From childhood and into my twenties I endured scrutiny and criticism from others regarding my weight. There isn’t a name I haven’t been called or a fat joke I haven’t heard at my expense. When I was overweight the insults were many, the unwanted weight loss advice came in abundance, and there were plenty of folks ready and willing to monitor my every bite of food and shake their head in disapproval if I dare go for seconds. The solution to this problem in my mind was to lose all…

There once was a time where I felt like I would never get off the weight loss roller coaster. Despite my best efforts and attempts to become a healthier me I had short term success with losing weight and getting fit. I’d start a weight loss plan and exercise program with the best of intentions, only to end it within a week or two tops. I’d promise myself to start back up again come Monday or the first of the month. All too often the following week would find me…

This article is probably geared more to men, but you or somebody you know can probably relate to this. We want the showoff muscles...the biceps, the abs, the chest, and to a lesser degree, the upper back (Even though it should be just as big of a priority as your chest, but that's a totally different topic.). We figure that cardio exercises are good enough for our legs, and what female really cares about our legs anyways? How many people do you see walking around the gym with a jacked…

I realized in my last article I told a little bit about my story. Well let me be honest and tell you the real reason for this healthy lifestyle change. I'll paint the picture for you. It was a warm beautiful day in June last year. Actually, I was at Cedar Point with my friends Jerico and Mike, and we decided to ride the Millennium Force, which is one of my favorite coasters. The wait for this coaster is always long so I didn’t mind waiting the two hours in…

Are you looking for a challenge? Are you looking to spice up your routine and dive into the unknown? You may like the results of what I am about to share! This workout is NOT easy. However, it can be tailored to your current strength and ability. I created this workout based on learning the slow burn push-up from DDP Yoga. Each repetition should take nine seconds. DDP did the lowering or the eccentric phase of the push-up for three seconds. He then held the isometric static position for three…

I’m fat…. Let that sink in for a second.  It’s true I joke about it, but in reality I am, and it’s very unhealthy.  I’m 31 years old and I’m fat. I have no one to blame but myself.  I let myself get this way and I was ok with it.  I used to be an active person playing basketball and football regularly, and then one day I just stopped.  I would love to blame it on depression and a bad break up, but that was just the catalyst and…

As a mommy of two little ones, ages four and two years old, I have every excuse in the book not to work out. One of those excuses is there is no time in the day to do it.  I mean after all keeping up with household chores, all the errands that need run, raising and entertaining my little ones and ensuring I am a supportive and good wife to my husband, definitely make for a fully packed schedule. No one would think any less of me if I put…

Spring is here and summer is right around the corner! With that being said, the spring and summer months are a great time to be active as a family! School will soon be out and summer vacation will kick into high gear, don’t just use this time to take your children to amusement parks, grandma’s house, or to see the Great Wall of China, use this time to be active with your children. Spring and summer are the perfect times for this, why?  School is out, the weather is great,…

I want to introduce you to a lesser known push-up. It primarily isolates your triceps, and it is a little bit tougher than the Close Grip Triceps Push-Up. This exercise also trains your muscles to get ready for the tougher one arm push-up.   You get into push-up position, but you support your body with one hand on the ground and one hand on either a basketball or a medicine ball. Bring your chest down to at least the level of where your hand is on the ball, keep your…

Everyday activities can place a lot of stress and compression on your back. Sitting in office chairs, standing up all day, even laying down on a flat bed puts a little bit of compression on your spine. Your spine needs decompression to keep it from becoming too tight. Excess compression can lead to injury. The most well-known way to decompress your spine is to hang upside down on an Inversion Table. Not everybody has an inversion table. However, there is an alternative that feels just as good and is just…

Over the next few weeks, CASS Fitness will be releasing several stretches you can do if you have lower back pain. Even if you do not have lower back pain, it is important to take preventative measures by not letting your back become tight and compressed. Our trainer, Deonte Toliver, who specializes in lower back rehabilitation and myself (From the unfortunate experience of having lower back pain for two years before finally making a 100% recovery), will show you proper stretching and foam rolling techniques to help alleviate your lower…

Here is one of our favorite exercises and one of the most effective compound exercises in helping to develop your triceps muscles. Dips will not only help you get defined triceps, but they help you gain upper body strength, benefiting your chest and shoulders as well. Here is a demonstration of how to do a proper dip below. I am using a standard dip machine. If you are not at a gym, you can use parallel bars at a playground, or any two sturdy surfaces that are parallel, as long…