B Strong Greatest HIITs: Leg Day Strength + HIIT 1

Wanna build that booty?! Try this combo of strength and power to build muscle and burn fat!

DISCLAIMER: Hip thrusts are a tricky exercise to set up and execute correctly. If you've never tried them, I highly recommend you schedule some time with myself or another certified trainer to ensure you're practicing correct form before attempting this challenge.

A. Barbell Hip Thrusts x 6-10 [depending on how heavy you're looking to lift right now]
B. Body Bag Flips x 12-20 [also depends on how heavy the bag is - work for the burn out!]
C. Rest 45-90sec
D. Repeat

Notes on form:
[Hip Thrust]
- This can also be one with DBs or a sandbag resting on your thighs instead of a barbell if the bar is unavailable/too heavy
- It is essential that you brace your core through this entire exercise - if your lower back is all you feel, squeeze your lower belly AND your butt tighter and/or drop the weight lower. If neither of those help, stop & find a fitness professional to walk you through it.
- Your feet need to be flat on the floor for the whole exercise - drive your heels down into the floor as you lift your hips and squeeze your butt
- When you lower your hips, try to go low enough that your butt is an inch off the floor. Also, lift your head off the bench so that you don't arch your back
- When you press your hips up, squeeze those butt cheeks as tight as humanly possible, squeeze your abs, and make sure your lower back doesn't arch AT ALL. Also, keep your neck neutral, meaning your looking at the ceiling when your hips are up
[Body Bag Flips]
- Focus on your legs!
- Use your legs to push the floor away from the bag, rather than using your arms to lift the bag away from the floor
- Begin in a squat with hips hinged and spine straight
- Drive heels into floor at the same time as you thrust your hips forward and flip the bag
- Again, if you feel this in your lower back: check the alignment of your spine; squeeze your core and glutes tighter; and if those don't work, drop down in weight; and if that doesn't work, find a professional to help you master form

How was this to get your booty burnin?! Tell me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs: Total Body DB Complex

Pressed for time? A quickie dumbbell complex is an amazing way to get some total body strength work in and get that heart pumping all at the same time!

Here's the complex:
A. 10 Lateral Hop over DB + Burpee [add a push-up to the burpee for an extra burn!]
B. 20 Alternating Lateral Lunges [10/leg]
C. 10 Forward Hop over DB + 180 Jump
D. 20 Alternating 1-Arm Thrusters [10 presses/arm = 20 squats]

Notes on form:
[Burpee + Lateral Hop]
- This is your standard, no push-up burpee, but the jump up to kick off the movement is a hop to the side instead up just straight up
[Lateral Lunge] 
- When you step side, stick your butt back behind you and sit your weight mostly toward the heel of the foot you stepped onto.
- When you step side, your chest will natural fall slightly forward, (but your butt has to move backward too - it's called a "hip hinge"), however, keep your shoulder blades pulled together behind you. Avoid letting your upper back round over.
- The foot you step onto is the only knee that bends, the other leg stays straight.
- In order to keep the other leg straight, you may find that letting the toe of your straight leg lift off the floor and digging your heel into the ground helps you stay balanced.
- Drive your foot into the ground to powerfully launch your body back upright.
[Forward Hop + 180]
- Stay light on your feet
- Bend your knees when you land your jumps to soften the impact on your joints
[Thrusters]
- This movement is all about momentum - drive your feet down into the floor as hard as you can as you stand & press the weight overhead
- For this exercise, as long as their shoulders are stable, I give clients a weight that's too heavy for them to do a standard overhead press with for the # of reps I have planned. That's my way of ensuring that they use their legs to thrust the weight overhead instead of isolating their shoulder - hence the name "Thruster" ;-)
- Typical squat form: hips back, chest up tall, spine straight, weight in heels, core tight, trying to get hips lower than knees

How many rounds did you do and how long did it take you? Were you able to get through without rest?! Tell me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs: At-Home HIIT Total Body & Cardio Burner

Here's another burner to bust out at home when you're crunched for time, or to burn yourself out at the end of a killer workout!

Here's the series:
A. Low plank + Open to side plank + March up & down
B. Quick feet + Switch hop
C. Burpee + Power jack
* Perform each movement for 30sec
** No rest between movements - move directly from 1 to the next
*** Rest 30sec between rounds & complete 3-5 rounds
**** With each round lasting a total of 2min, [including rest], you'll work for a total of 6-10min & feel like you did an hour!

