Well hello and happy Friday! Has your week felt strange since it is kind of a holiday week, but at the same time not? I am not a huge fireworks person, but our neighborhood absolutely loves them and there have been pops, bangs, and crackles going on at night for the past week or so. The mom in me who values her very precious sleep and that of her kids gets quite annoyed at the late night booms.

Do people set off random fire works in your neighborhood?

One of the reasons that I started to love weight lifting (or at least just using dumbbell sets) is because you can work your entire body relatively quickly. Not to mention feeling strong, burning more calories, and getting a bigger return on your gym time buck. One of the problems I have with weight lifting is with all the counting of sets and reps. It can get pretty tedious at times.

This Full Body 12 workout is one of my favorites because you can just set the timer and focus rather than keeping track of sets. I hope you enjoy the mix up in counting reps as well!

Before starting the workout, be sure to warm up with some light cardio (5-10 minutes), and dynamic stretching. Do the same as a cool down when you finish your workout. Get a copy of the warm up and cool down routine I recommend here.

You can also check out my must have workout resources here. These are the things I use weekly, if not daily, to make my workouts as easy and comfortable as possible.

Full Body 12

Complete as many rounds as of the moves as you can in 15-20 minutes. If you need to, rest for up to 30 seconds, but NO STOPPING the clock!

• 12 Bench Press
• 12 Bicep Curls
• 12 Jumping Jacks
• 12 Front Step Ups (total)
• 12 Plie Squat to Calf Raise (total)
• 12 Heisman (total)
• 12 Starfish Crunch (total)
• 12 Bow Extension (each)
• 12 Squat Jumps

If any of the moves are too much for you right now, take a look at the modifications below. Always modify your workouts and specific moves as needed. Additionally, if you want to challenge yourself further by advancing the moves, there are descriptors below on how to do that as well.

Bench Press

• Modified: Complete Y Presses from a seated, back straight position.
• Advanced: Bench with one arm a time.

Bicep Curls

• Modified: Seated, back straight.
• Advanced: Stand on one foot.

Jumping Jacks

• Modified: Step out, do not jump.
• Advanced: Hold a light weight in each hand as you jump (move arms straight up and down rather than swinging out and around).

Front Step Ups

• Modified: Lower height of the step, no weights, and rest one hand on a wall or chair.
• Advanced: Complete a bicep curl with each step up.

Plie Squat to Calf Raise

• Modified: Rest hand on a wall or chair. Or, squat to standing and then go into a calf raise
• Advanced: Hold one weight between legs with both hands as you squat and calf raise.

Heisman

• Modified: Step between, no jumps. Rest hand on wall or chair.
• Advanced: Hold a very light weight in each hand.

Starfish Crunch

• Modified: Regular crunches or mason twists.
• Advanced: Hold a very light weight in each hand.

Bow Extension

• Modified: No weight. Rest hand on wall or chair and touch opposite hand to knee or upper thigh.
• Advanced: Close your eyes as you extend or raise to toe at bottom of move.

Squat Jumps

• Modified: Complete regular squat jumps. Rest hand on wall or chair for support.
• Advanced: Go into a low squat before you jump up.

Let me know if you try it out and how you liked it!

More full body workouts to try:

• Playlist Sweat Fest Workout
• Simple Move Count Up Workout
• Seconds Strength Full Body Workout 
• Boredom Buster Full Body Workout 

Get your 5 Week Health & Fitness Plan complete with daily workouts, a weekly nutrition focus and daily mindset questions here. This plan has everything you need to see real results in your health and fitness goals!

Brooke Selb

I’m Brooke Selb, a Personal Trainer and Health Coach specializing in helping busy moms and moms to be to easily juggle mom life with family friendly recipes, and easy exercise routines to help you achieve your fitness goals that fit in with your already busy life with sound nutritional advice.