This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page.
I do love step ups so I did enjoy this lower body workout. There are a lot of step ups! Not just in the workout but the finisher, too. A 4 minute complex of step ups. My legs were very fatigued! Which leads me to the structure of this workout. Since I am hybriding her Intent Program with her P.E. Program, I was kind of surprised to find that this is a P.E. workout. Within the P.E. Program, P.E. stands for pre or post exhaust. The first 25 workouts in the program are pre-exhaust and the last 25 workouts are post-exhaust. Since I am still in the first 25 I have only done pre-exhaust, which is very hard. This workout is post-exhaust, which I am surprised to discover that, at least in this workout, is easier than pre-exhaust. Not easy, just easier.
Post-exhaust in this workout means that you do your weighted strength exercise first then immediately follow it (superset it) with a bodyweight exercise that works the same muscle group to fully exhaust the muscle. And it does work! For most of the weighted exercises I was conservative with my weight selection simply because I am so familiar with the P.E. program. But having done this workout, I definitely could have lifted heavier for most of the weighted exercises. I will keep that in mind when I get to the second half of the P.E. Program.
This workout is made up of one long circuit of supersets that you do twice. For each superset, you do 2 exercises back to back, most are done for 60 seconds (120 seconds total) before you get a 30 second recovery. If the interval time is different then it is noted in the breakdown below. 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 little bar at the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.
If You Like Step Ups is 47:23 minutes; (this time does not include the optional 5:55 minute warm up or the 2:48 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:10 minute stretch. Equipment: barbell and/or dumbbells, high step/box, glute/booty band, a yoga block, heel wedge and a fitness mat. Caroline’s barbell is at 48kg/106 pounds and and she also uses 15kg/33 pound and 10kg/22 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.
- Staggered squat (single leg squat–one foot is elevated on yoga block, other leg is slightly behind you in kickstand so all of the weight is on front/yoga block leg, hold one DB at same side shoulder as front/working leg) (one 30# DB)
- (no rest) Forward step up (stand behind high step/box, place one foot on box and it remains there the entire interval, lift/step up on step then lower)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #1-3 on other leg
- Lateral lunge (hold one DB in both hands under chin, do stationary side lunges to one side)
- (no rest) Side step up (stand beside high step/box, place one foot on box and it remains there the entire interval, lift/step up on step then lower)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #5-7 on other leg
- Staggered RDL (single leg deadlift, toe of working leg is elevated on heel wedge, non-working leg is in kickstand, hold one DB in same side hand as working leg)
- (no rest) Forward leaning Bulgarian lunge (no DB, static/stationary lunge w/ back leg elevated on step/box behind you, torso is hinged forward over front thigh)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #9-11
- Banded bridge (lay on mat, knees bent and feet flat on mat close to glutes, glute band is around thighs just above knees, legs are open wide enough so there is constant tension on band, barbell or heavy DB rests on hips, raise and lower hips in bridge)
- (no rest) Banded only for 75 seconds (repeat #13 without barbell)
- 15 second rest
- Lateral band walk (glute band is still around thighs, side step the length of your step then back)
- (no rest) Banded squats (stand with legs wide enough so there is constant tension on band)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #1-18
Finisher: (4 minutes)
- Step ups, 15 reps (stand behind high step/box, place one foot on box and it remains there the entire interval, lift/step up on step then lower)
- Repeat #1 on other leg
- Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible in 4 minutes
thank you for the review. You inspired me to do this tonight. Glad of your advice to go heavy in the first set of each superset because it made it a nicely challenging workout. This has pretty much all of my favourite moves! (Cathe always seemed to have us do a lot of side lunges, didn’t she? Was good to do them again.)
You must be about a fifth of the way through your amazing rotation already! Mad respect.:D
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That was a surprisingly enjoyable workout which is making me look forward the second half of PE more. This is the longest “rotation” I have ever set out for myself so every time I complete 3 weeks (one week of each program) it is a celebration!
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