Core Strength + Back Mobility is Day 14 in Heather Robertson‘s 12 Week 4.0 program. This was exactly what I needed this morning–a workout that took it down a notch. You’re still working at the beginning with some weighted core work that also has a bit of back work in it with pullover variations but then you get nice relaxing mobility work at the end. It wasn’t just the tough workouts I’ve been doing this week that made me need a recovery day but also spring gardening! The weather is finally warm and yesterday was Saturday. So my husband and I spent all day working on gardening and yard tasks. Not only did it wear me out but it crippled my feet. So a workout that is almost entirely on the mat was exactly what my poor feet needed this morning. This workout gave me some nice core work and some really nice mobility and dynamic flexibility. And the stretch at the end continues to give you more mobility and flexibility work with scorpion stretch, child’s pose variations, puppy pose and some more side stretches.
This workout is made up of two circuits. A core circuit followed by a back mobility circuit. The exercises are done interval style: 40 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 + Back Mobility is 39:08 minutes; 40 second intro, 3:35 minute warm up and 4 minute stretch. Equipment: one medium dumbbell and a fitness mat. I used one 15 pound dumbbell.
Core Circuit:
- Core roll up (lay on your back holding one DB in both hands, arms are extended overhead, do a full sit up, rolling the spine as you come up, bringing the DB in front of you and reaching it past toes into seated forward fold, reverse the motion, rolling back down to start position)
- Frog crunch (lay on back, hands behind head, legs are raised off floor, keeping feet together, pull knees into chest, opening knees and bringing elbows to knees then push legs out straight at a 45 degree angle)
- Full body crunch (lay on your back holding one DB in both hands, arms are extended overhead, legs are extended out straight at a 45 degree angle, pull knees into chest while also crunching upper body and bringing DB to tops of feet)
- Toe touch (lay on back holding one DB in both hands, legs are extended straight to ceiling, crunch upper body while reaching DB toward feet)
- Side plank (straight arm side plank hold, top hand holds DB against hip)
- Repeat #5 on other side of body
- One way bicycle (lay on back, legs are raised with both knees bent at 90 degrees, hands are behind head, crunch upper body while bringing one elbow to opposite knee while other leg extends straight)
- Repeat #7 on other side of body
- Bicycle crunch (traditional bicycle maneuver, alternating sides)
- Repeat #1-9
30 second rest
Back Mobility Circuit:
- Spinal roll down (start standing, slowly roll down into forward fold then slowly roll back up to start)
- Kneeling reach (in high kneeling, extend both arms in front of you, open one arm out to side and behind you while twisting torso to look behind you and leaning back slightly, return to start and repeat on other side)
- Cat cow
- Thoracic rotation (start on hands and knees, place one hand behind head, rotate torso reaching elbow toward ceiling and opening chest, lower arm reaching elbow under body)
- Repeat #4 on other side of body
- Laying twist (lay on back, arms extended out to sides on mat in goalpost/cactus, legs are crossed with thighs touching, rotate spine, lowering legs to one side the return them to start)
- Repeat #6 on other side of body
- Pelvic curl (lay on back with knees bent and feet on mat close to glutes, curl pelvis as you raise hips into bridge then lower back to start)
- Cobra wave (flow from child’s pose to cobra, rounding spine as you flow between poses)
- Repeat #1-9
For more info on Heather Robertson’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.
