CGX: P.E. Program Day 7: ‘Partial Reps to Prime or Exhaust?’ Lower Body

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

I’m back to the P.E. Program workouts and still in the pre-exhaust phase. I remember my first week and decided to be conservative with my weights. Caroline is only using 22 pound dumbbells for everything and she still burned out. This worked really well until we got to the curtsy lunges. I struggled during those. My legs were already fatigued and those bodyweight pre-exhaust exercises definitely did their job. And the finisher! It fried my hamstrings! Another tough lower body strength workout.

Side note–some of the music in this workout is really weird and at times kind of unpleasant. Definitely not motivating.

This is a superset workout. You will do 2 exercises back to back, each for 60 or 45 seconds before you get a 30 or 45 second recovery. 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 superset. There is also a bar at the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

Lower Body is 45:44 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:55 minute warm up or 2:07 minute intro, also optional) with a 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, stability ball, heel wedges, yoga block, and fitness mat. Caroline is using 10kg/22 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. 3/4 rep bodyweight elevated squat for 45 seconds (heels are elevated on wedges, lower to bottom of squat but only raise 3/4 of the way so there is constant tension in your muscles)
2. (no rest) Weighted elevated squats for 60 seconds (full range of motion, heels still on wedges, DBs at shoulders) (25# DBs)
3. 30 second rest
4. Partial hamstring roll out for 45 seconds (lay on back on mat, heels rest on stability ball, lift hips and glutes and keep them elevated entire interval, knees are kept bent–push ball out about a foot then pull back in)
5. (no rest) Full range for 60 seconds (same position as #4 but push ball out until knees are only slightly bent then pull stability ball back in)
6. 30 second rest
7. Repeat #1-6 two more times
8. Bodyweight Bulgarian lunge 45 seconds (static/stationary lunges w/ back foot elevated on step or chair behind you)
9. (no rest) Weighted version for 45 seconds (repeat #8 holding a DB in each hand) (20# DBs)
10. 45 second rest
11. Repeat #8-10 on other leg
12. Repeat #8-11 two more times (final time hold one DB at same side shoulder as front leg, final rest is 30 seconds)
13. Bodyweight curtsy lunge for 45 seconds (static/stationary curtsy lunge, front foot is elevated on yoga block)
14. (no rest) Weighted rear step for 60 seconds (reverse cross back/curtsy lunge, front foot is still elevated on yoga block, hold one DB at same side shoulder of front leg) (one 25# DB)
15. 30 second rest
16. Repeat #13-15 on other leg
17. 3/4 rep curtsy lunge for 45 seconds (same as #13, lowering to bottom of lunge but only raising 3/4 of the way so there is constant tension on muscles)
18. (no rest) Repeat #14 for 60 seconds
19. 30 second rest
20. Repeat #17-19 on other leg
21. Partial rep curtsy lunge for 45 seconds (same as #13, still bodyweight, lowering to bottom of lunge but only partially raising–more like a slow pulse)
22. (no rest) Repeat #14 for 60 seconds
23. 30 second rest
24. Repeat #21-23 on other leg

Finisher:

1. Stability ball hold for 45 seconds (lay on back on mat, heels rest on stability ball, knees are bent, lift hips and glutes and keep them elevated isometrically)
2. (no rest) Partials for 45 seconds (hips/glutes still raised, knees are kept bent–push ball out about a foot then pull back in)
3. (no rest) Full range for 45 seconds (same position as #2 but push ball out until knees are only slightly bent then pull stability ball back in)