Power Pilates Workout // Pilates HIIT Fusion

Power Pilates Workout // Pilates HIIT Fusion is a body weight strength training workout from Heather Robertson. This workout starts out as a nice, feel good workout then the creep starts and it gets more challenging. It is never advanced or super difficult but I did get some nice strength work in my triceps and lots of nice mobility work. One exercise in particular was deceptive. The Side Bridge Lift at the beginning of Circuit 2. Heather makes it looks so easy and she is so graceful. It was not as easy as it looked. It was doable but much more challenging that it appears when Heather does it! Plus I doubt very seriously I looked as graceful as she did when doing it! Doing this workout today actually fit in nicely with yesterday’s workout: Intense No Repeats Fat Burning HIIT // Strength + Cardio. That is a total body strength workout but doesn’t hit the triceps. This workout bridged that gap. The body weight strength work in this workout hits the rest of your body, too, but it felt like (to me) the triceps got a little something extra in this workout.

Power Pilates Workout // Pilates HIIT Fusion is 40:35 minutes; 3 minute warm up and 2:45 minute stretch. Equipment: fitness mat. This workout is done interval style: 40 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. There is a timer in the lower right hand corner of the screen counting down the intervals and recoveries. During the recovery Heather previews the next exercise.

Circuit 1:

1. Squat & squeeze (lower into squat, raise arms overhead, pull arms down, elbows behind back, raise arms overhead, lower arms, pushing straight arms behind you as you stand
2. Lunge & lift (this is a balance move) (one reverse lunge with arms extended overhead, stand with a knee raise (arms are still extended overhead), hinge torso forward while raising leg straight behind you, arms also flow down to sides of body, return upright, bringing knee in front of you again and raising arms overhead, return to start in reverse lunge)
3. Repeat #2 on other side of body
4. Plie squat & side reach (lower into wide plie squat, one hand on hip, other hand flows down toward floor while in squat, straighten legs while arm flows up overhead and to the side as you do a side bend)
5. Repeat #4 on other side of body
6. Bird dog combo (get on all 4s on mat, bend elbows, lowering chest to mat in a modified tricep push up while also raising one leg behind you, return to all 4s and do a bird dog with same leg that raised when doing the push up)
7. Repeat #6 one other side of body
8. Tricep press & kick (lay on side with legs straight and stacked, bottom arm/hand is holding top shoulder, top hand is on the floor in front of chest, do one side lying tricep push up and when you lower back to mat do one straight leg raise with top leg)
9. Repeat #8 on other side of body
10. Push back push up (do one tricep push up then bend knees, pushing glutes back to heels, knees remain elevated off floor)
11. Repeat #1-10

30 second rest

Circuit 2:

1. March & twist (stand with hands behind head and do alternating insole taps, raising one leg with insole facing ceiling while tapping insole with opposite hand)
2. Side bridge lift (lay on one elbow and hip, bottom leg is extended straight, top knee is bent with foot on floor in front of bottom knee, lift hip into side elbow plank, raising top arm to ceiling while also straightening and raising top leg, circle top arm down as you lower back to start position)
3. Repeat #2 on other side of body
4. Butterfly bridge (lay on back, knees bent and feet on floor near glutes, raise hips into bridge while also raising heels so you are on toes and hold, open and close knees, lower heels and hips)
5. Pilates 100 (alternate with legs extended straight and with knees bent)
6. Bicycle kick (lay on back on mat, knees bent and feet on mat, hands behind head, pull one knee into chest while crunching and bringing opposite elbow to tap knee, lower head/shoulders and extend leg out straight, raise straight leg to ceiling while crunching up and reaching for foot with opposite hand, alternate between these two crunches)
7. Repeat #6 on other side of body
8. Full bridge and reach (sit on bottom on mat, knees bent and feet on mat, hands are on mat behind you, push hips up so you are in crab while reaching one arm over opposite shoulder, lower back to start, alternate sides)
9. Plank saw (hold forearm plank, push body forward and back with toes)
10. Bear kick & hop (in bear pose (on hands and toes, with knees bent and hovering a few inches off the floor), alternate raising one leg (one raise each leg), pushing sole of foot to ceiling, jump feet into hands, stand and jump, reaching arms overhead, place hands on ground, jump feet out to plank then jump feet back into bear pose)
11. Repeat #1-10

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