CGX: P.E. Program Day 21: Shortened Partials of Bridge… Fire! (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 an intense lower body strength workout with a lot of hamstring and glute focus. Caroline “pre” exhausts them early on with stability ball supersets. By the 3rd superset I was glad to see she was burning out, too! The workout ends just like it begins–with weighted bridges. At the end, right before the finisher, you get one single set of single leg RDLs. Everything else is done as a superset. Caroline also gives you a nice lower body stretch, which was definitely needed.

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 49:12 minutes; (this time does not include the optional 5:55 minute warm up or 3:12 minute intro, also optional) with a 3:30 minute stretch. Equipment: barbell, dumbbells, glute/booty band, stability ball, heel wedge and fitness mat. Caroline is using a barbell at 58kg/128 pounds. She is also using 17.5kg/38.5 pound and 10kg/22 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Lying banded abduction (band is around thighs just above knees, lay on back with knees bent and feet on mat close to glutes, open knees wider against band)
2. (no rest) Banded bridge (still on back, band still around thighs, knees bent and feet on mat, legs open so there is constant tension on band, barbell or one heavy DB on hips, raise and lower hips in bridge) (barbell @ 96#)
3. 30 second rest
4. Reclined banded abduction (same exercise as #1 except torso is reclined with hands on mat behind you)
5. (no rest) Repeat #2
6. 30 second rest
7. Upright banded abduction (same exercise as #1 & 4 except torso is upright and hands are on mat behind hips)
8. (no rest) Repeat #2
9. 30 second rest
10. Shortened partials hamstring rollouts (lay on back on mat, heels on stability ball, raise hips and keep them elevated, roll ball toward glutes then back out–but not far, just a small roll in and out)
11. (no rest) Full roll out (same position as #10 but roll ball all the way out then roll back in)
12. 30 second rest
13. Repeat #10-12 two more times
14. Rear step lunge (reverse step back lunge, front foot is elevated on yoga block) (20# DBs)
15. (no rest) Forward tilt Bulgarian lunge (static/stationary lunge, back leg is elevated on step or bench, hold one DB in same side hand as back/elevated leg, torso is hinged forward over front thigh) (one 25# DB)
16. 30 second rest
17. Repeat #14-16 on other leg
18. Repeat #14-17 two more times
19. Forward tilt Bulgarian lunge (body weight)
20. (no rest) Staggered RDL (single leg Romanian deadlift, front toes are elevated on heel wedge, back leg is in kickstand) (one 40# DB)
21. 30 second rest
22. Repeat #19-21 on other leg
23. Repeat #19-22
24. Repeat #20
25. 30 second rest
26. Repeat #20 on other leg

45 second rest

Finisher: (1:15 minutes; no rest/recoveries)

1. Weighed bridge for 15 seconds (lay on back, knees bent and feet on mat, barbell or one heavy DB on hips, raise and lower hips in bridge) (barbell @ 96#)
2. Bridge pulses for 15 seconds (keep hips lifted at top of bridge and pulse hips upward) (barbell @ 96#)
3. Repeat #1 & 2
4. Repeat #1