40 Min METCON // Low Impact (No Jumping) Workout is total body metabolic strength workout from Heather Robertson. Low impact doesn’t mean low intensity! I was working hard throughout this workout. To increase the intensity, Heather does mostly combo exercises–exercises that work the upper and lower body at the same time, or she combines two exercises. These types of exercises really increase the heart rate (making the workout more metabolic) but they also shortchange some muscle groups. For instance, the row combo in Circuit 1. I can lift much heavier for a back row than I can for an upright row so my back muscles were not worked very well in this workout. Nevertheless, everything is hit in some fashion so it is a full body strength workout.
There are 3 circuits each containing 6 exercises. Each circuit is done twice before moving on to the next circuit. 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.
40 Min METCON // Low Impact (No Jumping) Workout is 42:59 minutes; 2:30 minute warm up and 3:15 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:
- Squat & curl (stand with legs wide and toes turned out holding a DB in each hand, lower into sumo squat and hold, do one double arm hammer curl then return to standing) (18# DBs)
- Plank & reach (in straight arm plank holding one DB in each hand, raise arm/DB straight in front of you to shoulder level, alternate arms) (8# DBs)
- Lunge & press (static/stationary lunges, hold a DB in each hand, one is at side and other is held at shoulder, lower into lunge and at top of lunge do a single arm overhead shoulder press) (18# DBs)
- Repeat #4 on other side of body
- Row combo (one deadrow + one upright row) (15# DBs)
- Cross punch (weighted cross punches, alternate arms and pivot to side when punching) (5# DBs)
- Repeat #1-6
Circuit 2:
- Press combo (lay on back with knees bent and feet on floor holding one DB in each hand, do one narrow tricep press, at top of press hold and do one skull crusher) (13# DBs)
- Toe touch & leg drop (lay on back, legs extended straight to ceiling holding one DB in each hand, arms/DBs are raised to ceiling and held there, lower straight legs until they are a few inches off floor, raise straight legs back so feet are reaching for ceiling then crunch upper body, reaching DBs toward feet) (13# DBs)
- Push up & tuck (in straight arm plank, do one push up then bring one knee to same side elbow on outside of body, repeat on other leg)
- Side bridge & fly (hold side elbow plank, top arm holds one DB, lift DB from floor to ceiling keeping arm straight) (one 8# DB)
- Repeat #4 on other side of body
- Plank & press (hold one DB in each hand, place DBs on floor and step feet back into plank, step feet back to hands, stand and do a hammer curl into an overhead shoulder press) (20# DBs)
- Repeat #1-6
Circuit 3:
- Curtsy & raise (alternating curtsy/cross-back lunges, between each lunge do one double arm straight arm lateral raise) (8# DBs)
- Wall sit & curl (hold wall squat isometrically, do alternating bicep curls) (15# DBs)
- Side lunge & fly (stand with legs wide holding one DB in one hand, lower into side lunge, hinge torso forward and do one single arm rear delt fly) (one 10# DB)
- Repeat #3 on other side of body
- Lunge & pass (alternating reverse lunges, hold one DB in one hand, open arms in a straight arm chest fly while in lunge, when you stand between lunges bring straight arms together in front of chest and pass DB to other hand) (one 5# DB)
- Single arm swing (stand with legs wider than hip width holding one DB in each hand, do alternating single arm kettlebell swings) (13# DBs)
- 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.
