CGX: P.E. Program Day 15: Squats, Lunges, Thrust, RDL & Wall Sits

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

The “pre” exhaust of this workout is no joke. Caroline wore out my entire lower body! I always find wall squats challenging and she starts you out with them to drain your legs before doing weighted squats. Then it is just keeps on going from there. My entire legs, including my calves, are done for the day. This is also a very metabolic workout. I burned 530 calories! I added on a longer stretch to the end of this workout. My legs needed it!

This is a superset workout. You will do 2 exercises back to back, each for 60 seconds before you get a 30 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.

Lower Body is 47:55 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:55 minute warm up or 3:17 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:10 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, bench or step, heel wedges, yoga block, and fitness mat. You also need a section of wall for wall squats. Caroline is using a barbell at 58kg/128 pounds. Caroline is also using 15kg/33 pound and 10kg/22 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Wall sit for 60 seconds (wall squat held isometrically)
2. (no rest) High squats for 60 seconds (hold DBs at shoulders) (30# DBs)
3. 30 second rest
4. RDL for 60 seconds (Romanian deadlift, toes are elevated on heel wedges) (hex deadlift bar @100#)
5. (no rest) Hip thrust for 60 seconds (lean back against your bench or step, place one heavy DB or barbell on hips, knees bent with feet on floor and knees in line w/ ankles, raise and lower hips slowly) (barbell @ 105#)
6. 30 second rest
7. Repeat #1-6 two more times
8. Bodyweight lunge for 60 seconds (static/stationary lunge w/ front foot elevated on yoga block)
9. (no rest) Weighted version for 60 seconds (same as #8 but holding DBs) (25# DBs)
10. 30 second rest
11. Repeat #8-10 on other leg
12. Repeat #8-11 two more times
13. Rear step lunge for 60 seconds (reverse step back lunge, front foot is elevated on yoga block, hold one DB in same side hand as front leg) (one 25# DB)
14. (no rest) Staggered RDL 60 seconds (single leg deadlift, back/non-working leg is in kickstand, front/working toe is elevated on heel wedge)
15. 30 second rest
16. Repeat #13-15 on other leg
17. Repeat #13-16
18. Bodyweight alternating rear step lunge for 60 seconds
19. (no rest) Weighted version for 60 seconds (20# DBs)

30 second rest

Finisher:

1. Wall sit (including dorsiflexion) for 60 seconds (wall squat held isometrically, raise and lower toes)
2. (no rest) High squat for 60 seconds (hold one DB in both hands at chest) (one 35# DB)