Cassey Ho's Blog, page 99

Get the Free Fitness Planner Pack!

You guys!

When it comes to getting motivated, it starts with clear and focused planning. But you know what gets me REALLY pumped up? When my planning gets to THIS LEVEL of cute!

In the Blogilates Fitness Planner Pack, you’ll find the following printable sheets!

Workout Calendar
Weekly Meal Planner
Grocery List
30 Day water Challenge
Habit Tracker

If you’d like to get access to the entire pack for FREE, just sign up to my newsletter below and I’ll send em right away!

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Cute 2018 Printable Monthly Calendars that are FREE!

Hey guys!

Even though we’ve got calendars on our phones and apps for literally anything you can think of, I’m a paper and pen type of gal. When it comes to staying organized, I like planners on my desk and calendars hanging on my wall! I’m super visual – so the more colorful, the more aesthetically pleasing, the more motivated I am to be on top of it all!

So, in the spirit of “pretty planning”, we worked on some cute PDF calendars for you to use throughout every month of 2018! Print them out and enjoy! They are all 8.5 x 11″.

2018 FULL YEAR
January 2018
February 2018
March 2018
April 2018
May 2018
June 2018
July 2018
August 2018
September 2018
October 2018
November 2018
December 2018

If you find these free printables helpful, share it with someone else in your life! Also, let me know what other printables you’d like to see us make for you!

Have a fabulous, super driven, and ultra happy 2018!

PIIT28 Starter Calendar

Hey guys!

If you’re ever thought about trying PIIT28, my Pilates Intense Interval Training program, but wasn’t really sure if the intensity level was right for you, then you know what? Take it for a test drive! So many PIITsters have gotten SO MUCH stronger, burned off extra fat, improved their posture and increased their confidence with this 28 day at-home workout program! It’s crazy what kind of success you’ll FEEL (and see) if you just choose to give it your all!

Clockwise from top left: Sarah, Corina, Chrissie, and Morgan.

So here’s how you’re gonna tackle this!

Try out this free PIIT28 Workout Calendar! Just download the PDF and then click on the video for the day. You’ll do four 7-minute rounds for a full 28 minute workout! Each round has a mixture of 7 fat burning cardio moves and Pilates-inspired exercises that I’ve crafted into a muscle sculpting, fat melting routine for you. You won’t need any dumbbells, bands or benches…just you and your yoga mat in your living room! You will work up a SERIOUS SWEAT!

Download linked PDF | Download hi-res JPEG

If you end up loving how efficient and effective this Starter Calendar is and want more, then head over to PIIT28.com to check out the entire program! You’ll begin with 1.0 as your foundation and work up your way to 3.0 as you keep getting stronger, faster, and more flexible!

If you end up joining PIIT, you’ll have access to the entire PIIT Portal complete with a comprehensive e-book, exclusive videos, and an invitation to a private group for support. It’s only a one time fee for lifetime access!

And…if you finish the first 28 days of the #PIITSTAGRAM Challenge in PIIT 1.0, then I’ll send you the official PIIT28 Completion Top as a reward! This shirt can never be bought. Only earned.

Because I believe in this program so much and I really, REALLY want you to experience it full on…here’s a 20% OFF code for the ENTIRE SITE! The discount code is “FITWITHPIIT20” and the coupon is valid until Feb 1, 2018!

I developed this program to help save myself time, and also to help me stay fit while traveling. It’s done so much for my body and for my mental strength. So, I really hope you give yourself the chance to experience a true inner and outer transformation!

Have fun! I’m super excited for your journey!

PIIT28 Starter Calendar

Hey guys!

If you’re ever thought about trying PIIT28, my Pilates Intense Interval Training program, but wasn’t really sure if the intensity level was right for you, then you know what? Take it for a test drive! So many PIITsters have gotten SO MUCH stronger, burned off extra fat, improved their posture and increased their confidence with this 28 day at-home workout program! It’s crazy what kind of success you’ll FEEL (and see) if you just choose to give it your all!

Clockwise from top left: Sarah, Corina, Chrissie, and Morgan.

