If you are just joining me here, read http://cassfitness.net/my-journey-through-low-back-pain-and-recovery-pt-1/ and http://cassfitness.net/my-journey-through-low-back-pain-and-recovery-pt-2/ to get caught up to speed. In the last installment, we left off at my progress at the end of 2012. Fast forward a few months, and I embarked on my journey to become a personal trainer.  I had some professional setbacks along with a larger desire to enjoy a career in the fitness industry, and help others with weight loss, strength training, and injury recovery. I knew I also needed to teach people Squats and Deadlifts without hurting…

Here is a one minute medley of different Side Plank exercises to challenge your core (especially your obliques). When you are doing more than a minute with the traditional Side Plank, it is time to incorporate more challenging exercises. If you do not know how to do a Side Plank, you need to lie on your side on a mat, carpeted, or any cushioned, firm surface. Place your forearm on your mat under your shoulder and make sure it is perpendicular to your body. Place your upper leg directly on…

If you are just joining me here, read http://cassfitness.net/my-journey-through-low-back-pain-and-recovery-pt-1/ to get caught up to speed. I was narrowing my search for the best chiropractors in the area. I lived in Germantown, MD but I was willing to travel anywhere in Montgomery County for the best service. I ended up going with Rockville Medical and Disk Center. due to the great reviews and testimonials received by their other patients. They did a consultation and gave me x-rays. The results were pretty crazy! My spine was curved very far to the right.…

A very common question I come across is whether exercise or nutrition is more important for weight loss.  Well, the answer has multiple parts. In short, nutrition has more impact. It is easier to reduce 500-700 calories in your diet than it is to burn 500-700 calories in a workout right away unless you are a little more advanced in your physical abilities. In addition, with the busy schedule of most people (career, commute, children), it can be tricky fitting in exercise as often as you want to. However, it…

I will never forget June 17, 2011. I fell down on the ground of the house I was living in at the time after I got up from the couch I sat on. I had such a constant sharp pain in my lower back, I could not walk. I crawled to my car, then started it, and I peeled out of the driveway.  The pain increased every moment I was seated, and I was stuck in DC area rush hour traffic on my way to the urgent care on top…

If you train with a CASS Fitness trainer, you more than likely have experienced a battle ropes routine with one of us if we have enough space to set them up. You may also see my videos or Instagram posts with the Battle Ropes. Why do I like them so much? Here are a few reasons why they have popped up in many CASS Fitness workouts, including the regular routines of our trainers: Battle Ropes are an excellent tool to spice up your cardio and strength routine, no matter what…

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…

Here is a quick five minute CASS Fitness ab routine that will challenge you. Now, I am not going to say some nonsense like this will get you ripped. Remember, proper nutrition and exercise will get you there. However, core strength is built through ab routines like this. Core strength is something all CASS Fitness personal trainers preach and implement heavily in our workouts. Your core is the most important part of your body. Do not ignore and skip your core workouts! You will do each of the ab exercises…