CGX: Calisthenics Series Day 1: Glutes & Hamstrings – Lot of Band Work!

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

This was a tough lower body workout! It is mostly a bodyweight workout though you do use a booty/glute band for resistance for some of the exercises. And it builds. It doesn’t seem too bad at first but as we progressed though the workout my legs started getting seriously fatigued. At the halfway point (#32 below, x1 leg reverse hamstring lift) the burn really started. My legs were fried by the end. This is definitely a muscle endurance workout. The intervals are long and the recoveries are short. In the second half of the workout I really needed the recoveries to try and give the muscles just worked a quick stretch. And by the time we got to the brutal mat work (giant sets and trisets), I was taking my own little breaks to thaw the muscles. Though the stretch at the end is short, it is a good one.

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 little bar at the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

Glutes & Hamstrings is 56:20 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:55 minute warm up or the 1:47 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: glute band, bench/step, yoga block, heel wedges and a fitness mat.

1. Banded hip thrusts for 75 seconds (lean back against your bench or step, glute band is around thighs just above knees and legs are open so there is constant tension on band, raise and lower hips slowly)
2. 15 second rest
3. Banded forward & back walk for 75 seconds (band is still around thighs above knees, walk forward the length of your space then walk backward back to start, never letting the band become loose)
4. 15 second rest
5. Power up banded hip thrust  for 75 seconds (same as #1, but thrust hips up with power and lower slowly)
6. 15 second rest
7. Banded lateral walk for 75 seconds (band is still around thighs above knees, walk sideways the length of your space and back, never letting the band become loose)
8. 15 second rest
9. Banded squat for 75 seconds (band is still around thighs above knees, stand with legs wide enough so there is constant tension on the band as you squat)
10. 15 second rest
11. Banded squat to RDL for 75 seconds (same as #9 but after each squat, hinge forward into a deadlift)
12. 15 second rest
13. Sumo squat to RDL for 75 seconds (remove band and stand with legs wide and toes turned out, lower into squat then hinge forward into a wide leg deadlift)
14. 15 second rest
15. Sumo deadlift squat into RDL for 75 seconds (same starting position as #15 but while in squat torso is hinged forward with hands on floor then raise glutes so you are in deadlift while keeping torso hinged forward)
16. 15 second rest
17. Slow concentric Bulgarian lunge (stationary/static lunge, back leg is elevated on chair or bench, toes of front foot are elevated on heel wedge, lower to bottom of lunge then raise slowly)
18. 15 second rest
19. Repeat #17 & 18 on other leg
20. Slow eccentric Bulgarian lunge for 75 seconds (same as #17 but this time lower slowly and raise out of lunge at a normal tempo)
21. 15 second rest
22. Repeat #20 & 21 on other leg
23. Forward tilt static lunge for 75 seconds (stationary lunges, toros is hinged forward over front leg, toes of front foot are elevated on heel wedge)
24. 15 second rest
25. Repeat #23 & 24 on other leg
26. Forward tilt rear step lunge for 75 seconds (reverse step back lunge, torso is hinged forward over front leg, toes of front foot are elevated on heel wedge)
27. 15 second rest
28. Repeat #26 & 27 on other let
29. Deadstop forward tilt lunge for 75 seconds (static/stationary lunge, front foot is elevated on a yoga block, toros is hinged forward over front leg, lower knee of back leg to mat before raising out of lunge)
30. 15 second rest
31. Repeat #29 & 30 on other leg
32. x1 leg reverse hamstring lift for 75 seconds (sit on mat with one leg extended and knee partially bent, other leg is raised, hands are on mat behind hips, lift and lower hips, pushing up through heel so you are feeling it in the hamstrings)
33. 15 second rest
34. Repeat #32 & 33 on other leg
35. x1 leg hamstring thrust for 75 seconds (lean back against bench or step, one leg is extended with knee bent at 45 degrees with heel on floor, other leg is raised, raise and lower hips in this position)
36. 15 second rest
37. Repeat #35 & 36 on other leg
38. 1x leg explode up hip thrust for 75 seconds (same position as #35 except knee is bent at 90 degrees with heel in line with knee, thrust hip up with power)
39. 15 second rest
40. Repeat #38 & 39 on other leg
41. 1.5 rep 1x leg hip thrust for 75 seconds (same position as #38, lift hips to top of thrust, lower halfway, lift hips back to top of thrust, lower all the way)
42. 15 second rest
43. Repeat #41 & 42 on other leg
44.  Fire hydrant for 75 seconds (get on hands and knees on met, keeping one knee bent at 90 degrees, lift bent leg out to side)
45. (no rest) Pulses for 15 seconds (keep leg raised in hydrant and pulse it upward)
46. (no rest) Donkey kick for 60 seconds (still on hands and knees, lift same side leg up behind you and push sole of foot up to ceiling then lower leg)
47. (no rest) Pulses for 15 seconds (keep leg raised in donkey kick and pulse foot up to ceiling)
48. 15 second rest
49. Repeat #44-48 on other leg
50. Side knee tuck to extend for 75 seconds (still on hands and knees, lift one leg to side, pull knee toward same side elbow then extend leg out behind you)
51. (no rest) Diagonal raise for 75 seconds (extend leg out straight behind you but angled slightly away from body, raise and lower straight leg)
52. (no rest) Pulses for 15 seconds (same position as #51, keep leg raised to top of lift and pulse leg upward)
53. 15 second rest
54. Repeat #50-53 on other leg

Finisher:

1. Time in hold banded hip thrust for 60 seconds (lean back against your bench or step, glute band is around thighs just above knees and legs are open so there is constant tension on band, raise hips to top of hip thrust then lower and hold briefly at bottom position)
2. 10 second rest
3. Rep it out for 35 seconds (full range banded hip thrust done to brisk tempo)