CGX: Sunrise Collection: Mallorca Edition: Stimulate the 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 another tough lower body workout in Caroline’s Sunrise Collection of vacation/holiday workouts. It proves that you don’t need dumbbells or other resistance to fry your muscles. The only equipment used is a yoga block. Like all of the workouts in this collection, it was filmed while Caroline was on vacation in Mallorca Spain. The scenery in all of the workouts is beautiful.

This workout consists of complexes; each complex contains 2 exercises. What this means is you are doing 2 exercises with no rest between the exercises and you do not stop alternating those two exercises until the time is up. Each complex is done for 2 minutes then you get a 20 second rest before moving on to the next complex. The complex you are working through is listed in the lower right hand corner of the screen for your reference. It lists each exercise you are doing and the amount of reps you do for each exercise. This is especially useful if you cannot keep pace with Caroline then you can still keep track of your complex. There is a timer in the upper right hand corner of the screen, counting down your 2 minutes of work as well as your 20 seconds of rest. Caroline previews your next complex during the recovery. There is also a bar along the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

Stimulate the Lower Body is 22:13 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:55 minute warm up) with a 1:30 minute stretch. Equipment: yoga block. I also used heel wedges for Complex 1 and the finisher. Caroline lays on the ground for the stretch so you may need a towel or mat, too.

Complex 1:

1. Elevated heel squat, 20 reps (legs are close together and both heels are elevated on yoga block)
2. Sumo 1/2 squat, 20 reps (stand with legs wide and toes turned out, lower to bottom of squat but only raise halfway)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible within 2 minutes
4. 20 second rest

Complex 2:

1. Lunge, 10 reps (stationary lunge, foot of front leg is elevated on yoga block)
2. Lunge to squat, 10 reps (front foot is still elevated on yoga block, do one step back reverse lunge, when you bring leg forward, step wide and lower into squat)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible within 2 minutes
4. 20 second rest
5. Repeat #1-4 on other leg

Complex 3:

1. Curtsy rear step, 10 reps (step back into cross-back/reverse curtsy lunge, front foot is elevated on yoga block)
2. Static curtsy, 10 reps (stationary curtsy lunge, front foot is still elevated on yoga block)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible within 2 minutes
4. 20 second rest
5. Repeat #1-4 on other leg

Complex 4:

1. Rear step lunge, 10 reps (reverse step back lunges)
2. Lunge to balance RDL, 10 reps (start in lunge position, hinge forward lifting back leg, hands touch the floor, return to lunge position)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible within 2 minutes
4. 20 second rest
5. Repeat #1-4 on other leg

Complex 5:

1. Squat walk, 20 reps (while holding squat isometrically, walk forward the length of your space then walk backwards back to start–one step = one rep)
2. Squat to calf raise, 20 reps (lower into squat, when you raise out of squat raise onto toes)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible within 2 minutes
4. 20 second rest

Finisher: 1/2 rep elevated squat for 60 seconds (legs are close together and heels are elevated on yoga block, lower to bottom of squat but only raise halfway, when you hear a beep, raise all the way out of squat then immediately sink back down into squat, the beep occurs approximately every 10 seconds)