B Strong Greatest HIITs 2017: [At Home] Plank Core & Leg Burner

DAY 15! 

Here's an equipment-free total body drill to do on days when you're pinched for time and can't get to the gym. It's up to you whether you do 6min or 10min of work... but you're guaranteed to break a good sweat!

Here's the drill:
60sec per sequence; no rest between rounds; complete 3-5 rounds.
A. Low Plank + 2 Plank Jacks to High Plank + 2 Gorilla Hops
B. Sumo Squat Hold + Pivot to Lunge + Pencil Hop 

FORM:
[Plank Series]
- In low plank, keep hips at shoulder height, pelvis tucked, glutes squeezed & belly tight.
- Avoid letting hips sink & lower back sway during plank jacks.
- Avoid letting hips twist as you march up to high plank.
- Jump feet to outside of hands & land with feet flat on floor - don't just land on your toes!
- Keep your back flat as you land in the gorilla squat position.
[Squat & Lunge Series]
- Start at bottom of Sumo Squat, then drop one knee down as you pivot onto the ball of that foot.
- Turn 90 degrees, until you're in a Lunge, facing the side of your front knee, your back shin is parallel to the floor, and hips are squared up with the wall you're facing.
- Squeeze the glute of your back leg tight to support your lower back.
- Knees should remain in 90 degree angle as you pivot back to the Sumo Squat position.
- Spring up off the floor, pull your feet together, then bring them back apart again to land in your starting position: a Sumo Squat.

Did you feel the burn?! Tell me how you liked it on IG/TW/FB @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs 2017: Landmine Reverse Lunge + Row & Lateral Hop Drill

DAY 13!

You'll strengthen your legs and back, challenge your core, and your heart rate will jump sky high by the end of this total body HIIT circuit using the landmine! Bar too heavy? Use a dumbbell! Bar too light? Throw a plate on there!

Here's the drill:
A. Landmine Reverse Deep Lunge + 1 Arm Row - 30sec
B. Same Thing, Other Side - 30sec
C. Lateral Hops Over Bar - 30sec
D. Rest - 30sec
Complete 3-5 rounds.

FORM:
[Landmine Reverse Deep Lunge + Row]
- Holding the bar in your left hand, step your left leg back to a deep lunge, [left leg is straight, right knee bends to deep angle, place right hand on thigh to stabilize spine for the row]. 
- Perform a single row with your left arm, pulling your elbow back toward the ceiling.
- Drive through your right heel as you step your left foot forward and back beside your right foot.
- Repeat for 30sec
- Switch sides & repeat for 30sec rowing with right arm & stepping right foot back to deep lunge.
[Lateral Hops Over Bar]
- Stay light on your feet.
- Take it slow so you don't land on the bar and do bad things to your ankles!
- Do a couple extra hops before you go back up and over until you feel confident jumping over the bar.
- As you can see in the video, after doing extra hops the first few jumps, I don't need to anymore because I've gauged it and feel more confident about going side to side consistently.

Send this to your workout buddy so they have a heads up for what's coming their way your next trip to the gym! Questions? Reach out by clicking on the contact tab above, or on IG/TW/FB @cassiebstrong!

B Strong!

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs 2017: Kettlebell Complex + Burpee Drill

DAY 12! This whole series took me over 2 minutes to complete a single round! Of course, I want to shave time off that, but I'm also happy to have so many muscle fibers functioning for such a length of time because it gets your body burning fat to the max!

***DISCLAIMER: Kettlebells are tricky AF! I HIGHLY recommend working 1 on 1 with myself or another trainer to master this movement pattern before attempting this drill. A potential back injury is NOT worth doing this today - wait until you've mastered a simple swing before moving on to this.***

Here's the series:
5 Kettlebell Cleans
10 Single Arm KB Swings
15 KB Figure 8's
Repeat on other side
10 Lateral Hops Over KB & Down to a Burpee
Rest 45-60 seconds.
Repeat from beginning for a total of 2-4 rounds.

