Day 46: Full Body Strength / HR12WEEK 4.0

Full Body Strength is Day 46 in Heather Robertson‘s 12 Week 4.0 program. This is an excellent and thorough total body strength workout. Heather doesn’t miss a muscle group and she even gives you some plyometrics at the end. Additionally, you get 3 sets of every exercise, so plenty of time to work the muscles well. During the intro she urges everyone to try to lift heavier dumbbells, even if it is just for a few reps. I stayed with my usual weight for most of the exercises but I took her advice on #10 Curl & upright row. For a bicep curl I normally use 20 pound dumbbells but since this is a compound move I actually had to use a lighter weight because I cannot use 20 pounds for upright rows. I have a history of shoulder problems (rotator cuff surgery) so I am always conservative and stick with 15 pounds for upright rows. But today I took her advice and used 16.5 pound dumbbells and I was pleased it was doable with no shoulder pain.

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.

Full Body Strength is 43:36 minutes; 30 second intro, 3:10 minute warm up and 3 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, yoga block and a fitness mat. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Squats (35# DBs)
2. Stiff leg deadlift (hex trap bar @ 105#)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 two more times
4. Chest press (legs are raised and knees bent at 90 degrees, legs remain in this position while doing chest press) (barbell @ 75#)
5. Renegade row (alternate arms) (30# DBs)
6. Repeat #4 & 5 two more times
7. Split lunge (stationary lunge, hold one DB at same side shoulder as front leg, back leg is elevated on yoga block) (one 30# DB)
8. Repeat #7 on other leg
9. Repeat #7 & 8 two more times
10. Curl & upright row (alternate one hammer curl with one upright row) (16.5# DBs)
11. Rocket push up (in straight arm plank (Heather is holding DBs), do one tricep push up then push glutes back to heels keeping knees elevated off mat)
12. Repeat #10 & 11 two more times
13. Lunge & snatch (stand holding one DB in one hand, hinge forward deadlift style, as you raise our of deadlift, raise DB upright row style, when DB is at shoulder, continue raising DB into a single arm overhead press while also doing a reverse lunge) (one 15# DB)
14. Repeat #13 on other side of body
15. Repeat #13 & 14 two more times
16. Bent over row (landmine row, hinge forward at hips holding one heavy DB by bar with both hands, row DB bringing it to chest) (one 65# DB)
17. Sumo squat & hop (stand with legs wide and toes turned out, hold one DB in both hands by end/bell, squat 3x then placing DB on floor at bottom of 3rd squat, release DB and squat jump 3x) (one 45# DB)
18. Repeat #16 & 17 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.