CGX: 40 Minute Lower Body Workout

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

Wow! This lower body workout has it all. The first half of the workout is straight sets designed to allow you to lift heavy weights. The second half of the workout changes to endurance and power with longer intervals and plyometric/power moves. The second half of the workout also gets metabolic. Caroline works your entire lower body. This workout kicked my butt and I loved it! It looked like it was kicking Caroline’s butt, too. Another winner! Caroline gives you short but pretty good stretch.

This workout is done interval style. The work interval times vary and are noted below in the breakdown. You always get a 45 second recovery between each exercise or superset. 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. For all of the exercises with impact, Caroline shows a no impact variation.

Lower Body is 43:50 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:55 minute warm up or 2:43 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:40 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, chair/bench, glute band, yoga block, heel wedges and fitness mat. Caroline is using a barbell at 68kg/150 pounds and 48kg/106 pounds. She is also using 25kg/55 pound, 15kg/33 pound and 10kg/22 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Static lunge for 45 seconds (stationary lunge with front foot elevated on yoga block) (30# DBs)
2. 45 second rest
3. Repeat #1 & 2 on other leg
4. Repeat #1-3 two more times
5. Hip thrusts for 45 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) (barbell @ 116#)
6. 45 second rest
7. Repeat #5 & 6 two more times
8. Squat for 45 seconds (legs are wide, hold one heavy DB in both hands, lower DB toward floor between legs when squatting) (one 65# DB)
9. 45 second rest
10. Repeat #8 & 9 two more times
11. Rear step lunge for 60 seconds (reverse step back lunge, front foot is elevated on yoga block, hold one DB at same side shoulder as front/working leg) (one 22.5# DB)
12. (no rest) Knee drive lunge jump for 30 seconds (bodyweight, step one leg back into reverse lunge, pause briefly at bottom of lunge then come out of lunge with power, bringing back leg into a front knee raise while hopping with stationary leg; Caroline also shows a no impact version where you just bringing the back knee forward with power)
13. 45 second rest
14. Repeat #11-13 on other leg
15. Repeat #11-14
16. Banded hip thrust for 45 seconds (lean back against your bench or step with barbell on hips, knees are bent and heels are in line with knees, a glute band is around thighs just above knees, legs are open so there is constant tension on band, raise and lower hips slowly–for this exercise Caroline removed plates from her barbell, reducing the weight) (barbell @ 91#)
17. (no rest) Bodyweight banded hip thrust–slow lower and explode up for 45 seconds (no barbell, lower hips/glutes slowly then thrust hips/glutes up with power, still keeping constant tension on the band)
18. 45 second rest
19. Repeat #16-18 two more times
20. Heel elevated squat for 60 seconds (heels are elevated on heel wedges, hold one DB in both hands at chest) (one 35# DB)
21. (no rest) Paused squat jumps for 30 seconds (lower to bottom of squat, hold briefly, then jump landing back in squat; Carolyn shows a no impact version of fast bodyweight squats)
22. 45 second rest
23. Repeat #20-22

Finisher:

1. Heel elevated squat for 60 seconds (heels are elevated on heel wedges, hold one DB in both hands at chest) (one 35# DB)
2. (no rest) Regular squat jumps for 30 seconds (bodyweight with no pauses and Carolyn shows a no impact modification of lowering into a bodyweight squat then raising out of squat with power)