IRON Series 30 Min Posterior Chain Workout – Glutes, Hamstrings, Back | 13

30 Min Posterior Chain Workout – Glutes, Hamstrings, Back is Day 13 in Caroline Girvan‘s Iron Series. My favorite type of workout–working the entire posterior chain. I love working my back and my glutes, and this workout has it all. The first part of the workout is back work and the rest of the workout hits the lower body. Much of the back work also hits your biceps (all the rows), your shoulders (renegade rows and pull overs), and even your chest and triceps get worked with the pullovers. In addition, sumo squats and banded hip thrusts work your entire lower body, not just your posterior chain. So, technically, this could be classified as a total body workout, even though the back, glutes and hamstrings are getting the most work. As usual for the Iron Series, I challenged myself with heavier weights than what I normally would use for many of the exercises. I got an excellent workout. I used Caroline’s 8 Minute Glute Booty Band Workout as a finisher.

All of the exercises in this workout are done interval style: 60 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest. There is a timer in the upper left hand side 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.

30 Min Posterior Chain Workout – Glutes, Hamstrings, Back is 38:17 minutes; 2:45 minute intro, no warm up and 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, a booty band, a chair or bench and a fitness mat. Optional is a towel to protect your hips during hip thrusts. Caroline is using two 17.5kg/38.6 pound and one 30kg/66 pound dumbbell. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Renegade rows (alternate arms) (30# DBs)
2. Rotational row (single arm bent over row, palm faces behind you at bottom of row, as you row DB up, rotate DB so palm faces in front of you at top of row) (one 37.5# DB)
3. Repeat #2 on other arm
4. Deadstop row (single arm row, at bottom of row, place DB on floor and release, grip bar again and row DB) (one 45# DB)
5. Repeat #4 on other arm
6. Pullover (one 42.5# DB)
7. Repeat #6
8. RDL (slow eccentric) (Romanian deadlift, lower slowly, raise normal speed) (42.5# DBs)
9. RDL (pause at bottom) (42.5# DBs)
10. Staggered RDL (slow eccentric) (single leg deadlift, back/non-working leg is in kickstand) (one 40# DB)
11. Repeat #10 on other side of body
12. Staggered RDL 1.5 rep (single leg deadlift, lower to bottom of deadlift, raise halfway, lower to bottom of deadlift, raise all the way) (one 35# DB)
13. Repeat #12 on other side of body
14. Sumo deadlift squat (slow eccentric) (legs wide, toes slightly turned out, torso hinged forward deadlift-style) (one 62.5# DB)
15. Sumo deadlift squat (one 62.5# DB)
16. Slow hip thrust (lean back against your bench or step, place band around thighs just above knees, knees are bent and open so there is tension on band, feet on floor and one heavy DB on hips, keep legs open so there is constant tension on the band, slowly raise and lower hips) (one 55# DB)
17. Hip thrust (pause at top) (one 55# DB)
18. Hip thrust (x1 pulse at top) (one 55# DB)
19. Hip thrust (no band) (one 55# DB)

Finisher: (2 minutes; each exercise is done for 30 seconds w/ no rests/recoveries)

1. Sumo squat (one 62.5# DB)
2. 1/2 reps (lower to bottom of sumo squat but only raise halfway) (one 62.5# DB)
3. Full range body weight sumo squat
4. Pulses (hold isometrically at bottom of body weight sumo squat and pulse)

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