Name: Playbook - Hannah Bower - W5/D1: Lower Body Foundational Fitness
Uploaded: 2024-01-18T19:28:17.932Z
Duration: 55 min
Description: W5/D1: Lower Body Foundational Fitness

This was brutal after so long! Was legit a kick in the rear 🔥🔥🔥🔥🙌🙌🙌
The b-stance and Bulgarian split squat killed me! 🫠🫠🫠 Could have dropped weights but what's the fun in that 🫠🫠

Sumaiya

Didn’t have time to finish but I did most of it and also went for a PR on my squat again and got 165lbs 👏🏼

One of my favourite workouts! Love core cinchs at the end 👌

Jade

Jessica

After a month off I’ve been consistent for the last 4 weeks and I’m finally feeling strong again!

Emilia

Awesome and sweaty workout! Love the squat pause to take a break from the regular squats

Jaime

The b squat and Bulgarian split squats are killer in this! I’m dripping sweat and love it!!

Briana

Went on vacation for a week and this workout kicked my butt! 💀💀🤮🤮

Beatrice

Good one.Had time to do this one really slowly. It was weird because my imbalances reversed?  So tomorrow will be mouth to get them together. Aha! The last split TRI set was murder.

Leigh-Ann

Another great workout! Enjoyed the abs at the end 😆

Chelsea

Those splits squats were 🔥. I just gotta be careful with my knees. But I loved it. Been enjoying this challenge

Dedra

Courtney

Split it over two days because of travel and a cardio workout. But great!

Ashley

Oof! Such a great workout. Always undershoot my strength but loved the added pauses!! Feeling good 💪🏼

Jacee

Nicole Loewen

Stephanie S

Leg day might be turning into my nemesis now. ☠️

Emily Storm

Those B stance Bulgarian combos were death for my legs but I was able to up my dumbbells for the B stance by 5 lbs totall!!! 🎉🤍 and the pause back squats felt amazing! Went up to 45 lb plates on both sides for the pause!

Kayla Stock

Maddie

This felt so strong today.  Was able to lift heavier than the few weeks ago🦵💪

Caroline

Nikki

I’m dripping sweat! Finally home to my barbell, totally takes these to a whole new level!! 🥵🔥

Brittney Howell

Molly

I was dreading this workout but I got through it and put up some pr for this challenge

Sarah

Christine

Brianna

Shanele

Wowzzza!!! That Bulgarian split!!! I hate and love that one!! my butt and quads were on 🔥🔥🔥🔥😝

Nikki Ouk

Absolutely killer 🥵
I went into the b-stance triset so ready to hate it but I felt SO POWERFUL at the end of it!

Morgan

Hollyn

Emily Pokrywka

Tried to be really mindful about holding the pauses this time—my hamstrings feel simultaneously stronger than ever and also as weak as jello 😂😂😮‍💨

Mela

Khola

Kaitlyn

Another great challenge! Let’s keep it rolling.

Delaney

😭😅 somehow I pushed myself harder than last time with those blasted b-stance/Bulgarians. Wow. I am dripping sweat everywhere

Shelby

Overall it was okay. My ankles didn’t want to move at all even after mobility in the beginning so I had to adjust my squats. But I went up in weight on my glute bridges

Becca

Pause squats felt surprisingly good! I was able to work my way up to 135lbs. Depth was on point, something I’ve really been focusing on. The b-stance squat. + Bulgarian squats + pulses got me again.😮‍💨
That triset is TOO good. 🔥

Cleo

Taylor

This is by far my favorite workout ever! The strength my gaining is unmatched!

Less reps equals more weight equals death 🤣🤣😜😜

Tamara

Absolutely done, my legs, my arms, all of it. One round of Copenhagens for me today because my arms were shaking too bad! 105 on the squat 💪🏻

Paula Kane

That flute tri set had my butt burning lol

Bailey

Bulgarian split squats 😵‍💫 dripping after that one!

Katie

Couldn’t fit in the whole workout today but so grateful I gave it a try! Planning to pick up the Bulgarian squats+ later today!

Arianne

I was screaming during those split squats!!! Such a good start to the week!

