CGX: Max Program Day 44: All lower body, but the upper biased towards the front delts!

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

This workout kicked my butt! I was working very hard and gassing out. The first part of the workout is done mostly PHA style (alternating between upper and lower body exercises) like most of the other workouts in this program but then it changes to focusing mostly on the lower body mixed with push ups. That is the part that kicked my butt. I had to start dropping to lighter weights. This is a full body workout in the sense that you are working both the upper and lower body but the focus is lower body, chest and shoulders. Caroline actually gives us a pretty good stretch at the end of this workout and I definitely needed it. I still added on a longer, more thorough stretch.

This workout is done interval style. Each exercise is done for 60 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest. There is a timer in the upper right hand corner of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recoveries Caroline previews the next exercise. There is also a progress bar along the bottom of the screen, counting down the workout time as a percentage.

Day 44 is 39:02 minutes (this time does not include the optional 9:18 minute warm up or 2:49 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:35 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, glute/booty band, heel wedge, and fitness mat. You are also using the glute band and light dumbbells for the warm up. Caroline is using 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells for the warm up. For the actual workout, Caroline is using a barbell at 58kg/128 pounds. She is also using 17.5kg/38.5 pound and 10kg/22 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Paused 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 hips and hold briefly before lowering) (barbell @ 101#)
2. 30 second rest
3. Repeat #1 for 30 seconds but at normal tempo (no pauses)
4. 30 second rest
5. Hammer press for 60 seconds (overhead shoulder press seated in chair, palms face each other) (21# DBs)
6. 30 second rest
7. Repeat #1-6 two more times
8. Static lunge for 60 seconds (stationary lunges) (32.5# DBs first set, 30# DBs last 2 sets)
9. 30 second rest
10. Repeat #8 & 9 on other leg
11. Staggered RDL 60 seconds (single leg deadlift, knee of back/non-working leg rests on bench, toes of front/working leg are elevated on heel wedge, hold one DB in same side hand as working leg) (one 40# DB first 2 sets, one 38# DB last set)
12. 30 second rest
13. Repeat #11 & 12 on other leg
14. Deadstop push up for 60 seconds (at bottom of push up entire body rests on floor, lift hands briefly before pushing back up to plank keeping body straight from head to heels)
15. Repeat #8-13
16. 2 regular push ups + one deadstop push up for 60 seconds
17. 30 second rest
18. Repeat #8-13
19. 3 regular push ups + one deadstop push up for 60 seconds

30 second rest

Finisher: Frontal raise for 60 seconds (straight arm front raise holding one DB in both hands) (one 18# DB)