WHY INBODY 270 SCANS MATTER IF YOU’RE TAKING GLP-1 MEDICATIONS
GLP-1 medications like Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Mounjaro®, and Zepbound® have changed the conversation around weight loss. Many people are seeing significant reductions in body weight, improved blood sugar control, and better overall health. But while the number on the scale may be moving in the right direction, the scale doesn't tell the whole story. At Pittsburgh Fitness Project, we're focused on helping you improve your health—not just lose weight. That's why we use the InBody 270 body composition scanner to track what's really happening inside your body throughout your fitness journey.
WEIGHT LOSS, GLP-1S, & MUSCLE MASS
There is a lot of talk recently about GLP-1s, and lots of people use them to try and lose weight. While they are effective at decreasing appetite and leading to weight loss there are some things to consider first. An article from the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Personal Trainer Quarterly titled “Preserving muscle in the era of GLP-1RA therapy – Practical strategies for exercise professionals” by Dalan Zydel discusses this topic in detail.
WEIGHTLIFTING AS AN ADULT: SKILL & STRENGTH
Learning new physical skills at any point can be beneficial to us in so many ways. What if learning that new skill also made us stronger and healthier? I am going to tell you about why learning a new skill like Olympic Weightlifting can be both a new route to your fitness goals and a fun and engaging physical skill.
DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH
As July unfolds, the air fills with a distinct energy. While many associate summer with warm nights and outdoor workouts, the disabled community celebrates a major milestone: Disability Pride Month. July 26th marks the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law in 1990. For millions of us, this month is a time to reject the narrative that disability is something to hide, pity, or fix. Instead, we claim it as a vibrant, natural part of human diversity. As a coach at Pittsburgh Fitness Project (PFP), this month hits incredibly close to home. I am deaf, and I navigate the world and the gym with a cochlear implant.
TRAINING AROUND AN INJURY
If you have ever done any sort of exercise, physical activity, or any sport in your life, you have probably dealt with injuries in one way or another. Injury is a pretty broad term, but this can be anything that causes significant trouble to your activity level for longer than a few days, typically. Injuries can also vary in type from chronic injuries like tendonitis or acute injuries like rolling an ankle or tearing a muscle. In any form, they can cause us to lose our consistency with our routine of physical activity. Instead of letting this derail your progress or stop activity overall, there are plenty of ways to work around an injury.
BEYOND THE IRON
For decades, commercial gym weight rooms were subtly (and sometimes overtly) treated as male territories. Women were guided toward the cardio section—treadmills, ellipticals, and light pink dumbbells—under the false pretense that lifting heavy would make them "bulky." Thankfully, the fitness landscape has shifted dramatically. Today, more women are stepping up to barbells and squat racks than ever before. However, the rise of women-only strength training classes isn't just about providing physical space; it serves a profound psychological purpose.
THE ACSM’S REVISED STAND ON RESISTANCE TRAINING
It has been announced by The American College of Sports Medicine that they had recently revised their position statement on strength and resistance training since their last update in 2009. Research on the topic of resistance training has greatly expanded, and with these findings over the past sixteen years of clinical studies, there were several things that should be considered for discussion.
WHY WE NEED MORE DEAF FITNESS EVENTS
Our Deaf Bootcamp on June 10th was nothing short of incredible. The energy, the laughter, the teamwork, and the sense of community made it a day to remember. Everyone showed up ready to move, learn, and support one another—and that’s exactly what happened. We didn’t just work out; we connected, communicated, and created a space where Deaf and Hard of Hearing athletes could thrive together.
OZEMPIC & STRENGTH TRAINING
GLP-1s, or glucagon-like peptide-1 medications, have revolutionized weight loss and treatment for various conditions like type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney and liver conditions, sleep apnea, and the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Many people who use these medications lose up to 15-20% of their body weight. But with that weight loss, people lose lean muscle mass. Research shows that with any calorie deficit, your body will shed weight from both fat and muscle.
So, how can GLP-1 users prevent that? Let’s look at the steps you can take to prevent loss of muscle mass with Ozempic.
SUMMER IS COMING: TRADE THE "STRESS" FOR THE "SHIFT"
The arrival of summer often brings a wave of "seasonal pressure." We see the ads telling us to "get ready" or "transform" before the first beach trip. But in the world of sports psychology, we know that stress is the enemy of performance—and health. If you are feeling anxious about the warmer months, it’s time to change your mental game. Here is how to use sports psychology to enjoy your summer, stay moving, and keep your mental health a priority.
