B Strong, Build Stability: Belly Burning Ab Series

People said this routine in B Strong Body Fix left them feeling their core for days! That's because it's super challenging & the variety of movements make it hard to miss a muscle! Plus, the Scissor Leg Lifts are one of the most challenging exercises you'll do for your lower abs. Give it a try :-)

Here's the series:
A. Laying Table Top Series x 10
B. Advanced Scissor Leg Lifts x 10/leg [not alternating]
Alternate between A & B, with minimal rest, for 2-4 rounds!

FORM:
[Laying Table Top Series]
- When your knees are in table top, be sure your knees are directly over your hips - not back over your belly or ribs!
- Flex your feet by pulling your toes back toward your shins, then push through your heel as you extend 1 leg at a time out straight
- Be sure to squeeze your lower abs & glutes nice & tight as you extend your legs so that your lower back doesn't arch away from the mat
- For the hip abduction, [moving your feet apart], only open your legs slightly wider than the mat & avoid letting your knees bend [if your knees bend as your feet move apart you're likely opening them too wide]
- As you bend your knees 1 at a time back to table top, remember that your knees should only come back until they're directly over your hips, no farther!
- When you lift your chest for the crunch, only lift it as high as you can without your feet falling lower than your knees!
[Advanced Scissor Leg Lifts]
- Keeping your legs straight, glutes squeezed tight & lower back pressed down into mat, lower your legs until your feet are hovering off the floor
- If you can't help your lower back arching away from the mat, don't lower your legs quite so far & be sure you're squeezing your glutes to lock your pelvis in place
- Once your feet are hovering & you're lower back is pressing firmly into the mat behind you, lift just 1 leg up to 90*, then lower it back down beside the hovering foot; that's 1 rep
- The hovering foot should stay completely still & the spine should stay completely straight for all 10 reps
- If your back arches before you've completed your 10 reps, be sure to adjust & reset your spine - don't finish out a set with poor form!

Was I right about the scissor leg lifts?! Tell me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs: Battle Ropes & Box Jumps

I love this drill because it's a solid total body strength & cardio conditioning workout in just 3-5 rounds of only 4 different exercises. If you're pressed for time, you can do this alone & feel good about your gym time. If you have time for a longer workout, this is a perfect finisher to use as a burn-out!

Here's the drill: [everything is 20sec each]
A. Battle Rope Undulating Waves
B. Battle Rope Slams w/ Squat Jumps
C. Recovery
D. Alternating Skip Ups
E. Box Jumps
F. Recovery
Complete 3-5 rounds w/ no rest but the 20sec recoveries!

FORM:
[Battle Rope Waves]
- Act like you're beating a big drum with drumsticks!
- Keep your lats engaged - don't let your shoulders shrug!
[Battle Rope Slams + Squat Jumps]
- Slam both ropes at the same time as you land in a squat
- Avoid shrugging your shoulders when you lift the rope
- Land light on your feet from your squat jumps
[Alternating Skip Ups]
- The foot that steps on the box should be entirely on the box - make sure your heel is not hanging off
- Drive through the heel of that foot as you push yourself up for the skip
- Hop high enough off the box to be able to point your toe
- Land softly & control your step back off the box
[Box Jumps]
- Land your feet entirely on the step - not just your toes.
- Stand all the way up until your legs straighten once you land.
- Step your feet down one at a time, [jumping down is a lot of unnecessary impact on your knees]

How many rounds did you do? What was the hardest part of the drill?! Tell me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong, Build Stability: 6 Pack Sizzling Core Burner

Work that 6 pack top to bottom & bottom to top with this series!

Here's how it goes:
A. Modified V-Ups x 10/side [not alternating]
B. Double Leg Stretch x 10
Alternate between each exercise until you've completed 2-4 rounds of each!

FORM:
[Modified V-Ups]
- Lay on your back & extend 1 leg out straight, [other knee bent with foot flat on floor], & extend the opposite arm straight up & behind your head, [other arm resting down by side].
- As if you were folding in half, lift your straight arm & leg at the same time & tap your leg with your hand
- The higher up your leg you tap, the easier it'll be; tapping your knee is easiest & tapping your toe is hardest.
- Control the movement as you lay back down, don't just fall back on the mat.
- Avoid using momentum to sit up - don't throw your arm forward to help yourself sit up!!

[Double Leg Stretch]
- Begin with your hands on your shins, pulling your knees toward your chest & lifting your shoulder blades off the mat
- At the same time, extend your legs out straight in front of you & reach your arms straight back behind you as you lay your head back on the mat
- Be sure to pull your lower abs in & squeeze your glutes super tight to keep your pelvis neutral & avoid letting your lower back arch away from the mat
- If your lower back arches no matter what, you're likely extending your legs too close to the floor for your current strength - extend them a little higher until you get stronger!

Which of the 2 did you find most challenging?! Tell me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs: Yet Another 20min HIIT Workout!

Here's another DB Complex you can use on a day when you just can't take the time to get to the gym. For a DB complex, you generally stick with the same pair of DBs for each exercise; if the weight feels super light, work more for speed & if the weight feels super heavy, slow down & focus on power. Feel free to use a couple different pair if you have them available to you though!

