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EPIC NYC Coaches Profile: Caitlin Yuhas

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EPIC NYC Coaches Profile: Caitlin Yuhas

We sat down with Coach Caitlin Yuhas of our New York City locations to ask her some quick questions. Check out what she had to share below and get to know another one of EPIC’s finest!

1. When did you start coaching at Epic Interval Training? And which location do you coach at?

I started coaching in June of 2015; I am currently teaching at both NYC locations.

2. What is your home town?

Springfield, IL

3. Did you do any physical activities/play sports growing up? If so, what?

All sorts! A little basketball and softball, soccer for ten years, and I’ve been dancing since the age of 3.

4. Do you compete in any sports as an adult? If so, what?

Yes indeed! I’m a competitive amateur Strongwoman for team PowerNYC; also still dancing a bit in the city.

5. What is your favorite class to teach at EPIC and why?

So tough to choose, but I think Tone and Power is my top choice. The workouts always resonate with who I am as an athlete, and I love nerding out on technique and form. Plus, the movements in T&P are essentials, the bread and butter of our program; keep improving on those and you’ll get better at everything else we do!

6. What is your favorite class to take at EPIC and why?

I love taking The Blast. It’s the biggest departure from the training I do with my team and my coach. The pace of it allows me to get in a rhythm, go a little wild and work on my explosive power.

7. What would we find in your gym bag?

All my lifting gear (belts, wraps, chalk, sleeves, etc), special Strongman stuff (stone sleeves, Spider Tacky), at least two changes of clothes, S’well water bottle, BCAAs, Biofreeze, minibands, lacrosse ball, fruit snacks and/or Swedish fish.

8. What are your top 3 favorite workout songs?

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Prep for Success: Reasons to Meal Prep

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Prep for Success: Reasons to Meal Prep

In a day and age where we work too much and rest too little; convenience has become a necessity and instant satisfaction is a need.  Why would we plan meals for days in advance when we can easily order it online and have it delivered minutes later? We lead such busy lives it is important to dedicate time to our health and that … starts in the kitchen.  

There is nothing better than preparing food from scratch with quality ingredients. Your body and mind will feel better and thank you for it! Believe me, I know this from personal experience.
Whether your goals include weight loss, fat loss, weight gain, or plain old healthy living, there are several reasons to prepare your own meals.  Meal prepping teaches you how to eat clean, whole foods (foods that are unprocessed and unrefined). By eating real whole foods, you will eat less junk. You are fueling your body with nutrient dense deliciousness that will keep you energized.

Preparing food provides for balanced and portion controlled meals.  By doing this, you avoid mindless eating or overeating that can occur when ordering from a restaurant.  When eating balanced meals that include quality protein, complex carbohydrates like brown rice and sweet potatoes, and healthy fat (i.e. avocados and almonds), your body feels satisfied and you will experience fewer cravings.

By prepping, you avoid the unwanted additives that are added to even the ‘healthy’ meals found in restaurants.  Food producers and restaurants use high levels of salt and trans fats to make their foods “taste better”. When prepping, you control the amount of salt and oil, or, you can avoid it completely and rely on the fresh flavor created from food combinations.  

Prep For Success by planning out a list of healthy foods before you step foot into the grocery store. The list should include lots of dark greens (i.e. kale and spinach), colorful veggies like peppers and tomatoes, fruits, quality, lean protein, and unrefined whole carbohydrates. This will eliminate buying sugary and processed food. Designate a day for your prepping. I personally like to use Sundays because it helps prepare me for the entire week. (Remember all of this work is to avoid being rushed during your busy work week.) Whatever you plan to create, make enough for a few meals, then separate them into different containers. The containers should represent a balanced, portion controlled meal. This also saves time during the busy week to separate out each meal for each day. Just take it and run! Keep it interesting. Don’t be afraid to explore by trying a new whole food or recipe each week. You may discover something new your taste buds love!

Being a seasonal eater I believe it is important to eat foods that are fresh and ripe for a specific time of year. For the last few months, being that it’s winter, I’ve been preparing large pots of vegetable soup and freeze half of it. This lasts for a few weeks! I always prepare tempeh, a soy product (an excellent source of protein and will sauté or roast a bunch of vegetables to go with it. This is an easy, fast, and simple way to create a few meals. I have also been exploring with protein bar recipes! I’ll let you know when I find a good one!

The Takeaway:

If you are an active and busy person, meal prep will really improve your hectic lifestyle, not to mention keep a few dollar bills in your wallet. We’d love to hear how you prep for the week. If you’re new to this, keep us posted on what you’re first experience was like. Share some great recipes with us, we’d love to try them out too!

