CGX: P.E. Program Day 49: ‘The bodyweight superset is actually quite challenging!’ (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 is the final lower body workout of the P.E. Program and it was tough! I had to take multiple mini breaks during some of the exercises and so did Caroline–in fact, my muscle fatigue seemed to be in sync with hers because nearly every time I had to stop for a few seconds she was also stopping to thaw her muscles out. She ends the workout (before the official finisher that is) with some mat based lower body work that serves well as a finisher on its own!

This is a superset workout. You will do 2 exercises back to back before you get a 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 progress bar along the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

Lower Body is 49:21 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:55 minute warm up or 3:42 minute intro, also optional) with a 3:05 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, chair/bench, glute band, heel wedges and fitness mat. Caroline is using a barbell at 58kg/128 pounds. She is also using one 30kg/66 pound, 15kg/33 pound and 10kg/22 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Sumo deadlift squat for 60 seconds (legs are wide, toes turned out, hold one heavy DB in both hands by bar, torso is hinged forward deadlift style) (one 70# DB)
2. (no rest) Bodyweight half reps for 60 seconds (lower to bottom of squat but only raise halfway)
3. 30 second rest
4. Repeat #1-3
5. Banded hip thrusts for 60 seconds (lean back against your bench or step, place barbell on hips, knees bent and feet on floor, glute band is around thighs just above knees and legs are open so there is constant tension on band, raise and lower hips slowly) (barbell @ 101#)
6. (no rest) Bodyweight pause at top & bottom for 60 seconds (banded hip thrust w/ no barbell, pause briefly at both the top of the hip thrust and at the bottom while keeping constant tension on the band)
7. 30 second rest
8. Repeat 5-7
9. Repeat #1
10. (no rest) Repeat #2 but this time 1.5 reps (lower to bottom of squat, raise halfway, lower to bottom of squat, raise all the way)
11. 30 second rest
12. Repeat #9-11
13. Repeat #5
14. (no rest) Repeat #6 but this time do 1.5 reps at the bottom (lift hips to top of thrust, lower all the way, lift halfway, lower all the way then lift to top of thrust again–the entire time keeping constant tension on band)
15. 30 second rest
16. Repeat #13-15
17. Staggered RDL for 60 seconds (dumbbell opp working side) (single leg deadlift, back/non-working leg is in kickstand, toes of front foot are elevated on heel wedge, hold DB in same side hand as non-working leg) (one 35# DB)
18. (no rest) Static forward tilt lunge for 60 seconds (stationary lunge, toes of front foot still elevated on heel wedge, torso is hinge forward over front leg) (one 25# DB)
19. 30 second rest
20. Repeat #17-19 on other leg
21. Repeat #17 but holding DB in same side hand as working leg (one 35# DB)
22. (no rest) Rear step lunge (front foot is still elevated on heel wedge, reverse step back lunge holding one DB in same side hand as front foot)
23. 30 second rest
24. Repeat #21-23 on other leg
25. 3/4 rep staggered RDL (same as #21, but do not raise all the way out of deadlift, only raise 3/4 of the way) (one 30# DB)
26. (no rest) Pause at bottom rear lunge (bodyweight reverse/step back lunge, toes of front foot are still elevated on yoga block, torso is hinged forward over front thigh)
27. 30 second rest
28. Repeat #25-27 on other leg
29. Side leg raise for 60 seconds (start on hands and knees on mat, extend one leg out straight to side, raise and lower leg, pausing briefly at top of raise)
30. (no rest) Top range partials for 30 seconds (keep leg lifted at top of raise and pulse it upward)
31. 30 second rest
32. Repeat #29-31 on other leg two more times

Finisher:

1. Pause at top & bottom hip thrust for 60 seconds (lean back against your bench or step, place one heavy DB or barbell on hips, knees bent and and feet on floor w/ knees in line w/ ankles, raise and lower hips pausing briefly at top and bottom of lift) (barbell @ 101#)
2. 15 second rest
3. Hip thrusts at any pace you prefer for 30 seconds (barbell still on hips) (barbell @ 101#)