Helena

Great workout today! My 🍑is going to be sore today!

Caitlin

Margaret 

Carina

Week 5! So proud of you all! It’s Monday which means we’re squatting.

The progressive overload for our squat we are adding a pause at the bottom (3-5 seconds) this may mean you need to go down in weight, that’s okay!

If you can, increase your weights. You’ve got this!

This is a warmup to help get our posterior chain mobile and ready to squat.

Reps are up to YOU. Perform each movement for however long you feel your body needs it!

Recommended time; 30-45 seconds OR for however long feels good 

Modifications: limit range of motion, remove the circles and perform forward and backward rocks 

Form:
-Start in a kneeling lunge with your ribs stacked over your pelvis
-tilt your hips forward and gently begin to push your weight into your front foot. 
-once you hit a forward leaning lunge position that feels good to you, place your hand on your knee
-begin to circle your knee forward with your hips
-you will feel this in your ankle, knee, and hip flexors
-as your knee circles towards you, sit your hips back
-play around with alternating which way you circle your knee.

Forward Leaning Knee, Ankle, Hip Circles

Recommended time: 30-45 seconds OR however long feels good.  
Equipment modifications: can hold onto a band, ledge, pole, or table leg.  
Modifications: can perform without holding onto a ledge, limit range of motion, limit depth 
Substitutions: seated butterfly stretch 
Form:  - Start in a deep frog squat in front of a stable surface - Glutes are low, feet are flat on the ground, toes pointed forward, knees pointing outward, chest is tall with your ribs stacked over your pelvis - Grab onto your surface and begin to rock your weight from one foot to the the next - As you rock lean your weight into your side-body and lat muscles creating a big stretch from your armpit to your hip - Rock for as long as feels good

Frog Rocks

Recommended reps: 30
Can add booty band, or light weights 

Modifications: limit range of motion, squat to chair 
Form: 
-Start standing in front of your bar or weights. - Depending on your hip anatomy, your feet will be anywhere front shoulder width apart or slightly wider than shoulder width.   - Toes are straight ahead or slightly turned out, but never inward - Think about ribcage stacked over pelvis keeping a tall chest.. Knees are aligned over your ankles. 
- Begin to squat by hinging at the hips while you bend your knees. - Think about shifting your hips and glutes to the back wall and about shifting your weight into your heals, do not let your weight come forward to your toes. - Continue to press knees away from each other. Think about spreading the ground apart between your feet. - Lower until hips are parallel with the ground or as far as range of motion allows - As you stand, continue to keep your knees from falling inward, you can think about allowing your knees to push outward a bit. - You want to move in one solid flow. Chest + hips raise at the same time!
- Keep chin and head neutral throughout (no tucking or arching your chin), keep upper chest tall and neutral (no rounding)

Bodyweight Squat

Squat Warmup

Pause is not shown, but at the bottom of the rep, pause for 3 seconds

*because we are adding a pause, you may need to go down in weight, that’s okay * 

Warmup sets: 3 (8, 6 reps)
Active sets: 3 sets of 3-5 reps 
Pause: 3 seconds 


Modifications: limit weight, limit range of motion, squat to chair 
Substitutions: dumbbell goblet squat 

Form: (for more in depth see tutorials video) 
- Start standing in front of your bar or weights. - Depending on your hip anatomy, your feet will be anywhere front shoulder width apart or slightly wider than shoulder width.   -Toes are straight ahead or slightly turned out, but never inward -Think about ribcage stacked over pelvis keeping a tall chest.. Knees are aligned over your ankles.  - Begin to squat by hinging at the hips while you bend your knees. - Think about shifting your hips and glutes to the back wall and about shifting your weight into your heals, do not let your weight come forward to your toes. -Continue to press knees away from each other. Think about spreading the ground apart between your feet. -Lower until hips are parallel with the ground or as far as range of motion allows - As you stand, continue to keep your knees from falling inward, you can think about allowing your knees to push outward a bit. -You want to move in one solid flow. Chest + hips raise at the same time!
-Keep chin and head neutral throughout (no tucking or arching your chin), keep upper chest tall and neutral (no rounding)

Squat + Pause

This Triset is meant to flow from one movement to the next. Try and rest minimally between movements.