So here’s how you’re gonna tackle this!

Try out this free PIIT28 Workout Calendar! Just download the PDF and then click on the video for the day. You’ll do four 7-minute rounds for a full 28 minute workout! Each round has a mixture of 7 fat burning cardio moves and Pilates-inspired exercises that I’ve crafted into a muscle sculpting, fat melting routine for you. You won’t need any dumbbells, bands or benches…just you and your yoga mat in your living room! You will work up a SERIOUS SWEAT!

Download linked PDF | Download hi-res JPEG

If you end up loving how efficient and effective this Starter Calendar is and want more, then head over to PIIT28.com to check out the entire program! You’ll begin with 1.0 as your foundation and work up your way to 3.0 as you keep getting stronger, faster, and more flexible!

If you end up joining PIIT, you’ll have access to the entire PIIT Portal complete with a comprehensive e-book, exclusive videos, and an invitation to a private group for support. It’s only a one time fee for lifetime access!

And…if you finish the first 28 days of the #PIITSTAGRAM Challenge in PIIT 1.0, then I’ll send you the official PIIT28 Completion Top as a reward! This shirt can never be bought. Only earned.

Because I believe in this program so much and I really, REALLY want you to experience it full on…here’s a 20% OFF code for the ENTIRE SITE! The discount code is “FITWITHPIIT20” and the coupon is valid until Feb 1, 2018!

I developed this program to help save myself time, and also to help me stay fit while traveling. It’s done so much for my body and for my mental strength. So, I really hope you give yourself the chance to experience a true inner and outer transformation!

Have fun! I’m super excited for your journey!

January 2018 Workout Calendar!

Hey guys!

Happy new year! Are you ready to get back on track like this lil puppy bear creature on a treadmill?

I am! Jan 1, 2018 marks day one of the 2018 Reset Challenge! If you’re ready to eat well and exercise with me for the next 28 days, then your first task is to:

#1. Take a before picture! Front, side, and back in a sports bra and shorts or a bikini. Keep this for your own records!

Then you shall only eat Reset-friendly foods for the next 28 days. Remember, The 28 Day Reset is not a diet. It is a way of finding your food sensitivities!

#2. Follow this free PDF to understand how to make Reset-friendly meals for the next 28 days. 

Next, you will commit to being active! Whether that means going full out with PIIT28 workouts, doing the Blogilates Workout Calendar, or just walking your dog – as long as you’re moving, you’re being active!

#3. You will agree to be active for 30 min a day, 6 days a week. 

Go all in guys! Commit! If you follow the rules for the 28 days you will see and feel a transformation. Do this for your body and for your mental strength. You’ve got this!

#4. On the last day of the challenge, Jan 28, you will take an after picture from the same angles, in the same clothing. Post the before and after pics in a side by side collage and write a post about how you’ve transformed inside and outside! Be sure to hashtag #28DayReset.

Are you in!?? I am!!! Let’s do this! Here’s your new January 2018 Workout Calendar. Follow this to commit to being active daily!

Download linked PDF | Download hi-res JPEG

If this is your first Blogilates workout calendar, you’ll want to know the following:

You can find each video by simply clicking on the link in the PDF (all located at youtube.com/blogilates)
Do each video once through unless otherwise directed
Check off as you go
Fridays are stretch & rest days, so no work outs!

Yay! Happy new year guys! I can’t wait to smash the next 365 days! Love you so much!

Your 2018 Reset Challenge is…

GUYS!

Are you ready to take on a challenge that will give you the momentum you need to make a lasting change in your body and your mindset…for the rest of your life?

Good, because I am too. 2017 was a rough year for me personally and professionally, so that ended up affecting how I ate and how much time I had to exercise. It didn’t feel good. And I don’t want to enter the new year feeling this way anymore. So if you’re up for it, I challenge you to take the 2018 Reset Challenge with me. You in?!

