B Strong Greatest HIITs: [At-Home] Planks & Plyos Drill

I love drills like this to burn out your body at the end of a workout. I also keep them in my back pocket for days I can't get to the gym and/or don't have any equipment available to me. In just 6-10 minutes, you can get your heart rate up, work every major muscle group AND get a good sweat going!

Here's your drill:
*1min/movement series x 3-5 rounds [no rest between movements]
A. Plank Series: 2 Low Plank Oblique Crunches; March to High Plank for 2 Cross Under Crunches; March Down to Low Plank & Repeat from beginning.
B. 2 Lunge Jacks + 2 Squat Jacks; repeat for full 60 seconds.

Notes on form:
[Plank Series]
- Engage lats, squeeze glutes, and tighten quads to maintain a straight spine & keep hips squared up with the floor.
- As you march up & down, avoid letting your hips twist so one drops closer to the floor!
[Lunge Jacks]
- Land softly, with upright posture, & in proper lunge position: front foot flat, back foot with heel lifted, and weight equally distributed between front & back foot.
- Drive through the heel of your front foot as you push off the toe of your back foot to jump your feet together.
[Squat Jack]
- Land softly, with upright posture, & in proper squat position: feet flat, loading the heels of each foot, hips hinged back behind you and knees bent at least 90 degrees.
- Drive through your heels as you jump your feet back together.

How many rounds were you able to power through?! Tell me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs 2017: Kettlebell High Pull + Inch Worm + Push-up

Try this kettlebell high pull & inch worm push-up combo to develop power in your legs, strength in your legs, chest, triceps & shoulders, & stability in your core and shoulder joints. You're engaging your entire body with every rep, which is more demanding metabolically [you'll burn a TON of calories!].

This total body exercise can be done in intervals for time [60-90sec work; 15-30sec rest; 3-5 rounds], or you can count reps [10-15 reps; 3-5 sets] - either way, I'd recommend including this in a total body circuit of 3+ exercises.

FORM:
- I bend my knees JUST enough to grab the handle, (my elbows are NOT bent), then I drive my feet into the floor as quickly and as hard as I can to give the KB the momentum to fly up off the ground. 
- My arms don't really come into play until the bell is headed toward my jaw and I stop that sucker right below my chin. 
- Then, my arms control the bell on the way down so that it doesn't jolt my shoulder & elbow joints. 
- When I walk my hands back to my feet from my push-up, I take my time resetting my starting squat position for my high pull, (ensuring my booty is lower than my head & my spine is straight), so I don't jack up my back.

Not new to the high pull?? GO HEAVY, bro! Movements like that help you run faster, jump higher, oh & give you a firm, round booty  - if you're into that sorta thing ;-)

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

B Strong,

Cassie B.

Hard CORE: Plank Gliding Knee Tucks + Sandbag Pull Through

This movement is a great way to engage your entire body to burn as many calories as possible as you sculpt your shoulders and core! While this isn't the best option for beginners, it's the perfect exercise to work your way up to because it's far more interesting than beginner movements once you've earned your solid foundation of strength. Even without the Lynx board, you can use Gliders, paper plates or towels on a smooth surface. And even without the sandbag, you can use a Kettlebell instead.

Notes on form:
- To keep lower back fully supported, hold your hips at shoulder level both during knee tuck and pull-throughs.
- Also keep lats engaged by pulling shoulders down away from ears and making neck as long as possible.
- When you lift your hand for a pull-through, be sure that hip doesn't lift above or drop below the other hip.
- Squeezing your glutes and lower abdominals tight will also help keep your hips stable and square to the floor.

Perform this movement for intervals of 20-60 seconds with 10-30 seconds of rest in between, or add it to a HIIT circuit, for 3-5 rounds of work.

Are you ready to get on this Hard Core level?! Tell me how it goes on IG/TW @cassiebstrong #BStrongHardCore!

B Strong,

Cassie B.