❤ BLOGILATES ❤

Which styles do you like best? I just did a fun photo sesh this...

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:12:00 -0700

Which styles do you like best? I just did a fun photo sesh this afternoon with my new Summer LOVE Collection!

I am all over the colorful sequins on the booty shorts, the rainbow waistband on the capris…and omg…I want to wear that rosy chiffon dress to a wedding this summer!

* click here to see all the new stuff *

Lemme know what you think! It’ll help me to get your feedback so I can keep designing stuff you like!

<3 Cassey

TONEFEST TOWEL WORKOUT!!! Grab 2 towels if you’re on a...

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:17:37 -0700

TONEFEST TOWEL WORKOUT!!!

Grab 2 towels if you’re on a slippery floor and let’s work that whole body of yours into a sexy beast body :)

If you’re on a carpet, grab 1 towel and 2 paper plates or 2 valslides.

Have fun!!!!

<3 Cassey

Hey POPsters! I just moved into the new place and am still...

Tue, 14 May 2013 14:14:54 -0700

Hey POPsters!

I just moved into the new place and am still getting things out of boxes. I’ve been getting a little bit sick the past few days so couldn’t do very much. Not sure if it’s the dust, some extra stress, or both, but I am sipping on some hot cinnamon tea right now mixed with almond milk. So good and soothing going down my throat!!

Today I want to talk about you.

You and your self worth.

Since I was kinda slugging around the past few days not feeling so well, I had a lot of time to check up on you on Instagram and Tumblr and see what’s been going on in your life. (See I’m totes like your personal trainer!) I love the results and I love your enthusiasm for healthy living - it constantly inspires me to be a better instructor!! But I also noticed that sometimes this enthusiasm can turn into an obsession.

I remember that when I was training for my bikini comp last year, weight was the number one thing that was being tracked every week by my trainer. If I didn’t lose enough, I had to do extra cardio and really monitor my calories. Interesting that looking back on it now, I can see why it all backfired. But in the heat of it, I loved seeing my waist and my legs getting more defined every week as the thought of that leopard bikini and those clear heels loomed closer and closer. Nothing really mattered at that point except that I needed to “look good” on stage.

I can close my eyes and clearly see how upset my coach was when we had a week to go and my weight had stayed the same. I felt bad. I felt like I had failed. I felt like I had screwed up.

But you know what? Though I felt those things, and though my trainer shouldn’t have aligned my success with my weight, I know that my weight does not determine my self worth. Every drop of sweat you produce and every rep that you can hold longer and every punch that you can hit harder - it is YOURS. And no one can take that away from you. That strength and that skill that you work to build, it cannot be defined by the weight on the scale. How beautiful you shine and how confident you are when you make a speech in class or nail a presentation at a conference - does anyone really care if you gained or lost 5 lbs? No, probably not.

I agree that weight loss can result in more confidence because you love how you look, therefore you feel good inside too. Cool, totally valid! But don’t let that image in the mirror determine how happy you are.

That’s one part. The other part is never settling.

I kept seeing comments under before and afters that said “too skinny” or “you looked better before”. First of all, I really don’t like these physical attacks. Not cool. Find a better way to say it unless you can diagnose a true disorder and really think the person needs professional help.

Listen, success isn’t a destination. You know what it is? It is progress. It is growth. If you keep getting better everyday, you are being the best you can be and you are successful. I love progress pics because they are milestones of achievement! If you’re looking to change and transform your body, then take a before pic. It’s so good to look back on and appreciate your journey especially on those days when you feel like nothing is working right.

The only profession I can see weight determining you worth (directly and indirectly) is the modeling industry and perhaps any industry where you body/your looks is your money maker. (I suppose I am in one of those…we can’t let the fitness industry get away with this one!) A while back I spoke about how corrupted the tactics used to lose weight in the modeling industry were but never really expanded upon it. So let me do it now. I personally spoke with two male models at a fashion event a couple months ago and they SPECIFICALLY told me how they were constantly being told that they were never thin enough. Yes. These were guys obsessing over being a size 28 pant and how many calories they could intake daily. Do you know what their agencies would do if they were “too big”?

Prepare for this one.

