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On staying motivated: how to keep going when you’re just about to quit

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I ran the SF Urbanathlon with Sarah yesterday in a relay team. It was my first time doing this type of race where you not only have to run, but you have to conquer obstacles along the way. I was given the first leg which was 4.3 miles, had steep hills, and some police barride jumping and stutter stepping through tires involved.

I’ll recap more on the actual experience later, with pictures and everything, but today I want to talk to you about pushing yourself to your limits.

Yesterday was tough. The race started pretty much immediately with us Urbanathletes running up Telegraph hill all the way to Coit Tower. Now, let me tell you…it wasn’t just a hill, it was like SEVEN SUPER STEEP HILLS on a hill. OMG. I kid you not when I say I was probably running up a crazy steep incline for like 20 minutes straight.

My only goal when entering the race (courtesy of Sarah inviting me) was to NOT STOP RUNNING. That was my goal for my first Disney Half Marathon in September and myNike Women’s Half in October. But as soon as I got halfway up my first hill I had a thought of stopping to walk. San Fran hills are BRUTAL. There were people around me who had already stopped to walk. My legs were burning and my quads were on fire. It looked so tempting…It was so easy to just say “hey take it easy”. I fought with myself for about 6 seconds and decided “no, let’s just finish your first hill at least.” So I kept moving.

The hills kept coming at me…steeper and steeper every time! In order to even stay upright and moving, I was basically leaning forward like MJ in Smooth Criminal…

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…while running!!! No iPods were allowed either in the race so all I could hear was my heavy breathing and everyone else’s panting and grunts. Not exactly the most motivating sounds in the world.

I kept going and going, even though my strides started getting smaller and smaller. I told myself, conquer this battle one moment at a time. Keep breathing, inhale through the nose and out through the mouth. Instead of looking at the top of the hills each time, I looked at the ground in front of me and took it step by step. I knew I had reached the top once my quads began to feel relief.

I repeated this process over and over for every hill. I kept telling myself – you will not stop. This is only one race. One day. When will you ever do this again? If I am gonna torture myself, I’m gonna torture it good. I’m gonna fight through the pain. I bit my tongue and maybe even swore a little under my breath to get myself through!

I told myself that this was an awesome workout. I would not let me fail me in my one and only goal of NOT STOPPING. There was a burning desire inside of me to stick to my goal. There was no way anyone or anything would get in my way…I was gonna keep moving as much as it pained me.

I concentrated hard. I always tell my students that the mind is more powerful than the muscle and that you can do anything you want as long as you tell yourself you can. So, I kept encouraging my muscles that they could do this. That they were strong. I even picked up a little pace when I did this. Motivating yourself to drive hard is what makes you succeed. And I’m talking all aspects of life too.

So before I knew it…I was on top of Coit tower looking down at the bay and the beautiful city of San Francisco through the lush pine trees. It was a glorious feeling of sweaty pride. Lasted 2 seconds as I drank my water cup up there. Then I was off again. Flying down hill. Fun times ahead…

I hope that gave you a little insight into what goes in my head when I am about to quit and how I keep myself motivated. You really have to focus on your end goal…know it, want it, believe it, and if you desire it badly enough, you will do everything you can to get there. I promise. Be strong and know what you want. And DO NOT let anything get in your way.

Happy Monday!

<3 Cassey

What tips do you have for staying motivated?

NIKE WOMEN&#8217;S MARATHON + Madison&#8217;s Sweet Note Hey there! I just finished my second half marathon! Can you believe the first one I did was just about a month ago at Disney? Ridiculous. Thanks to my sister for forcing me to run these The Nike Women’s Marathon was gorgeous. Running San Francisco just as the sun is rising, alongside 22,000 other people is really something to experience. Sure the $130-$150 entry fee is steep but it is worth it.  Not only did the proceeds go to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, but Nike has to pay to close down the streets, get sponsors, food, prizes, and create a whole event out of this – and you know what, they did a great job. Now let’s talk about the course! Jackelyn ran this one last year and she told me there was just one big hill around mile 5 or 6 but the rest was pretty much easy. So I wasn’t scared. I’ll gladly accept some glute action. But I think she forgot to mention the 7 OTHER hills. I kept running and the elevation kept getting HIGHER and HIGHER! The hills steeper and steeer it seemed! Sometimes I wanted to die, but I kept going. There was a sign someone was holding that said: “When your legs get tired, you must run with your heart.” It actually helped set the tone for most of the race. We got to run past the Embarcadero, Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, Golden Gate bridge, through the Presidio, around some beautiful houses, the Golden Gate Park, and we ended at Ocean Beach. The run was spectacular. My sis and I stayed next to each other the whole time and actually improved our time from the Disney race. At Disneyland, we got 2 hours 22 min on a completely flat course. Today’s race was finished in 2 hours 19 min with a bajillion hills! I was very happy! Plus I didn’t cramp up AT ALL in my calves at the end. Must have done something right! At the finish line, all runners are gifted with a Tiffany’s necklace handed to us by San Francisco firemen in tuxedos. Untying my pretty blue box to see what the necklace looks like! Oohhh! A pretty blue ouch! “I RUN TO BE” How pretty is that? And it’s sterling silver! A lot more wearable than a bling-blingin’ medal! Nike continued to pamper the runners by having us take pics with the firemen sweeping us off our tired feet. Afterwards, we proceeded to get full body massages that lasted 15-20 minutes, sponsored by Kaiser. That was probably my fave part of the whole thing After we refueled and met up with friends, I was super pooped. I wanted to crash. But when I got home, I was met with the cutest letter from an SF fan that seriously MADE MY DAY: “Hi Cassey! OMG, we saw you today! So we went took the kids to swim lessons down the Presidio and what a nightmare with the traffic.  While coming home towards the Sunset, we where trying to take a detour to avoid it all so we made that turn on 36th Ave ~130pm and LO AND BEHOLD… I saw that purple jacket and took a double take and I’m like that’s Cassey!  And that’s Jackelyn!  Kids in the back cracking up… my daughter busts out “make it burn” you know, the way you say it.  We went around the block and sure enough it was you. Recognized those shoes too, haha!  Wanted to jump out and say Hi but it was like “uh, she’s with her family” and wondered if that was your mom and dad. So we passed but maybe we should’ve …My daughter wrote you a note too – see attached!” To Madison: AWWWW!!!!!! Madison!!!!! You should have come by to say hi!!!! I love your flower, your hearts, and your sun dude with his awesome sunglasses! I hope we can meet for real one day. Tell your mommy to take you to our POP Pilates meet up – I want to give you a big hug for drawing this for me. I really love it. Thank you Madison Isn’t that cute??!

