B Strong Greatest HIITs: At-Home Hip & Thigh Burner [2]

Get that heart pumping, body jumping & legs burning with this short & sweet, [& sweaty!] lower body burner!

Here's the series:
A. Side Step Squats
B. Suicides
C. 1 Squat Jack + 1 Tuck Jump
***Perform each movement, in order, for 20sec at a time, with no rest between movements. Complete 3-5 rounds with no rest between rounds.***

Notes on form:
[Side Step Squats]
- When you step your right foot side, squat as you set your foot down; then step your right foot back beside your left as you stand up from your squat
- Same goes for the left side!
- When you squat, you must hinge at your hips - stick your booty back behind you as your *straight* spine & head lean forward - & keep your weight in your heels
- Try to get your hips as low as your knees - if your heels lift, 1st check that you're doing the hip hinge, [*noted above*] correctly, if you feel you are, you may be bending your knees a little too low for your current mobility
- Squeeze your glutes together at the bottom of your squat, then squeeze them tighter & tighter as you stand back up
[Suicides]
- Keep your spine straight!!!!
- It's more important that your spine stays straight than it is for you to touch the floor - you're ability to reach the floor comes from bending your knees, not rounding your back
- Your body stays centered as your feet alternate moving side to side - if you are jumping side to side, take a look at the video again!
[Squat Jack]
- Same notes as Side Step Squat! Feet flat when you land in your squat, spine remains straight the whole time!
[Tuck Jump]
- This is basically an airborne crunch, so suck your "gut" in & "out of the way" so that your knees can lift toward your chest
- When you land, bend your knees to reduce the impact on your knee joints
- If you're landing sounds like an elephant is tap dancing, squeeze your abs tighter in the air, & bend your knees more when you land
- Bending your knees when you land is also important because it sets you up to move right into the next jump without pause

How many rounds did it take for you to feel the burn? And how many rounds were you able to finish?! Tell me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong, Build Stability: Low Impact [At-Home] Total Body Circuit

If you've ever trained with me or taken B Strong Body Fix, you know I lead you through an extended warm-up that looks a lot like this! These low impact, mat exercises quickly & gently warm your body & activate the muscles that support your joints. This helps you build joint stability to avoid injury & get more muscle fibers involved in your workout, which increases calorie & fat burn! So use this to get yourself warm, then attack a few videos from my Greatest HIITs series for a super effective, total body workout!

Here's the series:
A. 3 Single-Leg Glute Bridge + 1 Standard, Alternating side for Single-Leg each rep
B. Upside-down Cross-Over Crunches, Alternating sides each rep
C. Plank: 3-Leg Downward Dog, NOT alternating sides
***Perform each exercise, in order, for 10-20 total reps/exercise, cycling through the circuit 2-4 rounds.***

Notes on form:
[Single-Leg Glute Bridge]
- Drive through the heel of the foot that's on the floor & keep your lifted leg straight up, perpendicular to the floor
- Keep your core pulled super tight & your lats engaged by pulling your shoulders away from your ears
- Squeeze the glute of your working leg as you lift your hips & consciously keep your hips square to the floor - avoid letting the hip of your lifted leg sink lower than the hip of your working leg
- All of the notes about your working apply to the standard glute bridge!
[Upside-down X Over Crunches]
- Laying on belly, looking straight ahead at your mat, finger tips placed lightly behind ears, pulling shoulders far away from neck, & squeezing shoulder blades tight to pull elbows nice & wide
- Slowly lift 1 elbow & shoulder up & twist back so that you're looking directly to that side
- Lift & twist as far as you can without either hip bone lifting off the mat - if the lifting arm pulls the same hip bone off the floor, you twisted too far!
- Alternate sides with every rep
- NOTE: this move is super awkward! If you feel like a fish out of water, you're likely doing it right ;-)
[Plank: Knee Crunch to 3-Leg Downdog]
- Suck your "gut" in to pull it "out of the way" as you pull your knee straight forward to the space between your elbows
- As you extend your leg straight back, lock out your knee & lift your hips & press your chest back toward your grounded foot just like you're doing a downward dog
- Squeeze the glute of your straight, lifted leg & keep your hips square, avoiding letting the hip of your lifted leg reach farther back than the other hip
- As you lower you hips back to a plank position, be sure you re-stack your shoulders directly over your wrists & pull that knee right back to a crunch

This circuit is considered low impact, but it's still pretty challenging! Find me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong to tell me how challenging you found it on a scale of 1-5!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong Greatest HIITs: At-Home Hip & Thigh Burner

Burn, baby BURN! I absolutely love this series because it gets your hips & core better connected in their partnership to stabilize your pelvis & lower back. I'll be honest, it kinda sucks in the moment, but you'll feel amazing when you're finished!!

