Day 9: Core Strength & Shoulder Mobility / HR12WEEK 4.0

Core Strength & Shoulder Mobility is Day 9 in Heather Robertson‘s 12 Week 4.0 program. Though I am using the HR 4.0 mobility workouts on my recovery days, they aren’t really recovery level workouts! It is because Heather combines the mobility work with some sort of strength work. So far it has been core work but there is also at least one mobility workout that is combined with glute work. Anyway, the point is, you are working hard at the beginning! This workout starts with weighted core work. I really enjoy weighted core work so I did enjoy this. However, there was one move I just could not do correctly no matter how hard I tried. The Loaded Plank (Core Circuit #10). I used two dumbbells for this workout, a 20 pounder and a 15 pounder. I laid on my stomach on the mat and got the 20 pound dumbbell on the small of back but when I raised into forearm plank, it immediately rolled off onto the floor, I tried it with my 15 pound dumbbell and the same thing happened. So I just held the forearm plank the rest of the interval. I tried again the second time through the circuit and the same thing happened. I do not know why it would not stay on my low back. Maybe body is weirdly shaped back there? I do have a solution if I do this exercise again int the future: a hip thrust belt. I own one that I got for doing hip thrusts but decided an olympic barbell with bumper plates worked much better for hip thrusts, so my hip thrust belt is just laying around unused. However, the picture associated with the belt shows a woman doing a loaded plank using it! Wish I had remembered it this morning!

Anyway! This is a very good workout. Some great weighted core work followed by some intense shoulder mobility work. I say intense because I chronic left shoulder problems so I definitely felt the mobility work on my left shoulder!

This workout is made up of two circuits. A core circuit followed by a shoulder mobility circuit. The exercises are done interval style. For the core circuit, the exercises are done for 40 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of recovery. For the shoulder mobility circuit the exercises are done for 50 seconds of work followed by 10 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.

Core Strength & Shoulder Mobility is 32:35 minutes; 1:15 minute intro, 4 minute warm up and 40 second stretch. Equipment: one medium to heavy dumbbell and a fitness mat. The weights listed below are what I used.

Core Circuit:

1. Weighted crunch (DB is on chest and arms are crossed holding it to chest, do a basic crunch) (one 20# DB)
2. Seated twist (sit on mat with knees slightly bent, torso is leaned back slightly, hold one DB in both hands and twist DB side to side, tapping it to mat beside hip) (one 15# DB)
3. Reverse crunch (lay on back holding one DB in both hands, arms and DB are extended to ceiling, lower straight legs until they are a few inches off the mat, raise legs and lift hips into reverse crunch pushing feet overhead) (one 20# DB)
4. Modified bridge (in modified side elbow plank (bottom knee is on mat, top leg is extended straight) hold DB against top hip, raise and lower hip) (one 15# DB)
5. Repeat #4 on other side of body
6. Plank pass through (in straight arm plank with one DB on floor outside of one hand, reach under body with other hand, grab DB and pull it under body to other side, set DB on floor, alternate sides) (one 20# DB)
7. Side bend (stand w/ one hand behind head, other hand is holding DB at side, do side bends side to side) (one 20# DB)
8. Repeat #7 with DB in other hand
9. Cross climbers (mountain climbers angling knee toward opposite knee)
10. Loaded plank (lay on stomach on mat and place DB on low back, raise into elbow plank and hold isometrically)
11. Repeat #1-10

30 second rest

Shoulder Mobility:

1. Scarecrow combo (double kneeling on mat with arms at sides, pull elbows up until they are bent at 90 degrees and in line with shoulders, hands facing downward, hold upper arm/elbow steady while rotating hands upward so arms are now in goalpost, push arms overhear, reverse this motion, returning arms to start)
2. Shoulder car (in kneeling lunge, do slow arm/shoulder circles, alternating directions)
3. Repeat #2 on other arm
4. Platter flip (in high double kneeling, extend both arms out to sides in a T with palms facing upward, rotate one arm/shoulder so palm faces floor, alternate arms)
5. Kneeling shoulder roll (on hands and knees do shoulder rolls, keeping hands on mat)
6. Puppy flow (start on knees and forearms, push hips back so you are in puppy pose then return to starting position)
7. Thread through (on hands and knees, extend one arm to ceiling, then “thread” arm under body so you are in thread the needle pose, “unthread” arm, reaching arm to ceiling again)
8. Repeat #7 on other arm
9. Shoulder drop (kneel on mat, hands are on mat in front of you but wide, twist to one side placing one shoulder on mat, hold briefly then repeat on other shoulder, palms remain on mat the entire time)
10. Reverse table top (sit on mat with feet on mat and hands on mat behind hips, raise hips in and out of crab)

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