Live Epic Be Epic,

Sarah

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Can EPIC Help You Become an Athlete? A Member’s POV

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Can EPIC Help You Become an Athlete? A Member’s POV

Does EPIC help you become a better athlete even if you do not consider yourself an athlete?

You are an athlete. Yes, you. A sexy athlete. Just because you don’t play football for the Dolphins or compete in a sport at a high level doesn’t mean you aren’t athlete.

An “athlete” is someone who is proficient in a sport or other form of physical exercise. The principles that make an athlete great, however, can be applied to everyone in different aspects of life. Whether you’re a mother of three, a CEO of a company or a law student, it’s important to have the physical and mental strength to make it through each day.

EPIC Interval helps build physically and mentally strong athletes that compete in a variety of careers. For the typical athlete, EPIC provides a program that attacks weaknesses and helps strengthen every muscle. EPIC training is all encompassing and leaves you feeling accomplished after every session. The timing of the workouts not only builds stamina and endurance, but also taps into your mental strength. Whether it’s 3 long rounds, or 5 shorter ones, you have to mentally make it through the workout in order to physically complete it.

This is so important because when that mother of three, CEO, or law student reach the toughest parts of their days, they look back on that session at EPIC and remember how they made it through. They learn how to not quit or give up before their “game” is over. EPIC creates a healthy competition within you while improving your overall health and lifestyle.

Training at EPIC helps feed a healthy lifestyle for every type of athlete. Functional, complex movements translate into everyday life and prepare you for anything the day throws your way. I start everyday at EPIC because it provides an exciting, challenging, and rewarding workout before my day gets crazy. In just a few short months at EPIC I’ve set and reached multiple goals with the support of some great people. I’ve also built a stronger body and mind so I can be an elite athlete in all aspects of my life.

This article was written by EPIC Interval Miami member, Chase Howard. He currently is pursuing his law degree at the University of Miami specializing in health, intellectual property and general business law. He’s a fantastic member and is always looking for the next fitness challenge!

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EPIC Interval Direct | The EPIC Blog

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EPIC Interval Direct | The EPIC Blog

What the Hell is EPIC Interval Training?

I get this question so much at this point it’s become a running joke with friends, family and Epic members that….GET IT!(What EPIC is all about)!
What’s funny is that it EPIC is extremely close to impossible to describing in conversation and the best way to GET IT is to participate in a class. For me, EPIC has become a living, breathing thing that I have a full relationship with. I love it, I hate it, I fight with it, I nurture it, I raise it, and I’m extremely proud of it.

When EPIC started, my goals and vision weren’t more than what workout can I devise each day that is going to kick my ass in the best way possible while being scalable for everyone to participate in. How can I make my body a full-blown machine where I do not need too much workout gear while still feeling like I received the workout of a lifetime? How can I create synergy in a group fitness atmosphere where everyone is enhancing the experience? These are still questions I asks myself everyday concerning EPIC and what I love most is that I always feel challenged. The fitness industry is a competitive one and trends come and go very quickly. If you decide to build a weak-ass foundation on gimmicks and hocus pocus, the journey will be short, and is going to end badly.

What my team and I have tried our best to do is tap into people’s mindsets and do our best to re-wire what people think an “epic” workout really is. I have done workouts where my body is beat to shit and I can’t move for days. I used to consider this an “epic” workout. My swollen joints, awkward gait, and back pain used to be considered a badge of honor. The truth is that it was just fucking stupid. I now have 4 standards when considering a workout to be “epic”

  • Was the workout safe?
  • Was the workout creative?
  • Was the workout fun?
  • Was I challenged?
Every time you workout ask yourself these 4 questions…I’ll bet at least 9 out of 10 times you will be disappointed that your workout wasn’t “epic”.

So I guess I have been dodging the question at the start of this blog post….What the Hell EPIC INTERVAL Training? I’ll spare you the salesmen (Go to epicintervaltraining.com/hayes-valley for our generic answer) answer and let you know what EPIC Interval Training is to me:

EPIC Interval Training is a group fitness, all-encompassing workout that seriously changes lives, especially mine. I have never put myself first when answering this question, but the truth is that the program started with me and I’ve lived this program from day 1. I have been fortunate enough to make life long friends and enhance people’s lives doing what I love most…How many people can say that?

There are many fitness programs that breed results and EPIC isn’t any different….We get serious results, trust me. Where I have noticed the biggest difference is how personal people are about the program. How much pride people have in their workouts. How excited people get when they accomplished something they never thought they could do. The program changes mindsets and expectations for the better, that’s what I love most!

So have I explained what EPIC is all about? Probably not, so just watch this video if you are still interested.

#LiveEpicBeEpic

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