Over the past year, one type of protein I have consumed quite regularly is MRM Veggie Protein.  I absolutely love the taste of both the vanilla and the chocolate flavors.  I like the chocolate flavor a little better.   In my quest to find non-soy, non-GMO vegan powders without artificial sweeteners, I stumbled upon MRM last year while browsing.  The price was reasonable and I figured I would give it a try. I always try to find new products for our clients to enjoy, making it easier in their health…

Well for everybody out here on the east coast, you may not need us to remind you are snowed in today! However, that does not mean you cannot get a great workout in. This workout can be done with just a mat or thick carpet. All you need is some motivation, good music, and your bodyweight! However, weights are optional if you have them. We strongly encourage you to use them! This is our SNOWED IN WORKOUT! Start off with the warm-up as pictured below: Do each exercise back to…

Wide Grip Pull-Ups are one of the best exercises to help you build width and strength to your back. Below are the instructions on how to do them, along with a demo video. 1.) Step onto a block, a stack of plates, or anything you can find that will help you reach the bar. Jumping is not recommended for the Wide Grip Pull-Up since it can put a lot of strain on your shoulders. 2.) Use an overhand grip, wider than your shoulders to make it a "wide grip". 3.)…

What will you do to reach your goals? How badly do you want to reach them? I ask my clients these questions quite often. I ask myself these questions as well. As far as clients, I provide a training plan on how we will go about reaching those goals. Every person is unique. What works for one person may not work for somebody else. Every person has a various set of obstacles they have to work around. Some obstacles can be stressful and time consuming such as unexpected overtime at…

Protein has a wide range of benefits from improving your muscle recovery, which is important for all fitness goals to keeping you full for a longer period of time, which is beneficial for weight loss goals. According to the USDA, the recommended amount of protein consumed daily 0.8 grams per pound of bodyweight. That number is acceptable for somebody who does not participate in strenuous activity. This means somebody who weights 150 lbs should consume 120 grams of protein per day. However, in an athletic program, whether you are losing…

The daily recommended amount of water for a long time was 64 oz. (usually eight 8 oz. cups of water). However, in recent years, the recommended amount of water consumed in a day has increased.  In fact, I believe you should consume one gallon of water per day.  We are constantly losing water from our bodies, primarily from our urine and sweat.  In addition, we consume lots of fluids in addition to water, including protein powders, pre-workout formulas, creatine, coffee, and tea.  Anybody participating in a workout program should drink…

Stretching your quadriceps is very helpful, no matter what sport you play, what type of exercise you engage in, or if today is your rest day.   The Quadriceps or "Quads" as most of us call the muscle group, consists of the four muscles on the front part of your thigh. Those muscles include the vastus lateralis, the vastus intermedius, the vastus medialis and the rectus femoris.   Quadriceps stretching can benefit you in several ways:   Increase your energy Improve your blood circulation Improve your flexibility Decrease stiffness and…

Give the gift of health and fitness to your family or friends this holiday season! This is the perfect gift for their New Years goals and resolutions. You can purchase a gift certificate toward our online training or nutrition programs. Also, we have a special discount from now until January 5th of 20% off the online training and nutrition programs for the recipient. Read more about our online personal training here: http://cassfitness.net/online-personal-training/ Read more about our nutrition services here: http://cassfitness.net/nutrition-2/ Amount of your gift $25 Gift Certificate $25.00 USD $100…

Over the next few weeks, we will focus on some intense bodyweight exercises as well as progressions to doing a Pull-Up or a Chin-Up. There is always the question, "How much do you bench?" I should ask, "How many strict form Pull-Ups or Chin-Ups can you do?" Those exercises are much more difficult. While, bench pressing a higher amount is what a lot of us, including myself strive for, the fact is anybody can bench if they do not have injuries prohibiting them from doing so, whether you are pressing…

If you are looking for an exercise that will give you a challenging strength and cardio workout, look no further than Squat Jumps! This is a very common exercise in Plyometrics, HIIT classes, and Boot Camps just to name a few. We incorporate the Squat Jumps in many of the classes we teach as well. We have a video below in addition to the following instructions: Stand with your feet at shoulder width apart, and your knees pointing straight ahead. Pull your shoulder blades down, then engage your abdominal and…

The Hip Flexor Stretch is one of the most important stretches you can do. Most people have tight hip flexors, stemming from lots of sitting. Imagine if you sit for eight hours at work, sit for 1-3 hours a day for your commute (Yes, that is common in the Washington, DC area.), then sit on the couch when you get home? That is a recipe for not only overly tight hip flexors, but as a result, you could very likely experience low back pain. Also, tight hip flexors could pull…

Many people have shoulder pain or tightness that does not get discovered until you do a physical assessment with a personal trainer. Fortunately, there are stretches, such as the Shoulder Cross-Arm Stretch that can help alleviate some of the pain and/or help prevent shoulder issues from occurring when you are doing exercises like the Chest Press or a Push-Up. This stretch is an exercise that will help benefit you along with corrective strength exercises and a well planned program, so you are not doing the same pressing motions too much.…