FORM:
[Kettlebell Clean]
- I bend my knees JUST enough to grab the handle, (my elbow is NOT bent), then, keeping my spine straight, I drive my feet into the floor and snap my hips up over my ankles as quickly and as hard as I can to give the KB the momentum to fly up off the ground. 
- My arm moves like I'm zipping up my jacket until the bell is headed toward my jaw, then I flip the bell over and rack it on my forearm. 
- Then, my arm controls the bell on the way down so that it doesn't jolt my shoulder & elbow joints.

[Kettlebell Single Arm Swing]
- Spine stays straight, always.
*** The key to a KB swing is understanding that the movement pattern of your hips dictates the movement pattern of the bell. If you want the bell to swing back to front, your hips must "swing" back to front. It's NOT a simple squatting motion. Letting your hips move up & down while trying to get the bell to move back to front WILL hurt your lower back.***
- When the bell swings back, your knees soften and your hips hinge, [butt sticks back but spine stays straight].
- To swing the bell forward, act like someone surprised you with a smack on the booty - snap your hips forward and squeeze those cheeks!
- Keep your neck long, lats engaged, & SQUEEZE THAT CORE!

[Kettlebell Figure 8's]
- When the bell swings back between your legs, your other hand is reaching back there to grab it.
- Moving your hips just like a kettlebell swing, and keeping your spine straight, snap your hips forward, squeeze your glutes super tight, and swing the bell up in front of your chest to catch the bell, [not the handle, the actual bell], with your other hand.
- When you catch the bell in front of your chest, you do not switch it over to the other hand. Let it go again, and that same hand is the one that reaches behind you to take the handle as it swings back between your legs.
- When you pass it to your left hand, drive through your left foot with power as you snap your hips forward to swing it up in front of your chest.
- When you pass it to your right hand, drive through your right foot with power as you snap your hips forward to swing it up in front of your chest.

[Lateral Hop + Burpee]
- Stay light on your feet!
- "Chest to the deck" for the push-up in the burpee!

Were you surprised how high your heart rate was before you even started the burpee drill?! Tell me how you faired on IG/TW/FB @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs 2017: Battle Rope + Bench Hop Drill

Happy New Year!

I'm ringing in 2017 with 5 HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout ideas each week for the 1st 4 weeks of the year! Here's the 1st of many:

This battle rope & bench hop drill will train speed & power while strengthening your core, improving shoulder stability AND burning fat!

Here's what it is: an EMOM. "Every Minute On the Minute" you have a task to complete. Once you complete that task, you rest the remaining seconds in the minute. So, the harder you work & the faster you get it done, the more rest time you've earned yourself ;-)

Here are your tasks: ODD minutes = 50 battle rope slams. EVEN minutes = 30 bench hops. Complete for 8-12 minutes; that's 4-6 rounds per movement. [If you're a battle rope pro, increase your reps to 60 slams & 40 hops, you beast you ;-)].

How many reps & rounds did you get through on your 1st attempt?! Tell me on IG/TW/Snapchat @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

Hump Day Booty Move: TRX Floating Lunge + Hop

Bulgarians are one of my FAVORITE exercises for working my legs and booty. Turning them into a plyo makes for an incredible challenge on your core and an amazing conditioning exercise perfect for a HIIT circuit. You don't have to jump though! In fact, I recommend performing just the lunge for several workouts before you attack the jump. If you'd rather not jump ever, work up to holding some dumbbells or kettlebells as you do your lunges!

Notes on form:
- Keep your weight in the heel of the foot that's on the floor.
- Actively press your shoelaces down into the strap to better engage your core for balance.
- As you bend your standing leg, keep your chest upright, spine straight, and bend your floating leg as you continue to push your shoe laces downward - I often see clients lock out their floating leg, which disengages your core and puts your lower back at risk if you don't have the range of motion for it. Shoot to keep a 90 degree angle in that back leg.

How did you tackle this move? Did you just lunge? Did you lunge holding weight? Or did you jump?! Share with me on Instagram/Twitter @cassiebstrong #BStrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.