This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page.
Wow. This was tougher than I expected it to be but stability ball workouts always are. I always expect it to be easier than an exercise using dumbbells but the second half of this workout is what killed me. No problem with all the deadlifts but those rollouts. 😳 My hamstrings were screaming by the end of this workout. I had the brilliant idea of making this a stability ball/hamstring day so I stacked all 3 of Caroline’s CGX stability ball workouts together. I followed this with Stability Ball Trisets and ended it all with Hamstring Roll Outs. I was in agony by the end. By the third workout I could feel the rollouts (and holds) from the soles of my feet, up my calves to my hamstrings. I hope I can walk tomorrow!
This workout is done interval style. The interval and recovery times are all different so they are noted below in the breakdown. There is a timer in the upper right hand corner of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recoveries Caroline previews the next exercise. There is also a progress bar at the bottom of the screen, counting down the workout time as a percentage.
Lengthen and Contract Hamstrings is 19:12 minutes (this time does not include the optional 8:59 minute warm up) with a 2:35 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, a stability ball and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 15kg/33 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.
- RDL for 40 seconds (Romanian deadlifts) (42.5# DBs)
- 20 seconds rest
- Repeat #1 & 2 two more times
- Staggered RDL for 50 seconds (single leg deadlift, back/non-working leg is in kickstand) (one 40# DB)
- 10 seconds rest
- Repeat #4 on other leg
- 10 second rest
- Repeat #4-6
- 30 second rest
- Single leg roll out for 45 seconds (lay on back on mat with one foot on stability ball and the other leg raised into the air, raise hips and roll ball towards glutes then back out, never lowering hips)
- 15 second rest
- Repeat #10 on other leg
- 15 second rest
- Repeat #10-13
- Double leg roll out for 40 seconds (place both heels on ball, lift glutes off mat and roll ball in toward glutes then back out, never lowering hips)
- 20 second rest
- Repeat #15 & 16 two more times
Finisher: Hold then roll every 10 seconds (60 seconds) (lay on back on mat with both heels on ball, raise hips/glutes and hold for 10 seconds then roll ball out then back in and hold again for 10 seconds–beeps and screen graphics alert you)
