Hump Day Booty Move: Power Lunges + Switch Jump

This movement works your strength, stability and power in your entire lower body! Try incorporating this as an interval in a HIIT workout.

Try a Tabata HIIT drill with this movement as a finisher for Leg Day. Ouch! #ItHurtsSoGood Breakdown of movement: - Right foot steps front to lunge. - Drive right foot up again to step back to lunge. - Jump and switch foot position so right leg is in front.

Directions:

Right foot steps front to lunge, drive right foot back off floor and step back to lunge, then jump and switch so right foot is forward again. Left foot steps front to lunge, drive left foot back off floor and step back to lunge, then jump and switch so left foot is forward again.

Share how you incorporate this movement into your workout on Instagram/Twitter @cassiebstrong #BStrong.

B Strong,

Cassie B.

HARD CORE: Stability Ball V-Up

Here's the next progression from the Stability Ball Dead Bug and the Stability Ball Toe Tap!

Progress the Dead Bug & Toe Tap exercises with the Jack Knife! Engage your abdominals from top to bottom with this exercise! Notes on form: - Keep neck long as you extend your arms behind your head. Don't let your shoulders creep up!

This is a tough one guys - that's why I showed you the Dead Bug & Toe Tap first. If you feel pain in your lower back, go back to those for a couple more weeks to build up more strength in your core, then come back to this one!

Perform this exercise for 8-12 reps for 3-5 sets. You can even put all 3 together as a circuit! Perform 10 reps of Dead Bug on each side, 10 Toe Taps, then 10 V-Ups all in a row for 2-4 sets.

Share when and how you incorporate this into your workout on Instagram/Twitter @cassiebstrong #BStrong.

Strong,

Cassie B.

Hump Day Booty Move: BOSU Up & Over's, Lunge & Squat Drill

The BOSU is a fantastic tool for helping you develop your balance and stability in your ankles. These skills are important for everybody, and I especially recommend drills like this to athletes who are prone to rolling their ankles (Bonus: it works your agility too!).

Drills like this are great for athletes! Train your balance, joint stability, agility and get your heart rate up for conditioning. This isn't the best place to start if you have issues with your knees. Make sure you have a solid base of strength and stability before tackling this!

This definitely is not a beginner exercise, and could be risky if you have knee issues, so start off with caution. These movements work great in intervals. Try 45 seconds of Up & Over's, followed immediately by 45 seconds alternating between the reverse lunge and squat on 1 leg, followed by 45 seconds on the other leg. Rest no more than 30 seconds before repeating. Perform for 3-5 rounds.

Share when you incorporate this movement into your workout on Instagram/Twitter @cassiebstrong #Bstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

Momma B: Always Judge a Food By It's Cover

“The key is not great changes, but small changes you practice consistently, that will create great results!”

Challenging myself to eat food with only five ingredients or less is how I got started on my journey to eating real food. Before that, the idea of purchasing kale or anything else from the produce section was so foreign to me because these foods didn't come in a package with preparation instructions. The changes in my health and lifestyle have been dramatic since I started eating real food - foods that are grown and raised close to home - here's how you can get started:

“Change is never easy, but if you hold yourself accountable, the difficult will become your daily routine and the new will be your norm.”

To start the transition, focus on avoiding anything with ingredients you don't recognize or can't pronounce. By slowly working out those artificial colors, sweeteners and preservatives as food options, you will eventually find your way to the outer perimeters of the grocery store - the produce section. It's intimidating at first though! It's hard to be creative and find recipes that keep you on track. In the beginning, it was common for me to not use the new foods I had bought at all, and I'd end up wasting them; but I knew these things I wasted were great for my body, so I didn't stop trying. Change is never easy, but if you hold yourself accountable, the difficult will become your daily routine and the new will be your norm.

Even if you don't notice a difference in how you feel right away, just remember that what you eat creates your cells, becomes your blood and influences your mind. These are all long term processes, which are the results of long term behavior, so stay committed to your transition to a happier, healthier lifestyle. The key is not great changes, but small changes you practice consistently, that will create great results!

Turn Up Tuesday: Monster

In the spirit of Halloween, I'm bumping this in classes, along with the rest of my Halloween playlist you can find on my Spotify cassiebstrong. Got any suggestions? Tweet at me! @cassiebstrong

- DJ Cassie B

#DJcassieB