Core Strength Workout + Full Body Mobility is Day 30 in Heather Robertson‘s 12 Week 4.0 program. For recovery workouts Heather is not taking it easy on you in this program! The first half of this workout is actually some hard work! You are doing weighted core work and I was sweating by the end of the core circuit. She even gives you a cardio burst at the end of the core circuit. And though the mobility work does take the intensity down a few notches, you are still working. The mobility work is dynamic, meaning you are always moving. You do not hold any stretch; you flow in and out of it. It is definitely a great workout that gave my body some much needed mobility and flexibility work. At the very end you get a short stretch that actually is very relaxing. You do butterfly with some neck mobility and supine spinal twists.
This workout is made up of two circuits. One core circuit followed by one mobility circuit. The exercises are done interval style. For the ab circuit, the exercises are done for 40 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of recovery. For the 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 Workout + Full Body Mobility is 41:56 minutes; 55 second intro, 2:40 minute warm up and 2:15 minute stretch. Equipment: light to medium dumbbells and a fitness mat. The weights listed below are what I used.
Core Circuit: (40/10)
- Weighted toe touch (lay on back, both legs are extended straight to ceiling, hold one DB on both hands, crunch upper body while reaching DB towards feet) (one 15# DB)
- Side to side V crunch (sit on bottom, torso leaned back with hands on mat behind hips, DB is set on one end in front of you, keeping legs together, pull knees into chest then push them out to one side beside DB, pull knees back into chest and repeat on other side of DB)
- Reverse crunch (lay on back, hold one DB in both hands w/ arms extended straight to ceiling, lift legs and push them overhead, lifting hips into a reverse crunch, lower legs, keeping them straight and together until they are a few inches off mat, arms/DB remain extended to ceiling entire time) (one 15# DB)
- Seated twist (sit on mat with legs extended, knees slightly bent and heels on mat, hold one DB by bar with both hands, with torso leaned back, twist DB side to side, tapping one end of DB to mat beside hips) (one 15# DB)
- Core roll up (lay on back on mat with legs extended straight, hold one DB in both hands, extend arms overhead, do a full sit up, raising DB and keeping arms straight then lower DB while hinging torso forward into a seated forward fold, reaching DB to toes) (one 15# DB)
- Prayer crunch (lay on back w/ knees bent and feet on mat, hold one DB in both hands with arms extended straight to ceiling, crunch upper body while reaching DB to ceiling) (one 15# DB)
- Side bridge reach (in side elbow plank, hold one DB in top hand, reach DB under body then pull DB up body and push arm/DB straight overhead) (one 8# DB)
- Repeat #7 on other side of body
- 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)
- Side bend & chop (in kneeling lunge, hold one DB in one hand (same side as leg w/ knee on mat), other hand is behind head, side bend reaching DB toward floor, next hold DB in both hands and chop upward and across, toward ceiling over opposite shoulder) (one 15# DB)
- Repeat #10 on other side of body
- High knee twist (high knee run, rotate hand/arms side to side as knee raises; low impact version is high knee march, raise arms to shoulder height, elbows bent and hands together in front of chest, rotate arms as you raise knee, bringing hands toward hip as knee raises)
- Repeat #1-12
30 second rest
Mobility Circuit: 50/10)
- Squat & extend (start in forward fold with hands on mat, lower into a deep squat while also raising onto toes and bringing forehead to knees, return to forward fold)
- Deep squat (lower into a deep yogi squat with hands in prayer and elbows pushing against inner knees)
- Wrist rockers (get on hands and knees, hands are rotated so fingers face knees, rock forward and back in this position; halfway through interval change hand position so tops of hands are on mat, fingers still facing you)
- Lateral opener (kneel on one knee, other leg is extended out straight to side, hands on mat in front of you, shift deeper in and out of the stretch)
- T-spine rotation (same starting position as #4, rotate spine while raising one arm to ceiling (same side arm as extended/stretching leg) then push arm under body into thread the needle, flow between these two poses)
- Repeat #4 & 5 on other side of body
- Lunge & reach (in kneeling lunge, shift forward deepening hip flexor stretch while sweeping arms in front of you to overhead, extending arms back and arching spine, flow in and out of this pose)
- Repeat #7 on other side of body
- Down dog to up dog (alternate down dog pose with up dog pose)
- Half pigeon (start in down dog, raise one leg into 3 leg dog then pull leg underneath you, settling into pigeon pose, with fingertips on mat in front of you, lower forehead toward mat then raise back to upright torso)
- Repeat #10 on other side of body
- Active frog (double kneeling on mat with legs wide and forearms on mat in front of you, shift body forward and back, lowering glutes toward heels)
- Y, I, W lift (lay on stomach, open arms out wide in a V (or Y), raise arms and legs, lower body and extend arms straight in front of you and raise arms and legs into superman (I), lower body and pull elbows down to sides, raise arms and legs (W))
- 90-90 press up (sit on mat with both knees bent in front of you at 90 degrees (pretzel pose), arms are raised to shoulder level with elbows bent and hands stacked in front of chest (genie style), with legs in 90-90 raise onto knees (hands free), lower glutes back to start, swap leg positions and repeat on other side of body)
For more info on Heather Robertson’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.