NIKE WOMEN’S MARATHON + Madison’s Sweet Note

Hey there!

I just finished my second half marathon! Can you believe the first one I did was just about a month ago at Disney? Ridiculous. Thanks to my sister for forcing me to run these :P

The Nike Women’s Marathon was gorgeous. Running San Francisco just as the sun is rising, alongside 22,000 other people is really something to experience. Sure the $130-$150 entry fee is steep but it is worth it.  Not only did the proceeds go to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, but Nike has to pay to close down the streets, get sponsors, food, prizes, and create a whole event out of this – and you know what, they did a great job.

Now let’s talk about the course! Jackelyn ran this one last year and she told me there was just one big hill around mile 5 or 6 but the rest was pretty much easy. So I wasn’t scared. I’ll gladly accept some glute action. But I think she forgot to mention the 7 OTHER hills. I kept running and the elevation kept getting HIGHER and HIGHER! The hills steeper and steeer it seemed! Sometimes I wanted to die, but I kept going. There was a sign someone was holding that said:

“When your legs get tired, you must run with your heart.”

It actually helped set the tone for most of the race.

We got to run past the Embarcadero, Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, Golden Gate bridge, through the Presidio, around some beautiful houses, the Golden Gate Park, and we ended at Ocean Beach. The run was spectacular. My sis and I stayed next to each other the whole time and actually improved our time from the Disney race. At Disneyland, we got 2 hours 22 min on a completely flat course. Today’s race was finished in 2 hours 19 min with a bajillion hills! I was very happy! Plus I didn’t cramp up AT ALL in my calves at the end. Must have done something right!

At the finish line, all runners are gifted with a Tiffany’s necklace handed to us by San Francisco firemen in tuxedos.

Untying my pretty blue box to see what the necklace looks like!

Oohhh! A pretty blue ouch!

“I RUN TO BE”

How pretty is that? And it’s sterling silver! A lot more wearable than a bling-blingin’ medal!

Nike continued to pamper the runners by having us take pics with the firemen sweeping us off our tired feet. Afterwards, we proceeded to get full body massages that lasted 15-20 minutes, sponsored by Kaiser. That was probably my fave part of the whole thing :P

After we refueled and met up with friends, I was super pooped. I wanted to crash. But when I got home, I was met with the cutest letter from an SF fan that seriously MADE MY DAY:

“Hi Cassey! OMG, we saw you today! So we went took the kids to swim lessons down the Presidio and what a nightmare with the traffic.  While coming home towards the Sunset, we where trying to take a detour to avoid it all so we made that turn on 36th Ave ~130pm and LO AND BEHOLD… I saw that purple jacket and took a double take and I’m like that’s Cassey!  And that’s Jackelyn!  Kids in the back cracking up… my daughter busts out “make it burn” you know, the way you say it.  We went around the block and sure enough it was you. Recognized those shoes too, haha!  Wanted to jump out and say Hi but it was like “uh, she’s with her family” and wondered if that was your mom and dad. So we passed but maybe we should’ve :) …My daughter wrote you a note too – see attached!”

To Madison: AWWWW!!!!!! Madison!!!!! You should have come by to say hi!!!! I love your flower, your hearts, and your sun dude with his awesome sunglasses! I hope we can meet for real one day. Tell your mommy to take you to our POP Pilates meet up – I want to give you a big hug for drawing this for me. I really love it. Thank you Madison :)

Isn’t that cute??!

Running My First Half Marathon

Hey guys! How was your Labor Day weekend? Hope you’re enjoying your day off if you’re in the US and well if not, Happy Monday to those overseas! So after getting some good rest, I am able to write this post recapping my first ever half marathon. 

Back in January my little sister Jackelyn bought me an entry in to a half marathon for my birthday. I was like, umm are you CURAZAY!?!? But I agreed anyway since running has never really been my “thing”. I was more of a Pilates and weight lifting type of girl. Back then the only cardio I really enjoyed was kickboxing. Let me tell you that 8 months later, completing the race was not only a reality, but dare I say, “fun”?

Let’s take you through yesterday’s Disneyland Half Marathon in Anaheim, CA! This is a photo-heavy post so I apologize in advance if it takes forever to load. (I also filmed myself on my iPhone WHILE RUNNING, so collage video coming next!)

The night before we left for LA, I had only slept for 30 min. Yes 30 min. And remember that the whole week before, I was complaining that I had been going to bed at 4am? Yeahhh…not the best conditions for my first race…

5:15 am: sleep

5:45 am: wake up

6:20 am: leave for airport

8:00 am: fly to LA

9:20 am - 12:00 pm: get picked up from LAX, drop off luggage at hotel, and eat lunch

1 pm: One of the first things I saw after we checked in. So Disney. And so me!!! A glass slipper with treads.

