CGX: Iron Program Day 21: It’s a Leg Day!

This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page. This is a tough but excellent lower body workout. I honestly cannot believe how heavy Caroline’s dumbbells were for this workout. I feel like maybe I should have tried harder. For some reason I am squeamish about going heavy (for me) with lunges. My legs do feel well worked, especially my quads. I think when I return to this program I will try using 30 pound dumbbells instead of 25s. I did appreciate the longer recovery times and because of those longer recoveries I think I could have managed heavier weights.

This is a superset workout. This means you will do 2 exercises back to back without any rest/recovery. Each exercise is done for 60 seconds. So you will do the first exercise for 60 seconds then immediately do the second exercise for 60 seconds. Then you will get a 45 second recovery. 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.

Its a Leg Day! is 39:39 minutes (this time does not include the optional 9 minute warm up or the 3:19 minute intro, also optional) with a 3:15 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, heel wedges, a bench or chair and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 30kg/66 pound, 20kg/44 pound, and 15kg/33 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Static lunge for 60 seconds (stationary lunge) (25# DBs)
2. Rear lunge for 60 seconds (step back reverse lunge) (one 25# DB)
3. 45 second rest
4. Repeat #1-3 on other leg
5. Repeat #1-4
6. Sumo deadlift squat for 60 seconds (legs are wide, toes turned out, hold one DB by bar with both hands, hinge forward deadlift style) (one 70# DB)
7. Heel elevated squat for 60 seconds (heels are elevated on wedges, hold one DB in both hands at chest) (one 35# DB)
8. 45 second rest
9. Repeat #6-8
10. Bulgarian lunges for 60 seconds (stationary/static lunges, back leg is elevated on chair or bench, hold one DB in same side hand as front leg) (one 25# DB)
11. Close lunge for 60 seconds (static/stationary lunge w/ both feet on floor and legs closer together than a traditional lunge, hold one DB in same side hand as front leg) (one 25# DB)
12. 45 second rest
13. Repeat #10-12 on other leg
14. Repeat #11-13
15. Paused elevated squat for 60 seconds (heels are elevated on wedges, hold one DB in both hands at chest, pause briefly at bottom of squat) (one 35# DB)
16. Paused bodyweight squat for 60 seconds (same position as #15 w/out a DB)
17. 45 second rest
18. Repeat #15-17

Finisher: (2:15 minutes; each exercise is done for 45 seconds w/ no rest/recoveries)

1. Bodyweight sumo squat
2. Regular stance bodyweight squats
3. Bodyweight deadlift squat (legs wide, toes turned out, torso hinged forward deadlift style, reach hands toward floor when squatting)