B Strong Greatest HIITs: At Home HIIT Cardio Drill

If you're pressed for time, but feel like you need to get a good sweat in, this drill will do just that! You're alternating between 2 different series of quick, athletic footwork with plyometrics, [the explosive, jumping movements].

Here's the drill:
45sec work, followed by 15sec rest, alternating between the 2 series until you've completed 2-4 rounds of each series. That's just 4-8min, then you're done!
A. 3 counts of quick feet + 1 [low] tuck jump
B. 3 jumping jacks + 1 star jump

FORM:
- Any time you're jumping, land as softly as you can to protect your knees
- When you jump up, pulling your abdominals in as tight as you can helps slow your decent & soften the landing
- When you land, bend your knees so you don't shock your joints. I always say, "land your jumps like you'd catch an egg - soften the momentum of the movement"

Did the 45sec seem to drag on forever?! Tell me about it on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Build Stability: Core Burner

Straight outta B Strong Body Fix - this series targets your abdominals & your obliques, making for a serious burn by the time you finish just 1 round!

Here's the series:
A. Leg Ext + Dbl Leg Lift x 10
B. 4 Cross Over Reach & Crunch + 2 Reverse Crunches x 10
Complete 2-4 rounds.

FORM:
[Leg Ext + Leg Lift]
- Extend your legs out until they're completely straight
- The key to avoiding tension in your low back is to squeeze your glutes super tight & use your abs to press your lower back down toward the mat, especially once your legs are straight
- The lower your feet are when you extend your legs, the more challenging it'll be. So if you find that your back aches even with your glutes squeezed tight, keep your feet a bit higher until you build more strength in your core
- Press the backs of your shoulders into the mat & avoid lifting them & letting your chest collapse backward
[Cross Over & Reach Crunches]
- Keep your legs straight
- Keep your feet directly over, or a couple inches in front of, your hips. Don't let your feet fall back over your belly, chest or face
- Pull your shoulders away from your ears & toward your hips to keep your lats engaged & neck long
[Reverse Crunches]
- Pull your shoulders away from your ears & toward your hips to keep your lats engaged & neck long
- Press the backs of your shoulders into the mat & avoid lifting them & letting your chest collapse backward
- Keep your legs straight
- Avoid letting your feet fall back over your face as you quickly & powerfully lift your hips off the floor as if you wanted to tap the tip of your toes to the ceiling

How are those abs feeling?! Tell me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs: KB 10-20-30-40 Complex

Want a full body strength & cardio workout that's done in 10-20 minutes?! All you need is a single kettlebell to get the job done. The beauty of a complex is that even though we're often capable of moving different weights for each exercise, rather than adjusting the weight, we adjust the speed. Slowing down when the weight is super challenging, & speeding up when it's less challenging will add variety & keep the intensity high throughout the entire circuit!

Remember! KB's are NOT easy & complex like this should not be your 1st go at using them. Work with myself or another certified trainer to master the basics of a kettlebell swing before you tackle something like this.

Here's your complex:

10 Pull Catch Squat
20 Plank Pull Thru's (+ Push-up)
30 Figure 8's
40 Jumping Jacks

Complete 2-4 rounds.

FORM:
[Pull Catch Squat]
- I bend my knees JUST enough to grab the handle, (my elbows are 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 arms move like I'm zipping up my jacket until the bell is headed toward my jaw, then I quickly let go of the handle and catch the bell itself in my hands.
[Plank Pull Through]
- Grab the handle with an underhand grip (palm to the ceiling).
- Keep glutes and abs super tight and lats engaged, (pull shoulders down your back), as you pull the kettlebell, dragging it underneath your ribcage.
- Avoid letting one hip drop closer to the floor than the other.
- Once the bell is on the other side, quickly flip it so that the handle is closest to your body.
*** The key to KB swings & figure 8's 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.***
[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.
- Spine stays straight, always.
- 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!

You ready for this challenge?! Give me a shout out on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong when you're done & tell me how it went!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs: Core & Cardio WERK

Get ready to get sweaty with this 20/20/20 drill!

Here's the drill:
- 20sec per movement
- No rest between movements
- Cycle through all 3 exercises 3-5x
- No rest between rounds
A. Mountain Climbers: 4 Cross Under, 4 Straight Ahead
B. Breakdancers
C. Side Shuffle Suicides

FORM:
[Mountain Climbers]
- Begin in plank position: drive heels back toward floor, squeeze glutes, quads [front of thighs], & abs super tight. Hips no higher than shoulders & no lower than elbows. Lats engaged by pulling shoulders away from ears to make neck long.
- Drive knee forward & cross under toward opposite elbow 4x, then drive knee straight forward between elbows 4x.
- Keep hips at proper height & avoid dropping your chin to watch your feet. Keep your gaze at the floor.
[Breakdancers]
- Begin in plank position: drive heels back toward floor, squeeze glutes, quads [front of thighs], & abs super tight. Hips no higher than shoulders & no lower than elbows. Lats engaged by pulling shoulders away from ears to make neck long.
- Open 1 arm up toward the ceiling & kick your bottom leg under & forward. Alternate side to side without letting your lats disengage.
[Side Shuffle Suicides]
- Shuffle side 3x, then tag the floor before immediately beginning to shuffle in the opposite direction.
- Stay light on your feet & travel as much as the space you're in will allow!
- When tagging the floor: keep a straight spine & bend your knees. Avoid rounding over your back & dropping your head as you reach down so you don't strain your neck or back or get dizzy!

How many rounds did you get through your 1st time?! Tell me on FB/TW/IG @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs: Another DB Complex Express Workout!

On days when you don't have the time to dedicate, but you have plenty of energy to dedicate to your workout, a DB complex is the perfect way to crush a solid workout without cramming your schedule! All you need is a single pair of DBs, (I've got 20's here), and you can get to work!

Here's the complex:
10 Step Up + Lunge Back (per leg, not alternating)
10 Renegade Rows (no push-up, not alternating)
10 Thrusters
10 Burpee + Lateral Hop Over DB (no push-up, 5 hops each way)
Complete 2-4 rounds with minimal rest!

FORM:
[Step Up + Lunge Back]
- You can hold the DBs by your sides or rack them on your shoulders - whichever you prefer!
- Remain mindful of your posture through the entire movement & the whole set. Shoulders back & down. Avoid shrugging your shoulders so that you don't strain your neck!
- Step your entire foot onto the step, then drive through your heel as you completely straighten your standing leg to drive your head straight up toward the ceiling.
- Step that same foot that went onto the step back to a reverse lunge.
- When doing the lunge, be sure that the front & back foot in the lunge are holding equal weight. Also be sure that the front foot is flat w/ your heel holding most of the weight, and that your back foot keeps it's heel lifted, but all 5 toes stay on the floor.
[Renegade Rows]
- If holding the handle of the DB that's on the floor hurts your palm, you can prop your hand up like you see me doing in the video. You can prop it on a yoga block, your other DB like I'm doing, or anything that's about 4in off the ground. The purpose in elevating your supporting hand is so that you get full range of motion of the rowing arm.
- Your focus should be to keep your hips square to the floor & avoid letting them twist open side to side as you row.
- The wider your feet are, the easier it will be to hold your hips stable. As you get stronger, you can challenge your stability by bringing your feet closer together.
[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
[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, up & over the DBs, instead up just straight up.
- Stay light on your feet, & always keep an eye on the DBs so you don't roll your ankle!!

What weight DBs will you try this with your 1st attempt?! Don't hesitate to push yourself to go heavier than you normally do since this is an express workout! Tell me how it goes on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.