CGX: P.E. Program Day 13: ‘Bridge and Band to Build’ (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 another solid glute and hamstring workout. More enjoyable than some of the other P.E. workouts. Maybe I feel that way because I was kind of dreading it after her lower body workout I did on Friday (Intent Day 15) that totally fried my lower body. This one has lots of bridges and stability ball roll outs too, but this workout didn’t waste me like the Intent workout did. In fact, I never really struggled with the stability ball roll outs until the finisher. You are wearing your booty/glute band for about 70% of the workout. In fact, you do not take it off until you are halfway through the workout and then it is off and on for the remaining half. Though some of the intervals seem long, it is deceptive. You have to get into position for the second exercise in the superset and that eats up 10-15 seconds of the interval time.

This is a superset workout. You will do 2 exercises back to back before you get a 30 second recovery. The interval times vary and are noted 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 bar along the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

Lower Body is 50:03 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:55 minute warm up or 3:57 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:50 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, glute/booty band, stability ball, and fitness mat. Caroline’s barbell is at 58kg/128 pound and 48kg/106 pound. Caroline is also using 30kg/66 pound and 15kg/33 pound and dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Banded bridge for 60 seconds (lay on back on mat, glute band around thighs just above knees, legs are open wide so there is constant tension on on band, knees are bent with feet close to glutes, raise and lower hips)
2. (no rest) Weighted version for 75 seconds (same as #1 but w/ barbell on hips) (barbell @ 86#)
3. 30 second rest
4. Banded lateral walk for 60 seconds (glute band is still around thighs, side step several steps to one side then side step back to start)
5. (no rest) Banded RDL for 75 seconds (Romanian deadlift) (hex deadlift bar @ 100#)
6. 30 second rest
7. Repeat #1-6 three more times
8. Forward & back banded walk for 60 seconds (glute band is still around thighs, walk several steps forward then step backwards back to start)
9. (no rest) Sumo deadlift squats for 75 seconds (remove band, hold one heavy DB by bar with both hands, torso hinged forward deadlift style) (one 70# DB)
10. 30 second rest
11. Repeat 8-10 two more times
12. Hamstring ball roll outs for 75 seconds (lay on back on mat, heels on stability ball, raise hips and keep them elevated, roll ball toward glutes then back out)
13. (no rest) Unbanded bridge for 60 seconds (same as #2 w/out booty band) (barbell @ 86#)
14. 30 second rest
15. Repeat #12-14 two more times
16. Diagonal banded rear step out (one side) for 60 seconds (glute band is around thighs just above knees, tap one toe out and in behind you on a diagonal)
17. (no rest) Staggered RDL for 75 seconds (band is still around thighs, single leg deadlift, back/non-working leg is in kickstand) (one 35# DB)
18. 30 second rest
19. Repeat #16-18 on other leg

Finisher:

1. Slower pace banded roll out for 75 seconds (band is around thighs just above knees, lay on back on mat, heels on stability ball, raise hips and keep them elevated, slowly roll ball toward glutes then back out, keep  knees wide enough so there is constant tension in band)
2. (no rest) Regular tempo unbanded roll out for 55 seconds (remove glute band and repeat #1 at a normal pace)