You will gasp.

The agent would reach into a back drawer and take out a cigarette. “Start smoking. It will help.”

This is reality.

This is sick.

Look guys…how important is weight when you have to reach your UGW with cancer-causing methods??? Is it worth it? Is it worth it to increase the odds of dying early and not be able to breathe just so your inner thigh gap can be a little wider? No. Not to me and not even if my income depended on it.

Don’t let the dollars on the check or the dial on the scale dictate your self-worth. Your happiness is determined by you and your success is a journey you paint. Accept your body as you transform and it will make the whole process fun and positive. All we can ask for is to feel warmth in our hearts by surrounding ourselves with the people we love and by doing the things that make us happy. I always say…live like this and you will end up doing what you’re meant to do…and everything else will fall into place as it is supposed to.

Love you so much. Work hard and believe in yourself, because I believe in you :)

<3 Cassey

Great Gatsby Cardio Dance - the flapper practice video! Make...

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:31:22 -0700

Great Gatsby Cardio Dance - the flapper practice video! Make sure you do this video before you do the full routine!

FULL ROUTINE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z5ZhKLNaHo

Who’s excited for The GREAT GATSBY!!? ME! So let’s...

Wed, 08 May 2013 00:28:35 -0700

Who’s excited for The GREAT GATSBY!!?

ME!

So let’s get our flapper dresses on, strap on those heels, and go dancing all over town! It’s time for the world premiere of

The Great Gatsby Cardio Dance Workout!

To get the full breakdown of the moves, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RsLhlPObaA

<3 Cassey

I made @mariolopez and @mariamenounos do crunches today on...

Tue, 07 May 2013 16:52:01 -0700

I made @mariolopez and @mariamenounos do crunches today on @extratv! You still have time to submit your distracted sit-ups challenge on YouTube. We’ll air our faves on Thursday on extra! Just upload a 30 sec clip of yourself doing a sit-up while doing something else. Title your video “my extratv fitness challenge”. Yay! Love your submissions so far! #mariolopez #mariamenounos #extratv

Your #greatgatsbyworkout practice video will be up tonight. Get...

Mon, 06 May 2013 17:38:38 -0700

Your #greatgatsbyworkout practice video will be up tonight. Get ready for the big dance on Wednesday :)

Mango and strawberry Greek yogurt parfait topped with granola!...

Sun, 05 May 2013 20:53:37 -0700

Mango and strawberry Greek yogurt parfait topped with granola! Perfect dessert :) What did you eat for dessert?

What is a YOLO Meal? It’s my positive twist on the...

Sun, 05 May 2013 20:21:37 -0700

What is a YOLO Meal?

It’s my positive twist on the “cheat meal”. Watch the video to learn how I structure my weekly meal plan and when I eat my YOLO Meal to stay healthy.

Yes, YOLO meals are good for the soul…and your metabolism too!

What’s your ultimate YOLO food?

<3 Cassey

Hello from the 1925. #greatgatsby #greatgatsbyworkout...

Sun, 05 May 2013 10:45:42 -0700

Hello from the 1925. #greatgatsby #greatgatsbyworkout #comingsoon

Come have breakfast with me :) Protein waffles recipe (makes 2)...

Sat, 04 May 2013 10:57:23 -0700

Come have breakfast with me :) Protein waffles recipe (makes 2) - 2 scoops protein powder, 1 banana, 2-3tbs almond milk, 1 tbs ground flax seed, 2 eggs. Spray waffle maker with Pam then leave inside for a couple min! House will start smelling amazing. Open up! Top with fruit! EAT.

All is right in the world again. #sriracha #ohhowivemissedyou

Sat, 04 May 2013 02:20:02 -0700

All is right in the world again. #sriracha #ohhowivemissedyou

SURPRISE!!! New store grand opening! Go check...

Fri, 03 May 2013 18:17:25 -0700

SURPRISE!!! New store grand opening! Go check www.shopblogilates.com out - completely new facelift plus a fun “stylegram” section where I feature YOU! That’s why I was asking you to hash tag #shopblogilates yesterday! It auto updates on the store so that you become a model :) also! SUPER SALE!!! $5 off $30 use “sweathappy5”, $10 off $50 use “sweathappy10”, $15 off $75 use “sweathappy15”! PLUS! FREE SHIPPING for orders over $100 in the US. And yes, I do ship internationally. Now go check out the site! Lemme know if you like the look!!