The 2018 Reset Challenge rules:

Challenge begins Jan 1, 2018. Take a before picture (front/side/back) in a bikini or in sports bra and shorts.
PART 1 – THE FOOD: You will only eat Reset-friendly foods.
PART 2 – THE WORKOUT: You will be active for 30 minutes a day, 6x a week.
Challenge ends Jan 28, 2018. Take an after picture (front/side/back) all from the same angle and in the same outfit as your before picture. Share your results with hashtag #28dayreset!

 

The challenge is only 28 days long, but will set you up for a lifetime of understanding your body. Having acne, feeling bloated, being tired, and carrying around extra “stubborn” fat doesn’t feel good, and you deserve nothing less than feeling amazing. The truth is, we’ve gotten used to thinking the above is “normal”. But it doesn’t have to be your normal. Your normal should be your best.

And that’s where The 28 Day Reset comes into play.

PART 1 – THE FOOD:

What you need to know is that The 28 Day Reset is NOT A DIET. It is a way for you to clean out your body and figure out what food intolerances and sensitivities you may have. Things like losing weight – which isn’t even the main point of the Reset – become a bonus benefit! Many POPsters have lost anywhere between 5-15 lbs in the 28 days. It’s kinda insane!

This challenge is FREE for everyone to take on! All you need is to download the FREE PDF that I wrote up for you below. It explains everything:

Download the FREE PDF

If you feel like you want more…like a structured 28 day meal plan, grocery lists, substitutions + over 150 recipes, then I recommend you get my complete 28 Day Reset Nutrition Guide. There’s also an option for vegans!

If you already have the Nutrition Guide and you want even more yummy recipes…then I have a surprise for you! :)

Over the past year and a half, I’ve been working on a new cookbook for busy people with no time – something that many POPsters requested right when I launched the Reset.

My new digital cookbook is called Perfect 10 and guys, all the 70+ brand new recipes have 10 ingredients or less and will take 10 minutes or less to make!!! There are tons of vegan and vegetarian options inside too! If you want to see what some of the meals look like – click here for some free sample recipes!

Ok so seriously y’all. No excuses when it comes to doing the Reset! You have a free guide plus options for all sorts of easy to make recipes. I’m setting you up for success here! :D

PART 2 – THE WORKOUT:

Being active for 30 min a day, 6x a week won’t be the hard part…choosing what you want to do will be! Here are your options.

#1. Follow the 28 day PIIT28 Program 

#2. Do the PIIT28 Starter Calendar (free)

#3. Do the January 2018 Workout Calendar (free)

#4. Do the Blogilates Beginner’s Workout Calendar (free)

 

OK ARE YOU READY.

Comment below as step 1 to committing!!!! LET’S DO THIS!!!!!! Jan 1 here we come!

 

The Best Workout for Capricorns!

Hey guys!

My birthday is in less than a month and I honestly am not ready. This year has gone by way too fast. A lot of stuff happened. Good and bad. Personal and professional. And there’s soooooo much I want to share with you. So much that I want you to learn from. I suppose I need to do an in-depth blog post before the new year comes along. Sometimes I wish I could just have some of you over for a deep fireside chat. One day…hmmmm…perhaps a retreat of sorts?

Anyway, ’tis officially the season of the Capricorn (Dec 21 – Jan 19)! If you’re into horoscopes, then you’re gonna be in for a treat. Each month, we will be launching a Zodiac workout that will give you your ideal exercise regimen according to your sign. And this month, we’re starting off with Capricorn! Based on your personality, here is your Sweat Horoscope:

You are disciplined and take your workouts very seriously, so you need something to match your intensity! The perfect workout for you is PIIT28: the challenge of a high intensity interval workout paired with the concentration of Pilates will push you to your potential. And as a Capricorn, you get satisfaction from excelling in difficult tests of strength – physical and mental.

So here it is! There are 7 moves. Do each move for 45 seconds and rest for 15 seconds in between. Then repeat the entire sequence 4x through for a 28 minute workout! Ok, are you ready!? Here ya go:

#1. Low Running Man

Begin in a lunge position with one leg extended straight back! Reach your opposite arm down towards the ground by your forward foot. Have the other arm up in the air! then jump and switch!

