JessicaSmithTV: Yoga Tone

Yoga Tone is another excellent yoga-strength fusion workout from Jessica Smith. This morning I did her Yoga Sculpt followed by this workout for a 70 minute yoga-strength routine. These aren’t cardio yoga workouts but your heart rate will be elevated and you will sweat–or at least I did! Because this is a yoga workout I did not lift heavy like I would if I were doing a pure strength or even a metabolic strength workout. Today is my yoga/recovery day so I lifted heavy enough dumbbells so that I felt the exercise actually working the muscle, but my goal wasn’t to burn my muscles out. Jessica used 5 pound dumbbells but I used a wider variety of dumbbells ranging from 5 to 10 pounds. Below in the break down I will note what weights I used for each exercise. As I mentioned in Yoga Sculpt, I really enjoyed these workouts. It was very effective and worked well in conjunction with Yoga Sculpt. There are other ways I will use it (and Yoga Sculpt). This would be a great way to start my yoga routine but then rather than going directly into another intense yoga-strength workout, I will finish it off with a more gentle and relaxing flexibility focused yoga routine.

Yoga Tone is 41 minutes long; 1 minute intro, Equipment: a mat and a set of dumbbells (Jessica is using 5 pound dumbbells). I used 5-10 pound dumbbells.

Deep breaths w/ overhead reaches; add chair pose–flow from deep breath down to chair pose. Twisting chair pose hold. Changes to flowing deep breaths then lower into twisting chair pose (alternate sides). Flow between spine extension (arch spine while reaching overhead) back down to chair pose, lifting straight arms behind you. Hold chair pose, reaching arms overhead. Forward fold to plank to side plank. Cobra pose flow variations. Bird dog pose.

Grab DBs.

1. On all 4s, holding one DB in one hand, raise and lower straight arm holding DB and opposite straight leg (bird dog); bringing elbow to knee under body before extending both arm and leg (one 5# DB)
2. Plank squats (in straight arm plank, press hips back to heels then return to plank); down dog; forward fold to standing
3. In deep lunge, do a one arm rear fly lifting DB all the way overhead before lowering (7# DBs); hold arm w/ DB overhead and straight and bend front leg, keeping arm extended overhead throughout (triangle to side angle) (5# DBs)
4. Tree pose with arms raised in front of you shoulder height, elbows bent w/ DBs raised to ceiling and palms facing face, open arms to goal post and close arms (8# DBs); hold arms in starting position again and lower elbows to sides of body then scoop them back up to start (6# DBs)
5. Double arm row in 3 leg dog; changes to lowering to lunge then raising back leg to warrior 3 as you row (10# DBs); remain in warrior 3 (leg raised–so balance move) and do tricep kickbacks (7# DBs)
6. In chair pose, alternate rear delt fly and straight arm tricep press back (5# DBs); set DBs on floor and flow between chair pose and standing spine extension (arching spine while reaching arms overhead); forward fold to plank
7. 3 leg dog then bring raised leg under body to opposite elbow; stretch in 3 leg dog then come down to pigeon
8. Repeat #6
9. Repeat #7 on other leg
10. (grab DBs) Bicep curls while in boat position (5# DBs)
11. Lay on back, knees bent and feet on floor, arms/DBs raised straight to ceiling–raise hips while lowering DBs down to floor and scoop DBs back toward ceiling while lowering hips; hold bridge w/ DBs on hips and pulse hips (8# DBs)
12. Kneel on mat w/ arms extended straight in front of you and lean torso/hips backward and straighten; add lowering one arm toward foot behind you as you lean back (alternate arms); reach both hands behind you and place on heels, arching spine and holding (camel pose)
13. Repeat #10-12
14. Get on hands and knees and raise knees a few inches off the ground (quadruped) and swivel knees side to side; quadruped to down dog; repeat knee swivel in quadruped; down dog
15. Standing quad stretch; standing figure 4 stretch; standing spine extension; forward fold; side stretches; deep breaths

For more info on JessicaSmithTV and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.