We picked up our bibs which were very cute. Our names were printed on them which was a special treat! My sis who is the actual runner in the fam told me that this is not the norm - usually you just get your number. We were in Corral C which means we were in group 3 to run. I believe there was A-G. A is for the elite runners who are actually trying to win and G is for the mommas with strollers.

We passed a fake finish line to see if the barcodes on our bibs would work for tomorrow’s start and end timers. They worked.

Faking my super awesome speediness on a super fake track after completing registration!

3:00 pm: I didn’t get to even START my costume when I was still at home so I had to begin cutting PRONTO as soon as we got back to the hotel. I used an XL tshirt that my mom had laying around to cut my Pocahontas costume.

5:00 pm: The whole thing was made with no needles or thread. Just my hands and the scissors. My sister helped make the back contour to my shape for a better fit. I will post a tutorial on how to make my Pocahontas costume later. It was really easy and cheap! Didn’t finish quite yet but had to get ready for the Angels game!

5:20 pm: Next some friends picked us up to go see the Angels game! I am not a big baseball fan but it wasn’t too bad. Fireworks shot up every time the Angels made a home run. That was interesting. Then Ne-Yo came out afterwards to perform which made my sister very happy. He was great, but too bad stadium speakers don’t give a singer justice for his talent. We left around 10:45 pm. I was extremely tired.

1:00 am: I stayed up to finish my Pocahontas costume. I had the fringe on the neckline to do. It was the last touch and I didn’t even plan for it but I honestly think it “made” the costume. I was impressed by how much this tan jersey cotton looked like suede. Working with old tees is great because the fabric doesn’t fray - you can do so much without real sewing! I couldn’t wait to put it on in a few hours. Oh yea, and I also encountered a BIG PROBLEM at this time. My phone was not taking new songs from iTunes. WHAT!!?? I had 6 songs total on my phone at this point. Oh well. I was tired and hoped that Pandora wouldn’t use up my whole data plan!

4:15 am: Woke up! Made some oatmeal in a mug and sliced in 1/2 a banana. So yummy and perfect carboliciousness before the race. Makeup and hair in 45 min.

5:20 am: My sis and I walked outside to wait for the shuttle to take us to Disneyland. It was still dark. I wasn’t tired at all suprisingly! 3 hours and 30 minutes of sleep in 2 days? Crazy and NOT at all healthy but I was SUPER excited to run! I think dressing up helped make the experience THAT MUCH MORE SPECIAL. (That’s why I like wearing nice fitness clothes to workout!) I’m wearing a Lululemon jacket, Nikes, some volleyball booty shorts, and a Lululemon sports bra under.

5:50am: In our corral waiting to move. Still dark. Sister is a pretty fitness fairy. I bought her that tutu yesterday before the race. So cute right!!?? It matched PERFECTLY with the pink sports bra I gave her from ALO. It’s one of the tops I got from ActivewearUSA for my Fashion of Fitness review videos (the one on this bra is coming soon in a “How to Dress like Jillian Michaels” edition). It’s $36 but honestly, the design on the back makes it worth it. You can see it here. I am happy that we can fit into each other’s clothes because it’s like having a double closet.

6:15am-ish: Finally A and B left and it was C’s turn! Running!!!! Yay!!!! There were lots of bright colors, running skirts, tutus, princesses, and Disney characters. Oh and lots of Lululemon. HA!

Yes I am holding my phone in my hand and not listening to music. Pandora was being a B****! It kept playing slow songs even when I pressed on my Top Hits Radio station! My Britney station! My Bruno Mars station! Everything they were playing was Enya status. I’ll never know why but I really didn’t think I would have to thumbs down a song WHILE running my first ever half marathon. Sigh. I eventually put my buds back in but did take a ton of video during the race.

One of the COOLEST parts of the run was when we ran onto the actual Angels baseball field!!! I never looked at the route so this was a surprise to me. I am thankful that our friends took us to the game the night before. It was like everything came full circle. My sister also said that right as we got into the stadium a Ne-Yo song started playing. That’s pretty awesome!

Here’s a really unattractive shot of me as I was reaching for my phone to record a vid but instead took a pic. Don’t you think that with the blue sky background and my braid flapping in the wind, I look ultra Pocahontas?

Also throughout the race random spectators yelled “Pocahontas!!!!”, “Go Poca!!!!” It was sooooo motivating!!!! I didn’t expect this but it definitely added a magical element to the experience that only Disney can provide :)

8:35 am-ish: DONE!!!!! 13.1 miles!!!!! I didn’t stop. Miles 1-11 were fine. But at 12, my ankles started to ache. At 13, my calves felt like they were about to become Charlie Horses. I had to curl my toes for the last mile while running to keep from cramping. It was the longest mile ever. I wish I could have sprinted the last 10 seconds but there was no way. I’d be limping for days if I did.

Coronation.

Celebration!

Time to eat!!!! This is the Cheesecake Factory sweet corn tamales. I love these things. Not exactly healthy though. It’s 1590 cals for 3 sweet corn cakes. EEK!! I ate 2 cakes and saved the third for later. I think it’s all the cream sauce that makes the calories add up. I want to try making these. Maybe next week.

I also ordered some Thai mushroom lettuce wraps. These are shiitake mushrooms in a butter lettuce leaf filled with some veggies and noodles. They weren’t very good actually. There was no flavor. Took 2 of the wraps home for dinner later.

And of course we had to celebrate with sweet potato fries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And tabasco sauce.

