This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page.
If you love lunges then you will love this lower body workout. If you are not a fan of lunges then this workout is brutal. I don’t mind lunges but neither are they my favorite lower body exercise. So for me, this workout was no fun. The first 62% of this workout is all lunge variations. Then you return to lunges for the last 10% of the workout (Finisher). So 72% of this longer than most Intent workout is all lunge variations! I was definitely feeling it. And when you finally move on to something different that felt brutal, too! I had to remove plates from my barbell. This workout kicked my butt! It is very metabolic, too. I burned more calories in this workout than I did in the cardio workout I did yesterday! I definitely needed a longer and more thorough lower body stretch than what Caroline gives you when this workout was over.
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 progress bar along the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.
Lower Body is 53:01 minutes (this time does not include the optional 6 minute warm up or the 2:42 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:20 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, step or bench, stability ball, yoga block and a fitness mat. Caroline’s barbell is at 48kg/106 pounds. She is also using 15kg/33 pound and 10kg/22 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.
- Bulgarian lunge for 75 seconds (static/stationary lunge with back foot elevated on step or bench behind you, hold one DB in same side hand as back leg) (one 25# DB)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #1 & 2 on other leg
- Repeat #1-3 two more times
- Rear step lunges for 75 seconds (reverse/step back lunges w/ front foot elevated on yoga block) (20# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #5 & 6 on other leg
- Curtsy rear step for 75 seconds (cross back lunge w/ front foot elevated on yoga block, DB is held at shoulder of working leg) (one 25# DB)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #8 & 9 on other leg
- Repeat #5-10
- 1.5 rear step lunge for 75 seconds (reverse/step back lunges w/ front foot elevated on yoga block, lower to bottom of lunge, raise halfway, lower to bottom of lunge then step feet back together) (20# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #12 & 13 on other leg
- 1.5 curtsy rear step for 75 seconds (cross back lunge w/ front foot elevated on yoga block, DB is held at shoulder of working leg, lower to bottom of lunge, raise halfway, lower to bottom of lunge, step feet back together) (one 25# DB)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #15 & 16 on other leg
- 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) (barbell @ 106# first set, barbell @ 85# second set)
- 45 second rest
- Repeat #18 for 75 seconds (barbell @ 106# first set, barbell @ 85# second set)
- 30 second rest
- Slow release roll out for 75 seconds (lay on back on mat, place calves and heels on stability ball, raise hips and keep them raised as you roll ball in towards glutes then slowly roll back out to start)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #22 & 23
- Repeat #18-24
Finisher: (4 minutes)
- Forward tilt Bulgarian lunges, 12 reps (no DB, static/stationary lunge w/ back leg elevated on step or bench, torso is hinged forward over front leg)
- Repeat #1 on other leg
- Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible in 4 minutes
