Full Body METCON Workout is Day 34 in in Heather Robertson‘s 12 Week 4.0 program. Wow! Another intense metabolic total body workout from Heather. This workout kicked my a$$! I was going strong and working hard until the AMRAP at the end. I definitely was not keeping up with Heather during the AMRAP! This workout gives you everything–total body strength and cardio. She uses compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups with a single exercise. Upper + lower body, or upper + core, or lower + core, or everything in a single exercise. The moves themselves are metabolic, but she includes some cardio moves, too. I burned 346 calories and spent a total of nearly 10 minutes in my peak heart rate zone. And my shoulders were toast by the end!
This is a circuit based workout. The first two circuits 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. The 3rd circuit is an AMRAP circuit. AMRAP stands for As Many Rounds As Possible. The circuit contains 4 exercises. Each exercise is done for 6 reps. You (and Heather, of course) will repeat one circuit (or Round) as many times as possible within the 5 minutes allotted for it. Before the circuit or round begins, the 4 exercises in the circuit are listed onscreen while Heather previews them. When the circuit/round starts, there is a timer in the upper right hand corner of the screen, counting down the 5 minutes. You follow along with Heather as she does the exercises, keeping pace with her if you are able. Otherwise you will have to work at your own pace. Luckily, the list of exercises remains on screen the entire 5 minutes, so you don’t have to worry about losing track of the exercises if you cannot keep up with Heather’s pace.
Full Body METCON Workout is 41:25 minutes; 35 second intro, 3:15 minute warm up and 3 minute stretch. Equipment: light, medium and heavy dumbbells and fitness mat. The weights listed below are what I used.
Circuit 1:
- Skate & press (hold one DB in one hand, step back into cross-back/curtsy lunge while reaching DB to floor, when you return to standing do a single arm overhead press–this is done at a brisk pace) (one 15# DB)
- Repeat #1 on other side of body
- Lunge & twist (alternating reverse lunges, hold one DB in both hands goblet style, at bottom of lunge, twist torso/DB to side–same side as front leg) (one 30# DB)
- Swing & switch (single arm kettlebell swings using a DB, alternate arms) (one 25# DB)
- Bear plank & row (start in straight arm plank holding a DB in each hand, step feet in so knees are bent at 90 degrees and still elevated off mat (bear pose), do one DB row with each arm then step feet back out to plank) (30# DBs)
- Squat, curl & press (stand with a DB in each hand at sides, do one squat, stand and do a hammer curl into an overhead shoulder press) (20# DBs)
- Speed ladder (place 2 DBs on floor approximately 2 feet apart, high knee run laterally stepping over DBs–Heather shows a low impact modification during the preview)
- Repeat #1-7
30 second rest
Circuit 2:
- Overhead carry lunges (walking lunges while holding DBs overhead, arms straight, 2 lunge steps forward then turn and take 2 lunge steps back to start) (15# DBs)
- Deadlift & row (deadrow–hinge forward into deadlift and hold, do one double arm back row then raise out of deadlift) (30# DBs)
- Push up climber (in straight arm plank (Heather is holding a DB in each hand), do one push up, when in plank again do 4 cross climbers bringing knee toward opposite elbow under body)
- Pull over & crunch (lay on back w/ knees bent and feet on mat, hold one DB on both hands overhead (interval starts with DB resting on floor), raise DB to ceiling, raising knees and crunch upper body and bring DB toward feet, place feet back on floor and do one pullover) (one 30# DB)
- Skull crush & press (lay on back, knees are raised and bent at 90 degrees, hold one DB in both hands at chest, push DB to ceiling, hold and bend elbows into a skull crusher) (one 25# DB)
- Sumo squat & row (stand with legs wide and toes turned out holding a DB in each hand, lower into squat reaching DBs toward floor, return to standing and do one upright row) (15# DBs)
- Power jack (sumo squat jack)
- Repeat #1-7
30 second rest
AMRAP Circuit (5 minutes):
- Ski hop, 6 reps (hold a light DB in each hand, lower into squat while doing a straight arm front raise, as you raise out of squat, jump while lowering DBs) (5# DBs)
- Weighted jack, 6 reps (jumping jacks while pushing DBs overhead) (5# DBs)
- Cross punch, 6 reps (alternating cross punches) (5# DBs)
- Burpee, 6 reps (start standing, place hands/DBs on mat, jump feet back to plank, do one push up, jump feet back into hands, stand and jump) (20# DBs)
For more info on Heather Robertson’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.