Today is a day off from working out. My hamstrings and calves still hurt. I am walking like a duck. Hahaha. I wouldn’t exactly say that I love this soreness. I don’t think this is the “good kind of sore” :P

Turns out my sis and I finished 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 22 min! Not bad! Like I said before, I had no time goal - just wanted to not stop running. And I did just that. I feel very accomplished and have my sis to thank for signing me up. I love her!!! Running with someone made it 20 billion times easier. Plus running a race with tens of thousands of other people give you a certain energy that you can’t get from just nutrition, sleep, and exercise. Haha, guess that’s why I was able to run a half marathon on 3.5 hours of sleep, bad music, and (my period). Maybe I will try another one on better conditions later. 

Much love! Enjoy your Monday!!! Any of you thinking of signing up? And to those of you who ran with us, comment! I wanna hear your experience too!

Cassey

Beach run!!! Waikiki style. Just getting started with my day - my lil sis snapped this at the end of our 5 mile dash. Workout buddies make getting fit so much easier, especially on vacay. Do you have a workout buddy? Btw, I see all of your questions but getting wifi is not easy here since I&#8217;m in the water or hiking most of the time. I&#8217;m gonna answer when my vacay is over. For now, keep asking I&#8217;ll get back to you soon! Promise! Enjoy the Hawaii pics! Love, Cassey

Beach run!!! Waikiki style. Just getting started with my day - my lil sis snapped this at the end of our 5 mile dash. Workout buddies make getting fit so much easier, especially on vacay. Do you have a workout buddy?

Btw, I see all of your questions but getting wifi is not easy here since I’m in the water or hiking most of the time. I’m gonna answer when my vacay is over. For now, keep asking I’ll get back to you soon! Promise!

Enjoy the Hawaii pics!

