B Strong Greatest HIITs 2017: Landmine Squat + Twist Press & Core Work Drill

DAY 3! Improve your leg, core and shoulder strength with this Landmine circuit that will ramp up your heart rate and create a serious fat burn!

Here's the drill: 30 seconds per exercise with no rest between exercises. 30 seconds of rest between rounds of work.

Here's the exercises:
Landmine squat + 1 arm twist press [30 seconds per side]
Landmind Windmill core trainers [30 seconds]
= 90 seconds of total work
30 seconds of rest after completing a round
= 2 total minutes per round
Repeat for 3-5 rounds; 6-10 minutes.

FORM:
[Squat + 1 Arm Twist Press]
- Focus on keeping hips square, spine straight, and shoulders locked down and back as you squat.
- Drive powerfully through both feet, with a focus on the foot that's underneath your pressing arm.
- Pivot the foot that's underneath your pressing arm to ensure your shoulders stay squared up with your hips.
[Windmill Core Trainers]
- Elbows are soft, but arms stay on the straighter side.
- This is an arching movement. Move the end of the bar from one hip, up and over your head, and down to the other hip.
- This movement is generated from your legs and hips!
- This movement is generated from your legs and hips!
- This movement is generated from your legs and hips!
- Similar to a KB swing, initiated the movement by driving your feet into the floor and thrusting your hips forward. It's just a lot more subtle than a KB swing.

Wish the bar were heavier? Add a plate on there!

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

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs 2017: Kettlebell High Pull + Inch Worm + Push-up

Try this kettlebell high pull & inch worm push-up combo to develop power in your legs, strength in your legs, chest, triceps & shoulders, & stability in your core and shoulder joints. You're engaging your entire body with every rep, which is more demanding metabolically [you'll burn a TON of calories!].

This total body exercise can be done in intervals for time [60-90sec work; 15-30sec rest; 3-5 rounds], or you can count reps [10-15 reps; 3-5 sets] - either way, I'd recommend including this in a total body circuit of 3+ exercises.

FORM:
- I bend my knees JUST enough to grab the handle, (my elbows are NOT bent), then I drive my feet into the floor as quickly and as hard as I can to give the KB the momentum to fly up off the ground. 
- My arms don't really come into play until the bell is headed toward my jaw and I stop that sucker right below my chin. 
- Then, my arms control the bell on the way down so that it doesn't jolt my shoulder & elbow joints. 
- When I walk my hands back to my feet from my push-up, I take my time resetting my starting squat position for my high pull, (ensuring my booty is lower than my head & my spine is straight), so I don't jack up my back.

Not new to the high pull?? GO HEAVY, bro! Movements like that help you run faster, jump higher, oh & give you a firm, round booty  - if you're into that sorta thing ;-)

How many reps & sets did you get your 1st attempt?! Tell me on IG/TW/FB @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs 2017: Battle Rope + Bench Hop Drill

Happy New Year!

I'm ringing in 2017 with 5 HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout ideas each week for the 1st 4 weeks of the year! Here's the 1st of many:

This battle rope & bench hop drill will train speed & power while strengthening your core, improving shoulder stability AND burning fat!

Here's what it is: an EMOM. "Every Minute On the Minute" you have a task to complete. Once you complete that task, you rest the remaining seconds in the minute. So, the harder you work & the faster you get it done, the more rest time you've earned yourself ;-)

Here are your tasks: ODD minutes = 50 battle rope slams. EVEN minutes = 30 bench hops. Complete for 8-12 minutes; that's 4-6 rounds per movement. [If you're a battle rope pro, increase your reps to 60 slams & 40 hops, you beast you ;-)].

How many reps & rounds did you get through on your 1st attempt?! Tell me on IG/TW/Snapchat @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

Hard CORE: Leaning Leg Extensions & Crunches

You may recognize this routine if you've done my Halloween-themed playlist! This core series advances your traditional leg extension core exercises and engages your back more by sitting propped up on your forearms rather than laying on your back. If you find it's straining your lower back, even when you try to fix your posture, take a more traditional pose and lay all the way back with your arms by your sides.

We have 3 leg extensions in this movement series: 1 to each side to target your obliques, and one straight forward with a hip abduction to target your abdominals, obliques and adductors.

Perform this series for 45-90 seconds for 3-5 sets as part of a total body or abdominal circuit.

Notes on form:

- When you lean back on your forearms, squeeze your shoulder blades together and puff your chest right out. Avoid letting your shoulders roll forward and your chest collapse back toward the floor.

- Keep your neck long and shoulders pulled down away from your ears.

- When you extend your legs, extend your legs until they're straight and squeeze your glutes tight so that your lower back is supported.

- For the hip abduction, keep your legs straight and ensure that your knees face the ceiling. The more you turn them out, the less supported your groin is.

How do you feel about this non-traditional posture? Was it more challenging?! Tell me on IG/TW: @cassiebstrong #BStrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

Hard CORE: Single Leg Low Plank Rotations

This exercise gets the Body Fix crew DRIPPING in sweat! Get ready to engage you entire body and work up some serious heat!

Perform this movement for intervals of 30-60 seconds per side for 2-4 sets.

Notes on form:
Keep your spine neutral by:
- Squeezing glutes and lower abs to tuck pelvis slightly forward
- Keeping gaze straight forward toward the floor to keep neck aligned
- Pulling shoulders down back to lengthen neck and engage lats
- Focusing on squeezing the glute of the elevated foot to ensure lower back is supported
- Rotating to reach to the ceiling until hips are stacked; top hip should not rotate farther back than bottom hip

How many reps were you able to do your first time trying?! Tell me on IG/TW: @cassiebstrong #BStrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.