Here's the complex
5 Manmakers
10 Alternating 1-Leg Hip Hinge [5/leg]
15 DB Press Jacks
20 Alternating Curtsy Lunges [10/leg]
Repeat AMRAP ["as many rounds as possible"] from beginning for 20min, taking minimal rest between exercises & rounds.

[Manmakers]
- Keep hips square to floor during renegade rows - the wider your feet the easier that is - just don't forget to squeeze your booty & abs tight!
- Hit a solid squat position before you clean the DBs - feet need to be flat
- The clean is a clean, not a bicep curl - it should be a quick, powerful movement snapping your hips front & up under your head as the DBs lift to your shoulders
- Brace your core & squeeze your glutes for the OH press
[1-Leg Hip Hinge]
- Notice that I always put my toe on the floor behind me before I start my hip hinge - this is important if the movement is new to you because it's a warning to your body "hey, I'm going to be balancing on this 1 leg" so that you're ready to balance as that foot gets farther from the floor
- Keep your weight evenly distributed through your standing foot - take note if more weight goes into your pinky toe or big toe & try to even it out
- Keep knee of standing leg soft
- Squeeze the glute of the leg that's lifting to keep the lower back supported
- Squeeze your belly tight & engage your lats to keep your balance as you lower & lift
[Press Jacks]
- You can hold 2 DBs if you'd like - I'm holding just 1 in the video because the individual DBs would have been too heavy for 15 reps!
- Stay light on your feet - if you feel like that's impossible the DBs may be too heavy
- As you press the weight upward, avoid shrugging your shoulders by engaging your lats to lengthen your neck as you straighten your arms
[Curtsy Lunges]
- When you cross your leg behind you, step diagonally backward, not directly sideways.
- Your back knee should bend to a 90 degree angle and should point to the floor - avoid letting your knee tuck under your other leg and point forward, there should be a gap between your back thigh & your front calf
- Your weight should be balanced between the heel of your front foot and across the ball of your back foot [with all 5 toes on the floor!]
- Drive through the heel of your front foot to stand back upright

How many rounds did you get in 20min & what weight DBs did you use? Tell me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs: Another 20min HIIT Workout

When you're pressed for time, a 20min DB Complex is all you need to feel like you crushed the gym despite being rushed. For a DB complex, you generally stick with the same pair of DBs for each exercise; if the weight feels super light, work more for speed & if the weight feels super heavy, slow down & focus on power. Feel free to use a couple different pair if you have them available to you though!

Here's the complex:
10 Kneeling 1-Arm Rows [Right arm]
15 Bench Hops
10 Kneeling 1-Arm Rows [Left arm]
15 Bench Hops
20 1-Arm Thrusters [Alternate the arm you do the press w/ & complete 10 presses per arm]
30 Alternating Bench Skip Ups

Repeat AMRAP ["as many rounds as possible"] from the beginning for 20min, taking minimal rest between exercises and rounds.

FORM:
[Kneeling 1 Arm Rows]
- The hand on the bench should be directly under the shoulder of that same arm - I often find clients reach that arm too far forward, which puts a lot of strain on your neck & back
- Keep your spine completely straight by locking in your abs & locking down your lats [pull your shoulders away from your ears & lengthen your neck]
- Keep your chest square to the bench throughout the entire movement - I often notice clients initially let their trunk twist too much, by lifting the shoulder of the working arm to high when they row & letting that shoulder fall toward the floor as they lower the DB. Think about keeping both shoulders side by side, without letting the shoulder of the working arm lift & lower much at all.
[Bench Hops]
- Like the rows, keep your hands directly under your shoulders rather than reaching out in front of you
- Stay light on your feet, keep your lats engaged & keep your lower belly tucked in tight
- If you need to do a double hop on each side in order to feel like you're in control of the movement that's totally fine!
[1 Arm Thrusters]
- Begin holding each DB up by your shoulders
- Both DBs stay there as you squat down
- When you squat, be sure that the weight loading the front isn't rounding your shoulders forward & collapsing your chest - engage your lats! Keep your chest open & proud
- That being said, don't over-exaggerate your proud chest & let your lower back arch - keep your lower abs & glutes engaged to avoid that
- Powerfully explode up from the bottom of the squat to give the DB you're pressing a little momentum to shoot straight up to the ceiling
- Although your arm is traveling upward, it's important not to let your shoulder move upward & shrug to your ear - keep your lats engaged!
[Alternating Skip Ups]
- When you step onto the bench/step, be sure you put your entire foot on, including your heel, so that you don't slip off and nail your shin [a little wisdom from someone who knows the pain!]
- Pressing your heel down into the bench as you skip upward will better engage your glutes & hamstrings; pressing only with your toe as you skip upward will target your quads [I don't recommend the latter if you have irritable knees]
- If the skip doesn't work for you, eliminate the hop & just make it a step up - it's lower impact on your joints, but will still work the same muscle groups & if you maintain a quicker pace like the skips you'll still get your heart rate up!

Which of the exercises was toughest for you to push through?! And how many rounds did you finish in 20min? Tell me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.