Love, Cassey

Anonymous asked: Hi! I am curious, do you have fitness or nutrition role models?? Who are your favorite celebs and athletes?? Cassey: Oh wow! A new type of question. I love it! For nutrition, I really like my Nutrition Diva podcasts. The woman&#8217;s name is Monica Reinagel and she is board-certified Licensed Nutritionist and a professionally-trained chef. She delivers quick tips on hot foodie topics that are clear and easy to understand. I am actually going to do a giveaway of her latest book Nutrition Diva&#8217;s Secrets for a Healthy Diet: What to Eat, What to Avoid, and What to Stop Worrying About. More on this later! Fitness role models that I admire are the instructors that are able to create a community and a loyal following with their passion for their format. The creators of formats like BODYPUMP, TurboJam, Hot Hula etc. were made by instructors who had a vision of sharing their workouts on a larger scale. They helped hundreds of thousands of people change their lives, and they did it in a fun and creative way. They had a vision and they made it happen. They impacted lives. These are the people I look up to. Creatives. Entrepreneurs. Doers. Risk takers. I hope to one day share Pop Pilates with many more people as well. My favorite athlete is Apolo Anton Ohno. He is an Olympic speed skater and I&#8217;ve had a crush on him since high school! Haha. I also got to meet him at a Dancing with the Stars taping, and we hugged. Twice! I don&#8217;t really have favorite celebrities, but in terms of who I think is gorgeous&#8230;the list includes Halle Barry, Mila Kunis, Sofia Vergara, Jessica Alba, Vanessa Hudgens, Kim Kardashian (sorry! I have to!), Eva Longoria, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Megan Fox. For males, Zac Efron is pretty cute. Mark Zuckerberg is pretty inspirational. Oh and this is shameless but I really like Jake Pavelka from the Bachelor! He is hot and that is all. Anonymous asked: Hi Cassey! You really are the best. I&#8217;ve been doing your videos for over half a year now and have gotten my little brother (12) and sister (14) hooked too! Whenever people ask me how I keep so fit, I tell them about my little secret: Pop Pilates! It&#8217;s obvious that you&#8217;re super passionate about what you do, and I love that! I&#8217;m curious about what other things in your life keep you happy and balanced. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working out and eating healthy? Are you dating anyone or do you have any pets? Sorry, maybe you think these questions are too personal or irrelevant, but we&#8217;re all friends here, right? Plus I think it&#8217;s necessary to emphasize the importance of a full and balanced lifestyle&#160;; ) Thanks for all you do! It&#8217;s amazing that you&#8217;ve made these videos accessible to people of all ages and to people who may not be able to afford workout videos or a gym membership. Cheers, Ella Cassey: Oh a Q&amp;A session about me! How fun! Ok here it goes: Q - What are your hobbies and interests outside of working out and eating healthy? A - I love dancing, esp. ballroom and salsa dancing. There was a point right after college when Arthur Murray hired me to be a ballroom dance teacher. Then I decided I didn&#8217;t want to be in a studio for like 11 hours a day! But I still love dancing. I also love drawing. Especially fashion sketching and fashion design. I&#8217;ve been drawing since forever. Back in elementary school, the group of girls that I used to hang out with during recess and lunch would always ask me to draw pictures of them in the latest outfits. The kids thought I was going to be a artist when I grew up. At least that&#8217;s what they put on my Valentines Day cards! Haha. Oh and I also like trivia&#8230;I&#8217;m not that great but I love a good mind boggler or two. Q - Are you dating anyone? A - I guess the best way to answer this right now is&#8230;not really ;P Q - Do you have any pets? A - I have one pet. His name is Turtle. Yes. And he is a turtle. A red-eared slider that I&#8217;ve had for over a decade! My parents bought him for me in Chinatown when he used to be about the size of a quarter. Now he is as big as a notebook! thatsweetedge asked: You&#8217;re butt blasters video worked wonders for me. I&#8217;m finally almost completely content with my body now the only part that I still want to tone is my thighs. No matter how much a run on the treadmill, how much I diet, and how much I do squats and lunges, I cant tone my thighs. They&#8217;re thinner but not where I want to be. My calves are so tiny and my legs are strong so I don&#8217;t think simple squats and lunges will do anything for me anymore. Pleaseeeee help me. I would be so grateful if you could make a high intensity thigh blaster pop pilates video. I have tried everything and your butt blaster video worked so well for me I know you can come up with something incredible! Please help me reach my goal in time for summer! I will finally have achieved the body I always wanted. I think alot of other girls can benefit from the video too! Cassey: Thanks for the thigh video suggestion. Have you tried my Legs &amp; Thighs 10 min video yet? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHfe0rG_THk Anonymous asked: Hi Cassey, my name is selmed and I want to ask a favours, can&#8217;t the videos be made downloadable so that those of us who have no constant access to internet take them on our computers for use? I really enjoy your videos, keep it up. Cassey: I am currently looking into making a DVD&#8230;but this won&#8217;t be for a while. I need to figure out music copyright laws. So, I&#8217;m sorry, but right now I cannot make them downloadable. salmoomah asked: Hey Cassey! I&#8217;ve never done Pilates before, but I discovered your Pop Pilates videos recently and I am absolutely loving them! I think that what you&#8217;re doing is a great way to motivate people to get fit and have fun at the same time :) I just have a question about your leg workout though&#8230; I&#8217;m not looking to tone or reduce any area of my legs in particular (although that would be a welcome side-effect), but I just want a good all-around leg workout. Would using your Legs and Thighs workout be sufficient for that, or would I also need to combine that with Slimmer Inner Thighs and Runner&#8217;s Calves? And once my body adjusts to the workout, what would I have to do to make it more intense? Feel free to answer this in my ask. I really appreciate your help! Keep doing what you&#8217;re doing because it&#8217;s awesome! &lt;3 Cassey: If you are serious about toning your legs, do all of the leg workouts. And once your body adjusts to the workout, I will have more workouts :) Anonymous asked: Dear Cassey, I love your recipes. Where do you take them from/do you know any websites with low calorie + healthy food and recipes? xoxo Cassey: I scour the internet for recipes of foods that I just happen to buy that weekend at the farmer&#8217;s market. I always link the recipe source at the bottom of each article. The sites that I love are: http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/ http://www.hungry-girl.com/ http://www.skinnytaste.com/ Anonymous asked: Dear Cassey, You have inspired me so much! Basically, I was in a procrastination rut, always delaying my diet+workout start but now I do your videos 6 time per week and I&#8217;m startin to gain confidence (I&#8217;ve lost about 12 pounds so far&#8230;). I would really like to start to running to gain even more resistance but I&#8217;m not sure of how many miles I should start with (bear in mind that I am NOT used to running!). How many do you think? P.S.: You are beautiful! Cassey: Thank you for your kind comments. First of all you can&#8217;t &#8220;gain resistance&#8221;. I think you mean improve your cardiovascular endurance. Start with jogging. If you have access to a treadmill, start around 5mph and go for a mile. Then try to go faster every week. Maybe 5.2. then 5.4. Once you get faster, try going for even longer distances! Good luck. justbeingjess asked: Hi Cassey, I have a question about &#8220;shins to the air&#8221;. During that I have tons of trouble keeping my shoulders relaxed, they always tighten up and lift off of the floor. How can I prevent this? Cassey: So when you&#8217;re in table top position or &#8220;shins to the air&#8221;, if your abs are weak, then you&#8217;re going to try to compensate my pushing your hands into the mat and tensing your neck/shoulders. Try to press your low back into the mat and leave you shins up as long as possible WITHOUT tensing your upper body. Once you start tensing, then release your toes to the floor. Then try again, you&#8217;ll get stronger each time. You could also place a rolled towel or pillow under your neck for support. Good luck! Anonymous asked: Hey Cassey! I LOVE your vids but wanted to ask that seeing as you&#8217;re doing focus videos like pilates for beginners etc could you possibly do an &#8216;Overcoming a Plateau&#8217; one? Just a suggestion! I like a challenge! Much love, Regina Cassey: That&#8217;s a great idea. That would probably just be a talking video though because everyone&#8217;s plateau will be different. If you&#8217;re trying to overcome a stagnant phase, you need to start changing your workout. That&#8217;s it. Add new moves that you&#8217;ve never done before and the body will get surprised. It will start burning calories faster until it gets more efficient again, at which point you will need to do something new again! Anonymous asked: Can Pilates actually make you taller? Cassey: In a sense, yes, because it will help with your posture so that you won&#8217;t walk around slumping anymore. But no it will not lengthen your bones. Anonymous asked: Hi Cassey, I suffer with bad lower back pain and I was wondering if you can recommend any exercises to help ease it? Cassey: Try &#8220;cat-cow&#8221;. You&#8217;re on all fours, palms down, knees down. Then you want to make a dip in your low back (like you&#8217;re holding a cup of soup on your low back) and stick your butt up. Now contrast that pose with a perching of the upper back - push the upper back high up into the air so that now your low back is arching in the other direction.  This should feel good. letsfocusonbeingthin asked: Hey Cassey! I discovered your videos and let me tell you&#8230;THANK YOU!!!!! When I first tried your videos I stopped and just watched the video and everyday it just kept getting easier! But one question, Pilates and Yoga are different, but which one is better to lose weight? I know it&#8217;s like DUH PILATES because you&#8217;re doing more physical work&#8230;but I&#8217;ve asked a few friends and they all said Yoga is very effective to so I dunno(: Cassey: Have you read my post on Pilates versus Yoga? Here is the link: http://www.blogilates.com/post/3696273044/pilates-versus-yoga-whats-the-diff-read Both are effective, just make sure you&#8217;re pushing yourself to the limit in each exercise and you will see results. Anonymous asked: Hey Cassey! My question is this, I work two different jobs: One is coaching gymnastics/tumbling 4 hours a day and involves alot of walking, catching, lifting and constant movement. The other is working at Subway, which involves constant walking at a pace of about 2-2.5 mph. The only time I&#8217;m sitting down is during the 20 minute lunch break. Can I count this as exercise? Should I add up the calories burned towards my calorie deficit? I feel like I&#8217;m clueless! Help? Mary Cassey: Hi Mary! Great question. Yes you can. But if you&#8217;re not seeing the results you want, it means that even with your constant movement, you&#8217;re still eating enough calories wipe out chances for weight loss. Does this make sense? Eat more calories than you burn and you will gain weight. Eat less calories than your burn and you will lose weight. Read my post on how to lose weight and find out your basal metabolic rate and your daily energy requirement. http://www.blogilates.com/post/3697883302/figure-out-exactly-how-many-calories-you-need-to Anonymous asked: Hey Cassey! Yipeee! You answered my question! Anyways, I think you should become a nutritionist since you&#8217;re a great role model for exercise + health. I would totally support you! I&#8217;m working on some Pop Pilates designs/slogans, and it&#8217;s really fun[: I wanted to know if there were exercises for building up quadriceps. Any ideas? Have a great week! Love, Lena Cassey: Cool Lena! I might consider looking more into nutrition. It is so interesting! Have you uploaded your design to the facebook page yet? And yes there are so many exercises for quads! Squats are amazing. Lunges too! rednblue asked: Cassey, your workout videos are SO awesome! I love that you incorporate your personality into them. I seriously feel like im working out with one of my friends. Thanks for keeping me motivated! p.s. I can&#8217;t wait to have toned awesome legs like you! =) Cassey: You know, I appreciate you telling me that you feel like you&#8217;re working out with one of your friends. I never really thought about it, but I guess I keep it pretty light and informal when I do the videos. But informal lets the personality shine through from my mat to your mat! So that&#8217;s pretty cool. Thanks for letting me know! Anonymous asked: i heard that no ab xercises are good for ur abs bc it will just built muscle on top of ur fat, thus making ur tummy fatter. PLEASE HELP!! Cassey: Okay, first of all this is so not true. #1. Ab exercises ARE good because they strengthen your core. If you don&#8217;t do ab exercises, how will you tone your midsection? #2. Muscle does NOT lay on top of fat. Muscle is attached to your bone, fat lays on top of muscle. I think what you may have heard is that doing a million crunches won&#8217;t get you a six pack. This is true. But you will get a stronger core. Underneath. You have to melt the fat off with cardio. shyskylark asked: Hey Cassey I love the move in the beginning of the butt blaster vid, it feels like I&#8217;m doing ballet on the floor. Having been a professional dancer I think it&#8217;s great. Do you have any more dancer like exercise moves for pilates?!!! Cassey: I love that move too! Check out The Bar Method. They are also very ballet and pilates-esque. I can do a video on dance-y moves. That&#8217;d be fun. Anonymous asked: I love your exercise, you&#8217;re an excellent instructor! I lost weight with your exercise and proper diet aid. I workout several times a week after your exercise. You&#8217;re the coolest! Alice from Romania Cassey: Congratulations! This is great news!