Works: Butt, legs, obliques, back

#2. Side Press Up

Laying on your side with feet together, place your upper hand directly in front of your bottom shoulder while hugging your waist with your bottom arm. Press through the bottom palm and lift your obliques off the ground as lift your upper leg up as well!

Works: Triceps, obliques, chest, shoulders

#3. Lunging Twist

Begin in a lunge position and then spring up on one leg, bringing knee to opposite elbow! To make it harder, add a jump!

Works: Cardio, butt, legs, obliques

#4. Butterfly Sit Up

Begin on your back with hands long overhead, back flat, soles of your feet touching, knees out in a diamond shape. Squeeze your abs, sit up, and reach your hands to your feet.

Works: Abs, stretches hip flexors

#5. Ballet Legs

Begin standing with arms outstretched, legs wider than hips. Stand on your tippy toes for extra calf engagement. Then jump in and criss cross your legs while bringing your arms in.

Works: Cardio, calves, legs

#6. Cobra Pushup

Laying on your belly, place your palms underneath your shoulders, legs extended out. Press through the palms and lift your chest up, leaving your hips on the mat.

Works: Triceps, chest, low back

#7. Plank Hopover

Begin in Animalia position on all fours with knees lifted off the ground on one side of the mat (if using mat). Engage your core and prepare your legs to spring up into the air and land on the other side of the mat in Animalia position.

Works: Cardio, quads, core, shoulders

You can get this plus all my other pins on Pinterest! Hope you enjoyed the workout. Let me know in the comments below what your sign is!

Trying to feel beautiful. I still struggle.

Last night I attended the Unforgettable Gala which is basically the “Oscars” of the Asian American community. I was really excited to get ready for the red carpet and wear this new dress I got just for the event! I was feeling super good about myself…until…I got there.

Looking at this photo, you’d think I was feeling calm, confident and in control. But the truth is, tonight I let my insecurities take me to a place of self criticism. Surrounded by so many gorgeous Asian American women who were actresses, models, and pageant queens – I looked at them, then at me, and saw what I always saw growing up – I’m the “bigger” Asian girl.

I don’t have the naturally thin body type that many girls of my heritage are born with. I mean who cares right!? I gotta own what I’ve got! But to be 100% honest with you, even fearless role models will slip up from time to time. They may not tell you, but I’m telling you. And tonight was one of those nights.

Eventually Sam was able to help pull me out of this pitiful hole, reminding me how beautiful he thought I was. And he didn’t just do it yesterday. He has done it everyday…from the day we started dating til now, over 9 years later. I’m so thankful to have him by my side as my partner, as my rock.

Sometimes you lose sight of everything you already have and start focusing on what you don’t have. That’s when you need to shift your perspective and find gratefulness.

The reality is…my non-thin body has taken me to where I am today and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

The fine line between body positivity and body shaming

Hey guys! Ugh, I need to do a mini rant. Please bear with me.

In the age of Internet rage, sometimes it feels like I can’t say anything without someone being upset or misunderstanding my intentions. We all jump to conclusions. We throw our pitchforks and comment “UNFOLLOWING!” or assess someone’s entire personhood based on one thing they said or did. It can be frustrating, but I try to remember we’re all human and all perceive things differently. Maybe the internet has just made it easier to be angry faster.

As you probably know, I’m in the process of wedding planning and BOY OH BOY, it’s a lot! It’s exciting and I am so truly happy, but ya’ll, it can be really exhausting too. I’ve been sharing a lot about my wedding and the whole process with all of you, and it’s honestly been really fun getting a little more personal!! But as always, opening up comes with an occasional price.



Last month, I posted a photo in a wedding dress with a caption about maybe doing a “Bridal Bootcamp” workout series and the specific muscle groups I wanted to focus on. Immediately, I saw a comment that said I wasn’t being very “body positive.”

I’m gonna be honest with you guys, it made me sad. I know I shouldn’t let one comment really get to me, but it did! I mean here I am a month later and it’s still something that gnaws at me. And I think the reason is because I DO promote body positivity! Anyone who follows me knows I focus on getting stronger, both physically and mentally.

