CYV Fitness

Strength training has a treasure chest of potential benefits such as assisting in weight loss, improving cognitive function, and helping to reduce pain. To learn more about how strength training can change your life for the better and help you live healthier and happier, check out our blog post on What Strength Training Can Do For You

CYV Fitness does not support or tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind. We support the black community and the continued and on-going effort for equality and justice. We are proud to help in our own very small way by making a $200 donation to Black Girls Run Foundation in an effort to help women of color live healthy and active lifestyles and by making a $200 donation to Black Girls Code to help empower women of color with the tools and education needed to succeed in a variety of jobs in the technology field.

For Optimal Workout Results, You Need Progressive Overload Learn more about progressive overload and how to incorporate it into your workouts by checking out our blog post here https://www.cyvfitness.com//for-optimal-workout-results-yo

We're open and here to help you live a healthy and happy life! Small Group Classes, 1-on-1 Training, and InBody Body Composition Scans available at our facility. Remote Online Coaching perfect for at-home workouts, or to provide custom professional coach designed programming and accountability for your use at any non-coach led gym.... Message us for more info or Book A Free Consultation today to stop in and learn more! Book A Free Consultation - https://www.cyvfitness.com/get-started

Thank you so much to everyone who has come to work out and support us in our first two days of re-opening! We truly appreciate the support!

CYV Fitness will be Re-Opening for Small Group Classes, 1-on-1 Training, InBody Body Composition Scans, and Free New Member Consultations on Monday, June 8th. Below is Phase 1 of our Re-Opening Plan that has been designed to keep our members and our staff safe and healthy and will be in place at our facility until further notice. Phase 1 Opening Plan - Summary...Continue reading

We are excited to announce that CYV Fitness will resume group classes, 1-on-1 training, InBody Body Composition Scans, and Free Consultations on Monday, June 8th! During this time all activity at CYV Fitness will be by appointment only and all group classes will be capped at 4 people during this time. These changes will help facilitate proper social distancing and cleaning and sanitation practices to help keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible. We also have ample hand sanitizer stocked for the gym as well as masks available for anyone who would like to wear one while in the facility. For more information please feel free to send us a message Please continue to stay safe and stay healthy.

Interested in improving your health and not quite sure what to prioritize? Check out this comprehensive resource from Barbell Medicine https://www.barbellmedicine.com//where-should-my-prioriti/

Which Diet is Best? AhhThe age old question. Which diet is best? Keto, Vegetarian, Paleo, Mediterranean, Vegan, Atkins, Zone, high carb, low fatThe list goes on and on and it’s enough to drive anyone crazy. There is a secret answer though an answer the magazines and tv ads and Facebook influencers don’t want you to know. Yeah, part of it you already know: cut way down on the processed foods and added sugar and eat more vegetables that holds true for every single one of ...us but other than that, eat in a way that you can sustain for the long haul. That’s it. Yes, it is definitely true that some people meaning few do need a very specialized diet for their needs. Maybe you have diabetes or celiac disease and have very special dietary needs/restrictions. But, more than likely, any diet can work for you because it isn’t about the diet and what it does or doesn’t allow you to eat this week. It’s the accountability that you probably need and some insight into how many calories and how much protein and fiber common foods actually have. Keep track of what goes into your body and your energy, mood, and weight while eating that way. The honest truth is that you can lose weight, have energy, build muscle, and be healthy eating a ton of different ways. Don’t get so caught up in the hype and the details. Calories, fiber, protein those are the three big parts of your nutrition that actually matter. The secret is, there is no real secret. It is already hard enough to lose weight and spending so much time worrying about whether you’re going to be kicked out of ketosis or if eggs are good or bad this week isn’t helping your mood or your waistline.

We are ready and excited for your return when we get the green light!

Stop and pause for a moment to take 5 deep breaths and check in with yourself.

Thank you so much to everyone who got moving and walked, hiked, and ran over the past week in support of all those suffering with mental health issues! We rounded up the total miles walked, hiked, and ran from the comments and donated $200 to Mental Health America. Please continue to stay safe and stay healthy and remember that you are not alone!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Please get walking, running, and hiking to help us raise money for Mental Health America. Today through Wednesday, May 20th at 9:00 PM, comment below with a screenshot of your mileage tracking app or the screen of your treadmill and we will donate $1.00 for every mile ran or walked, up to $250.00, to Mental Health America.