Get excited. This is happening ;) #greatgatsby

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:47:42 -0700

Get excited. This is happening ;) #greatgatsby

This was post workout fuel and dinner!!!! Spring mix with...

Thu, 02 May 2013 21:24:48 -0700

This was post workout fuel and dinner!!!! Spring mix with quinoa, tomatoes, edamame, and chicken! No sriracha today but no withdrawals yet either. All is good. What did you eat for din?

Thank you for being you. I love you! #popsterpower #blogilates

Thu, 02 May 2013 16:26:49 -0700

Thank you for being you. I love you! #popsterpower #blogilates

Who wants to be on TV with Mario Lopez and Maria...

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:00:00 -0700

Who wants to be on TV with Mario Lopez and Maria Menounos!???

EXTRA reached out to me and challenged us POPsters to an ab workout. They want you to do as many sit ups as you can in 30 sec while being distracted by something. Watch the vid to see what I mean.

The most creative ones will actually be featured ON TV! This is your chance for stardom! Upload as many vids as you want! Be as ridic as you want! Even film you and your friends! GO NUTS! GO CRAY!!!!

I can’t wait to watch your videos. When you upload them to YouTube please title it “My ExtraTV Fitness Challenge”.

OK GO NOW!

DEADLINE: Mon May 6th, 2013 (aka HURRY!)

<3 Cassey

"I need you as much as you need me. So, thank you."

Thu, 02 May 2013 08:43:39 -0700

“I need you as much as you need me. So, thank you.”

- Me

Ashamed of Gaining Weight

Thu, 02 May 2013 01:15:24 -0700

Hey POPsters,

Have you ever been in a situation where you walk into a family party and a female relative walks up to you and says, “Oh you look fat!” or “Looks like you gained some weight!” (If you are from an Asian family, I know you know what I mean.)

Like, what are you supposed to say? Is that a question you’re supposed to actually answer?

“Yeah, I did”?? And then uncomfortably mumble something to move the conversation past your physical appearance?

There’s 2 problems here.

1. To say that to someone, especially a girl, it’s hurtful and damaging to her self-esteem.

2. You shouldn’t have to feel ashamed for gaining weight. But we all do.

The reason why I bring this up is because after this past ABC ABS video, I started getting some comments asking the same very thing my Asian Auntie would say:

“Your legs look bigger. Did you gain weight?”

“Not to be mean but did you have too many YOLO Meals?”

“What happened to your inner thigh gap?”

“How could you let this happen?”

Does gaining weight discredit me as a fitness instructor? Am I a failure? Am I lazy? Do I have no self control? Does that change who I am? Why does it matter? Why all the labels?

To answer the elephant in the room and for everyone who wanted to hear me confirm it, yes guys, I did gain weight.

I’m not mad at the people who asked this question because hey, if you wanna know you wanna know. But who I am upset at is myself…not for gaining weight, but for feeling ASHAMED for gaining weight.

As you know, the past few months I did the big move from SF to LA, adjusted to my new place, traveled a ton, and started focusing on new projects, making it hard to stick to a set diet and workout schedule. In fact, I had to delay my bikini competition because of it all. You know, it will be 1 year since my first bikini competition on May 5th. I remember those 10 weeks of hard training and dieting. I remember the discipline and mental focus it took to workout for soooo many hours a day. To eat just chicken breast, broccoli, and egg whites every day. To be so exhausted that it was hard to even think straight. But I also remember stepping on stage in my cheetah bikini with those high heels and strutting my new, super tanned body, showing off the most defined muscles I ever had. It was exhilarating and not gonna lie, I love those pictures. I had never seen my body like that before. Dieting down and losing weight…it was hard. Really, really hard. But at the end, it was extremely satisfying to reach a place I didn’t think was possible.

