Day 56: Full Body Strength Training Workout / HR12WEEK 4.0

Full Body Strength Training Workout is Day 56 in Heather Robertson‘s 12 Week 4.0 program. This is another excellent and thorough total body strength workout. This workout has 4 circuits. The first circuit is a glute activation circuit using a glute/booty band. It’s kind of an extension of the warm up but I was definitely feeling it in my outer thighs and my shoulders. Circuits 2-4 are strength circuits using dumbbells. Each of the weighted strength circuits contain 3 exercises and you repeat each circuit 3 times. I like repetition like this to hit your muscles well.

The exercises are all done interval style. For the first circuit the intervals are 45 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of rest. For the last two circuits the intervals are 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.

Full Body Strength Training Workout is 44:13 minutes; 40 second intro, 3:45 minute warm up and 4:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, glute/booty band and fitness mat. The weights listed below are what I used. After the warm up is over, put your band around your thigh, just above your knees.

Glute Activation: (45/15)

1. Banded squat (booty band is around thighs just above knees, stand with legs wide so there is constant tension on band, do squats in this position)
2. Squat & toe tap (lower into a partial squat and hold, alternate tapping toes out to side)
3. Lateral walk (lower into partial squat, side step the length of your mat and back)
4. Glute bridge (lay on mat, knees bent and feet on mat close to glutes, keep knees open wide enough so there is constant tension on band, raise and lower hips/glutes)
5. Robot Row (with band around wrists and arms open so there is constant tension on the band, hinge forward with arms extended straight, and do bent over rows, bringing band to ribs then extending arms straight)
6. Banded curl (stand with resistance loop around wrists and arms open so there is constant tension on the band, do bicep curls)
7. Lift & pulse (stand with resistance loop around wrists and arms open so there is constant tension on the band, raise arms to shoulder level, bend elbows to 90 degrees so hands are pointing to ceiling, pulse arms upward)

30 second rest

Circuit 1: (40/20)

1. Sumo squat (stand w/ legs wide and toes turned out, hold one heavy DB in both hands) (one 75# DB)
2. Stationary lunge (hold one DB at same side shoulder of front leg) (one 30# DB)
3. Repeat #2 on other leg
4. Repeat #1-3 two more times

Circuit 2: (40/20)

1. Kneeling tricep press (in high double kneeling, hold one DB by bell with both hands above head, do a French press, lowering DB behind head) (one 25# DB first & 3rd set, one 30# DB second set)
2. Renegade row (alternate arms) (30# DBs)
3. Curl & press (hold one DB in both hands, curl bicep to shoulders then push DB overhead) (one 30# DB)
4. Repeat #1-3 two more times

Circuit 3: (40/20)

1. Front squat (hold DBs at shoulders) (30# DBs)
2. Rocket push up (start in plank (Heather is holding a DB in each hand), do one push up, when you are back in plank, push glutes back to heels keeping knees off mat)
3. Alternating snatch (stand with legs wide, hold one DB in one hand, hinge forward lowering DB deadlift style, as you stand, pull DB up upright row fashion until you get to shoulder level then flip elbow so weight of DB is in palm and do an overhead press, pass DB other hand and repeat) (one 20# DB)
4. Repeat #1-3 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.