CGX: Iron Program Day 41: Leg Day!

This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page. Another great lower body strength workout. And like Day 42 Upper Body, the intervals using dumbbells are shorter, giving you the opportunity to lift heavier and see how far you’ve come, strength-wise, in the past 8 weeks. Unfortunately for me, my back has been making threats the past few days so I was afraid to up my weights. I stuck with weights I knew I could handle. The last thing I want is to throw my back out, so I am respecting the threats it is giving me. But I still got a great workout.

The exercises in this workout are done interval style: 45 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest. At the end, when the exercises are bodyweight, the intervals change to 60 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of rest. I note in the breakdown when the interval times change. If it is not noted then it is 45/30. 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.

Leg Day is 36:23 minutes (this time does not include the optional 9 minute warm up or the 2:22 minute intro, also optional) with a 3 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, heel wedges, a yoga block and a fitness mat. Caroline is using one 40kg/88 pound, 20kg/44 pound and 15kg/33 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Static lunge (stationary lunges) (30# DBs)
2. Repeat #1 on other side
3. Repeat #1 & 2 two more times
4. High squats (heels are elevated on wedges, DBs are held at chest) (30# DBs)
5. Repeat #4 two more times
6. Sumo deadlift squats (legs are wide w/ toes turned out, hold one DB by bar w/ both hands, squat w/ torso hinged forward deadlift style) (75# DBs)
7. Repeat #6 two more times
8. Rear lunge (reverse step back lunges) (22.5# DBs)
9. Repeat #8 on other leg
10. Repeat #8 & 9
11. Elevated squats (heels elevated on wedges, hold one DB in both hands on front of chest) (one 35# DB)
12. Repeat #11 three more times
13. Slow body weight lunge for 60 seconds (static/stationary lunge, front foot is elevated on yoga block)
14. 15 second rest
15. Repeat #13 on other side of body
16. 15 second rest
17. Forward tilt lunge (repeat #13 but with torso hinged forward over front thigh)
18. 15 second rest
19. Repeat #17 & 18 on other side of body

Finisher: (2 minutes; no rest/recovery between exercises)

1. Body weight sumo squat for 30 seconds
2. Hold isometrically at bottom of sump squat for 15 seconds
3. Repeat #1 & 2
4. Repeat #1