Name: Playbook - Caroline Drury - W1/D3 Glutes & Shoulders (RPE 7)
Uploaded: 2025-10-13T05:44:54.947Z
Duration: 45 min
Description: W1/D3 Glutes & Shoulders (RPE 7)

Lydie

Barbell paused squat says to do three sets, and also two sets in the same page. I’m getting back on the train here and really enjoyed the gift of time series, though it was hard to participate as I was traveling

Sarah

I’m definitely not hating repeating lifts & working on form.  THANK YOU!!🤗

Kimberly Yamamoto

A workout dedicated to the glutes and shoulders to help build you that hourglass shape!

3 sets
10-12 reps
controlled tempo
45 seconds rest

- Position yourself into a glute bridge position, a band looped just above the knees
- Press your knees outward against the band
- Bring the knees back in but do not release all the tension in the band

Banded - Glute Bridge with Hip Abduction

3 sets
10-12 reps 
1-0-X-0 tempo (the 'x' means 'explode'!)
60 seconds rest

WARM-UPs:
-Warm up to a working weight, then perform the prescribed reps and sets

-Warm-up sets do not count towards your working sets

-Warm-ups at this range can follow this protocol:
1. Warm-up set 1: 5 reps at 50% of your working load
2. Warm-up set 2: 3 reps at 70% of your working load
3. Warm-up set 3: 1-2 reps at 90% of your working load

EXERCISE DESCRIPTION:
- Sit on the ground with a bench behind you, bending your knees so your feet are planted on the ground and holding a barbell resting below your hips
- Lean back so your upper back/shoulders are on the bench; the bench should be at armpit height or about halfway down your shoulder blades
- Drive your hips up, lifting the bar
- In the top position, your knees should be bent at 90°, shins vertical to the ground, and your shoulders should be near the top of the bench, with your body forming a straight line between them
- Pause at the top of the lift and squeeze your glutes
- Lower your hips with control, with the weight plates forming back fully to the ground

Barbell - Hip Thrust

*Same weight as you did on Day 1 this week*
2 sets
6 reps - pause for 2 FULL seconds at the bottom position at parallel
tempo 2211
rest 90 seconds

-Warm up to a working weight, but your working weight will be approximately 30% less than your standard squat weight

-This is NOT an exercise on which to aim for PRs. This is a technical exercise designed to work on a specific part of the squat > The purpose of this is to get you trained to sit tight in the "hole" of the squat (parallel), and build up strength and confidence getting out of the bottom of the squat.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTION:
- Place the bar across your upper back
- Get your body very tight under the bar
- "Kiss" the elbows behind your back
- With the core and glutes tight, take 2-3 short steps backwards
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart
- take a big brace breath in at the top, tighten your core and squat - keep holding your breath! 
- Lower into the bottom of a squat pushing your hips back and down
-PAUSE for one to two seconds
- stand up, let go of your breath. This is one rep.

**For more thorough guidance on the squat, please watch the expanded explanation in the Strength Training 101 course. 

A list of substitutions is below if the barbell paused squat is not available to you or too advanced for your current abilities:

1. Barbell paused box squat
2. Smith Machine paused back squat
3. Smith Machine paused box squat
4. Low bar paused cable squat 
5. Cable belt paused squat
6. Hack paused squat
7. Dumbbell paused squat
8. Dumbbell paused box squat
9. Goblet paused squat
10. Goblet paused box squat 
11. Paused leg press
12. Smith machine paused adapted leg press

Barbell - Paused Back Squat

3 sets
10-12 reps
controlled tempo
60 seconds rest

- Hold the bar with hands just wider than shoulder-width apart, wrists stacked over your elbows
- Keep your core braced and eyes looking straight ahead
- Press the bar directly overhead in alignment with the mid-foot 
- Lower the bar back down to the starting position with control

SUBSTITUTION: if a traditional barbell (22kg/45lbs) is too heavy for you to start with, feel free to start with dumbbells at a lighter weight.

Barbell - Overhead Press

A "superset" is an exercise sequence where you do the prescribed exercises one after another. 

In this superset, you will do:

A - Banded - Clamshell
10-12 reps on each side (20-24 total)
controlled tempo
No rest, go directly onto B

B - Dumbbell - Seated Dead-Stop Lateral Raise
10-12 reps
controlled tempo, no jerking of the body
60s rest, then got back to A

Repeat this superset 3 times.

- Place a band just above your knees
- Flex the hips to 45 degrees and the knees to approximately 90 degrees 
- Initiate the movement by abducting your top leg
- Push your knee away from the midline of your body                                                                                        
- Maintain contact between your feet throughout the movement
- Complete the desired reps, then repeat on the opposite side

Banded - Clamshell

-Sit tall on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand resting at your sides.
-Pause briefly with the dumbbells fully resting on the bench between each rep.
-Raise the dumbbells out to your sides until they reach shoulder height.
-Keep a slight bend in your elbows and palms facing the floor.
-Lower with control until the dumbbells return to the bench and repeat.