READ THIS IF YOU WANT TO COME TO PFP, BUT YOUR ANXIETY IS STOPPING YOU
Gym anxiety (or "gymtimidation") is incredibly real, whether it stems from a fear of not knowing how to use a machine or a fear of being judged for who you are. But your health and your fitness goals belong to you. At Pittsburgh Fitness Project, we believe anxiety shouldn’t keep you from building a body that moves and feels great. Here is a quick shift in perspective and a practical survival guide to help you take that first brave step into our space.
SQUAT VARIATIONS FOR OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING
In the sport of Olympic Weightlifting, squatting is king. It is the movement we as lifters use to drive most of the leg strength and overall adaptations for our performance. It allows us to increase our ability to apply force into the ground, which then translates force and power into the barbell when we lift. Let's discuss some of the best squat variations, why we use them, and how they’re programmed.
BREAKING THE SILENCE: BUILDING A TRULY ACCESSIBLE GYM COMMUNITY
When we talk about "gym accessibility," many people immediately think of ramps or elevators. While physical access is vital, true accessibility goes much deeper. It’s about the atmosphere—the feeling that when you walk through the doors, the community is prepared to meet you where you are. For the Deaf community and those with disabilities, the gym can often feel like a "loud" place, not just because of the music, but because of the barriers to communication and understanding.
SIMPLE GPP WORKOUTS FOR SPRING
General Physical Preparedness is a phase of training that emphasizes foundational strength and work capacity. Everyone benefits from GPP training, whether you’re an athlete, have a specific fitness goal, or simply want to exercise to stay healthy. GPP focuses on building a well-rounded base of strength, endurance, mobility, and coordination so your body can handle more challenging workouts and activities of everyday life with ease. This week, I’m sharing an example week of what GPP training could look like and how to apply it to your current goals.
WHY EVERYONE NEEDS GPP TRAINING
When it comes to getting stronger, leaner, and moving better, most people start too hard and too soon, and end up overwhelmed or injured. The real secret to long-term progress and resilience? General Physical Preparedness (GPP), or establishing a solid foundation of movement. GPP focuses on building a well-rounded base of strength, endurance, mobility, and coordination so your body can handle more challenging workouts and activities of everyday life with ease.
ONE MORE ON MOBILITY
Independence as you age is about both freedom and capability. It’s the confidence you can have to move freely, carry your groceries, get up off the floor, play with your kids or grandkids, and live your life without limitations. Mobility and strength are the foundations for that independence.
GETTING STRONGER FOR REAL LIFE
What does getting stronger actually mean for us as people? Many view strength or getting physically stronger as only something that avid gym-goers do to increase the number on a barbell or dumbbell. They may see it as unnecessary or a waste of time in their daily life. It is quite the contrary. A strong and healthy body can extend to help with so many things in our daily life. Whether it is making tasks easier, improving our self-efficacy and autonomy, or even just making it easier to enjoy ourselves. Getting stronger for real-life looks like a lot of things for different people, but let’s discuss some approachable methods you can use to get stronger for real-life things and situations.
CLEAN TECHNIQUE ESSENTIALS
The clean, much like snatching in weightlifting, requires not only power and strength, but good rhythm and timing. In order to execute it properly, we are going to go over some key technical aspects as well as some ways to internalize those cues and output them in your training sessions. We will highlight the overall goals first and then break down how we can ensure they're occurring in the lift properly.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW: BARBELL
One of the unique things we have here at PFP is our Olympic Weightlifting Team. Weightlifting is a sport known throughout the world and in the last 10 to 15 years has gained a lot of momentum and attraction in the United States. With over 1 million members in the US, it has truly built itself into something special. Here at PFP, we love to foster weightlifters, new and old. The first step is our barbell assessment, where we meet a new prospective lifter for our team and either view their current technique or teach them for the very first time. Once that process is complete, we enroll them in our Intro Program. Now that may sound like it’s only for beginners, but I assure you it's not. We label it the Intro because it contains all of the essential pieces to help and solidify the core principles of weightlifting: strength, speed, movement consistency, patience, and fun. So let's talk about how it does that.
STRENGTH TRAINING: ESSENTIAL FOR WOMEN AT EVERY STAGE OF LIFE
For years, women stuck to cardio, light weights, and "toning” workouts. Women were afraid of getting “bulky” or bigger, and “gym-timidation” is a real thing for many women when they enter a space full of males. Now, more and more women are shifting away from working out to look a certain way, and instead working out to feel a certain way. Women understand that strength training isn’t just about building muscle or changing how your body looks, but it’s one of the greatest tools women have to support long-term health, confidence, and quality of life.