41MIN Power Pilates // Day 19: HR12WEEK 5.0

41 Min Power Pilates is Day 19 in Heather Robertson‘s HR12Week 5.0 program.

Heather’s power pilates workouts are killer! They kick my butt every time. She says at the beginning that this is a high rep/light weight workout and I did use lighter dumbbells than I normally would for most of the exercises but for some, they just weren’t light enough and I had to drop to lighter dumbbells the second time through the circuit. And though this is a total body workout, it is your shoulders that bear the brunt of the work. Mine were so fried by the end that even the stretch was an uncomfortable effort for them! It is not only the exercises themselves but the sequencing of them. For instance, in the final circuit, when you repeat it, I was struggling with the lift & press–and it was the bottom arm that was screaming, not the top arm doing the dumbbell work!

This is a circuit-based workout. There are 3 circuits, and each circuit is done twice. The exercises are done interval style: 45 seconds of work followed by 15 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.

41 Min Power Pilates is 40:14 minutes; 35 second intro, 4:35 minute warm up and 3:45 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and fitness mat. Heather recommends 2-12 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

Circuit 1:

1. Squat & front raise (hold a DB in each hand, lower into squat while also doing a straight arm front raise, lower arms/DBs when you return to standing) (5# DBs)
2. Tricep kickback & side tap (hinge forward and do tricep kickbacks while also tapping one leg out to side) (12# DBs first set, 8# DBs second set)
3. Repeat #2 tapping out with other leg
4. Loaded dead bug (lay on back, legs are raised w/ knees bent at 90 degrees and arms/DBs are extended straight to ceiling, lower one arm/DB overhead while also extending the opposite leg straight) (15# DBs)
5. Around the world crunch (lay on back with legs raised and knees bent at 90 degrees, hold one DB in each hand, extend arms/DBs overhead, as you crunch upper body extend arms out to sides so they meet behind thighs at top of crunch then extend arms back out to sides and overhead as you lower upper body, legs remain stationary the entire interval) (5# DBs)
6. Repeat #1-5

30 second rest

Circuit 2:

1. Squat twist & press (stand w/ DBs at shoulders, squat and when you stand do a double arm overhead shoulder press while twisting torso to one side, alternate sides when doing shoulder press) (16.5# DBs)
2. Plie squat & row (hold one DB in each hand in front of body, stand with legs wide and toes turned out, do one wide leg plie squat and when you raise out of squat do an upright tow) (13# DBs)
3. Plie pulse (same starting position as #2, lower into wide plie squat and hold isometrically while pulsing) (20# DBs)
4. Narrow press & leg drop (tricep press (arms kept close to sides, palms face each other), legs are extended straight to ceiling, when you press DBs to ceiling lower straight legs until they are a few inches off the floor, raise legs when lowering DBs) (20# DBs)
5. Bear kick & row (in bear pose (on hands and toes w/ knees bent at 90 degrees and knees elevated a few inches off the mat) holding a DB in each hand, do one row each arm then lift each bent leg once) (25# DBs)
6. Repeat #1-5

30 second rest

Circuit 3:

1. Side lift & press (in modified side elbow plank (on one elbow and same side knee), both legs are bent at 90 degrees, top arm is holding a DB, start with hip on mat, lift hips while also lifting top leg and straightening it while pressing DB to ceiling) (one 12# DB first set, one 8# DB second set)
2. Repeat #1 on other side of body
3. Curtsy lunge & curl (alternating cross-back lunge w/ bicep curls–you do the bicep curl while in lunge) (13# DBs)
4. Roll up & lift (lay on back w/ legs extended straight holding one DB in both hands with arms extended straight overhead, keeping arms straight do a full sit up, at top of sit up lift DB overhead) (one 15# DB)
5. Climber hop & press (in straight arm plank holding a DB in each hand, do 4 mountain climbers (2 each leg), jump feet to hands, stand and do a hammer curl into an overhead press) (16.5# DBs)
6. Repeat #1-5

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