CGX: P.E. Program Day 9: ‘Even one bodyweight thrust was a 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.

My reviews are becoming redundant. The P.E. program is tough and every workout kicks my butt in some fashion. This one is no different. I did start strong and kept the same weights throughout but I was struggling near the end with my barbell weight and considered lowering it. My glutes and hamstrings feel well worked. The stretch at the end was a lot of forward fold variations which did feel good on my hamstrings and low back, but I needed a more thorough stretch so I added a longer lower body stretch onto the end.

This is a superset workout. You will do 2 exercises back to back, each for 60 or 75 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 along the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

For many of the 75 second intervals you are truly only doing the exercise for 60 seconds because it takes approximately 15 seconds to get into place.

Lower Body is 47:06 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:55 minute warm up or 3:04 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:40 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, glute/booty band, heel wedges, and fitness mat. Caroline is using a barbell at 58kg/128 pounds and 48kg/105.8 pounds. Caroline is also using 15kg/33 pound and 10kg/22 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. RDL for 60 seconds (Romanian deadlifts) (hex deadlift bar @ 100#)
2. (no rest) Hip thrust for 60 seconds (lean back against your bench or step, barbell or one heavy DB on hips, knees bent and feet on floor in line w/ knees, raise and lower hips slowly) (barbell @ 105#)
3. 45 second rest
4. Repeat #1-3 two more times
5. Bodyweight forward tilt Bulgarian lunge for 60 seconds (static/stationary lunge w/ back foot elevated on step/bench, torso is hinged forward over front leg)
6. (no rest) Rear step lunge for 75 seconds (step back reverse lunges, DBs held at shoulders, front foot is elevated on heel wedge) (20# DBs)
7. 30 second rest
8. Repeat #5-7 on other leg
9. Repeat #5-8
10. Repeat #5 but partial reps (lower to bottom of lunge but only raise partway, more like a slow pulse)
11. (no rest) Repeat #6
12. 30 second rest
13. Repeat #10-12 on other leg
14. x1 leg hip thrust for 60 seconds (lean back against your bench or step, knees bent w/one foot on floor, other leg raised, raise and lower hips slowly)
15. (no rest) Staggered hip thrust for 75 seconds (still leaned back against bench or step, barbell or heavy DB on hips, one knee is bent with foot on floor in line with hip, other leg is extended out further with heel on floor) (barbell @ 105#)
16. 30 second rest
17. Repeat #14-16 on other leg
18. Repeat #14-17
19. Bodyweight hip thrust for 60 seconds (still leaned back against step/bench, knees bent and feet on floor in line w/ knees, raise and lower hips)
20. (no rest) Weighted version for 75 seconds (same as #15 but w/ barbell or DB on hips (barbell @ 105#)
21. 30 seconds
22. Banded bodyweight hip thrust for 60 seconds (repeat #15 but with booty/glute band around thighs just above knees, legs are open wide so there is constant tension on band)
23. (no rest) Banded weighted hip thrust for 75 seconds (same as #18 but with barbell/DB on hips) (barbell @ 105#)

30 second rest

Finisher:

1. Banded forward & back walk for 60 seconds (booty band is around thighs above knees, walk forward several steps then walk backwards)
2. (no rest) Banded hip thrust for 60 seconds (lean back against your bench or step with booty/glute band around thighs just above knees, legs are open wide so there is constant tension on band, raise and lower hips)