CASS Fitness

10/17/2024

If you knew you COULD NOT fail which one of these would be your goal:

Lose just a little bit of weight
Go down 1-2 pant sizes
Reduce your pain
Gain some muscle
Gain more energy

10/11/2024

A lot of success in your fitness journey is mental.

If you tell yourself, "No way I can lose 20 lbs!" I've tried many times and failed", you likely won't be able to do it. Especially as your road gets tough and distractions take over.

If you tell yourself, you can lose it, even if you don't know how, your chances get better.

When you have a plan to follow and accountability, along with a positive attitude, you are much more likely to reach your goals.

Pick a goal that is challenging, but not impossible. Obviously, you don't want to say, "I'm going to lose 50 lbs. this month" or "I'm going to look like the Rock in 3 months", or you'll just set yourself up for failure.

Can you sustainably lose 20 lbs. in 12 weeks and keep it off for good? Absolutely!

Is it tough?
It can be

Do I have to change my habits?
Yes!!!

Do I have to change everything at once?
No, I'll meet you halfway!

With my 12-week weight loss program, you will get my 3 pillars for your long term success!

- Mindset Coaching
- Sustainable Nutrition Strategies
- Customized Workout Programming for the equipment you have available

Here’s what you should do:

If this resonates with you, click the link in the comments to schedule 30 minutes for us to speak if you’ve been struggling with these issues for too long.

Here’s why you should do it NOW:

I have limited spaces available in my calendar. If this resonates with you, book your call today and I look forward to celebrating your victories with you!

I have limited availability so YOU can get the attention you deserve!

09/28/2024

I've made healthy versions of pumpkin pie, peach cobbler, ice cream, and cherry cheesecake cookies. What would you like to see me try next?

09/17/2024

Strength Training is even more important as you age. You begin losing muscle at 3-5% per decade after the age of 30! If you lined up at the store to buy the Marshall Mathers LP when it was released in 2000, you probably are losing muscle especially if you're not doing anything about it.

It is actually dangerous not to strength train especially when you are in your 60's, 70's, and beyond! Simple tasks such as walking, cleaning the house, getting up and down, putting your shoes on get to be really tough, as your body is going through sarcopenia.

The longer you prolong the process of strength training, the chances are greater you lose mobility at a much younger age than anticipated.

While my core group of clients are between 35 and 55, I have a few outliers, from teenagers to two different guys in their 80's. The one client in his 80's hikes 3x per week and he does strength/flexibility/balance work with me. The other one, who just turned 85, bikes and swims on his off days while doing strength/flexibility/balance work with me. They do not plan on stopping any time soon!

I see numerous people in their 60's and 70's in my gym all the time (I workout during slow times, which usually is mid to late morning).

This holds true for every single person, whether you are overweight, underweight, or at the weight you want to be at.

They say, if you don't use it, you lose it!!!

09/03/2024

Tuesday Truth!

Most people don't have 2-3 hours a day to train! Ideally, you can get what you need done in an hour, at least for most goals. Certainly for weight loss goals!

So you can't afford to be doing 4 types of bicep curls in an hour and expect to get the most out of your workout.

You need to prioritize the following movements (and I'll give examples that cover almost everybody, whether you are new to the game, have injuries, or are a seasoned vet!

Squat - Barbell Back or Front, Hack Squat, Goblet Squat, Box Squat, Wall Sit (can be great if you have knee problems), etc.

Hinge - Barbell Deadlift, Trap Bar Deadlift (more back friendly), RDL, Floor Bridge, Hip Thrust, Kettlebell Swing

Lunge - Forward Lunges, Reverse Lunges, Split Squat, Bulgarian Split Squat, Lunge Jump, Elevated Split Squat (can be great if you have knee problems), Side Lunge

Horizontal Push - Push-Up, Barbell Bench Press, Dumbbell Bench Press, Dips, Chest Dips, Incline Barbell or Dumbbell Bench Press, Chest Flys

Horizontal Pull - Barbell Bent Rows, Dumbbell Chest Supported Rows, One Arm Row, Seated Row, T-Bar Row, Horizontal Pull-Ups, Face Pulls

Vertical Push - Barbell Overhead Press, Military Press, Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Pike Push-Ups, Handstand Push-Ups, Lateral Raises, Front Raises

Vertical Pull - Pull-Up, Chin Up, Lat Pulldown, One Arm Cable Lat Pulldown, TRX Pull-Up

Carries - Farmer's Walk (dumbbell or trap bar), Suitcase Walk, Overhead Dumbbell Carry

These are some great examples, but by no means the only exercises to do.

Do you perform these exercises, or is there an exercise you'd like to see that I didn't mention?

08/30/2024

I am excited to announce my new free webinar for this Tuesday at 7 PM! It is called "How I Have Helped my Clients Lose 20 + lbs. in 3 months and Keep It Off (without crash diets or spending hours in the gym). Looking forward to having you there on Tuesday!

08/27/2024

I get asked often about my favorite supplements. Of course, I always recommend prioritizing real, whole foods first before worrying about supplements. But, in the fast-paced world we live in, protein powders help out so much!

Orgain Plant Protein (In particular the chocolate flavor) is one of my favorites. The taste is great, not grainy, naturally sweetened with stevia, and great for lactose intolerant people (like myself) and for vegans (who often struggled to get enough protein in their diets). In reality, it's great for anyone! I've got tons of recommendations!