Dumbbell - Seated Dead-Stop Lateral Raise

Glutes & Shoulders Superset 2

W1/D3 Glutes & Shoulders (RPE 7)

W1/D0 🎉 Welcome to Block 9!

W1/D1 Cardio

Back at it…had to step away for a couple of days…feel much better getting it done!💪🏼 Have a great day ladies!

Tina

Back un rthe saddle for real training 😁

Wishing for some text about an alternative, if there is no leg press machine. I always what I can do and it’s hard to look up while working out.

W1/D1 Quad Focused (RPE 7)

W1/D2 Cardio

The cues on the stability ball finally clicked!  Thank you Caroline!

Diamond pushups are no joke! That was a tough workout but I feel great!

Remedios

Good.  I need to work on push ups.😰😰😰

W1/D2 Chest, Triceps & Core (RPE 7)

I had a wonderful run, sun is shining, endorphins running and life is good!
😍

W1/D3 Cardio

W1/D4 Active Rest Day

W1/D5 Back, Biceps & Core (RPE 7)

W1/D5 Cardio

W1/D6 Cardio

Amanda

Great!  I took it a little lighter today…still a little sore from earlier this week.  Felt good!!😎

W1/D6 Hamstrings & Glutes (RPE 7)

W1/D7 Active Rest Day

W2/D1 Cardio

Holy cow! Sissy squats… need I say more?!?! 🔥

Lisa

Great!  I love the 6 rep slow tempo before the 12 reps for squats.  I feel like it helps get my mind right for the high rep sets.👍🏼

W2/D1 Quad Focused (RPE 8)

W2/D2 Cardio

Good.  Only because I knew what I was doing…I’m pathetic with upper body, but determined to progress.😤😤😤

W2/D2 Chest, Triceps & Core (RPE 8)

W2/D3 Cardio

W2/D3 Glutes & Shoulders (RPE 8)

W2/D4 Active Rest Day

W2/D5 Back, Biceps & Core (RPE 8)

W2/D5 Cardio

W2/D6 Cardio

Did this workout at the gym and really loved it!  I could even handle the back extensions!! Thank you Caroline!! 🏋️‍♀️💪💗

Doris

Rough, but got it done.  So glad that I know the lifts & I only have to focus on execution.  Even 8 months in, I’m still feeling the challenge.

W2/D6 Hamstrings & Glutes (RPE 8)

W2/D7 Active Rest Day

W3/D1 Cardio

Awesome! First time doing the gym circuit.

Jamie

It’s been 5 months and I’m back. This quad workout was TOUGH but reminds me how strong I am and can be. 🦵🏽🙂

W3/D1 Quad Focused (RPE 8.5)

W3/D2 Cardio

Had to adjust for R shoulder, but excellent workout!! 💗

Good…if only my upper body would just catch up with my lower body.🫠

W3/D2 Chest, Triceps & Core (RPE 8.5)

Bike ride in the warm Arizona weather🤗

W3/D3 Cardio

Good!  Love the focus on form in this workout with squats & hip thrusts.  Haven’t progressed with upper body weight, but I have with tempo/reps.👍🏼.

W3/D3 Glutes & Shoulders (RPE 8.5)

W3/D4 Active Rest Day

I found this to be a bit smoother today…week 3, I’ll take it as progress.👍🏼

W3/D5 Back, Biceps & Core (RPE 8.5)

W3/D5 Cardio

W3/D6 Cardio

My favorite workout of the week! 🦵🏽

W3/D6 Hamstrings & Glutes (RPE 8.5)

W3/D7 Active Rest Day

W4/D1 Cardio

Sweaty!!  Progressed with most!
Leg day just hits different.😎

W4/D1 Quad Focused (RPE 9)

W4/D2 Cardio

W4/D2 Chest, Triceps & Core (RPE 9)

W4/D3 Cardio

Challenging…even on week 4. I made small progress with barbell hip thrusts with more weight, but I’ve learned that progression comes in various forms, not just adding weight.  My barbell squats didn’t have extra lbs, but I could squat deeper & really focus on the pause.
😁

W4/D3 Glutes & Shoulders (RPE 9)

W4/D4 Active Rest Day

An inch of progress, but progress nonetheless.😂

W4/D5 Back, Biceps & Core (RPE 9)

W4/D5 Cardio

1st steep hike in 2025, 4 hours, 2300 ft elevation gain in 1.25 miles 😳

W4/D6 Cardio

Leslie

Wowza! This was a great block! Made some great progress with increasing weights.

I PR’d with my deadlifts today.😳
This Block 9 had me really digging deep. All the years I’ve spent the gym trying to figure it out on my own, I’ve never put more than 20 pounds on an Olympic bar because I convinced myself I wasn’t strong enough.  I’ve surprised myself often in the last 9 months & I love surprises.🙃🤭

W1/D3 Glutes & Shoulders (RPE 7)

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