If you read my blog last year, there was a post after the competition where I wrote about being scared of gaining the weight back. I knew it wasn’t really possible to hold my body fat percentage down so low all year. It was inevitable. I didn’t know how I would deal with it. I didn’t want it to happen.

Each week, I started to nourish my body with the goods it had wanted for so long. I no longer had to be on a calorie deficit. So I ate. And it was soulfully satisfying. My mouth savored every bite of food bursting with FLAVOR! I of course noticed a difference in the tightness of my body but made a conscious decision to not be obsessed about calories. It took a while for me to break out of the “bikini model” mentality. To tell you the truth, after the competition, I was scared of fruit. Yeah, how crazy is that? I looked at an apple and worried what it would do to me.

For those of you who are shaking your heads now…yeah…it was a slight form of body image issues and eating issues. It took some time and talking to fellow fitness friends before I could eat normally and not feel guilty about it.

Looking back now, the way I was coached to lean down for my first bikini competition may not have been the best way. It was very extreme. I did not take crazy fat burning pills or anything - I never would - but I was deprived. I felt like the diet left me so lost and dry. I felt like I needed coaching to help me “get back to normal” safely. But I didn’t have that. Because shortly after the competition, I left my trainer.

The after effects of deprivation? Eating, eating, eating. And more eating. Feeling like you’re out of diet jail. Feeling like you better take in as much food as possible before it’s taken away from you again.

You know, being a fitness instructor - your body is a source of inspiration for others. It supposed to be chiseled. Hard. Toned and tight. And when it starts becoming the backwards of a before and after picture, you start feeling like your career and your credibility are on the line.

So I feared. I feared the weight gain. I feared the scale. I feared the day one of you would say I looked fat.

And well, I guess after the ABC ABS video, it finally happened. I knew it was coming though. Yes, I did gain weight because I’m a human being. I’m a girl whose life is a little more than just gym time and meal preps! I too, just like you, eat when I am stressed. I too, just like you, can’t find time to workout when my workload becomes overwhelming. I’m not perfect! But then again…who said maintaining a low body fat percentage made you perfect!? Weight fluctuates! THIS IS LIFE.

Sigh.

Part of me feels relieved that someone said it. But part of me feels upset. In all honesty guys (and you know that with my blog, I speak the truth and don’t hide behind some perfect fitness instructor curtains only revealing what I want you to see) I’m gonna be real and say I’m a little disappointed in myself for “letting go.” But at the same time, I don’t really regret the food I ate and the rest I took that got me to where I am today.

You know why? Because I listened to my body. It needed it. It needed to recover. It needed something it was missing and I let it have it. What’s important is making that mind-body connection and feeding not just your body but your soul too.

And you know what else? I can still lift heavy. In fact, heavier. I can still run far and long. In fact, faster. I can still do my videos and teach my classes while carrying on a conversation. Just because I gained weight, it didn’t mean I lost all my hard work. I’m still fit and healthy and progressing everyday. Isn’t that the ultimate goal?

So yeah, I have a thicker layer of fat on top of my abs. Cool. I’ll start eating super duper clean on a consistent basis and train harder for some weeks, and I will have my bikini body back. Seriously guys, it’s not a big deal! It’s all about resilience. If you feel like you’ve fallen off track, just get up. Just get up and start over NOW.

All I ask of you is that you not judge someone for their looks. I know, sounds so motherly of me to have to say that right? But seriously. What matters is how someone treats you, how they make you feel, and their honest and genuine intent.

I hope this post resonated with some of you. Don’t feel bad if your pants are tight again. Remember, it doesn’t change who you are. Just power on and embrace the ups and downs of life. It just makes the triumphs that much sweeter.

Take care guys and let me know in the comments if you’ve ever dealt with someone calling you fat.

<3 Cassey

My first standing split in a month! I was finally able to do it...

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:58:31 -0700

My first standing split in a month! I was finally able to do it without holding a wall! I’m gonna keep practicing until I can hold my leg up without my arm. This will take a lot of time and practice but every time I see a little progress I get so excited! It’s so satisfying! Legs all stretched out now. Time to go home. How was your #maymuscles workout? Ready to transform your body and make that definition pop this month? Hope you downloaded the calendar on the blog today! Lets get it!!!!