Want a great replacement for your high sugar coffee drink? Mix 2 scoops of Orgain Chocolate protein with Black Cold Brew Coffee!

Orgain organic creamy chocolate fudge protein powder is a naturally smooth and delicious nourishment drink with 21 grams of organic protein and 7 grams of organic fiber per serving. Each serving is USDA organic, gluten free, kosher, vegan, non-GMO, soy free. No artificial flavors, colors or prese...

08/26/2024

MINDFUL MONDAYS:

Setbacks happen! They happen to everyone!

Being equipped with the knowledge to power through them is important. Also, being reassured everything will be ok goes a long way!

My biggest setback in my fitness journey wasn't being overweight or underweight. Those were obstacles I had to get over, but I knew I could eventually reach the goals I was looking for!

My year-long battle with low back pain was definitely my biggest setback.

At first, I had no clue what to do. I probably would've recovered much more quickly if I had the knowledge. I didn't know if I would ever recover. Once I did gain the knowledge, I showed up and put in the work! No way in hell I was going to take suffering daily as an answer.

I went to a couple doctors at first and they told me "Nothing was wrong" but I probably can't exercise at a high level anymore. I was 27 years old by the way.

Long story short, I went through depression and was really angry about the cards I was dealt.

Finally, the chiropractor I ended up going to diagnosed the issue (SI Joint issue), showed me what was going on in the x-ray, told me you CAN be 100% again, you have to show up for treatments and you HAVE to the do the exercises on your own that I give you. Also, there will be some lifestyle adjustments. I said I will follow anything you say, because I am sick and tired of being in constant pain!

People who have met me more recently have no idea I couldn't pick a pen off the ground without excruciating pain. Because I chose my fate! I still have minor setbacks to this date. But I knew I went through a really bad one so a minor one doesn't faze me much!
What have been your biggest setbacks and what are you doing to get over them? Or are you not sure where to start?

08/20/2024

This is my new Tuesday segment, called "Tuesday Truth"

You are constantly bombarded with opinions. One diet over another. One exercise over another. It is beyond confusing for the average person.

There isn't one magical bullet that's going to work for everyone. We all have unique bodies, lifestyles, and goals.

I think the thing I am against in health and fitness is how some people are so dogmatic in their thoughts when it comes to diet.

Keto, for example, works for some people, and that's great! If you feel it will continue to work for you five years from now, then by all means, do it.

The way some of its fans talk about it and demonize every other method out there is crazy. They almost always neglect the fact that it helped them be in a daily caloric deficit. That is why they lost the weight. The way some of them act towards other people is awful too.

I've had a hoard of these people come at me before on IG because I said it wasn't sustainable for most people (funny how half of them didn't even have profile pictures!) I never said it didn't work. I said it is a very hard protocol to follow, especially as you cut out a lot of different foods. It's too restrictive, in my opinion. Plus, usually it's pretty lousy for people who train hard!

I talk about balance and sustainability. Eating healthy most of the time, portion control, not depriving yourself. My client Juan has been doing this for 5 1/2 years since he started working with me. He lost his initial weight and has kept it off. He has a six pack at age 50!

I've kept myself below 15% body fat for 19 years eating a healthy, well-balanced diet.

Eating sustainably doesn't sound cool, and it's hard to slap label that on an overpriced snack bar (Not talking about all protein bars. I do eat protein bars a few times a week).

I don't go after what's cool, I go after what works! Again, there are many ways to do it. You got to find what works for you in the long term!

08/19/2024

This will be a new series of posts every Monday highlighting a key element of your success. If your mind isn't right, it will be more difficult to reach and maintain your goals.

Look at how far you've come if you've been on a fitness journey or even thought about it:

You haven't lost your dream weight.... YET!

It will come! Showing up every day, whether it is to workout, to add a healthy habit, to sleep better, is such a big step.

In short, CELEBRATE what you've already accomplished!

You could be eating 2-3 servings of vegetables a day for the first time in many years!

You could be getting 8,000-10,000 steps logged in daily

You could be getting better sleep at night

Your low back feels less achy than it has in several months!

Moving around is easier than it used to be!

Stay consistent, keep showing up! Don't give up when times get tough! It is worth it in the long and short run!

06/01/2024

Growing up, you probably couldn't find someone as unathletic as I was. What I did have was the mindset to do whatever it took to not be that weak, skinny kid. I learned about nutrition and I learned about workouts. It became my passion. Yes, I let life get in the way, and I got fat for about 6 months as well. I lost 50 lbs, and for 19 years, I have maintained under 15% bodyfat. At 40 years old, people who just meet me are shocked that I didn't have an athletic bone in my body growing up!

I helped clients like Avi, a father of 6, and a busy CEO who travels often, lose 35 lbs, drop 6 inches off his waist, and keep the weight off. In turn, Avi has more confidence and energy when he's giving big speeches, he's playing goalie (he is a former hockey player himself) as his youngest son practices hockey with him, and he's not hurting for 3 days afterwards.

With experience from my own success story, with Avi's success story, along with other personal training clients' success stories, this is why I emphasize Mindset, Nutrition, and Custom Workouts into a brand new 12 week program that helps you lose 20+ pounds. All three elements work together to help you lose the weight and keep it off for good without extreme diets and long daily battles on the treadmill.

Send me a DM saying "interested" to learn more!

05/28/2024

If I was to open up a coaching program that helps you
lose 20+lbs in 12 weeks, would you be interested?