In the fitness world, I’ve felt inadequate BECAUSE my body doesn’t look like other bodies I see online. I don’t have a six pack. I don’t have a big booty. And I’ve been publicly body shamed for it. But you know what? I am strong. And I work hard. And I make sure to take care of my mind too. To me, that’s fitness. It’s not about looking a certain way. It’s gaining confidence and feeling good in your own skin.

The body positivity movement is a great thing. In its origin, it was about encouraging people to be more forgiving towards their bodies. It’s about positive affirmations. It’s learning to love yourself wherever you are in your fitness journey. And guess what?! Fitness journey doesn’t mean the end goal is be a size zero. EVERYONE has a different journey. We have different goals we set for ourselves. Being healthy does not look a certain way.

But have we started using the term “body positivity” as a way to shame people too?

If I talk about fitness, am I not body positive? If I share healthy meal recipes, am I not body positive? If I release workouts and moves to target certain areas and help people achieve whatever goal they’ve set, am I not body positive?

I want people to love their bodies. I want people to nourish their bodies. I want people to wake up PROUD of their bodies. Those things have nothing to do with size.

So hey, I’m still going to do a Bridal Bootcamp series anyway. Because I wanna feel good on my wedding day and I think you should too! But as always, it will be focused on strength. On feeling fierce.

And yeah, there will be videos targeting arms, videos focused on booty, videos made for whatever area you want to work. This doesn’t make me body negative, it makes me body positive because I believe in what our bodies can do. That’s enough for me. I hope that’s enough for you too.

What do you guys think of body positivity? Have you ever felt shamed by a movement that’s whole purpose is meant to be uplifting?

I wasted so much time being embarrassed…

Hey guys,

I’m having a reminiscing kinda day and I’m just thinking about all those times I wasted feeling embarrassed. It’s a weird feeling. No one likes it. And the sooner we can shake it off, the sooner we can get on with life!

But when we’re young, we spend soooo much energy being embarrassed. For example, my last name. “Ho”. Kids always made fun of me for that (on top of being chubby and asking too many questions in class). I felt really bad that I didn’t have a regular last name like “Smith” or “Lee” or something like that. I was ashamed of my name and I let the thoughts of other ignorant people negatively affect my self-confidence.

I look back and wish 6th grade Cassey could choose not to worry about that. But being young, EVERYTHING is the end of the world.

I’ll say this – one of the benefits to getting older is you start gaining perspective on what really matters…and who’s opinion actually matters. You learn what is a big deal and what just seems like a big deal. We start cutting ourselves slack. We allow ourselves chances to mess up and make mistakes. We aren’t absolutely consumed with what people will think.

When I think back on all the things I didn’t do because I was embarrassed, I feel so sad. When I think about time I spent being worried someone would make fun of me or think I wasn’t cool, I just want that time back.

Here’s the truth: we’re our hardest critics. No one is looking at you as much as you think they are. Take that dance class! Try out for a local improv group! Join a recreational soccer league! TRY things! Do stuff you are interested in. You are the biggest obstacle standing in your way. Because, I promise, if you’re thinking, “I’m just going to embarrass myself!” you’ll think back later and wish you had given it a chance.

When we think back on our most embarrassing moments, they usually turn into funny stories. Funny at the time? Oh DEFINITELY not! But honestly, life is about looking foolish occasionally. It’s putting yourself out there and being vulnerable and attempting stuff you haven’t done before. If you can laugh at yourself, nothing is ever that bad.

I want to always try new things. New fitness classes. New endeavors. New activities. Am I going to be good at everything I do? Nope. Am I going to look out of place and like I don’t know what I’m doing? YEP. Because that’s what “new” means. You haven’t done it before!

We let embarrassment and fear keep us from so many life experiences. We get into our own heads. That mean lil’ voice of ours emerges and fills us with negativity.

Tell that voice to SHUT IT. Life is too short to be embarrassed.

I dare you to step outside of your comfort zone this week. Do you accept?