Power Hour // Strength & Cardio Workout

Power Hour // Strength & Cardio Workout is one of Heather Robertson‘s rare hour long workouts. It is a superset workout. For the majority of the supersets, she pairs together a strength exercise and a cardio exercise. The cardio exercise usually complements the strength exercise (contrast training) by working the same muscle groups. But there are a few supersets that are all strength and the final superset is all cardio. Though this is a total body workout, I would never count it as one for my purposes. Some muscle groups get more work than others and, due to the compound nature of most of the exercises, even when a muscle group gets worked (the back), it is worked with very light dumbbells. But with that said, this is a great cardio + strength workout. I burned 439 calories so it was very metabolic. I do like the sequencing. Heather throws in some core focused supersets as a sort of a recovery. You are still obviously working but it gives your heart rate some time to calm down.

As already mentioned, this workout is made up of supersets. Each superset is done twice. The exercises are all done interval style: 40 seconds of work followed by 20 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 your next exercise.

Power Hour // Strength & Cardio Workout is 58:11 minutes; 4:40 minute warm up and 4 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and fitness mat. Heather is using 5 and 10 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

Circuit 1:

1. Squat (25# DBs)
2. Pop Squat (squat jack, touching fingertips to ground while in squat)
3. Repeat #1 & 2
4. Push back push up (one push up then push glutes back to heels keeping knees elevated off mat)
5. Inchworm jack (stand at one end of mat, hinge forward and walk hands out to plank, do one plank jack, walk hands back to feet, stand and do one jumping jack)
6. Repeat #4 & 5
7. Side lunge & press (hold one DB in both hands, do stationary/static alternating side lunges, between each side do a double arm overhead press) (one 25# DB)
8. Speed skater (lateral skaters)
9. Repeat #7 & 8
10. In & out curls (alternate one wide curl (arms out to sides with elbows kept close to sides) with one bicep curl with arms in front of you) (15# DBs)
11. Cross punch (weight cross punches, alternate arms) (5# DBs)
12. Repeat #10 & 11
13. Toe touches (lay on back, legs are raised to ceiling, hold one DB in both hands, crunch upper body, reaching DB to feet) (one 15# DB)
14. Reverse crunch & kick out (lay on back on mat, do one reverse crunch, lifting legs overhead while raising hips, lower hips and bend knees then kick legs out straight in line with hips)
15. Repeat #13 & 14
16. Plank reach & row (in straight arm plank do one renegade row then raise same arm straight in front of you to shoulder level, alternate arms) (5# DBs)
17. Burpee & curl (stand holding one DB in each hand, place DBs on mat, jump feet back to plank, do one push up, jump feet back into DBs, stand and do one bicep curl) (16.5# DBs)
18. Repeat #16 & 17

30 second rest

Circuit 2:

1. Sumo squat (one 55# DB)
2. In & out hops (squat jacks, jump out into sumo squat then jump back into narrow squat)
3. Repeat #1 & 2
4. Plank leg lifts (in forearm/elbow plank, alternate lifting one leg to ceiling)
5. Bicycle crunch
6. Repeat #4 & 5
7. Deadlift, lunge & raise (one deadlift + one reverse lunge, alternate legs when lunging, when lunging do a double arm lateral raise) (8# DBs)
8. Scissor squat hops (4 scissor runs + one jump squat)
9. Repeat #7 & 8
10. Row & kickback (bent over row into a tricep kickback) (13# DBs)
11. Plank ankle reach (start in straight arm plank holding one DB in each hand, push hips back to down dog while reaching one arm/DB underneath you to tap opposite ankle, alternate sides returning to plank between each side) (5# DBs)
12. Repeat #10 & 11
13. Curtsy & lift (hold one DB in each hand, do alternating curtsy lunges, while in lunge raise both arms/DBs overhead) (8# DBs)
14. Side leap & hop (do one lateral leap the length of your mat + one jump reaching arms overhead)
15. Repeat #13 & 14
16. Jumping jacks
17. High knee run
18. Repeat #16 & 17

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