WEIGHTLIFTING SEMINAR: What to Expect and What You Can Learn
Weightlifting, as a sport, requires a lot of consistent and focused training over a long period of time. During that long period of time, many lifters will come to points in their training where they feel stuck or confused about what they need to focus on or work on. Weightlifting seminars consist of many lifters and coaches alike coming together at one time to learn and understand new concepts or techniques collectively.
BENEFITS OF SMALL GROUP TRAINING AT PFP
Small group training at PFP is designed to bring people together in a fun environment that offers an introduction to specific skill training or general strength training. Classes consist of everything from weightlifting and kettlebell training to more specific strength training for sports like swimming and running. Let’s take a closer look at what these classes can do for you.
SUNS OUT, FUNS OUT: SUMMERTIME FITNESS
Summer is a great time to get outside and be active. It’s an easy time to get the benefits of the sun, get a little sweaty, and have fun with friends. Check out these tips from our Pittsburgh Fitness Project trainers to add a little more movement into your summer!
THE DOMAINS OF PHYSICAL LITERACY
Physical Literacy is a relatively new topic in the health and wellness world. The term was first coined by Dr. Margaret Whitehead, a physical education teacher at the time, in 1993. She defined physical literacy as motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement with physical activity throughout life.
GET TO KNOW OUR TRAINERS: ANDREW DUFF
In my personal training career, I have experienced a wide variety of people. I have seen old and young athletes and non-athletes. I have worked with people that had very serious and particular goals, as well as people with very general goals. In any case, what I have learned is that it’s not a person's goals, background, or even personality that influences how I view working with them. Rather it is the quality of our communication and the relationship we build.
GET TO KNOW OUR TRAINERS: AMANDA SERAPIGLIA
Hi, my name is Amanda, and I am one of the newest personal trainers here at PFP! My passion for athletics began at the age of 4 when I started my gymnastics career. Throughout my career, I advanced to compete at the Junior Olympic level 9 Eastern Nationals in 2018. After retiring from gymnastics, I kept engaged in the sport by coaching competitive gymnastics and becoming a mentor to girls competing in the sport.
GET TO KNOW OUR TRAINERS: DEVIN CLOUD
Hello everyone! My name is Devin, and I’m a weightlifting coach/personal trainer here at Pittsburgh Fitness Project. I look forward to helping you attain whatever it is you desire when it comes to your training. Making a plan and setting up goals can be daunting and uncertain, but with a good coach, this becomes a much better process and journey for us to embark on together.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP HYGIENE
The greatest recovery method for any athlete or individual is sleep. During this time, our cellular processes carry out all the necessary functions in order for our bodies to heal and rejuvenate for the next day. Our smart devices can track signs of these processes, but what can we take from these measurements?
HYPERTROPHIC TRAINING: SIZE IS THE PRIZE
If you want to have a larger amount of muscle mass, you need to undergo hypertrophic training. Hypertrophy is the process of muscle cell growth through resistance training. Exercise/training is a process that causes stress and damage to our muscles. When we recover through sleep, hydration, and eating, our muscles repair themselves and increase in mass.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN STARTING WEIGHTLIFTING
It all starts with a barbell assessment with one of our USAW-certified coaches! During this one-hour session, a coach will go over the basics of both the snatch and clean and jerk. No experience is required - just make sure to bring comfortable clothes! You can sign up for a barbell session directly from our website.
PHYSICAL LITERACY
Physical literacy is confidence and competence in movement and physical activity. But what kind of movement and physical activity, you may be wondering? The answer is any and all. To become physically literate, one should do the same. Always be open to trying a new activity, scaled to your ability level, as it enhances your ability to continue learning skills and improving/maintaining motor function throughout your life.
SMART GOALS: HOW TO BUILD YOUR GOALS FOR YOUR FITNESS JOURNEY
In order to make a plan for a fitness journey, we must know where we are going, for without a result to build towards, we are just wandering. With a final goal in mind, we can logically work backward from the end and establish our beginning. What steps do we take to get there, and how do we outline our path to our goal?
MINI WODS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
This time of year can be very difficult for most of us. We so badly want to enjoy the holidays, and we should. We deserve this time to rest and socialize without worry that all of our progress in the gym won’t disappear. I promise you, it won’t. Here are a few 15-20 minute WODs I like to do first thing in the morning when I am preparing to take a break from the gym and intentionally overeat (gasp).
PFP PHYSICAL LITERACY
Being physically active or participating in sports and recreational activities is considered to be “the norm” by many families. Parents that played sports in their youth or adulthood are likely to seek those experiences for their children to create similar formative experiences to what they went through. But what if you have yet to have a positive experience with sports or physical activity?
WARMUPS - DON’T SKIP THEM!
In recreation and in sports, warmups are often skipped or overlooked for being boring, taking up too much time, or feeling like a waste of time. A good warmup should be brief, fun, and targeted in order to get the best result out of yourself. If you’re not warming up, you could be leaving a lot on the table.
OUR PFP METHOD
What’s the PFP Method? PFP Method is our general group fitness class. The class itself is one hour long; the classes focus on both full body strength and cardiovascular conditioning. Could this be the method for you?!
MEET NEW COACH, ANDREW DUFF!
Meet our newest coach Andrew! Andrew has a Master’s of Sports Science at The University of Pittsburgh and has extensive experience with injury risk factors in military and athletic populations. Andrew loves working with people to help them achieve their goals and find their full potential. As a coach, he strives to create relationships and environments where success is inevitable.
RECOVERY YOGA
Whether it's processing a long day at work or losing a job, nurturing your muscles and tendons after a workout, or coping with incredible loss; yoga is a wonderful tool for anyone recovering from something in their lives.
PFP FIT-FEST
Fit-Fest is finally here! Here’s a rundown of all the health and fitness we have to offer this Saturday!
OUR NEWEST-ISH TRAINERS & COACHES
We’ve had some new trainer and coach faces at the gym over the course of the last few months, and we wanted to finally take a second to introduce you all to them via blog. Meet Nick, Haylie, and Joseph - we’re so excited for you to get to know, work with, and learn from their expertise!