This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page.
Another tough lower body strength workout. I feel like that is all I write anymore but it is true! These workouts are kicking my butt! I will be taking a long recovery period once I finish this 10 month rotation. Anyway, for this workout I actually paid attention to the weights Caroline was using and lifted lighter than I normally would. It still kicked my butt! This workout is all about having constant tension on your legs in some manner. This workout was clearly kicking Caroline’s butt, too!
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 46:05 minutes (this time does not include the optional 6 minute warm up or the 2:53 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:15 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, booty/glute band, yoga block and a fitness mat. Caroline’s barbell is at 48kg/106 pounds. She is also using 12.5kg/27.5 pound and 10kg/22 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.
- ‘Dive out of hole’ high squats for 75 seconds (lower at normal speed and raise out of squat with power, DBs are held at shoulders) (27.5# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Paused banded bridges for 75 seconds (lay on mat, band is around thighs just above knees, knees are bent and open so there is constant tension on band, feet are on mat close to glutes, barbell is on hips, raise hips/glutes and hold briefly before lowering) (barbell @ 105#)
- 15 second rest
- Repeat #3 w/out barbell
- 30 second rest
- Banded RDLs for 75 seconds (Romanian deadlift w/ glute band around thighs above knees) (30# DBs)
- 15 second rest
- Lateral banded walk for 75 seconds (band is still around thighs, side step several steps in one direction then back to start)
- 30 second rest
- Close to wide lunge for 75 seconds (front foot is on yoga block, one DB rests on same side shoulder as front leg, step back into lunge, raise partway out of lunge and step back foot in about a foot, raise partway out of lunge and step foot back out) (one 22.5# DB)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #10 & 11 on other leg
- Repeat #1-3
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #5
- 15 second rest (remove band)
- Repeat #3 w/out glute band
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #7-13
- Repeat #14-20
Finisher: (4 minutes)
- Forward & back banded walk, 40 reps (glute band is around thighs just above knees, walk forward the length your area then walk backwards)
- Banded squat, 10 reps (band still around thighs, legs are open so there is constant tension on band)
- Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible in 4 minutes
