Your Best Body Circuit was fun for a lot of reasons. It is one of Michelle Dozois’s older workouts and boy, she has come a long way. It’s as if the idea for her Peak 10 Cardio Strength workouts was hovering around her mind, but clearly not there yet. Let me start at the beginning.
I bought Your Best Body Circuit when it first came out in 2007 and (back then) I found it very challenging. This workout used to wear me out every time I did it! I haven’t done it in years, so I felt a little apprehensive coming back to it, especially after doing Michelle’s Peak 10/PeakFit workouts, which are very advanced and very challenging. Your Best Body Circuit is nowhere near the level of her Peak 10/PeakFit workouts. Perhaps it’s not a fair comparison, but in Peak 10 Michelle created ultra challenging cardio + strength workouts and that is what Your Best Body Circuit is: cardio + strength. So that was one aspect that was very fun to me–seeing how far my fitness level has advanced! I used heavier weights than I used when doing this workout many years ago (this morning I used 20 and 15 pound dumbbells–btw, as a comparison, currently I use 12 and 8 pound dumbbells for a Peak 10’s Cardio Strength workouts) and yet found it intermediate. I did feel like I got a good workout, but it didn’t really challenge me like it used to and like her Peak 10 Cardio Strength workouts do now. But that is ok. This is a slower paced workout (though by no means slow-paced) and the cardio is lower impact. You don’t always need to be pushing yourself to the edge. This workout is put together very well. The cardio, tho not intense, is fun and flows well, and the strength moves are effective and organized well, too.
With Your Best Body Circuit you are getting a total body cardio + strength workout. For this workout you need heavy and moderate dumbbells and a dynaband. It is made up of 7 circuits. 6 of these circuits start with cardio then move into strength. Circuit 7 is just abdominal work. Each circuit is focused on one or two muscle groups.
Michelle has also included a 35 minute express option which I have not done, so I don’t know what is included. I am guessing since there are two Back & Bicep circuits and two Chest & Tricep circuits that only one of each circuit is included, but as for what else she includes, I don’t know.
Your Best Body Circuit is 58 minutes; 5 minute warm up, 48 minute training time, 5 minute cool down.
Circuit 1 (Cardio + Back & Biceps 1): Grab heavy weights: rows with bicep curls; rows. Switch to medium weights: bicep curls. Switch to band: single arm bow and arrow back row in plie
Circuit 2 (Cardio + Chest & Triceps 1): Push ups with alternating knee drops; just push ups. Grab heavy weights: lying chest press. Switch to band: kneeling tricep extensions; standing chest press.
Circuit 3 (Cardio + Back & Biceps 2): Grab heavy weights: reverse lunge with back row. Switch to band: bicep curls, wide row, seated row.
Circuit 4 (Cardio + Chest & Triceps 2): Grab band: shoulder rotation with tricep extensions, push ups with band around back. Switch to heavy weights: chest flys with leg extensions. No weights: plank tricep work.
Circuit 5 (Cardio + Shoulders w/ Legs): Grab moderate weight: reach weight down toward the foot on one side of body (while lunging) then straighten and push dumbbell overhead other side of body; single arm overhead press with side leg raise and shallow curtsey dip. Switch to band: kneeling shoulder raises, fanning arms from side to front.
Circuit 6 Cardio + Legs): Grab heavy weights: squats. Switch to moderate weights: pendulum lunges with rear leg extensions and knee raises. Switch to band: step side-to-side and add side leg raise.
Circuit 7 (Abdominals): Side plank crunches, side crunch with leg lift. Grab band: half roll back, raise arms (holding band folded in half) overhead, then roll back up, double arm/leg extensions. Set aside band: oblique crunches and pulsing crunches.
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