Cassie Keeping - Crossfitter

We had the opportunity to work with Cassie on a cool fall day in October 2014. Although Cassie might not bring as much visible muscle to the table as some of the muscle competitors do, the old adage "don't judge a book by its cover" certainly comes to mind with her.

Cassie definitely wowed us with her strength and athleticism. Most athletes would have their hands full trying to keep up with this crossfitter. In our ongoing Grip Strength Challenge, she blew the field away, finishing second only to powerhouse physique competitor and world-class wrestler Shayla Turcotte. It will be interesting to see if anyone passes Cassie.

Vital Statistics: I'm 5-8, I weigh 146 pounds and I'm 25-years-old.

Athletic Background: I started track and field when I was around 15. I am an eight-time national qualifier; a four-time All American; and I hold a couple of records at my university. In college I competed in long jump, sprints, hurdles and I would run relays if they needed me.

I've competed in a couple of crossfit competitions, finishing second in one and ninth in the other. I competed in the Femsport 2014 Vancouver Open and finished second.

Athletic Goals: At some point I would like to look into bikini, figure or physique. I would like to try because it looks like a pretty good challenge and I like to be challenged.

I think I would like to do figure because I have a very developed and strong lower body. As far as my upper body goes, I would have to gain some biceps and triceps. Right now my lower body is figure and my upper body is bikini.

Training for figure would be different. For crossfit, you have to be functionally strong, walk on your hands and do handstand pushups; but for figure I would be more focused on developing my muscles versus seeing how strong and athletic I could actually be. I could be super strong and athletic but might not look it, so I would have to work on my upper body and actually show that I have some biceps muscles for figure competitions.

Occupation: I've been a personal trainer for about six months now and I love it. I don't think I would want to do anything else with my life. I love it because I'm being constantly challenged by my clients and also challenging my clients. I'm showing them that they have someone that believes in them and they are constantly pushing themselves to new limits that they didn't believe they could reach. It's always motivating to see someone do something that they didn't believe they could do. It's inspiring.

Pet Peeves: I hate shopping for jeans because it makes me feel super fat. It's because I can't fit my ass or my quads into jeans, but I can fit my waist into them. Someone needs to come up with jeans that fit athletic women, not just skinny women.

See Cassie's YouTube clip here https://youtu.be/vzYbVx8-xZM

See more Cassie at Athletic Women Magazine.

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