Here are a few easy-to-implement modifications for changing the difficulty and range of motion of pushups. To reduce the difficulty, elevate your upper body by placing your hands on something sturdy above floor level such as the foot of the bed or the couch to reduce the percentage of body weight being pressed with each rep. To increase the difficulty, raise your lower body by resting your feet on something sturdy above floor level to increase the percentage of body weight ...being pressed with each rep. To increase the range of motion for the movement, add some books under each hand.

We want to send out a huge congratulations to Nichole B on winning our $200 contest giveaway! We also want to send a heartfelt thank you to all of you who participated in the contest and commented with your messages of gratitude. The world is going through a truly trying and difficult time right now and the gratitude, resilience, and love displayed in the comments section of the giveaway took our breath away and was truly something magical to witness.

CYV Fitness Now Offering Fully Customized Remote Online Coaching! Work with a coach who will empower you to reach your goals. Get a custom plan that will meet you where you are and support you in reaching your goals. For a limited time, get started on your journey to a healthier and happier you for only $99/Month! For more information send us a message or check out our website at https://www.cyvfitness.com/online-coaching

Enter for a chance to win $200.00 via Paypal, Venmo, or Apple Pay! Times are difficult right now for everyone in many unique ways. CYV Fitness wants to help with anything you may need help with during these challenging times by giving away $200.00 to one lucky winner through the payment app of your choice! Like this post for 1 entry, share this post for 1 additional entry, and comment below with something you are grateful for for 5 entries to win. In difficult times, remembering that there is always something to be grateful for is extremely important. Contest entry closes Friday, May 8th at 9:00 PM and the winner will be announced on our Facebook page Saturday, May 9th at 12:00 PM. Good luck!

I can’t do this. I can’t do that. Right now there are a lot of things that many of us can’t do and are missing. Stop focusing on what you can’t do right now and turn your attention to what you CAN do. Can’t visit a friend or relative? Give them a call or set-up a video game night. Can’t keep training with a barbell or go to your favorite fitness class because the gym is closed? Get creative with at-home workouts using stuff around the house or check out a video fitness class.... Can’t lose weight? Start checking in with yourself before you grab a snack, if your hunger isn’t at least a 7 out of 10, you may be eating out of boredom and need to find something to occupy your mind besides snacking. Can’t go for a run because you have bad knees? Maybe you could go for a walk around the block. You are not broken and people are not machines. We are highly adaptable and resilient and we will get through this time of challenge and uncertainty. Don’t dwell on the negative. Focus on the positive. Focus on what you can do. See more

What’s Chris Reading: Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky Key Takeaway: Stress influences so many of our physiological and biological processes every day. When we have a healthy stress response, we experience a stressor and our sympathetic nervous system kicks on for a short period of time and our bodies secrete an appropriate amount of glucocorticoids to allow for fight or flight decisions and actions before we resume normal functioning and our glucocorticoid le...vels return to baseline. When an individual has an unhealthy stress response, that person experiences a stressor and either secretes too much or too little glucocorticoids for either too long or too short a time period. The resulting unhealthy stress response and inappropriate glucocorticoid levels can have the potential for lasting negative physical and mental effects. Developing an unhealthy stress response can be influenced by our upbringing, socio-economic status, personality traits, career, relationships, and other factors. Important actions that all of us can take to maintain or establish a healthy stress response are to develop outlets that allow for some level of personal control, to maintain some level of predictability day to day by establishing routines, and to establish healthy outlets for releasing frustrations and stressors such as drawing/coloring, lifting weights, going for a run, or calling a loved one. See more

Thank you so much to everyone who got moving this past week in support of our friends and neighbors within the community! We rounded up the total miles walked and ran from the comments and donated $200.00 to the Westmoreland County Food Bank. Stay safe and stay healthy!

Let’s all get moving to help out our neighbors! In these challenging times some of our friends and neighbors in the community need assistance now more than ever. Today through Tuesday, 4/28, at 9:00PM, comment below with a screenshot of your running/walking tracking app or the screen of your treadmill and we will donate $1.00 for every mile ran or walked up to $500.00 to the Westmoreland County Food Bank. Let’s all get moving to show our support for the community during this challenging time! Stay safe, stay healthy, and get moving!

If you're exercising at home and have limited or no equipment check around the house for a backpack. A rinsed out milk jug filled with water, some canned goods, or even some books, can be put in the backpack to add resistance to many movements such as squats and pushups, or can be worn during a walk around the block to add some extra challenge.

Do your best to take at least 10 minutes today to move your body and reflect on something that you are grateful for, no matter how small. Times are tough, but you are strong and resilient.

A great big Congratulations goes out to Darlene A for winning our $100 Giant Eagle Gift Card Giveaway! Thank you so much to everyone who participated and for everyone who thanked the people working around the clock to help all of us in so many ways during these challenging times! We can’t thank all of you enough for what you are doing for all of us!

