Hump Day Booty Move: Lateral Lunge + Curtsy Lunge

If you're looking for lower body exercises that target your inner & outer thighs - your adductors and abductors - this combo we've been bangin' out in Body Fix is for you!

If you spend a lot of time sitting, or run/cycle often for cardio, these muscles are often neglected and eventually become tight and weak, which can lead to tension in the lower back. Sound familiar? Give this movement a try!

It's even great for developing your balance, as one leg stays planted, while the other moves side to side

Try 10-20 reps, (each lunge 1x = 1 rep), with just your body weight, or 6-12 reps holding weights (DB's, KB's, a child, anything!), on each side for 3-4 sets. You can just keep alternating sides and bang out all your sets continuously or add this exercise to a circuit you plan to perform 3-4 rounds of.

Notes on form:
[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.

[Curtsy Lunge]
- When you cross your leg behind you, step diagonally backward, not directly sideways.
- Your 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.
- 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.

[The Combo]
- If you're having trouble balancing, stand upright with both feet on the floor between each lunge.
- If balance isn't an issue, try not to touch your foot down between each lunge as you flow from one to the next.

How did these make you feel the days following?! Tell me on IG/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: Med Ball Crunch & Twist Series

This series will work up a serious burn in that core! Grab your med ball and follow along.

1 round = 5 crunches and 5 russian twists with one leg elevated + 5 of each with the other leg elevated + 5 of each with both legs elevated. 

Notes on form:
- Lock out the knee of your elevated leg by squeezing your quad.
- Stabilize your lower back by squeezing the glutes tight.
- Constantly pull shoulders down away from ears.
- For russian twists, keep elbows wide and keep med ball resting against center of chest.

How many rounds can you do before you burn out?! Tell me on IG/TW: @cassiebstrong #BStrong.

B Strong,

Cassie B.

Hump Day Booty Move: Elevated Hip Hinge + Deep Lunge

Blast your booty and thighs with this killer exercise!

This movement is all about lengthening out the hamstring and improving balance. Perform 10-15 reps on one side before switching to the other leg for 2-4 sets per side, or include it in a circuit you're doing 2-4 rounds of.

Notes on form:
- Keep your weight evenly distributed through your standing foot during the hip hinge.
- Keep standing leg knee soft during hip hinge.
- Squeeze the glute of the leg that's lifting during the hip hinge to keep the lower back supported.
- Pull belly tight during knee lift to engage the core for better balance and lengthen that hamstring.
- Back leg bends to 90 degree angle for reverse lunge so that shin is parallel to the floor.
- Only the ball of the foot touches when stepping back to reverse lunge. Keep heel elevated.
- Drive through heel of front foot to stand back up out of lunge in one quick, powerful movement.

Tell me how your hamstrings, (the back of your thighs), feel 2 days later... ;) IG/TW: @cassiebstrong #BStrong.

B Strong,

Cassie B.

Hard CORE: Plank Toe Tap Series

This series may look familiar to my Body Fix crew - especially when done to "Where Are You Now" by the Biebs ;)

Perform 10-20 reps, (all 4 toe taps = 1 rep), for 3-5 sets.

Notes on form:
- Hips only lift higher than shoulders when doing the downward dog position to reach your hands to your toes.
- Hips remain no higher than shoulders for knee tuck toe taps.
- Keep your hips square to the floor during knee tuck toe taps (body shouldn't twist).
- Engage your lats throughout entire movement by pulling shoulders back and down while lengthening your neck.

How many reps were you able to make it to on your first set?! Share on IG/TW: @cassiebstrong #BStrong.

B Strong,

Cassie B.