As some of you know, a couple years ago, I suffered a really bad lower back injury. I mainly got it from working at a job where I stood up for eight to ten hours a day. In addition, I did not have proper fitting shoes, which is especially crucial since my right leg is about 1/2 inch longer than my left. I will cover in more detail about how my glutes and legs were weak, also adding to the impact of my lower back pain in a future article.…

Circuit training is an important type of training for a weight loss client or even a strength training client looking for variety and fat shredding cardio in their workout. Circuit training involves performing several exercises in a row without taking a break. You typically can switch from upper body to lower body workouts so your upper body is recovering as you are exercising the lower body. This circuit is a great way to burn fat quicker than spending 30 minutes in a row going the same speed on the treadmill.…

If you want big arms and some definition to go with the size, this is the workout for you! This is a workout I personally used last night. I put together this workout as I have personal goals in lean muscle mass. It is a tough combination of bodyweight exercises and free weights for the most part, except for the cable triceps exercise with the rope.   After my warm up, which consisted of foam rolling, active isolated stretching, mountain climbers, and jumping jacks, I began the first exercise, which…

I am excited to share one of my random protein smoothie concoctions with you this Christmas! This smoothie not only gives you a boost of natural energy and helps you recover from your workout, but it tastes great too! This is a whole meal in a blender. A lot of my smoothies are very heavy on the kale because you can put a lot of it in. Kale fills you up quickly while having a low calorie content. In addition, you still taste sweetness from your other ingredients since Kale's…

Here is a new playlist for 12-22-13. This playlist is great for heavy lifting days combined with HIIT training.     1.) Hopsin ft. Tech N9ne - "Rip Your Heart Out" 2.) N.W.A. - "Straight Outta Compton" 3.) Wiz Khalifa - "Taylor Gang" 4.) New Politics - "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" 5.) Hero the Valiant - "If Ever You're Out There" 6.) Six Reasons - "Hello/Goodbye" 7.) Meek Mill - "Levels" 8.) Hollywood Undead - "Young" 9.) Alice in Chains - "Again" 10.) Jimmie's Chicken Shack - "High" 11.) Cake -…

If there is one piece of fitness equipment Cass Fitness feels just about everybody needs, it is a foam roller. Even if you have not made the commitment to start an exercise routine yet, your body will thank you by using a foam roller. Why should you be using it? The self-myofascial benefits provides relief for your soft tissue muscles, which tend to become tight in everyday life. This is key to help prevent injuries. If you exercise, it is recommended to use the foam roller before and after your…

We at CASS Fitness are excited to introduce a new category into our articles. We will be showcasing the exercise of the day! Today, we are showcasing a challenging lower ab exercise made famous on P90x. This exercise is called the Fifer Scissors. It can be grueling on its own, let alone as part of the Ab Ripper X DVD. However, it targets the lower abs very well and is something you need to ad to your abs and core arsenal. We sell a nice firm, comfortable mat here: Here…

It is cold outside...no it is REALLY cold outside, well for everyone besides our readers in the Southwestern part of the U.S. It is not very healthy to run outside in sub-zero weather even with warm gear as you still have to breathe that freezing cold air. If you do not have access to cardio machines, there are still plenty of exercises out there that provide cardiovascular benefits. The following exercise, Squat Jumps, are very popular in many plyometrics workouts. Not only are they great for your core, quads, hamstrings,…

Almost every guy wants larger arms. We at Cass Fitness have noticed something in our years of working out at various gyms across the United States...not too many people perform reverse bicep curls. If somebody wants more forearm strength, better grip, increased activiation and size for their Brachialis and Brachioradius muscles, then reverse curls are an exercise that should not be neglected.     To perform a standing dumbbell reverse curl, hold the dumbbells with a pronated (overhand) grip instead of the typical underhand grip. You will definitely use less…

Here is one of the most functional exercises in the entire fitness world! The pull-up is a great workout for your upper back, biceps, core, and shoulders. It is more effective than the lat pulldown exercise, which although it is great for the upper back, it does not give you a full body workout as effectively. Plus, pull-ups can be difficult. There are plenty of people who can bench press 350 pounds in the gym. While that feat is awesome, ask how many guys in the gym can do 25…

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…

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…