Full Body Workout is Day 39 in Heather Robertson‘s 12 Week 4.0 program. This was a very metabolic total body strength workout. It is comprised of compound exercises, meaning there are no isolation exercises that focus on a single muscle group. All of these exercises work multiple muscle groups in the same exercise–often upper and lower body together. And it does get intense. After doing Day 29 on Wednesday, I was a little more conservative with some of my weights. Day 29 kicked my butt both during and after the workout. This one worked me hard but didn’t kick my butt–at least not the the extent Day 29 did. And that’s a good thing, right? It’s what I wanted! But now I am feeling like I didn’t challenge myself enough. Which is just stupid. I got a great workout but a couple of exercises I definitely felt like I could have lifted heavier. I was still working hard though. I burned nearly 350 calories in the course of this workout and spent a total of 9 minutes in my peak heart rate zone/Zone 5; I spent 19 minutes in Zone 4. So I got some great cardio, too!
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, there is a small graphic with a weight recommendation–light, medium or heavy. For one exercise (#5 in circuit one) Heather shows a low impact modification during the preview.
Full Body Workout is 40:18 minutes; 20 second intro, 4:20 minute warm up and 4:15 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and a fitness mat. The weights listed below are what I used.
Circuit 1:
- Lunge, curl & raise (alternating reverse lunges, each time you lunge you will alternate a bicep curl with a straight arm side raise) (10# DBs)
- Side lunge & press (stand with legs wide holding one DB in both hands, do alternating stationary side lunges, between each lunge push DB out straight in front of you) (one 20# DB)
- Step squat & deadlift (standing holding one DB in each hand at sides, step one leg out to side and do a squat, step legs back together, step out again (same side) and do another squat, stand stepping legs together and do one deadlift, repeat on other side) (25# DBs)
- Wall sit & curl (hold wall squat isometrically while doing bicep curls) (15# DBs)
- 1.5 jump squat (stand holding a DB in each hand with arms at sides, lower into squat, raise halfway then lower back into squat, as you raise out of squat, jump, landing back in squat; low impact modification: standing while raising onto your toes instead of jumping) (15# DBs)
- Repeat #1-5
30 second rest
Circuit 2:
- Skull crush & kick (lay on back holding one DB in each hand with arms extended to ceiling, legs are raised with knees bent at 90 degrees, bend elbows lowering DBs down toward mat on either side of head keeping arms straight from shoulder to elbow, raise DBs back to ceiling and hold while pushing legs out straight then return to 90 degrees) (15# DBs)
- T-push up & pass (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, rotate into side plank while reaching arm/DB to ceiling, set DB on floor and do one push up, alternate sides) (one 10# DB)
- Stand, curl & press (hold one DB in one hand, do one step back/reverse lunge, bring leg forward while curling DB to shoulder, tap the floor beside other foot then do a knee raise while also doing a single arm overhead press) (one 18# DB)
- Repeat #3 on other side of body
- Hi-lo swing (hold one DB by bar with both hands, squat while swinging DB between legs to forehead level (arms are straight), stand and swing DB overhead) (one 20# DB)
- Repeat #1-5
30 second rest
Circuit 3:
- Curtsy & raise (hold one DB in both hands, do alternating cross-back/curtsy lunges, as you lunge do a straight arm front raise so that DB is overhead at bottom of lunge, lower back to front of thighs between each lunge) (one 15# DB)
- Deadlift & upright row (one deadlift + one upright row) (15# DBs)
- Chest fly & pedal (lay on back with legs raised and knees bent at 90 degrees, do chest flys, as you open arms push one leg out and bring leg in as you raise arms back to ceiling, alternate legs) (20# DBs)
- Plank row & squat (start in plank holding one DB in each hand, do one renegade row each arm, jump feet into hands, stand and do one sumo squat holding both DBs in front of you so they reach toward floor as you squat, squat again this time placing DBs back on floor and jumping feet back out to plank) (30# DBs)
- Squat touch down (stand holding one DB by bar with both hands, squat and tap one end of the DB to the floor, stand and reach DB overhead) (one 10# DB)
- Repeat #1-5
For more info on Heather Robertson’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.
