This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page.
Another tough and thorough lower body workout. For the first part you get some nice long recoveries, so I was able to lift heavier than I normally would in a P.E. workout. But it is deceiving. The first 2 supersets you repeat 3 times and you get the nice long recoveries. However the last part of the workout Caroline pairs together two supersets and you repeat that pairing (4 exercises total) 4 times but only get 30 second recoveries. For that 4th set of paired supersets I had to drop to lighter weights. My legs were fried. And the finisher! It will truly finish off you with squat jumps (or 3/4 rep squats if you don’t want to jump).
This is a superset workout. You will do 2 exercises back to back before you get a recovery. The interval and recovery times vary and will be 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 48:30 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:55 minute warm up or 2:45 minute intro, also optional) with a 3:25 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, chair/bench, glute band, heel wedges, and fitness mat. Caroline is using a barbell at 48kg/105 pounds. Caroline is also using 20kg/44 pound and 15kg/33 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.
- Staggered squat for 60 seconds (bodyweight single leg squat, heel of front/working leg is on heel wedge, back leg is in kickstand, lower into a deep single leg squat)
- (no rest) Weighted lunges for 60 seconds (static/stationary lunges) (30# DBs)
- 45 second rest
- Repeat #1-3 on other leg
- Repeat #1-4 two more times
- Banded 1.5 rep hip thrust for 60 seconds (lean back against your bench or step, glute band around thighs just above knees, legs open so there is constant tension on band, knees bent with feet on floor and knees in line w/ ankles, raise hips, lower partway, raise hips to top of thrust then lower all the way)
- (no rest) Weighted version for 60 seconds (same as #6 but with barbell on hips) (barbell @ 110#)
- 45 second rest
- Repeat #6-8 two more times
- Slow & paused RDLs for 45 seconds (Romanian deadlifts, lower slowly into deadlift, pause briefly at bottom then raise at normal speed) (hex deadlift bar @ 100# for first 3 sets, 30# DBs last set)
- (no rest) Regular tempo deadlift for 30 seconds (hex deadlift bar @ 100# for first 3 sets, 30# DBs last set)
- 30 second rest
- 3/4 rep bodyweight elevated squat for 60 seconds (heels are elevated on heel wedges, lower to bottom of squat but only raise 3/4 of the way)
- (no rest) Full range goblet squat for 60 seconds (on floor–no wedges) (one 40# DB first 3 sets, one 35# DB last set)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #10-15 three more times
Finisher:
- Heel elevated squat for 30 seconds (full range body weight squat with heels on heel wedges)
- (no rest) Squat jumps (or 3/4 rep squats) for 30 seconds
- (no rest) Repeat #1 & 2