We’re at it again! Enter for a chance to win a $100 Giant Eagle Gift Card! Our Giant Eagle Gift Card Giveaway was so popular last week that we wanted to do it again this week! Like this post for 1 entry, share this post for 1 additional entry, and comment below with a thank you shout out to a brave medical professional in your life working to keep us all safe for 5 entries to win. Contest entry closes Saturday, 4/18, at 9:00 PM and the winner will be announced on our Facebook page Sunday, 4/19, at 12:00 PM. Good luck!

What’s Chris Reading Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin Key Takeaway: Extreme ownership is the ability for a leader to own everything in their life - taking full responsibility for those above and below them in the chain of command as well as owning the things they say, do, and tolerate, both when things are going right and when things go wrong, separate good leaders from bad. Good leaders understand that what you preach is not nearly as important as the things... that you tolerate. It is important for all leaders, whether the CEO of a major company, a mom or dad, or those fortunate enough to be both, to always know the why of the mission and the target outcome, so that it can be communicated effectively to all involved, and to always keep instructions and details as simple as possible so that everyone is able to clearly understand what is expected and how to best accomplish the mission at hand. See more

Thank you so much to all of the walkers and runners who got their miles in all week long in support of all the medical professionals who are working incredibly hard to keep us all safe and healthy. We rounded up the total number of miles walked and ran throughout the week and donated $200.00 to the Excela Health Pandemic Response Fund. We cannot thank the medical professionals working around the clock for all of us enough for their efforts!

Huge Congratulations goes out to Patty S for winning our $100 Giant Eagle Gift Card Giveaway!! Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the contest and for everyone who shared 1 of their own favorite recipes!

Enter for a chance to win a $100 Giant Eagle Gift Card! We want to help in our own small way by contributing to one lucky winner’s grocery bill for the week! Like this post for 1 entry, share this post for 1 additional entry, and comment below with a favorite recipe for 5 entries to win. Contest Entry closes Saturday, 4/11, at 12:00 PM, and the winner will be announced on our Facebook page Saturday, 4/11, at 3:00 PM. Good luck!

Let’s continue staying active and showing our support for the community and for all the medical professionals working so hard for all of us! Today through Saturday, 4/11, at 9:00PM, comment below with a screenshot of your running/walking tracking app or the screen of your treadmill and we will donate $0.50 for every mile ran or walked up to $500.00 to the Excela Health Pandemic Response Fund. Stay active this week and do your part to help the community! Thank you medical professionals. Stay safe everyone!

Thank you so much to everyone who got moving this weekend and completed burpees in support of all the medical professionals who are working incredibly hard to keep us all safe and healthy. We rounded up the total number of burpees completed and donated $100.00 to the Excela Health Pandemic Response Fund. Thank you so much to all of the medical professionals working tirelessly for all of us!

A great big congratulations goes out to Adriane L for winning our $100 Door Dash Gift Card Giveaway!! Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the contest and thank you for all of the great shoutouts to our local restaurants and for continuing to support all the delicious eateries in town through everything going on!

Let’s all get moving and help do our part to keep our health professionals and our community safe and healthy! Starting now and continuing through Sunday, 4/5 at 9:00PM, comment below with a video of you doing as many burpees in a row as you can, and this Sunday night CYV Fitness will donate $0.10 for every burpee completed in the comments section of this post, up to $500.00, to Excela Health’s Pandemic Relief Fund. Get moving to help our community through this unprecedented time!

Enter for a chance to win a $100 Door Dash Gift Card! Help support a local restaurant and stay in the safety and comfort of your home at the same time. Like this post for 1 entry, share this post for 1 additional entry, and comment below with a shout-out to one of your favorite local eateries for 5 entries. Contest Entry closes Friday, April 3rd at 9:00PM and the winners will be announced on our Facebook page Saturday, April 4th at 12:00PM. Good luck! https://www.doordash.com/en-US

In continuing compliance with Governor Wolf’s Stay-At-Home Order, and in an on-going effort to keep our members and the community as safe as possible, our facility will remain closed through the month of April and will tentatively reopen on May 1st. Thank you so much to all of the healthcare workers on the frontlines continuing to work toward keeping us all healthy. Take care of each other and stay safe and healthy. We will overcome and a better day is ahead.

