This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page. I used this as a finisher after completing a lower body dumbbell strength workout and it definitely finished me off! Though this is lower body mat work, Caroline does it all on a padded bench. Kneeling on a bench increases your range of motion so you will get more out of the exercises. But if you don’t have one then you’ll still get a great workout on the mat. I did most of the exercises on my bench but near the end I had to get on the floor. I was dying and needed to do something to relieve the agony. I did get back on the bench for the final exercise. The funny part of workouts like these is they also kill the non-working leg. By the time we were halfway through this short workout, my non-working leg was crying, too!
All of the exercises in this workout are done interval style: 60 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. There is a timer in the upper right 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.
Ankle Weights is 17:50 minutes (this time does not include the optional 9 minute warm up or the 2:20 minute intro, which is also optional) with a 1:15 minute stretch. Equipment: ankle weights and a bench or fitness mat. Caroline is using 2kg/4.4 pound ankle weights. I used 2 pound ankle weights.
- Paused straight leg lift (kneeling on bench or mat, raise straight leg behind you, pausing at top of lift and when you lower, tap toe to floor)
- Repeat #1 on other leg
- Paused diagonal lift (same as #1, except leg is out to side slightly on a diagonal)
- Repeat #3 on other leg
- Tuck to extend lift (pull knee in under body then push foot upward out behind you, straightening leg)
- Repeat #5 on other leg
- Diagonal tuck to extend (same as #5 except leg is out to side, pull knee into same side elbow then push foot out and upward on a diagonal)
- Repeat #7 on other leg
- Paused tuck to extend (repeat #5 but pause briefly at top of lift)
- Repeat #9 on other leg
- Paused diagonal tuck to extend (Repeat #7 but pause briefly at top of lift)
- Repeat #11 on other leg
- Straight leg lift (repeat #1 with no pause)
- (no rest) Repeat #13 on other leg
Thanks for reviewing this app! I hope she eventually puts this on YouTube. Can you please review GrowingwithAnnas workouts on YouTube sometime? Thanks Leslie
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Thanks for the recommendation. I just started Caroline Girvan’s CGX Iron program, which is 10 weeks, so it will be a while before I am doing anything else.
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Hey! I just have a quick question about Iron. I am finding her glute days too repetitive and too hard at the moment. Would you be able to recommend a workout that I could swap these days with. My focus is strength building. I am on the last 3 days of Iron but will repeat it. Ideally would like to focus on a smaller number of workouts so I can track my progress better. I am finding 30 days just too varied for my goals at the moment. Thank you !
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Since you said “30 days” I am assuming you are referring to the YouTube Iron program, which is 6 weeks (42 days)? Because the Iron program your other two comments are attached to are the 10 week Iron program on her CGX app–70 days/50 workouts. You said your goal is strength. I am assuming you are referring to the glute thrusts Caroline loves as too repetitive? The glute thrust is the very best exercise out there to build strength and muscle in your glutes. There are ways you can make any exercise easier. Everything Caroline (or any trainer) does should be viewed as a guideline. You can do shorter intervals and give yourself longer rests and you can also use lighter weights. However, if you don’t want to do hip/glute thrusts then I suggest looking for her workouts that include a lot of deadlifts and sumo squats. Those also do a nice job of working the hamstrings and glutes.
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