CGX: P.E. Program Day 33: ‘Some iso & plyo sets!’ (Lower Body)

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

Killer seems to be a theme this week, at least for me. This workout kicked my butt! In retrospect maybe I should have lightened the weight I used for the hip thrusts because those really kicked my butt. Pretty much everything did except the band only exercises. Those felt like sweet relief from everything else in this workout. Even the stability ball exercises were excruciating! My glutes and hamstrings are fried!

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 46:13 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:55 minute warm up or 3:23 minute intro, also optional) with a 1:50 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, chair/bench, glute/booty band, stability ball, heel wedge and fitness mat. Caroline’s barbell is at 58kg/128 pound. Caroline is also using 30kg/66 pound and 10kg/22 pound and dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Banded hip thrust for 45 seconds (lean back against your bench or step, barbell or one heavy DB on hips, knees bent and feet on floor in line w/ knees, band is around thighs above knees, legs are open wide enough so there is constant tension on the band, raise and lower hips slowly) (barbell @ 106#)
2. (no rest) Pulses for 15 seconds (same position as #1, keep hips raised and pulse them upward) (barbell @ 106#)
3. 30 second rest
4. Repeat #1-3
5. Sumo deadlift squat for 60 seconds (stand with legs wide and toes turned out, hold one heavy DB in both hands by bar, torso is hinged forward deadlift-style) (one 70# DB)
6. (no rest) Bodyweight 3/4 reps / sumo jumps for 30 seconds (bodyweight sumo jump squats or lower to bottom of bodyweight sumo squat but only raise 3/4 of the way so there is constant tension on legs)
7. 30 second rest
8. Repeat #5-7
9. Repeat #1-8
10. Banded hip thrust for 60 seconds (same as #1 w/out barbell)
11. (no rest) Banded forward & back walk for 60 seconds (band still around thighs above knees, walk forward the length of your area then walk backward)
12. 30 second rest
13. 1.5 rep banded up thrust for 60 seconds (same position as #10, raise hips to top of thrust, lower halfway, raise hips to top of thrust, lower all the way)
14. (no rest) 2 steps forward, 2 steps backward for 60 seconds (same as #11 except you are only taking 2 steps each direction)
15. 30 second rest
16. Stability ball hold for 30 seconds (lay on back on mat, feet are on stability ball, knees bent and hips raised, hold isometrically)
17. (no rest) Full range stability ball roll outs for 60 seconds (same position as #16, using heels, roll ball in toward glutes then back out, keep hips raised the entire interval)
18. 30 second rest
19. Repeat #16-18
20. Repeat #10-19
21. Rear step forward tilt lunge for 60 seconds (reverse step back lunge, toes of front foot are elevated on heel wedge, torso is hinged forward over front thigh, hold one DB in same side hand as leg stepping back) (one 25# DB)
22. (no rest) Forward tilt Bulgarian lunge for 60 seconds (bodyweight stationary/static lunge, back leg is elevated on step/bench behind you, torso is hinged forward over front thigh)
23. 30 second rest
24. Repeat #21-23 on other leg
25. Repeat #21-24

Finisher: (barbell @ 1-6#)

1. Hip thrust (no band but weighted) for 20 seconds
2. (no rest) Hold isometrically at top of thrust for 10 seconds
3. Repeat #1 & 2
4. Repeat #1