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…

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…

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…

It is pumpkin spice season everywhere. Starbucks has that little famous drink called the Pumpkin Spice Latte or PSL for short. They also can make it in frappucino form. Does it taste great? Of course it does. Only problem is, the calorie count is very high and drinks are full of added sugars. Unfortunately, frequent consumption of Pumpkin Spice Frappucinos or Lattes from Starbucks will not help you get those six pack of abs you want, no matter how much core work you do. So, what if you can enjoy…

I want to introduce you to the deep glute stretch. If you run, you may already be familiar with it. Our hamstrings get tight from our everyday activities, especially if we are sitting for a long period of time regularly. Tight hamstrings can result in low back pain. This is an excellent stretch if you have low back pain or have pain in your hamstring (especially in the area that connects to your glutes). This is also a great stretch to help prevent pain in your lower back, hamstrings, and…

The Floor Bridge Hold is one of the top stretches to help stretch and reduce lower back pain. The exercise is low impact on the body. The Floor Bridge Hold also strengthens your glutes and hamstrings. Here is how you do the Floor Bridge Hold: Lay on your back with your hands by your sides, your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Make sure your feet are under your knees. Tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles. Raise your hips up to create a straight line from your knees…

Below is a link to the best self-myofascial tools that we use for muscle recovery not only for our clients, but we use them ourselves! From Foam Rollers for the back, legs, and hips, The Orb (More details to come on its wonderful benefits, including a wonderful self-myofascial release for the glutes), the Theracane for the upper back and shoulders, and basics such as the lacrosse ball and tennis ball.

I have recently received lots of questions regarding vegan options as far as protein powders. We also have clients with bodybuilding goals that also happen to be vegan or vegetarian. Traditionally, there were not a lot of good sources of protein for muscle recovery if you did not consume meat or whey protein. You were not going to sit and eat 10 servings of broccoli or six servings of legumes. Veggie burgers became very popular as an alternative. Even for a while, I consumed them on a regular basis, during…

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…