Many people who workout dream of having that coveted six pack of abs. It is not easy to achieve, but YOU can do it! It takes hard work, discipline, and the right knowledge. Yes, you absolutely need to eat healthy. You also need a great resistance training and cardio routine. However, to fine tune your abs, you need exercises that will blast them way beyond a crunch. Here is a popular exercise our trainer, Deonte Toliver demonstrates below called the Stability Ball V-Pass. Hold a stability ball overhead with both…

Are you looking for a workout to build your chest strength but do not have access to a bench press? What if you can do 40-50 push-ups without breaking a sweat? You need a challenge! Try the 30 Second Slow Burn Push-Up. We saw this first on DDP Yoga. I decided to take this workout and run with it in so many different ways, including making it a part of an intense slow burn bodyweight workout. You count to 10 as you go downward in the eccentric phase. You hold…

Today we are going to show you one of my favorite exercises. If you want something to blast your latissimus dorsi, look no further than weighted pull-ups. Weighted pull-ups are ideal when doing 15-20 regular pull-ups becomes easier and easier. This exercise is fun, yet very challenging. Not a whole lot of people can do a regular pull-up with proper form, let alone a weighted pull-up. Not only are you working your upper back, but your biceps get a great workout (especially if you do the Chin-Up grip), as well…

From our experience, not only in personal training, but in our own personal weight loss and strength training goals, as well as goals our friends have met, they are achieved even more easily with a partner. CASS Fitness has trained couples, multiple friends, and multiple family members at the same time for our hour long personal training sessions even if their goals are different from each other. The clients sometimes get competitive with each other. It also adds another dimension of accountability, since you are in your uphill battle together.…

CASS Fitness is proud to announce we are sponsoring an up and coming bodybuilder who will be competing in the 2015 Mr. Pittsburgh contest. Doug Connor is no ordinary bodybuilder. He has a story behind him. Standing at 5'6, Doug once weighed 230lbs., Doug was not in top shape even though he was a consummate athlete. Doug competitively participated in football, basketball, and was even a track star. He had noticed that he had fallen off of his exercise and healthy eating routine the past few years. That fact combined…

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 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…

Here is a great plyometrics exercise that not only will give you a great cardiovascular workout, it also will help increase your core strength. It probably isn't the best weather day outside if you are living in the Mid-Atlantic or the Northeastern part of the U.S. so running and bicycling outside are probably out of the question. Have no fear, we are giving you an intense cardiovascular exercise you can do right in your own house. It is a simple exercise. Almost everybody did jumping jacks as a kid. Many…

Okay, we are digging into our sense of humor on this article! We are sure many of you can relate to the frustration of at least most of the items on our list of top 10 gym pet peeves. We always instruct our clients (no matter what kind of fitness establishment they are working out at) on how to be courteous while working out.    1.) When somebody grabs weights and starts exercising right in front of the rack: In the words of the Miz: "Really? Really? REALLY?" Let's forget…