CASS Fitness would like to give a warm welcome to Adrian Nicotra. He is our newest certified personal trainer. Adrian is an NASM Certified Personal Trainer and he is currently working on his NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist certification. Adrian lives in Alexandria, VA. He trains in Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church, Tysons, McLean, and Vienna. He specializes in strength training, corrective exercise, fat loss, weight loss, and bodybuilding. Adrian is an excellent motivator to his clients inside and outside of the sessions. He inspires them to be their very best and…

The Bird Dog or the Alternating Quadruped Opposite Arm/Opposite Leg Raise is an exercise to help strengthen your lower back, abs, and glutes. It is a low impact exercise that frequently is used to help relieve lower back pain and to help prevent it from happening in the first place. Instructions: Place yourself in a prone position with both hands and knees on the ground. Your hands are directly beneath your shoulders and your knees are directly beneath your hips. Keep your core tight and maintain a neutral alignment in…

We are proud to announce our new one hour nutritional consultation option. In this one hour consultation, you will get a full breakdown of how to count calories and track macro nutrients. You will learn how to calculate your resting metabolism rate (RMR) and your lean body weight (LBW). Another thing you will learn is why carbs and proteins are represented it by the number 4 and why fats are represented by the number nine. You will see how that plays into your daily nutritional intake. We also will answer…

Over the past two years there have been quite a few new protein bars which have less sugar, high amounts of fiber, and low calories released. A big reason is the higher demand of healthy bars without tons of added sugars, artificial flavors, sweeteners, and GMO soy. Quest bars exploded in the marketplace, now pretty much available almost anywhere. Many of the flavors taste great, and I do consume Quest bars. However, they are not a vegan product and some of them contain sucralose. I still do not understand why some contain stevia…

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.)…

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…

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 Triceps Rope Pushdown is a great way to isolate your triceps muscles. It is a staple we place in many of our strength training workouts. The Triceps Rope Pushdown does a great job in stressing all three heads of the triceps muscle, which are the lateral head, the medial head, and the long head. Here is how to do the Triceps Rope Pushdown along with a demo video by Harry "Reese" Griggs. Stand facing the cable machine and grip the triceps rope. When you grip the triceps rope, your…