CGX: Intent Program Day 37: ‘Pausing in the Lengthened Position’ Lower Body

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

Caroline packs a lot into this lower body workout. She hits the legs with lunges, hip thrusts, sumo squats, deadlifts and stability ball roll outs. And not only is everything done to a slow and controlled pace but most of the exercises have you pause at the top of the move (or the lengthened position). So if you are following Caroline to do your reps, she will burn those muscles out. She was actually struggling on the first set of sumo squats. I think it was her grip though. We had just finished deadlifts and it looked like her grip was weak. That’s why I use a hex deadlift bar for deadlifts. I had a very hard time lifting heavier for deadlifts because of my grip strength until I switched to a deadlift bar. They protect your grip (and your low back) so you can lift heavier.

This workout is done interval style. The interval and recovery times vary so they are noted below in the breakdown. 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 exercise. There is also a little bar along the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

Lower Body is 46:43 minutes (this time does not include the optional 6 minute warm up or the 3:50 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:45 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, chair/bench, yoga block, heel wedges and a fitness mat. Caroline’s barbell is at 58kg/128 pounds. She is also using 30kg/66 pound, 17.5kg/38.5 pound, and 15kg/33 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Static lunge for 60 seconds (stationary lunge with front foot elevated on yoga block) (30# DBs)
2. 30 second rest
3. Repeat #1 & 2 on other leg
4. Repeat #1-3 two more times
5. Pause at top hip thrust for 60 seconds (lean back against your bench or step with barbell on hips, knees are bent and heels are in line with knees, raise and lower hips slowly pausing briefly at top of thrust) (barbell @ 95#)
6. 30 second rest
7. Repeat #5 & 6
8. RDL for 60 seconds (Romanian deadlift w/ fronts of feet elevated on heel wedges) (hex deadlift bar @ 100#)
9. 30 second rest
10. Repeat #8 & 9
11. Repeat #5-10
12. Pause sumo deadlift squat for 60 seconds (stand with legs wide and toes turned out, hold one DB by bar with both hands, torso is hinged forward deadlift style when squatting, pause briefly at bottom of squat) (one 65# DB)
13. (no rest) Stability ball roll out for 90 seconds (lay on back on mat with both heels on ball, raise hips/glutes, slowly roll ball out then back in)
14. 30 second rest
15. Repeat #12-14 three more times
16. Rear step lunge for 60 seconds (step back reverse lunge) (22.5# DBs)
17. 30 second rest
18. Repeat #16 & 17 on other leg
19. Paused lengthened rear lunge (step back reverse lunge, front foot is elevated on yoga block, pause briefly at bottom of lunge, hold one DB at same side shoulder as working leg) (one 22.5# DB)
20. 30 second rest
21. Repeat #19 & 20 on other leg

Finisher: (4 minutes)

1. Alternating toe reaches, 20 reps (lay on back, legs are extended straight to ceiling, crunch upper body while reaching one hand toward opposite foot)
2. Alternating arc raise, 20 reps (lay on back on mat with knees bent and feet on mat, hands are behind head, crunch upper body by lifting to side and circling to other side, alternate which side you start crunch to)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible in 4 minutes