B Strong Greatest HIITs: [At Home] Arms & Legs Workout

Get ready for a serious BURN with this one! It doesn't look like much, but you'll feel it everywhere!! Grab a 12-18 inch high chair or bench, be sure to prop it against a wall so it doesn't move, and you're good to go! You can totally do the 1st movement on the floor, without your hands up on the chair, which will make it more challenging on your arms & core, just keep the chair nearby for the BULGARIANS!

Here's the series:
A. Tricep Pump Push-up + "Bunches of Crunches" (crunch the same knee across to opposite elbow, straight forward between elbows, then oblique crunch to the same elbow).
B. Alternating Bulgarian Split Squats & Hops (5 of each on each leg)
Alternate between movements A & B, with minimal rest between movements, until you've completed 3-5 rounds of each.

Notes on form:
[Tricep Pump Push-up]
- Hands directly under shoulders, aim your elbows back toward your hips and keep them pulled tight toward your ribcage - this is how you target your triceps.
- Once you reach the bottom of the push-up, do a pulse where you push-up only a few inches, then return to the bottom before pushing all the way back up to plank.
- Maintain a long neck, neutral spine, and tight abdominals.
[Bunches of Crunches]
- Each time you crunch your knee, brace your core as tight as you can.
- Each time you extend your leg back, do so until is straightens & squeeze your glute tight.
[Bulgarian Split Squat]
**The hop is 100% optional!**
- Place one foot on the chair or bench & keep your standing foot flat on the floor throughout the entire movement - the only time your heel should leave the floor is for the hop!
- Stand upright, without arching your back, pull your belly tight & tuck your back knee under your body as you lunge.
- Drive through the heel of your standing leg as you stand/hop.
- When you hop, land softly, bending your knee & keeping your chest upright as you land.

Grab a workout buddy and see who can finish all 3-5 rounds 1st! Who won?! Tell me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs: [At Home] Plank & Plyos Drill [2]

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! You may recognize movement B from Body Fix - if so, you know what I mean when I say get ready for those hips to BURN during your skater jumps! ;-P

Here's the drill:
*1min/movement series x 3-5 rounds [no rest between movements]
A. Plank Series: Reach Each Arm Forward; Open to Each Side Plank; Gorilla Hop to Squat; Walk Feet Back to Plank.
B. 2 Skater Jumps + 2 Lateral Hops.

Notes on form:
[Plank Series]
- Engage lats, squeeze glutes, and tighten quads to maintain a straight spine & keep hips squared up with the floor.
- Avoid letting your hips twist during reaches forward.
- Keep lats engaged & neck long as you open to side planks.
[Skater Jumps]
- Leap to the side as if you're leaping sideways over a puddle.
- Land softly & bend your knee as you land to minimize impact on your joints.
- To initiate the movement, kick your landing leg sideways as you push off your standing leg to give your body more momentum to travel side & engage your obliques.
[Lateral Hops]
- Now instead of leaping, your feet stay under your body and you travel less per jump.
- Focus on landing softly & minimizing the impact on your joints.

How many rounds did it t

B Strong Greatest HIITs: [At Home] Triceps & Legs Workout

I love this series because it targets nearly every major muscle group, gets your heart rate up, and it doesn't take long to complete. Also, if you've got a bench or a chair that's 12-18 inches tall, you're set to go! [**Just be sure to prop it against a solid wall so it doesn't move!!**]

Here's the series:
A. 1 Tricep Dip + 2 Knee Crunches x 8-12 reps
B. Skip Up + Lunge Back + Switch Jump x 10 (5/side, alternating)
Alternate between A & B for 3-5 rounds, resting as little as possible between each exercise.

Notes on Form:
[Tricep Dip]
- Knees bent & feet flat is easier; legs straight & heels digging down is harder.
- Press your shoulders as far from your ears as possible.
- Maintain a straight spine by bracing your core.
[Knee Crunches]
- Squeeze your glutes to keep your hips lifted.
- Avoid letting hips drop back toward chair as you crunch your knees.
- Keep neck long & lats engaged.
[Skip Up + Reverse Lunge + Switch Jump]
- Step your entire foot onto the chair, then drive through your heel as you explode upward toward the ceiling.
- Step that same foot back to a reverse lunge.
- Be sure that the front & back foot in the lunge are holding equal weight before you jump.
- Drive off the heel of your front foot & the toes of the back foot as you explode upward to switch your stance.
- Land softly, with weight evenly distributed between each foot, & repeat from the top on the other side.

Which burned more - the tricep dips or the skip ups & lunges?! Tell me on FB/IG/TW @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: Twisting Wall Ball Agility Drill

Day 4!

Here's a FUN way to work your obliques, get your heart pumping & even develop coordination, power & reaction time!

With a powerful, twisting motion, slam the Dynamax into the wall, [I prefer this med ball b/c it's soft around the edges, which decreases damage to the wall & increases the challenge for you ;-)], let it bounce back into your arms, then shuffle away from the wall 3x. Shuffle back in toward the wall & use the momentum to slam it as hard as you can!

Perform movement for 45-90sec/side w/ 15-30sec rest. Rest between sides is optional.

Add this drill to a circuit to really amp up the burn in your legs, core and shoulders. For example: perform the Kettlebell series from Day 2 for 90 seconds, then perform this wall ball drill for 45 seconds per side, then rest for 30-60 seconds before repeating. Repeat for 3-5 rounds.

Note: the throwing motion with your body is more comparable to tossing a frisbee than a bball chest pass. **Be sure to pivot the foot, [lift the heel], that's farthest from the wall.

Did adding this drill to your workout AMP things up for you?! Tell me on IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.