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Hamstring-Gluts Workout

Raining again this morning so substituted a hamstrings and gluts workout.

I used to follow Caroline Girvan last year at the beginning of the lockdown. She was just getting started on YouTube herself, but her channel was quickly growing. So glad I found her again. I like this workout because it’s about strength and not really cardio. I get enough cardio with my running. And it’s very hard to find those kinds of workouts on the internet. Girvan’s channel is a lot more polished but she hasn’t changed how she teaches and guides you. Highly recommended!

Workout Notes

Upper, middle and lower back, hamstrings, glutes and of course core all will be strengthened during this posterior chain dumbbell workout!

For this posterior chain workout you will need a pair of dumbbells, your mat and a yoga block/thick book! A lot of these movements involve unilateral work so one side then straight into opposite side, then repeat with no rest! However you are essentially gaining rest on one side at all times! Think about lengthening and contracting the muscles particularly during the single side bent over rows.

The timer will be on for 30 seconds per exercise most of the way, however rotational renegade rows and stagger RDL to lunge are 1 minute duration each!

ALT RENEGADE ROW + BENT OVER ROW x 2 + rest

STAGGERED RDL (L) + STAGGERED RDL (R) x 3 + rest

ROTATE SINGLE ARM ROW (L) + ROTATE SINGLE ARM ROW (R) x 4 + rest

STAGGERED RDL TO LUNGE (1 minute) REST x 2

ROTATE x1 ARM RENEGADE ROW (1 minute) REST x 4

ELEVATED REVERSE LUNGE (L) + LUNGE TO RDL (L) + rest x 2

ELEVATED REVERSE LUNGE (R) + LUNGE TO RDL (R) + rest

(2 dumbbells) SUMO SQUAT + RDL BENT OVER ROW

(1 dumbbell) SUMO SQUAT + RDL BENT OVER ROW

A simple and smart session to build your back, hamstrings and glutes!!

Caroline Girvan

The only exercise I always have trouble with is lunges. I need to work on improving them. Maybe I can find some progression to get stronger and more confident with them. If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments.

Since I don’t have dumbbells, I used bricks. And a brick was a good substitute for the yoga block (for the elevated exercises). The only thing I would change is, especially if you don’t have heavy dumbbells for the last set, just keep using two dumbbells (or bricks in my case).

More with Caroline Girvan

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