B Strong, Build Stability: Gliding Arm & Core Burner

Ohhhh man!! Working your arms & chest with gliders is a sure fire way to improve stability in your shoulders & get a serious, sweaty burn. I love this combination because it works hard-to-target muscles that are responsible for protecting your shoulders & spine, both while working out & in general, 24/7!

If you don't have a LYNX board, you can use gliders, and if you don't have gliders, use hand towels on a smooth surface.

Here's the series:
A. 1 Inch Worm (feet front-back) + 1 Glide Out Push-up x 5-8 reps
B. Alternating 1 Arm Gliding Push-ups x 10-20 reps (5-10/arm)
Alternate between A & B w/ as little rest as possible for 2-4 sets.

FORM:
***During every moment of every exercise, your lats MUST be engaged --- pull your shoulders away from your ears, keep your neck long and shoulders braced in such a way that they are not covering your neck.***
[Plank Inch Worm]
- Begin in push-up position w/ lats engaged, legs straight, glutes & core squeezed tight
- Keeping arms straight & legs straight, tip toe feet toward hands as you lift your hips toward the ceiling
- Only go as far as you can w/out bending your knees a ton, then tip toe your feet back until you're in your beginning plank position
[Glide Out Push-up]
- Begin in push-up position w/ hands on gliders, lats engaged, legs straight, glutes & core squeezed tight
- Keeping abs tight, pelvis neutral, spine straight, arms straight, lats engaged & shoulders away from ears, glide hands straight forward in front of shoulders until you lay on your belly
- Don't bend your knees, otherwise they'll drive down into the floor & that won't feel amazing...
- Glide your hands back under your shoulders, tuck your toes, keep your elbows close to your body, then push up off the floor
[1 Arm Glider Push-up] --- can be done on knees or on toes
- Keeping pelvis neutral & spine straight, 1 arm bends like a standard push-up while the other stays straight & glides diagonally, (to "1:30 or 2 o'clock")
- Press the gliding hand down into the floor as you pull it back under your shoulder as you press back up to your starting position
- Repeat w/ the other arm gliding & continue alternating each rep

Get ready to feel those laughing muscles tomorrow! Tell me when you understand what I mean ;-) on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs 2017: [At Home] Plyo Push-up & Switch Lunge Drill

DAY 20! Here's an equipment-free drill you can do anywhere, anytime! Alternating between an upper body focused exercise and a lower body focused exercise, you'll get a total body burn going that is sure to get your heart pumping!

Here's the drill:
- 60sec Plyo Knee Crunch Push-ups
- 60sec Lunge 5sec Hold + Switch Jump
- Alternate between each, no rest between
- Complete 2-4 rounds of each exercise

FORM:
[Plyo Knee Crunch Push-ups]
- Lower into push-up.
- Push powerfully with arms & toes as you pull your belly tight, lifting opposite hand & foot, crunching your knee under your chest & tapping it with opposite hand.
- Alternate sides each rep.
*** You can see after my 10th rep that I eliminated the "plyo", the explosiveness, of my push-up. This move is totally doable without the plyo approach if you need to make it lower impact. ***
[Lunge Hold + Switch Jump]
- When holding lunge, both knees are bent; shin of back leg is parallel to floor
- Front foot is flat, back foot only the ball of your foot is on the floor
- Pull your belly tight and drive through your front heel as you spring up for your switch jump
- When you land, be sure to land softly so that your knees don't experience too much impact

How many rounds did you do your 1st attempt?! Tell me on IG/FB/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

Hard CORE: Planks + Push-ups + Dips Series

This killer routine from Body Fix left me sore for a couple days!! We took it slow, but we did this series non-stop for 3 minutes! How long can you go?!

Notes on form:
- Keep your lats engaged!!!!! Pull those shoulders way down away from your ears. If your neck disappears, you could really hurt your shoulders. You'll see me roll my shoulders back and down every time before I pushup off the floor for that reason.
- Rather than putting your knees down for your pushups, try lowering all the way to your belly to come to a complete rest on the floor before pushing back up.
- Keep feet 8-12 inches apart through series.
- When you open your arm to side plank, drop your heels to the floor so you're resting on the sides of your feet and your hips are completely stacked.
- Move your top leg from front to back behind your bottom leg before rotating to a reverse plank position.
- Note: fingers face front of room for pushup. Fingers face back of room for dips.
- Squeeze your glutes and abs to lift your hips as high as possible throughout all four dips. Don't let your butt touch the floor!

Tell me how long you're able to move through this series before taking a rest on IG/TW: @cassiebstrong #BStrong.

B Strong,

Cassie B.

Hard CORE: Gliding Plyo Push-ups

"Plyometric" doesn't necessarily mean you have to jump... it just means you're moving explosively! Try this upper body plyo exercise to switch up your routine. If you don't have a Lynx board or Gliders to use, a towel or paper plates on a smooth surface work just as well!

Notes on form:
- Wide feet will give your core more stability and your back more support. Bringing your feet together will progress the movement.
- Keep your abdominals pulled in tight to avoid letting your lower back sway.
- Slide your hands apart and bend elbows until they reach 90 degree angles.
- Drive with as much power as you can as you press your chest back upward and slide your hands together.
***This movement can be modified by placing your knees on the floor.

Perform to fatigue, or 10-20 reps, for 3-6 sets.

How do you like this push-up variation?! Tell me on IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

Hard CORE: Side Step Push-ups + Plank Jacks

Target your arms, chest, hips and core all while getting your heart rate up with this movement! If you're comfortable with push-ups, you beast, take your hands to the floor instead of keeping them elevated like you see in the video.

Perform this movement until you've completed 10-20 push-ups for 3-4 sets. Rest for less than a minute between sets. Pictured in the video is the modified (easier) way to do this exercise. If push-ups are super challenging for you, having your hands elevated like I do here will make this exercise possible for you.