Do something today that makes your day a little better. Some ideas: -Move your body -Call a loved one -Write down 3 things you are grateful for... -Learn something new -Drink plenty of water See more

In accordance with Governor Wolf’s Stay-At-Home Order for Westmoreland County, and in hopes of keeping our members and the community as safe and healthy as possible, our facility will continue to be closed through at least April 6th. We hope to reopen our facility beginning April 7th and will continue to update our page with any changes to that tentative date. In the meantime, please do your best to stay safe and healthy and remember that we are all in this together.

It's a beautiful day to get outside for a run or a walk and to get some fresh air and sunlight. If you're interested in taking your running game to the next level check out The Science of Running by Steve Magness. What’s Chris Reading The Science of Running by Steve Magness This book takes running far beyond the basics. It is packed with excellent information about running biomechanics, fatigue regulation, energy systems, practical training strategies for 800 Meter through Ma...rathon distance racing, and much more. If you are looking to take your running to the next level and are interested in learning the how and why from both the scientific community and elite world class running coaches, The Science of Running is an excellent place to start. Whether it is running or any other type of training, remember that your last workout affects today’s workout and today’s workout affects the next workout. Manage your training load and take external factors such as sleep quality and quantity, nutrition, and work and social stress into account when designing and implementing training plans. Training for a desired race pace can be more effective than training for improvements in individual metrics such as VO2 Max increases or Lactate Threshold increases, as improvements in various metrics do not always equal a decrease in race time. See more

Coach Chris's mom had a great idea for getting some extra walking in while staying in the house this week. If you are doing laundry, instead of folding everything and placing it in a basket to put away, fold and put away each item individually to get in some extra steps. Thanks for a great way to stay moving Mom!

Simple at home exercise idea to complete while watching television: 1. Set a timer for 3 minutes 2. Each time the timer goes off complete 30-60 seconds of 1 of the following movements -Pushups -Squats... -Plank -Burpees -High Knees -Jumping Jacks -Mountain Climbers -Tuck Jumps 3. Complete 8-12 intervals 4. Feel good about getting your body moving and taking care of yourself See more

We are all in this together. Keep your head up. Stay safe and healthy. Look out for each other.

What’s Chris Reading Being Wrong by Kathryn Schulz Key Takeaway: To err and make mistakes is to be human, and we should all be more okay with being wrong and admitting our mistakes when they happen. None of us likes to be wrong and many of us cling to beliefs that we made based on little or no actual knowledge. Instead of seeking out information that challenges our currently held belief structures and evaluating that new found information with an open mind, many of us stick t...o our spheres of influence and only seek out knowledge on topics of interest that already align with our way of thinking on that topic. Or, if we do come across conflicting information we dismiss it entirely as a spin of the truth or as outright lies so as to not have to challenge our ingrained beliefs. We should all realize that there are two sides to every story and sometimes 3 or 4 or even more sides to the story. We should educate ourselves on topics of interest from as many sources as we can and we should strive to talk to people and read things from sources outside of our belief structure and give those new ideas an honest evaluation. We should allow our long held ideas and beliefs to be challenged and, possibly, changed. Ask yourself, what would change my mind about a given topic? If the answer is that no amount of information in the universe, no evidence founded with the scientific method, no knowledge from a first-hand observer, would even have the chance to change your mind, you are probably stuck in dogma about a topic and are no longer even open to the possibility that you may be wrong. See more

In hopes of keeping our members and community as safe and healthy as possible, and in accordance with the directive from the Governor’s Office, please be advised: We are implementing a temporary closure of our facility to the public with all classes, free consultations, and Open Gyms cancelled from Tuesday, 3/17/2020 Sunday 3/29/2020. Please stay tuned to our Facebook page for updates. At this time, we plan to resume our normal class schedule on Monday, 3/30/2020. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope that our members and the community at large remain safe and healthy during the coming weeks.

Congratulations to Becca Y on winning our $100 Rogue Gift Card Giveaway!

Anxiety, depression, panic attacks, PTSD, OCD. These things don’t mean that you’re weak or fragile, and seeking help through therapy or medication doesn’t mean that you can’t handle life. Seeking help when you need it is a sign of tremendous strength and courage. Life can get better, but it will take work. You got this!

Already training somewhere else? Maybe you’re into kick-boxing, yoga, CrossFit, SoulCycle, or something else. That’s awesome! Keep it up! We would love to help you in your continued quest toward improved health and wellness. If you’re interested in adding something new to your routine such as dedicated heavy strength training or stress relief and relaxation, we’d love to meet you and aid you in your quest for living a healthy and happy life! Book a free consultation with us so we can talk about movements you are familiar with, see how you move, and get you a Class Pass so you can add some of what we have to offer into your training routine once in a while!