Anonymous asked:

Hi!

I am curious, do you have fitness or nutrition role models?? Who are your favorite celebs and athletes??

Cassey: Oh wow! A new type of question. I love it!

For nutrition, I really like my Nutrition Diva podcasts. The woman’s name is Monica Reinagel and she is board-certified Licensed Nutritionist and a professionally-trained chef. She delivers quick tips on hot foodie topics that are clear and easy to understand. I am actually going to do a giveaway of her latest book Nutrition Diva’s Secrets for a Healthy Diet: What to Eat, What to Avoid, and What to Stop Worrying About. More on this later!

Fitness role models that I admire are the instructors that are able to create a community and a loyal following with their passion for their format. The creators of formats like BODYPUMP, TurboJam, Hot Hula etc. were made by instructors who had a vision of sharing their workouts on a larger scale. They helped hundreds of thousands of people change their lives, and they did it in a fun and creative way. They had a vision and they made it happen. They impacted lives. These are the people I look up to. Creatives. Entrepreneurs. Doers. Risk takers. I hope to one day share Pop Pilates with many more people as well.

My favorite athlete is Apolo Anton Ohno. He is an Olympic speed skater and I’ve had a crush on him since high school! Haha. I also got to meet him at a Dancing with the Stars taping, and we hugged. Twice!

I don’t really have favorite celebrities, but in terms of who I think is gorgeous…the list includes Halle Barry, Mila Kunis, Sofia Vergara, Jessica Alba, Vanessa Hudgens, Kim Kardashian (sorry! I have to!), Eva Longoria, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Megan Fox. For males, Zac Efron is pretty cute. Mark Zuckerberg is pretty inspirational. Oh and this is shameless but I really like Jake Pavelka from the Bachelor! He is hot and that is all.

Anonymous asked:

Hi Cassey!

You really are the best. I’ve been doing your videos for over half a year now and have gotten my little brother (12) and sister (14) hooked too! Whenever people ask me how I keep so fit, I tell them about my little secret: Pop Pilates!

It’s obvious that you’re super passionate about what you do, and I love that! I’m curious about what other things in your life keep you happy and balanced. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working out and eating healthy?

Are you dating anyone or do you have any pets?

Sorry, maybe you think these questions are too personal or irrelevant, but we’re all friends here, right? Plus I think it’s necessary to emphasize the importance of a full and balanced lifestyle ; )

Thanks for all you do! It’s amazing that you’ve made these videos accessible to people of all ages and to people who may not be able to afford workout videos or a gym membership.

Cheers,

Ella

Cassey: Oh a Q&A session about me! How fun! Ok here it goes:

Q - What are your hobbies and interests outside of working out and eating healthy?

