This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page. Caroline’s Unleash Series is definitely kicking my butt. This is another excellent glute workout. She starts you out with straight sets with longer rests to give you some solid strength work then cranks it up with trisets and supersets–plus some squat jumps–to completely finish off your glutes. Then once your glutes and hamstrings are done she burns out your core with ab complexes. Another tough workout!
The first part of this workout is glute and hamstring work. It is done 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. Caroline previews the next exercise during the recovery. The second part of the workout is ab complexes. Each complex contains 2 exercises. What this means is you are doing 2 exercises with no rest between exercises and you do not stop alternating those two exercises until the time is up. Each complex is done for 3:15 minutes then you get a 15 second rest before moving on to the next complex. The complex you are working through is listed in the lower left hand corner of the screen for your reference. It lists each exercise you are doing and the amount of reps you do for each exercise. This is especially useful if you cannot keep pace with Caroline then you can still keep track of your complex. There is a timer in the upper right hand corner of the screen, counting down your 3:15 minutes of work as well as your 15 seconds of rest. Caroline previews your next complex during the recovery. There is also a progress bar at the bottom of the screen, counting down thee workout time as a percentage.
Glutes, Hamstrings & Abs is 43:24 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:55 minute warm up or the 1:26 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:05 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, a barbell with a barbell pad, a glute/booty band, a bench and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 30kg/66 pound dumbbell. Her barbell is set at 48kg/105.8 pounds and 78kg/172 pounds. The weights listed below are what I used.
- Hip thrust for 60 seconds (lean back against your bench or step, place one heavy DB or barbell on hips, knees bent and and feet on floor w/ knees in line w/ ankles, raise and lower hips slowly) (barbell @ 88#)
- 45 second rest
- Repeat #1 & 2 two more times
- Sumo deadlift squats for 60 seconds (legs are wide w/ toes turned out, hold one DB by bar w/ both hands, squat w/ torso hinged forward deadlift style) (75# DB)
- 45 second rest
- Repeat #4 & 5 two more times
- Banded hip thrust for 60 seconds (place booty band around thighs, lean back against your bench or step, place one heavy DB or barbell on hips, knees bent and open so there is constant tension on the band, feet are on floor with knees in line with ankles, raise and lower hips slowly) (barbell @ 88#)
- (no rest) Slow banded only for 60 seconds (repeat #7 w/out the barbell)
- (no rest) Repeat #8 for 45 seconds but at a faster pace
- 45 second rest
- Repeat #7-10
- 1/2 rep sumo deadlift squats for 45 seconds (lower to bottom of squat but only raise halfway) (75# DB)
- (no rest) Sumo jump squat or sumo squats for 30 seconds (no DB, Caroline previews both options)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #12-14
- x1 leg hamstring thrust for 60 seconds (no barbell, lean back against bench or step, one heel is on the ground out further than a hip thrust, other leg is elevated, raise and lower hips)
- (no rest) x1 leg hip thrust for 30 seconds (same as #16 but foot is flat on floor w/ knee in line with ankle)
- 15 second rest
- Repeat #16-18 on other leg
- Repeat #16-19
Ab Complex 1:
- Hover alt foot reach, 20 reps (lay on back w/ head/shoulders elevated, raise straight legs to ceiling, lower one straight leg until it is a few inches off the mat, as you raise the leg lower the other leg, continue scissoring the legs, when leg is extended to ceiling, reach for foot with opposite hand)
- Bicycles, 20 reps
- Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible within 3:15 minutes
15 second rest
Ab Complex 2:
- Toe reach, 20 reps (lay on back, both legs extended straight to ceiling, crunch upper body while reaching hands to toes)
- Crunch pulses, 20 reps (lay on back with knees bent and feet on mat, hands are behind head, lift head/shoulders and pulse crunch upward)
- Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible within 3:15 minutes
15 second rest
Ab Complex 3:
- Mountain climbers, 50 reps
- Dolphin to saw, 10 reps (start in forearm plank, push glutes back into dolphin pose, return to plank then push body forward using toes)
- Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible within 3:15 minutes
15 second rest
Finisher: (90 seconds; no rest/recovery between exercises)
- Band walk for 15 seconds (band is round thighs above knees, walk forward a few steps then walk backward)
- Squats for 15 seconds (legs are wide so there is tension on band, push legs out as you squat)
- Repeat #1 & 2 two more times