Notes on form:
[Low Plank + Side Plank + Marches]
- No matter what part of this movement you're doing, you gotta channel your inner giraffe & not your inner turtle - keep your neck long & engage your lats by pulling your shoulders away from your ears and toward your hips
- Alternate the arm you press yourself up w/ for the march each rep
[Quick Feet + Switch Hop]
- Move your feet in place as quick as you can as you count to 3, then do a quick "switch hop" as I call it
- For the switch hop, your feet begin in "3 o'clock & 9 o'clock", where they were for the quick feet, then [keeping them the same width] hop them to 12 & 6 o'clock, then immediately back to 3 & 9
[Burpee + Power Jack]
- Good news! This burpee has no push-up - unless you're an over achiever ;-)
- Move quick & stay light on your hands & feet as you hop down to a plank position
- When you jump your feet in from the plank, jump them wider than your shoulders - gorilla hop style, that way when you stand up your feet are right where they need to be for the Power Jack
- When you stand, lift your chest upright, but keep your knees bent deep so that you can spring up into the 1st jump, landing with your feet narrow & knees bent so that you can spring back up into your 2nd jump & land with your feet wide

Now take a deep breath, because you're not going to get another for the next 6-10min!!

B Strong, Build Stability: At-Home Low Impact Hip & Thigh Burner

While this isn't meant for cardio conditioning, you'll probably be surprised by how fast your heart gets pumping as you move through this series! This is low impact and slow moving, but it's anything but easy! I often use dynamic movements like this to get my blood pumping to warm my muscles and joints, but it's also appropriate post-workout when you need something to help slow your heart rate as you transition to a stretch.

Here's the moves:
A. Alternating Single Leg Hip Hinges w/ Reach Forward x 16-24 reps (8-12/leg)
B. Sumo Squat Hold + 3 Pivots to Lunge + Knee Crunch x 8-12 reps (4-6 Knee Crunches in each direction)
***Alternate between these 2 exercises, with minimal rest in between, and complete a total of 2-4 sets.***

Notes on form:
[Alternating Single Leg Hip Hinge]
- Extend the leg you're going to lift back behind you so just your toe is touching - this is a "heads up!" to your body that you're only going to be standing on 1 leg & will make balancing a lot easier
- Your standing leg knee stays soft through the whole movement
- Your lifting leg is completely straight
- Squeeze the glute of your lifting leg so that your lower back is supported
- Like a see saw, your arms & head lower as your foot lifts, & you should always have a straight line from your toes to your fingers
[Sumo Squat Hold + 3 Pivots to Lunge + Knee Crunch]
- Stay at the bottom of your squat position, knees at 90 degree angles
- Drop 1 knee & lift that heel as you pivot & turn your chest 90 degrees
- In your lunge, your back shin should be parallel to the floor, your back foot should only have the ball of your foot touching the floor, & your front foot is holding your weight mostly in your heel
- As you rotate back to your sumo squat, STAY LOW!!! Don't let the angle in your knees get any larger than 90 degrees & flatten both feet into the floor again
- Alternate turning each direction 3x, then on your 3rd rep, stay facing that side, & [FINALLY!] you can stand, straightening your front knee all the way & crunching your back knee up & as close to your chest as possible as you suck that muffin top in tight

What part of your legs burns the most after finishing this series?! Tell me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs: At-Home Hip & Thigh Burner [2]

Get that heart pumping, body jumping & legs burning with this short & sweet, [& sweaty!] lower body burner!

Here's the series:
A. Side Step Squats
B. Suicides
C. 1 Squat Jack + 1 Tuck Jump
***Perform each movement, in order, for 20sec at a time, with no rest between movements. Complete 3-5 rounds with no rest between rounds.***

Notes on form:
[Side Step Squats]
- When you step your right foot side, squat as you set your foot down; then step your right foot back beside your left as you stand up from your squat
- Same goes for the left side!
- When you squat, you must hinge at your hips - stick your booty back behind you as your *straight* spine & head lean forward - & keep your weight in your heels
- Try to get your hips as low as your knees - if your heels lift, 1st check that you're doing the hip hinge, [*noted above*] correctly, if you feel you are, you may be bending your knees a little too low for your current mobility
- Squeeze your glutes together at the bottom of your squat, then squeeze them tighter & tighter as you stand back up
[Suicides]
- Keep your spine straight!!!!
- It's more important that your spine stays straight than it is for you to touch the floor - you're ability to reach the floor comes from bending your knees, not rounding your back
- Your body stays centered as your feet alternate moving side to side - if you are jumping side to side, take a look at the video again!
[Squat Jack]
- Same notes as Side Step Squat! Feet flat when you land in your squat, spine remains straight the whole time!
[Tuck Jump]
- This is basically an airborne crunch, so suck your "gut" in & "out of the way" so that your knees can lift toward your chest
- When you land, bend your knees to reduce the impact on your knee joints
- If you're landing sounds like an elephant is tap dancing, squeeze your abs tighter in the air, & bend your knees more when you land
- Bending your knees when you land is also important because it sets you up to move right into the next jump without pause

How many rounds did it take for you to feel the burn? And how many rounds were you able to finish?! Tell me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.