20 Min AMRAP // Total Body Workout

20min AMRAP // Total Body Workout is a different kind of workout from Heather Robertson. AMRAP stands for As Many Rounds As Possible. This workout consists of 4 five minute circuits. Each circuit contains 4 exercises. Each exercise is done for 8 reps. You (and Heather, of course) will repeat one circuit (or Round) as many times as possible within the 5 minutes allotted for it. Before the circuit or round begins, the 4 exercises in the circuit are listed onscreen while Heather previews them. When the circuit/round starts, there is a timer in the upper right hand corner of the screen, counting down the 5 minutes. You follow along with Heather as she does the exercises, keeping pace with her if you are able. Otherwise you will have to work at your own pace. Heather does do some of the exercises pretty rapidly (like push ups!).

This was not my favorite workout by Heather. It is a solid total body strength workout and since one exercise in each circuit/round is a cardio exercise, this is also a cardio + strength workout, which I usually love. I just didn’t enjoy this workout as much as I normally enjoy Heather’s workouts. Reason #1 has nothing to do with Heather. My back is feeling tweaky and so I was being more careful than usual this morning. Heather does the exercises at a very brisk pace and I was trying to keep up with her so I used lighter weights than I normally would for some of the exercises. Reason #2 is the brisk pace. I feel like I would have gotten more out of the strength exercises if I was working at a more controlled pace. And the third reason is, Heather does not leave the list of exercises on the screen like other trainers do. If you can’t keep up with Heather’s pace it can be easy to lose track of the exercises you are supposed to be doing and/or the order you are supposed to do them in. I was able to keep up with Heather most of the time but Circuit 1–I just could not keep pace with her, mostly due to her push up speed. I will not be returning to this workout.

20min AMRAP // Total Body Workout is 27:55 minutes; 40 second intro, 2 minute warm up and 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and a fitness mat. Heather does not reveal her weights but she only used one set of dumbbells for everything and they did not look like heavy dumbbells. Maybe 10 pounds? The weights listed below are what I used.

Circuit 1:

1. Squats, 8 reps (20# DBs)
2. Push ups, 8 reps
3. Full body crunch, 8 reps (extend body with arms straight overhead a few inches off the floor and legs straight a few inches off the floor, do a full crunch, bringing knees to chest and tapping fingers to ankles)
4. Jumping jacks, 8 reps
5. Repeat #1-4 as many times as possible within 5 minutes

30 second rest

Circuit 2:

1. Deadlift & row, 8 reps (straight leg deadlift with an upright row at top of move when standing) (10# DBs)
2. Plank & row, 8 reps (renegade rows) (20# DBs)
3. Plank jacks, 8 reps
4. Pop squats, 8 reps (squat jacks, tapping fingers to floor when in squat)
5. Repeat #1-4 as many times as possible within 5 minutes

30 second rest

Circuit 3:

1. Lunge & curl, 8 reps (alternating reverse lunges with double arm hammer curls when in lunge) (12# DBs)
2. Tricep press, 8 reps (overhead tricep extension/French press) (one 20# DB)
3. Bicycle crunches, 8 reps
4. Burpees, 8 reps (full burpee with push up at bottom and jump at top)
5. Repeat #1-4 as many times as possible within 5 minutes

30 second rest

Circuit 4:

1. Push press, 8 reps (squat while holding DBs in front of you at shoulder level and as you stand, do an Arnold press) (12# DBs)
2. Front swings, 8 reps (swing one DB in kettlebell fashion) (one 20# DB)
3. Push back push ups, 8 reps (do one push up, then push glutes back to heels, keeping knees elevated off floor)
4. Speed skaters, 8 reps (lateral skaters, tapping floor when in cross-back lunge)
5. Repeat #1-4 as many times as possible within 5 minutes

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