A - I love dancing, esp. ballroom and salsa dancing. There was a point right after college when Arthur Murray hired me to be a ballroom dance teacher. Then I decided I didn’t want to be in a studio for like 11 hours a day! But I still love dancing. I also love drawing. Especially fashion sketching and fashion design. I’ve been drawing since forever. Back in elementary school, the group of girls that I used to hang out with during recess and lunch would always ask me to draw pictures of them in the latest outfits. The kids thought I was going to be a artist when I grew up. At least that’s what they put on my Valentines Day cards! Haha. Oh and I also like trivia…I’m not that great but I love a good mind boggler or two.

Q - Are you dating anyone?

A - I guess the best way to answer this right now is…not really ;P

Q - Do you have any pets?

A - I have one pet. His name is Turtle. Yes. And he is a turtle. A red-eared slider that I’ve had for over a decade! My parents bought him for me in Chinatown when he used to be about the size of a quarter. Now he is as big as a notebook!

thatsweetedge asked:

You’re butt blasters video worked wonders for me. I’m finally almost completely content with my body now the only part that I still want to tone is my thighs. No matter how much a run on the treadmill, how much I diet, and how much I do squats and lunges, I cant tone my thighs. They’re thinner but not where I want to be. My calves are so tiny and my legs are strong so I don’t think simple squats and lunges will do anything for me anymore. Pleaseeeee help me. I would be so grateful if you could make a high intensity thigh blaster pop pilates video. I have tried everything and your butt blaster video worked so well for me I know you can come up with something incredible! Please help me reach my goal in time for summer! I will finally have achieved the body I always wanted. I think alot of other girls can benefit from the video too!

Cassey: Thanks for the thigh video suggestion. Have you tried my Legs & Thighs 10 min video yet? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHfe0rG_THk

Anonymous asked:

Hi Cassey, my name is selmed and I want to ask a favours, can’t the videos be made downloadable so that those of us who have no constant access to internet take them on our computers for use? I really enjoy your videos, keep it up.

Cassey: I am currently looking into making a DVD…but this won’t be for a while. I need to figure out music copyright laws. So, I’m sorry, but right now I cannot make them downloadable.

salmoomah asked:

Hey Cassey! I’ve never done Pilates before, but I discovered your Pop Pilates videos recently and I am absolutely loving them! I think that what you’re doing is a great way to motivate people to get fit and have fun at the same time :) I just have a question about your leg workout though… I’m not looking to tone or reduce any area of my legs in particular (although that would be a welcome side-effect), but I just want a good all-around leg workout. Would using your Legs and Thighs workout be sufficient for that, or would I also need to combine that with Slimmer Inner Thighs and Runner’s Calves? And once my body adjusts to the workout, what would I have to do to make it more intense? Feel free to answer this in my ask. I really appreciate your help! Keep doing what you’re doing because it’s awesome! <3

Cassey: If you are serious about toning your legs, do all of the leg workouts. And once your body adjusts to the workout, I will have more workouts :)

Anonymous asked:

Dear Cassey,

I love your recipes. Where do you take them from/do you know any websites with low calorie + healthy food and recipes?

xoxo

Cassey: I scour the internet for recipes of foods that I just happen to buy that weekend at the farmer’s market. I always link the recipe source at the bottom of each article. The sites that I love are:

http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/

http://www.hungry-girl.com/

http://www.skinnytaste.com/

Anonymous asked:

Dear Cassey,

You have inspired me so much! Basically, I was in a procrastination rut, always delaying my diet+workout start but now I do your videos 6 time per week and I’m startin to gain confidence (I’ve lost about 12 pounds so far…). I would really like to start to running to gain even more resistance but I’m not sure of how many miles I should start with (bear in mind that I am NOT used to running!). How many do you think?

P.S.: You are beautiful!

Cassey: Thank you for your kind comments. First of all you can’t “gain resistance”. I think you mean improve your cardiovascular endurance. Start with jogging. If you have access to a treadmill, start around 5mph and go for a mile. Then try to go faster every week. Maybe 5.2. then 5.4. Once you get faster, try going for even longer distances! Good luck.

justbeingjess asked:

Hi Cassey,

I have a question about “shins to the air”. During that I have tons of trouble keeping my shoulders relaxed, they always tighten up and lift off of the floor. How can I prevent this?

Cassey: So when you’re in table top position or “shins to the air”, if your abs are weak, then you’re going to try to compensate my pushing your hands into the mat and tensing your neck/shoulders. Try to press your low back into the mat and leave you shins up as long as possible WITHOUT tensing your upper body. Once you start tensing, then release your toes to the floor. Then try again, you’ll get stronger each time. You could also place a rolled towel or pillow under your neck for support. Good luck!

Anonymous asked:

Hey Cassey!

I LOVE your vids but wanted to ask that seeing as you’re doing focus videos like pilates for beginners etc could you possibly do an ‘Overcoming a Plateau’ one? Just a suggestion! I like a challenge! Much love, Regina

Cassey: That’s a great idea. That would probably just be a talking video though because everyone’s plateau will be different. If you’re trying to overcome a stagnant phase, you need to start changing your workout. That’s it. Add new moves that you’ve never done before and the body will get surprised. It will start burning calories faster until it gets more efficient again, at which point you will need to do something new again!

Anonymous asked:

Can Pilates actually make you taller?

Cassey: In a sense, yes, because it will help with your posture so that you won’t walk around slumping anymore. But no it will not lengthen your bones.

Anonymous asked:

Hi Cassey, I suffer with bad lower back pain and I was wondering if you can recommend any exercises to help ease it?