Here's the series:
A. Bouncing Sumo Squats
B. Sumo Squat Hold + Pivots to Lunge
C. Burpee + Lateral Hop
***Perform each movement, in order, for 20sec at a time. Complete a total of 3-5 rounds, with no rest between rounds.***

Notes on form:
[Bouncing Sumo Squats]
- Keep your feet flat on the floor - if your heels lift when you squat, your feet are likely too close together
- As you squat down, your knees should point in the direction your toes are pointing
- Pull your knees wide as you squat so you feel your hips working
- As you stand, drive your heels into the floor & squeeze your knees toward each other so you feel your inner thighs working
[Sumo Squat Hold + Pivots to Lunge]
- Stay at the bottom of your squat position, knees at 90 degree angles
- Drop 1 knee & lift that heel as you pivot & turn your chest 90 degrees
- In your lunge, your back shin should be parallel to the floor, your back foot should only have the ball of your foot touching the floor, & your front foot is holding your weight mostly in your heel
- As you rotate back to your sumo squat, STAY LOW!!! Don't let the angle in your knees get any larger than 90 degrees & flatten both feet into the floor again
[Burpee + Lateral Hop]
- This is your standard, no push-up burpee, but the jump up to kick off the movement is a hop to the side instead up just straight up

How many rounds were you able to finish your 1st attempt?! Tell me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

B Strong, Build Stability: At Home Arm & Core Burner

A single set of these babies can get your body from cold & creaky to hot & sweaty... making this the perfect dynamic warm-up to bust out when you don't have much time for a workout. This, prior to any of my "Greatest HIITs" at-home drills, is the perfect quick, no excuses workout!

Here's the step by step breakdown of the series:
- Start in high plank
- Slowly lower through push-up until you're lying on your belly
- Extend arms straight forward, squeeze ankles together & lift to Superman
- Holding Superman, perform 2 lat pullbacks
- Tuck your hands & toes, then push-up to high plank
- Perform 2 Cross Under knee crunches, 1 with each leg
- Start back from the beginning & perform 6-10 total reps

Notes on form:
[Slow Push-up]
- Aim your elbows to point back behind you & pull your shoulders away from your ears as you lower
- Be sure to drive your heels back toward the floor, tighten your quads & squeeze your butt so that your lower 1/2 isn't dead weight to your arms
[Superman + Lat Pullbacks]
- Reach arms directly in front of shoulders, hands no wider than shoulders
- Engage your lats by pulling your shoulders back away from your head & engage your inner thighs by keeping legs completely straight & squeezing your ankles together
- For Lat Pullbacks, pull elbows back as if you were trying to tap them together behind your back, squeezing your shoulder blades toward each other
[Push-up]
- Same notes as above for lowering down
[Cross Under Crunches]
- Suck your "gut" in to "make room" for that knee to travel toward the opposite elbow
- Twist your pelvis so that the hip of your crunching knee stacks underneath the other hip
- When you step your foot back to plank, be sure to square your hips back up so they're side by side again

How many reps did it take for you to start sweating?! Tell me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Strong,

Cassie B.

Momma B: Why Should I/How Do I Detox?!

Have you ever suffered through a detox experience and wondered how it's suppose to be "good for you"? Many years ago I tried a detox. All you could consume was broth for an entire weekend. Needless to say it didn't go well. I didn't make it through one day... I thought I would die. My legs were weak, I had an awful headache and I was what I'm told they call "hangry"!  

Now that I focus on eating whole foods, I've created a more balanced lifestyle. I know now that by eating whole foods everyday, I'm also detoxing everyday. When people describe the benefits of a detox, it sounds like it's practical and necessary for our health... but, the thing is, our liver and kidneys are designed to provide all those benefits on a daily basis - that's their function! Think of yourself as their supervisor - it's your responsibility to feed your body the foods that help your kidneys and liver function most efficiently and effectively. Rather than suffering through a cleanse once or twice a year, focusing more on how you're treating your body every day will have a more positive, lasting impact. Be mindful of the foods you eat, the cosmetics you use, and the cleaning products you have in your home. Avoid exposing your body to toxins as much as possible, that way your detoxing organs don't get overloaded and fall behind.

If you believe you may/know you have any food sensitivities, I recommend The Elimination Diet. Several of my clients have found it helpful with identifying foods they were sensitive to and felt better once they began avoiding them. For specific details and in depth guidance, click on the link above, but basically, you start by eliminating common food sensitivities like: gluten, corn, soy, sugar and eggs. After not eating them for 21-30 days, you'll start to add them back into your diet one at a time and focus on how you feel. If you choose to use this process, be sure to eat whole, nutritious foods, eat lots of vegetables and enjoy some fruit too, and drink plenty of water. Doing those things will naturally help your body detox.

If The Elimination Diet sounds too overwhelming, I encourage clients to commit to a whole foods diet. For 21-30 days, eliminate all processed foods that come in packages or boxes, and avoid eating out at restaurants. Focus on eating vegetables, fruits, grass fed, lean proteins & whole grains. To improve the detox, try adding cleansing foods into your diet like water with lemon, bitter greens, ginger and broccoli. 

Still feeling confused or overwhelmed by the thought of kicking off the healthy lifestyle you imagine living? Let me help you! Contact me today for a free Wellness Consultation 207-320-5070 or simplymindbodyhealth@gmail.com.

B Well,

Momma B.