CGX: Intent Program Day 1: ‘Seek Out the Challenge’ Lower Body

This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page.

This is the first workout in Caroline Girvan’s 10 week Intent program. This is also the first workout in the hybrid rotation I am doing that combines CGX Intent, CGX P.E. (I do that first workout next Monday) and Heather Robertson‘s HR12Week 5.0 (I do first workout in that program in 2 weeks). So one week of each and I keep rotating like that.

This workout was tough! I really liked the long recoveries. The intervals are long, too (75 seconds) but at least you get 45 seconds of rest afterward and that goes a long way to helping you come back to the next set strong. This workout fried my lower body. And I was glad to see it it wasn’t just me either. Caroline hit muscle failure multiple times, too. Of course, she is lifting much heavier weights than I am for most of the exercises. She uses 44 pounds for lunges! 😳 This is a great lower body strength workout and a great opening to this program.

This workout is done interval style. The interval and recovery times are usually 75 seconds of work followed by 45 seconds or recovery, but some vary so they are all noted below in the breakdown. 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 bar at the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

‘Seek Out the Challenge’ Lower Body is 48:54 minutes (this time does not include the optional 6 minute warm up or the 2:54 minute intro, also optional) with a 4 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, bench, booty/glute band and a fitness mat. Caroline’s barbell is at 58kg/128 pounds. She is also using 20kg/44 pound and 15kg/33 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. RDL for 75 seconds (Romanian deadlift) (hex deadlit bar @ 100#)
2. 45 second rest
3. Repeat #1 & 2 two more times
4. Static lunge for 75 seconds (stationary lunges) (30# DBs)
5. 45 second rest
6. Repeat #4 & 5 on other leg
7. Repeat #4-6 two more times
8. High squats for 75 seconds (DBs are held at shoulders) (30# DBs)
9. 45 second rest
10. Repeat #8 & 9 two more times
11. Banded hip thrusts for 75 seconds (place booty band around thighs, lean back against your bench or step, place barbell on hips, knees bent and open so there is constant tension on band, and feet on floor, raise and lower hips slowly) (barbell @ 105#)
12. 45 second rest
13. Repeat #11 & 12 two more times
14. 1.5 rep hip thrust for 75 seconds (no band/lean back against your bench or step, place barbell on hips, knees bent and feet on floor in line with knees, raise hips to top of hip thrust, lower partway, raise hips back to top of thrust then lower all the way) (barbell@ 105#)
15. 45 second rest
16. Repeat #14 & 15
17. Repeat #4 (25# DBs)
18. (no rest) Bodyweight static/stationary lunge for 75 seconds
19. 45 second rest
20. Repeat #17-19 on other leg

20 second rest

Finisher: (240 seconds/4 minutes)

1. Crunch, 20 reps (lay on back with legs extended straight, arms are extended overhead with palms stacked, keeping arms straight, crunch upper body)
2. Toe reach, 20 reps (still on back, extend both legs to ceiling, crunch upper body while reaching hands to feet)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible within 4 minutes