EFFECTIVE Leg Day Collective – Compound Leg Workout | EPIC Heat – Day 17

Effective Leg Day Collective – Compound Leg Workout is Day 17 in Caroline Girvan‘s EPIC Heat program. Another excellent and tough lower body workout. Caroline works your entire lower body thoroughly and in such a short amount of time! I tried to lift heavier for some of the exercises so this workout really challenged me. I was working hard with every exercise. Since doing Caroline’s workouts, I started with a 35 pound dumbbell for hip thrusts and have moved up to a 40 pound dumbbell. I didn’t think I would be able to use the 40 pound dumbbell when I did that, but it was a success. So this morning I decided to try a 45 pound dumbbell. It was not a success. It definitely worked my glutes hard but I was struggling–more than I want to struggle during a workout. I could not mentally focus on pushing my legs out against the booty band and with the 40 pound dumbbell I am really good at keeping constant tension on it. Plus, after the 15 second isometric hold (which I was moaning in agony throughout), I had to take a brief personal break before I could carry on with the hip thrusts. Caroline says those little muscle failures are actually a good thing, and I know that is true, but the inability to use the band properly because I was in so much muscle pain indicates to me that I am just not (yet) ready for the 45 pound dumbbell. I will try again at some point.

This workout is done interval style; each exercise is done for 45 seconds followed by 15 seconds of recovery, with the exception of the glute bridges/hip thrusts and the calf raises–you do not get a recovery. There is a timer in the upper left hand corner of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recovery Caroline previews the next exercise. There is also a little bar at the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

Effective Leg Day Collective is 38:45 minutes; 2 minute intro, no warm up and 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, a chair or bench, a booty band, towel to protect your hips and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 12.5kg/27.5pound dumbbells and 25kg/55 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used. I also used my workout bench for the hip thrusts and my square high step at 16 inches for the Bulgarian lunges.

1. High squats (squats holding DBs in front of you at shoulder level) (25# DBs)
2. Repeat #1 two more times
3. 1.5 rep lunge (static/stationary lunges, lower to bottom lunge, raise halfway, lower to bottom of lunge, raise all the way) (20# DBs)
4. Repeat #3 on other leg
5. Repeat #3 & 4
6. Curtsy lunge (cross-back lunge) (18# DBs)
7. Repeat #6 on other leg
8. Repeat #6 & 7
9. Bulgarian lunges (back leg is elevated on chair or step/bench behind you) (16.5# DBs)
10. Repeat #9 on other leg
11. Repeat #9 & 10
12. Paused suite case squat (narrow squat holding DBs at sides, pause at bottom of squat) (25# DBs)
13. Repeat #12
14. Low lateral lunge (do static alternating side lunges, remain deep in lunge even when moving to other side, holding one DB in both hands) (one 25# DB)
15. Repeat #14
16. Sumo squat w/ pause (pause at bottom of squat) (one 50# DB)
17. Repeat #16
18. Hip thrusts (place booty band around thighs, lean back against your chair or bench/step, one heavy DB on hips, knees bent and open so there is tension on band, and feet on floor, raise and lower hips) (one 45# DB–will use 40# DB next time)
19. Hold isometrically at top of hip thrust for 15 seconds
20. Repeat #18
21. Repeat #18-20
22. RDL w/ pause (pause at bottom of deadlift) (35# DBs)
23. Repeat #22 two more times
24. Calf raise (20# DBs)
25. Pulse at top of calf raise for 15 seconds
26. Repeat #24 & 25
27. Repeat #24

Finisher: (2 minutes)

1. Low lateral lunge (45 seconds) (one 50# DB)
2. Sumo squat hold (hold at bottom of squat, no DB/15 seconds)
3. Low lateral lunge (no DB/45 seconds)
4. 1/2 rep sumo squat (lower all the way to bottom of squat but only raise halfway for final 15 seconds) (one 50# DB)

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