✨Glow Up 2.0 // Day 1: Total Body Metcon

Total Body Metcon is Day 1 in Heather Robertson‘s one week Glow Up 2.0 Challenge. This was an intense cardio + strength workout. Heather manages to give you a total body strength workout along with cardio. I was working hard! According to my FitBit I burned 243 calories. The sequencing of the moves fried my shoulders. Specifically in Circuit 2; after doing #2 & 3 where you are in side plank while also working your other shoulder with a dumbbell, you then go straight into a mountain climber variation. My shoulders were screaming during the mountain climbers. The Side Lift Combo worked had already fatigued them. Every strength exercise is a compound move that works multiple muscle groups in a single exercise. Because of this, every muscle group is not worked equally. For example, on the Lunge, Curl & Lift (Circuit 2 #1). I was limited by what I could use for a straight arm front raise (while also lunging). I can lift heavier dumbbells for both a lunge and a bicep curl but I was limited to what I could lift for the front arm raise. Nevertheless, it is still a solid total body strength workout.

This is Heather’s second Glow Up Challenge. (Here are my reviews of all of the workouts in her first Glow Up Challenge) Here is a little trailer about the second challenge. And here is her description of it: The Glow Up 2.0 is a free 7 Day workout series to help get you moving and will have you feeling your very best. The program also includes a free glow up guide that discusses nutrition and mindfulness and how incorporating these aspects into your daily routine can help you transform from the inside out! If you click on this link, then you can access the free guide.

This workout has 2 circuits, each containing 6 exercises. Each circuit is done 2 times before you move on to the next circuit. The exercises are all done interval style: 45 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of recovery. There is a timer in the lower right hand corner of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recoveries Heather previews the next exercise.

Total Body Metcon is 29:47 minutes; 2:30 minute warm up and 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and a fitness mat. Heather is using 5 and 10 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

Circuit 1:

1. Squat, curl & press (holding one DB in each hand, step out to side and squat, reaching DBs toward mat, stand and bring feet together doing a hammer curl into an overhead press, alternate sides when stepping out into squat) (15# DBs)
2. Frogger row (in straight arm plank with a DB in each hand, do one renegade row each arm, jump feet into DBs then jump feet back out to plank) (25# DBs)
3. Station sprints (jog forward and backward the length of your mat)
4. Chest press bridge (lay on mat with knees bent and close to glutes, raise and lower hips into bridge while also doing a chest press) (25# DBs)
5. Rocket push ups (in straight arm plank (Heather is holding DBs), do one tricep push up then push glutes back to heels keeping knees elevated off mat)
6. Boxer jacks (jack the feet while also doing alternating front punches) (5# DBs)
7. Repeat #1 -6

30 second rest

Circuit 2:

1. Lunge, curl & lift (alternating reverse lunges, when you lunge, alternate a bicep curl with a straight arm front raise) (8# DBs)
2. Side lift combo (in modified side plank (one hand on mat and bottom knee on mat, top leg extended straight, hold one DB in top arm, keeping arm straight, raise DB from mat in front of you to ceiling and lower back to start then raise top straight leg and lower, alternate these two moves) (one 8# DB)
3. Repeat #2 on other side of body
4. Climber jacks (alternate one plank jack with 2 mountain climbers, one each leg)
5. Deadlift & squat (alternate one deadlift with one squat) (25# DBs)
6. Cross & jack (stand with legs wide holding one DB in each hand, hinge forward and reach one hand/DB toward opposite foot with legs straight, stand and jack legs in and out while doing a double arm overhead press, alternate sides when hinging forward) (10# DBs)
7. Repeat #1-6

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