Cassey: Try “cat-cow”. You’re on all fours, palms down, knees down. Then you want to make a dip in your low back (like you’re holding a cup of soup on your low back) and stick your butt up. Now contrast that pose with a perching of the upper back - push the upper back high up into the air so that now your low back is arching in the other direction.  This should feel good.

letsfocusonbeingthin asked:

Hey Cassey! I discovered your videos and let me tell you…THANK YOU!!!!! When I first tried your videos I stopped and just watched the video and everyday it just kept getting easier! But one question, Pilates and Yoga are different, but which one is better to lose weight? I know it’s like DUH PILATES because you’re doing more physical work…but I’ve asked a few friends and they all said Yoga is very effective to so I dunno(:

Cassey: Have you read my post on Pilates versus Yoga? Here is the link: http://www.blogilates.com/post/3696273044/pilates-versus-yoga-whats-the-diff-read Both are effective, just make sure you’re pushing yourself to the limit in each exercise and you will see results.

Anonymous asked:

Hey Cassey!

My question is this, I work two different jobs: One is coaching gymnastics/tumbling 4 hours a day and involves alot of walking, catching, lifting and constant movement. The other is working at Subway, which involves constant walking at a pace of about 2-2.5 mph. The only time I’m sitting down is during the 20 minute lunch break. Can I count this as exercise? Should I add up the calories burned towards my calorie deficit? I feel like I’m clueless! Help?

Mary

Cassey: Hi Mary! Great question. Yes you can. But if you’re not seeing the results you want, it means that even with your constant movement, you’re still eating enough calories wipe out chances for weight loss. Does this make sense? Eat more calories than you burn and you will gain weight. Eat less calories than your burn and you will lose weight. Read my post on how to lose weight and find out your basal metabolic rate and your daily energy requirement. http://www.blogilates.com/post/3697883302/figure-out-exactly-how-many-calories-you-need-to

Anonymous asked:

Hey Cassey! Yipeee! You answered my question! Anyways, I think you should become a nutritionist since you’re a great role model for exercise + health. I would totally support you! I’m working on some Pop Pilates designs/slogans, and it’s really fun[: I wanted to know if there were exercises for building up quadriceps. Any ideas? Have a great week!

Love, Lena

Cassey: Cool Lena! I might consider looking more into nutrition. It is so interesting! Have you uploaded your design to the facebook page yet? And yes there are so many exercises for quads! Squats are amazing. Lunges too!

rednblue asked:

Cassey, your workout videos are SO awesome! I love that you incorporate your personality into them. I seriously feel like im working out with one of my friends. Thanks for keeping me motivated! p.s. I can’t wait to have toned awesome legs like you! =)

Cassey: You know, I appreciate you telling me that you feel like you’re working out with one of your friends. I never really thought about it, but I guess I keep it pretty light and informal when I do the videos. But informal lets the personality shine through from my mat to your mat! So that’s pretty cool. Thanks for letting me know!

Anonymous asked:

i heard that no ab xercises are good for ur abs bc it will just built muscle on top of ur fat, thus making ur tummy fatter. PLEASE HELP!!

Cassey: Okay, first of all this is so not true. #1. Ab exercises ARE good because they strengthen your core. If you don’t do ab exercises, how will you tone your midsection? #2. Muscle does NOT lay on top of fat. Muscle is attached to your bone, fat lays on top of muscle. I think what you may have heard is that doing a million crunches won’t get you a six pack. This is true. But you will get a stronger core. Underneath. You have to melt the fat off with cardio.

shyskylark asked:

Hey Cassey

I love the move in the beginning of the butt blaster vid, it feels like I’m doing ballet on the floor. Having been a professional dancer I think it’s great. Do you have any more dancer like exercise moves for pilates?!!!

Cassey: I love that move too! Check out The Bar Method. They are also very ballet and pilates-esque. I can do a video on dance-y moves. That’d be fun.

Anonymous asked:

I love your exercise, you’re an excellent instructor! I lost weight with your exercise and proper diet aid. I workout several times a week after your exercise. You’re the coolest! Alice from Romania

Cassey: Congratulations! This is great news!

Pushed my own limits today! I ran 26 minutes on the treadmill and did sprint intervals. I have never ever EVER put the speed past 8.0 mph and today it hit 10.0 mph! Now that is REAL FAST. I felt like I was flying. I am NOT a cardio person, so today&#8217;s treadmill workout was a personal achievement for me. I&#8217;m getting ready to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon in LA in September with my sister. So excited. Anyone else doing it? If you click on the picture above, it will take you to the treadmill workout I did today. It&#8217;s a series of speeds that goes 5 mph to 8 mph to 5 mph to 9mph to 5 mph to 10 mph etc etc. Each interval lasts about a minute. I got it from FitSugar. The one I did is called &#8220;Sprint Intervals&#8221;. There&#8217;s 4 different options. Try one today and PUSH YOUR LIMITS. I didn&#8217;t think I could, and I did! YAY!!! Good luck! Cassey

Pushed my own limits today! I ran 26 minutes on the treadmill and did sprint intervals. I have never ever EVER put the speed past 8.0 mph and today it hit 10.0 mph! Now that is REAL FAST. I felt like I was flying.

I am NOT a cardio person, so today’s treadmill workout was a personal achievement for me. I’m getting ready to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon in LA in September with my sister. So excited. Anyone else doing it?

If you click on the picture above, it will take you to the treadmill workout I did today. It’s a series of speeds that goes 5 mph to 8 mph to 5 mph to 9mph to 5 mph to 10 mph etc etc. Each interval lasts about a minute. I got it from FitSugar. The one I did is called “Sprint Intervals”. There’s 4 different options. Try one today and PUSH YOUR LIMITS. I didn’t think I could, and I did! YAY!!!

Good luck!

Cassey