We’d like to give a big thank you to everyone who entered our recent NTC Drills contest; we were completely blown away by the sheer motivation and creativity demonstrated in all of the drills. Narrowing it down to five finalists was a tough task, but we finally decided on a few we felt had the potential to become great additions to our new community-inspired workout, set to debut on the NTC App next spring. Our grand prize winner Lindsay Bennett was flown out to New York City this week for our Spring 2012 photo shoot, where she’s being filmed demonstrating her winning workout, as well as the other four finalists’ drills. All of our finalists including Lindsay will also receive a new Nike training outfit, along with name recognition on the app.

Here’s a rundown on our fave five, including the big winner:

Finalist: Susan Becraft-Useldinger

When we asked Susan how she came up with her body toning “Pike/Butt Down/Push Up” drill, she told us the idea came to her while daydreaming. Thinking about her favorite drills, she asked herself how she could make them more unique, difficult, and memorable. “(It’s all about) putting that signature twist on a move to make it your own!” Susan advises.

Ever since she laced her first pair of Nikes at age 8, the Portland, OR native has been an advocate of fitness. Over the years, Susan has drawn inspiration from mentors, athletes, and coaches to help her stay in shape. She works hard to make herself empowered every day, and hopes to inspire other women to do the same.

Finalist: Kari Sullivan

While coming up with an idea for her drill, Kari Sullivan considered how to incorporate her whole body in order to keep the intensity high. Her “Rolling V-Ups to Arch Ups” will definitely get your blood pumping, and the results are felt from head to toe.

Kari loves feeling strong, and therefore strives to make herself unstoppable. She told us, “Strength (turns into) confidence, and confidence makes me feel sexy...and who doesn't want to feel sexy?” Well said, Kari! We completely agree.

Finalist: Blake Robinson

For Blake, the concept behind his drill was simple: burn as many calories in the shortest amount of time as possible. In order to accomplish this, Blake decided to combine multiple moves that are all known for burning calories while building muscle. His “Dog with Kick Back Drill” may seem daunting, but the results are indisputable. By engaging muscles in the arms, legs, and torso, the drill “gives you the biggest bang for your buck, burning more calories than each move alone and making the workout that much more effective,” he says. After trying out his innovative workout, we too are feeling the burn!

Blake’s two greatest sources of inspiration are his wife, whose continuous encouragement helps him stay in shape, and his father. Watching his father compete in a triathlon when he was five years old left quite an impression on young Blake. “I remember that as he approached me on the sidelines, he (was smiling). While he was competing, pushing, and giving it his all, he was enjoying every minute of it. Now when I get my sweat on, I smile too.”

Finalist: Cari Shoemate

Cari likes to think outside the box, and loves to utilize unconventional workouts to spice up her routine. Looking to put a little fun into fitness, Cari created the “Triple Jump Rope Drill.” I love jump rope and I think it's one of the best forms of cardio,” she told us. “It works your entire body, and you can do it anywhere!”

Always up for a challenge, runner Cari makes herself stronger by constantly upping the ante. “When I'm not moving in the right direction, I think about a previous race or a day at the gym where I met or exceeded my expectations and that makes me want to push harder.” A recent source of inspiration for Cari has been a fellow runner in Houston. Cari often races with a 61-year-old woman, who she says frequently finishes in first place, despite the fact that she didn’t even start running until she was in her fifties! “I think about her every time I run a race,” Cari says. “She’s amazing.”

And last but certainly not least, our grand prize winner, Lindsay Bennett:

Lindsay’s love of “Z-Jumps” dates back to her childhood. She told us, “From a young age, my parents would give me and my siblings something to jump over and challenge us to beat one another, making it into a competition.” Lindsay’s versatile drill provides a great all-around workout, helping with everything from leg and core strengthening to building agility, balance, and endurance.

After ten years of competitive running in middle school, high school, and college, when Lindsay graduated she felt a sudden void in her life. Instead of seeing the end of school as an excuse to slack off though, Lindsay saw it as opportunity to challenge herself, and the time for the real fun to begin. “The challenge now is to stay committed to my active lifestyle,” she says. “I love pushing myself, working hard, and seeing results. So now that I'm not doing it everyday in preparation for my meet at the end of the week, I've got to challenge myself in other ways.” By creating her own fitness routines and goals to accomplish, Lindsay is making herself committed. “My desire to better myself is what inspires me to be committed and make myself.”

We asked all of our finalists to describe the NTC Training App with one word, and here’s what they had to say:

Lindsay: Effective.
Kari: Infallible.
Blake: Fierce.
Cari: Addictive.
Susan: Revolutionary!

A huge congrats to all of our finalists, and we look forward to seeing Lindsay demonstrate the new drills when the community fitness feature debuts next Spring!

Don’t have the revolutionary NTC Training App yet? Get it here: http://go.nike.com/0195hq7

-Devan