stop looking for a coach and find good training partners.

 

Ham