Day 16: Back & Biceps // Dumbbells Strength Workout / HR12WEEK 4.0

Back & Biceps is Day 16 in Heather Robertson‘s 12 Week 4.0 program. This was an excellent back and bicep workout. I felt my back was well worked and my biceps fried! That hold and curl is a burner! Even Heather dropped to a lower weight at one point (for the hammer curls I think).

The exercises are 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 the next exercise. At the bottom of the screen during the preview, Heather has a small graphic with a weight recommendation–light, medium or heavy.

Back & Biceps is 37:36 minutes; 35 second intro, 3 minute warm up and 3 minute stretch. Equipment: light, medium and heavy dumbbells and a fitness mat. The weights listed below are what I used.

Circuit 1:

1. Bent over row (landmine row–hinge forward at waist w/ back flat, hold one heavy DB by bar with both hands, row DB to chest) (one 65# DB)
2. Underhand row (single arm supine row, in kneeling lunge, torso hinges forward over front leg, hold one DB in hand opposite front leg, palm is facing in front of you, row DB up toward body, pulling elbow behind you and keeping arm close to side) (one 40# DB)
3. Repeat #2 on other arm
4. Pull over (lay on back with legs raised and knees bent at 90 degrees, legs remain in this position while doing a pullover) (one 40# DB)
5. Super T, Y, I (lay on stomach and do supermans, each time you do a superman the arm position changes: T arms are extended out to sides, Y arms are open in a V overhead so body forms a letter Y and I arms are extended straight in front of you)
6. Repeat #1-5 two more times

30 second rest

Circuit 2:

1. Hammer curls (alternate curls, arms are at sides with palms facing thighs, when curling palm faces body) (20# DBs)
2. Hold & curl (curl DBs halfway and hold isometrically w/ elbows bent at 90 degrees, lower one DB then return it to 90 degrees, repeat on other arm and continue alternating arms) (15# DBs)
3. Concentration curl (in kneeling lunge place tricep of one arm against inner thigh of front/same side leg, do single arm bicep curls) (one 18# DB)
4. Repeat #3 on other arm
5. Outer bicep curls (stand w/ arms/DBs at sides w/ palms facing in front of you, curl DBs while keeping palms facing in forward) (15# DBs)
6. Repeat #1-5 two more times

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