Take your rest after each set.

*reminder* weight Hannah uses is for demonstration purposes, please choose appropriately challenging weights. 

Recommended reps: 8-10
Recommended weight: medium to heavy
Recommended tempo: slow ( 3 second count on the way down, 5 second hold)

Equipment substitutions: dumbbell, kettlebell, booty band, bodyweight 
Modifications: perform without the weight, without feet elevation 
Substitutions: hip thrusts (shoulders elevated) 

Form:  -start laying on the ground with your feet firmly planted in the ground (or on some light elevation)  -perform a pelvic tilt, tilt your hips forward (see tutorial highlight for more in depth review) -lift your hips off the ground maintaining a pelvic tilt  -Appropriately engage your core and your glutes. Feel it in your hamstrings? Tilt your pelvis upwards) -lift as high as you can off the ground, even if it is just an inch or two. Think about driving your feet down to earths core.  -at the highest you can bridge, pause for 5 seconds -lower down on a slow tempo count of 3  -Repeat until reps are complete

Eccentric Glute Bridge + Hold

Recommended reps: 8-10
Reps are per side
Recommended weight: bodyweight- light

modifications: increase the elevation

Substitutions: single leg hip thrusts (shoulders elevated) 
Form:  -start laying on the ground with your feet firmly planted in the ground (or on some light elevation) 
-lift one leg straight in the air so that your weight is pressing into the remaining planted foot -perform a pelvic tilt, tilt your hips forward (see tutorial highlight for more in depth review) -lift your hips off the ground maintaining a pelvic tilt  -lift as high as you can off the ground, even if it is just an inch or two. Think about driving your foot down to earths core.  -at the highest you can bridge, pause for a second or two -lower down slow and controlled -Repeat until reps are complete and then switch sides

Single Leg Glute Bridge

Recommended reps: 8-10
Recommended weight: bodyweight

Modifications: perform on an elevated surface (edge of bench, couch, bed)

Substitutions: Superman’s, back extensions, hip thrust, bodyweight glute bridge

Form:
-start laying on your stomach with your hands planted on the ground beside yours shoulders
-bend your knees at a 90 degree so that your feet are in the air, bottom of your feet are pointed towards the ceiling
-spread your knees out at a 45 degree angle so that your knees are facing away from each other and your feet fall inward towards each other, like a diamond 
-from there, engage your glutes and hamstrings to see how high you can lift your knees and thighs
-it may only be an inch or two, that’s okay. 
-lift as high as you can, then lower down to the ground
-repeat

Frog Pumps

Ecc. Glute Bridge ss Single Leg Glute Bridge ss Frog Pumps

Another Triset! Read the reps for Bulgarian it includes the weighted full range as well as the pulses 

The Bulgarian split squat and pulses are shown in the same video. The goal is to drop your weight and immediately go into the pulses.

Reps are per side 
Recommended reps: 8-10
Recommended weight: medium 

Modifications: limit weight used

substitutions: single leg squat to chair, Cossack squat, forward leaning lunge 

Form:
-start standing with your chest tall, ribs stacked over pelvis and feet hip width distance apart, like you would a standard squat 
-Take one leg and step it backwards out at a 45 degree angle so you have a staggered stance
-hold one of your weights on the outside of your front leg and one of your weights on the inside of your front leg
-keep the majority of your weight on your front leg
-begin to hinge forward as you lower into a squat by bending both knees
-use your back leg for as much or as little support as you need
-lower as far as range of motion allows or until knees are around 90 degrees.
-press through your front foot to come to standing.
-repeat

B-Stance Squat

Recommended weighted reps: 8-10
Recommended pulses: 10-15
Reps are per side
Perform weighted + Pulses on one side first then the other

