CGX: 1 Hour All On the Posterior Chain

This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page. Another major winner from Caroline! I am a big fan of all of her posterior chain workouts and this is one of her best. It is perfect for increasing the weight you lift for certain lower body exercises due to the shorter intervals (for the hip thrusts) and the longer recoveries (for all of the lower body exercises in the first part of the workout). I increased the weight I use for hip thrusts, deadlifts and banded bridges. And my glutes and hamstrings are definitely feeling it. It is also a long workout. But luckily, as the workout progresses you move to lighter weights for upper body and body weight exercises for lower body. But that doesn’t make them any less difficult! The stability ball exercises were the most painful in the entire workout! And it wasn’t just me. Caroline was hitting failure, too! An excellent full body workout–at least the full backside of your body!

The exercises are done interval style. The interval and recovery times vary 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.

1 Hour All On the Posterior Chain is 65 minutes (this time does not include the optional 4:41 minute warm up or the 3:43 minute intro, also optional) with a 3:20 minute stretch. Equipment: barbell, dumbbells, chair/bench, glute/booty band, stability ball and fitness mat. Caroline’s barbell is at 78kg/172 pound and 48kg/106 pounds. She also uses 17.5kg/38.6 pound and 5kg/11 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Hip thrust for 45 seconds (lean back against your bench or step, place one heavy DB or barbell on hips, knees bent with feet on floor and knees in line w/ ankles, raise and lower hips slowly) (barbell @ 116#)
2. 45 second rest
3. Repeat #1 & 2 three more times
4. RDL for 60 seconds (Romanian deadlift) (hex deadlift bar @ 110#)
5. 45 second rest
6. Repeat #4 & 5 three more times
7. Pullover for 75 seconds (one 40# DB)
8. 45 second rest
9. Repeat #7 & 8 two more times
10. Banded bridge for 75 seconds (lay on back on mat, knees bent and feet close to glutes, glute band is around thighs just above knees, legs are open wide so there is constant tension on band, barbell or heavy DB rests on hips, raise and lower hips) (barbell @ 91#)
11. 45 second rest
12. Repeat #10 & 11 three more times
13. Single arm row for 60 seconds (one knee and non-working hand rest on bench) (one 50# DB)
14. 30 second rest
15. Repeat #13 & 14 on other arm
16. Repeat #13-15
17. Momentum row for 60 seconds (one knee and non-working hand rest on bench, row DB up with power, lower slowly) (one 50# DB)
18. 30 second rest
19. Repeat #17 & 18 on other arm
20. Single leg hamstring roll out for 45 seconds (lay on back on mat, place one heel on stability ball, other leg is extended toward ceiling, lift hips off mat, using heel roll ball in toward glutes then roll back out keeping hips elevated the entire time)
21. 15 second rest
22. Repeat #20 & 21 on other leg
23. Repeat #20-22 two more times
24. Banded thrust on ball for 60 seconds (glute band is around thighs just above knees, lay on back with both heels on stability ball, ball is pulled in close to glutes so knees are bent at 90 degrees, legs are open against band so there is constant tension on band, lift and lower hips in bridge)
25. 30 second rest
26. Repeat #24 & 25 two more times
27. Rear fly (palm behind) for 60 seconds (single arm rear delt fly, one knee and same side hand rests on step/bench) (one 10# DB)
28. (no rest) Sweep for 30 seconds (one knee and same side hand rests on step/bench, other arm/hand holds DB, w/ elbow partially bent sweep DB/arm up behind you, keeping arm close to side) (one 10# DB)
29. 30 second rest
30. Repeat #27-29 on other arm
31. Repeat #27-30
32. Partial rear fly for 60 seconds (same as #27 but only lift arm/DB partway) (one 10# DB)
33. (no rest) Repeat #28
34. 30 second rest
35. Repeat #32-34 on other arm

15 second rest

Finisher:

1. Banded roll out for 60 seconds (glute band is around thighs just above knees, lay on back with both heels on stability ball, legs are open so there is constant tension on band, raise hips and roll ball into glutes then roll back out, keeping hips raised the entire time)
2. Banded bridge for 60 seconds (lay on back mat, glute band is still around thigh above knees with legs open so there is constant tension on the band, heels are close to glutes, raise and lower hips in bridge)