CGX: P.E. Program Day 31: ‘Bilateral then all unilateral!’ (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 was a killer lower body workout! Caroline really fries your muscles with plyo jumps, tempo variations and isometric holds. I had to drop to lighter weights in the second half of the workout. My legs are still feeling this workout!

This is a superset workout. You will do 2 exercises back to back before you get a 30 or 45 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 47:32 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:55 minute warm up or 2:34 minute intro, also optional) with a 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, chair/bench, glute/booty band, heel wedge, and fitness mat. Caroline’s barbell is at 58kg/128 pound. She is also using 17.5kg/38.5 pound and 15kg/33 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. High squats for 60 seconds (DBs held at shoulders) (30# DBs)
2. (no rest) x1 dumbbell only / lighter load for 45 seconds (squats w/ one DB or lighter DBs, Caroline is holding one DB at chest) (one 30# DB)
3. 45 second rest
4. Repeat #1-3
5. Banded bridge for 60 seconds (lay on back on mat, glute band around thighs just above knees, legs are open so there is constant tension on band, knees are bent with feet close to glutes, a barbell rests on hips, raise and lower hips) (barbell @ 105#)
6. (no rest) Pulses for 30 seconds (same position as #5, keep hips/glutes lifted and pulse upward) (barbell @ 105#)
7. 30 second rest
8. Repeat #5 w/out band
9. (no rest) Repeat #6 w/out the band
10. 30 second rest
11. Repeat #1-10
12. Static lunge for 60 seconds (stationary lunges) (30# DBs first set, 25# DBs last 2 sets)
13. (no rest) Bodyweight lunge / lunge jumps for 30 seconds
14. 30 second rest
15. Repeat #11-14 on other leg
16. Slow lower & pause staggered RDL for 60 seconds (single leg deadlift, non-working leg rests on the bench or chair beside you, toe of working leg is elevated on heel wedge) (one 38# DB first set, one 35# DB last 2 sets)
17. (no rest) Continue #16 but at a regular tempo for 30 seconds (one 38# DB first set, one 35# DB last 2 sets)
18. 30 second rest
19. Repeat #16-18 on other leg
20. Repeat #12-19 two more times

Finisher:

1. Static lunge for 15 seconds (stationary lunge/bodyweight)
2. (no rest) Hold isometrically at bottom of lunge for 15 seconds
3. Repeat #1 & 2
4. Repeat #1
5. Repeat #1-4 on other leg