Equipment substitutions: bench, sofa, ottoman, stacked plates, chair, stair 
Modifications: lower height of your surface, limit range of motion, remove weight and perform bodyweight 
Movement Substitutions: b-stance squat, stationary forward lunge, single leg squat (to chair) 
Form: -Start standing in front of your steady and safe surface. -Pick up one of your feet and place the foot on top of an elevated surface, it may be helpful to have toes tucked under. Can be helpful to hold onto a bench, wall, or rack during this part -Think about standing tall with your ribs stacked over your pelvis, and your grounded foot is firmly planted with toes pointing forward or even slightly outward, but never inward -Hold your weight(s) down by your side -Begin the split squat by hinging your hips and glutes to the back wall at the same time you bend your standing leg.  -Chest remains tall, chin and spine neutral, you can hinge forward at the chest. -Core is properly engaged at this time to manage any abdominal pressure you may have -Lower until knees are 90 degrees or as far as range of motion allows -Do not let your knee fall inward on the way down, bottom of the rep, or as you press to standing. Knee can push slightly outward as you stand -Push through your front leg to come back up -THEN you will drop your weights and lower halfway down to perform your pulses
-with your knees bent pulses up and down in small miniature reps for 10-12 reps

(Read rep count) Bulgarian Split Squat into Bulgarian Pulses

B-Stance Squat ss Bulgarian Split Squat ss Bulgarian Pulses

You will need a bench or steady surface for this finisher.

Recommended time: 30-45 seconds 
Per side 

Modifications: play around different knee placements. The closer the bench/surface is to your knee the easier. Bending your lifting leg also makes it easier !  
-Substitutions: inner thigh machine (adductor), inner thigh leg lifts, seated medicine (or yoga) ball adductor squeezes  
Form: -tart in a side plank with your foot(harder) or knee (easier) on a bench, elbows or hand laid flat on the ground depending on bench height -press into a side plank by appropriately engaging your core and driving your hips upward -keep your hips high and stacked on top of each other -engage your inner thigh of your bottom leg to lift your foot (if leg straight) or knee (if leg bent) as high as you can. -it’s okay if it’s only a few inches  -hold for the recommended time -repeat

Copenhagen Plank Hold

Recommend time: 30 -45 seconds

substations: belly bumps (relaxing and drawing rather than cinching)

Form:
-start on your hands and knees, with your hands underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips
-engage your deep core, pelvic floor, deep core as you perform a deep exhale
-continue to breathe, with each breathe draw in your tva tighter and higher
-on your inhales, maintain your cinch rather than relaxing it

Core Cinches

Finisher

W5/D1: Lower Body Foundational Fitness

Tylar

Dani

Excited to start! I have been wanting something like this for awhile but didn’t know how excited I really was intil it was offered!

Mandatory Viewing, Please Watch All Videos

Hi Hannah, how do I join your foundational challenge Facebook page ?

Holly

Sooo excited to learn more about why and how to do these movements! I think it's going to be a fun twist to mindset mondays and can't wait to learn more!

Excited to learn pull-ups too! Didn’t know that was part of this. Tried to learn those on my own for 8wks and made barely any progress

Foundational Fitness Coming May 15th

Very helpful. I appreciate the explanation of increasing weight and why. 
Thank you.

Jenny

Great info!! I can’t wait to get started. Hopefully I don’t max out my weights otherwise I’ll be upgrading the home gym

Cristine

What If I Don’t Have A Barbell/Pull-Up Bar

Brittanee

Anything will be overload for me! Been like a month since I’ve been in the gym due to injury so … lightweight! And not Ronnie Coleman lightweight 😂

Dani Pasano

Progressive Overload

Yes! This is helping so much and is exactly what I'm needing.

Nargis

Andrea

Squat Tutorials + Equipment Substitution

Great to really get the technique correct, I’ve always been worried about injuries with deadlifts and hence avoided with any weights

Kayhlia

I legit wanted to “like” that multiple times haha

Deadlift Tutorial + Equipment Substitution

Your lovely to really explain all these things everyone else Ive come across DOES NOT they automatically assume you know all these different things

Uff tough stuff, but great for the core engagement

Pull-Up Tutorials + Equipment Substitution

Amazing modifications when standard workouts just expect you to do the full push up 🙄🤯 thank you!!

Roslyn

That was sooo helpful with all the ideas & variations! Makes this seem so much more attainable!