What’s Chris Reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell Key Takeaway: Success is not determined solely by one’s intelligence or genes. Circumstance and opportunity have a lot to do with whether or not someone becomes successful. Most successful people in any field were, at some point, given a life-changing opportunity and then decided to put in the hard work and effort necessary to capitalize on the opportunity that was presented. Never squander a good opportunity, and always put forth your best effort in all that you do.

Do you eat in front of the television or with one hand holding your utensil and the other scrolling on your phone? You’re not alone - we all do it sometimes. However, eating with a screen in front of you can lead to mindlessly overeating and missing signals from your body that you’re full. If you eat all of your meals in front of a screen, for just one of your meals today try to eat undistracted. Focus on enjoying the taste of the food and recognize the signals that your body sends you when you begin to feel full.

What’s right is right even when no one else is doing it. What’s wrong is wrong even if everyone else is doing it.

It’s okay to be wrong. Be open to new knowledge, new worldviews, and new opinions. You don’t have to agree with all of them, but listen to them with an open mind, ready to explore new thoughts and ideas.

What’s Chris Reading? The Science and Practice of Strength Training Key Takeaway: Training adaptations are specific. Meaning that if you want to increase your 1 rep maximum strength you need to train heavy 1 rep lifts; if you want to jump higher or further you need to practice jumping, or if you want to run a faster 5K you need to run 5Ks. This is not to say that specific training has no carryover influence on anything other than exactly the activity for which you’re training.... It just means that if you have something specific that you want to improve, you want to make sure that you are including that specific activity within your training programming. If you have specific fitness goals, make sure to train for those goals with a well thought-out training plan which includes an appropriate amount of volume and intensity and allows for adequate rest and recovery. See more

Don’t lower yourself to others’ standards. Help raise those around you to the higher standards that you set and follow for yourself.

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in our Dick's Sporting Goods Gift Card Giveaway Contest! Everybody has some awesome plans to enjoy the weather when spring arrives! Congratulations to Tod Beagle for winning the Gift Card!

Coach David continuing his meet prep during today’s Open Gym.

We are the sum of the decisions that we make. So, who do you choose to be?

Does your coach, doctor, trainer, influencer, etc. preach about perfect movement or perfect form and that injury can happen, or is even likely to happen, if you don’t prescribe to the aforementioned perfect movement pattern? If so, ask them to give you real science on the why behind their belief. There are certainly more optimal ways to complete different movements more efficiently and safely, but occasionally moving in a less than perfect way will not by itself resul...t in injury. Humans are not machines. We are highly adaptable and there is not a perfect movement pattern that eliminates the risk of injury. Move more. Be coached on optimal movement efficiency and implement intelligent progressive overload in your training. Don’t allow yourself to become scared or believe that one wrong move in the gym will absolutely lead to catastrophe. That’s a dangerous message that coaches, doctors, trainers, and others should not be spreading. Encourage people to be active. We are not fragile. We are robust and highly adaptable. See more

You’re not lazy and you’re not unmotivated. You have probably tried a dozen or more of the latest it diets, or this celebrity or that celebrity’s workout regimen, or some 37 step process for reducing stress. Losing weight, working out, improving sleep, and reducing stress all require effort, but they don’t have to be as complex as some magazines, online gurus, and tv personalities make it seem. Simple systems and a support network can make a tremendous difference. It won’t be easy, but it can be simpler than some want you to believe.

Spring will be here soon! Enter for a chance to win a $50 Dick’s Sporting Goods Gift Card! Like this post for 1 entry. Share this post for 1 additional entry. Comment below with your favorite outdoor spring activity for 5 entries to win! Contest entry closes Saturday, 2/29 at 9:00PM. Winner will be announced via our Facebook page Sunday, 3/1 at 12:30PM!

What’s Chris Reading The Sports Gene by David Epstein Key Takeaway: Everyone is unique and everyone responds to training stimuli differently. While some may respond more robustly to specific training and less dramatically to others, it seems to be the case that every person will respond positively in some way to a well-planned training intervention. At this point, there is no gene or combination of genes that lead to the perfect athlete in any sporting endeavor. It can be see...n when watching different sporting contests, that different body sizes and shapes lend themselves better to certain sports. Think of basketball players having a larger wingspan to height ratio, discus athletes having a larger amount of overall mass, and elite runners having smaller and lighter lower limbs. All in all, it seems that genetics do play a role in determining one’s athletic potential, but no one has ever excelled in any sport relying on genes alone - it takes training, drive, and determination. See more

Check out our new blog post about consistency and reaching your goals in 2020 and beyond! https://www.cyvfitness.com//consistency-the-secret-to-reac