Push-up Tutorial

Before: 
Squat, 84
Deadlift, 84
Pull-up/row, a couple at level 7 on bar rack
Pushup, eccentric from hight box at gym
After
Squat, 94
Deadlift, 144
Pull-up/row, 7 reps at level 11 on bar rack (4 levels lower!)
Pushup, 8 on the floor, not to the floor yet, bit didn't need my knee!

I cannot believe how much progress I've made! Tbc

I didn’t get to finish the program in the 6 weeks but wanted to do my buy out anyway! Definitely improvements! Next time I do this I’m hoping to be in a gym because I’d love to see how much progress I could make with the right weights and equipment!

Optional Buy-In

So amazing! Love how well you walk through every movement and the mobility exercises at the beginning. As a newbie, this is all so helpful 🫶

Keara

giraffe legs at an all time high right now 😅😅💪🏼

Elise

W1/D1: Lower Body Foundational Fitness

I always underestimate slowing things down!

W1/D2: Upper Body Foundational Fitness

Had to skip a few exercises because my chest isn’t ready ! But felt good to lift heavier today

Made this a little more hitt like today with reducing weight and rest times! Loved it!

W1/D3 Full Body Foundational Fitness

Excited to get back to running! Loved this part last time!

Run before weights this session. Cooked! 🥵

Simone Fisher

This is always a mental battle on the way back up for me. BUT my paces increased 😈 my fav kind of progress!

W1/D4 Optional Cardio Foundational Fitness

First day back after a cruise, lots of food, and a terrible cold! Thankful for a guided program to get me back into routine

I’m finding a lot of weak points in myself. I LOVE THIS PROGRAM. Getting so strong!

W2/D1: Lower Body Foundational Fitness

Another great one …. Loving the variety in this program

Cynthia Contreras

W2/D2: Upper Body Foundational Fitness

Still recovering after vacation and illness. Had to add extra rests in this one. Hopefully can redo when feeling back to normal

All I have to say is WOW…. If I don’t have a six pack tomorrow after that core finisher I’ll be shocked 😂😂😂

W2/D3 Full Body Foundational Fitness

Would love slightly further but great workout 😊 thanks 🙏

W2/D4 Optional Cardio Foundational Fitness

I have been lifting for a couple years and this is the first time I have ever heard of progressive overload as something other than increasing weight. This changed my entire perspective. Thank you guys for sharing this. I feel a lot better about my workouts now.

I really needed to hear these. Thank you.

Sirma

That was me the other way wanting to go harder at the glute bridge and didn't go my way 🤣🤣🤣 ate the humble pie and went back to usual weights

Progressive Overload: How to challenge yourself & get better

Still recovering from sickness. But besides that I still highly underestimated this workout.

Audrey

Dayna

W3/D1 Lower Body Foundational Fitness

Boy oh boy did this prove much harder than I expected …. Still struggling with my eccentric pull ups…. But I was able to do the first set on the bar without having to move down to the ground

W3/D2 Upper Body Foundational Fitness

Aaarrrgggghhh, those push presses, that finisher 🥵 I'm so dead.

Thought my arms were going to give out at the end 😂

W3/D3 Full Body Foundational Fitness

I impressed myself with this one! Loved the circuit style. Kept my mind engaged and focused.

Not a runner so these are tough but a great challenge!

W3/D4 Optional Cardio Functional Fitness

HOLY QUADS. I hope Hannah is ready to pay for my wheelchair for the next 5days. So painful and so rewarding

Jennifer

I love how flexible this program is. I make the main exercises my mandatory exercise and then add whatever I want! Today I did clamshells and kneeling hip rotations instead of the plyos because my pelvic floor wasn’t feeling it, and it still was an excellent workout!

Brenna

This is the sweatiest I have been the entire program!!! Hit a PR too!

W4/D1: Lower Body Foundational Fitness

a good way to start another week. been feeling stronger than I ever have 💪🏼

Loved the burn out at the end and the core!! 🔥

Jessi

I did NOT want to workout today…. I tried 3 different times today before I finally committed and did the workout! But I completed it and I’m happy I did

W5/D1: Lower Body Foundational Fitness

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