CGX: Back Circuit

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

What an excellent back workout! Caroline worked my back thoroughly. This morning I did two of her CGX workouts. I did this one then followed it with her Squats & RDLs. When I did the sumo squats in the second workout, could feel all of the back muscles that are used to lift the dumbbell during the sumo squats because they were still singing (a good tune!) from this workout. The finisher is all bodyweight work and even Caroline was wearing out during it. I love this workout!

Since this is the first workout I did, I did the warm up. Unlike her YouTube workouts, this warm up was upper body focused. I assumed they would be like all of her YouTube warm ups–all of those are total body warm ups. I had it scheduled to skip the warm up for Squats & RDLs, but now I am questioning the wisdom of that, at least when grouping an upper body and a lower body workout together. Oh well! I guess when I start with a lower body workout I will see if that warm up is lower body focused. After the warm up was over, all I got was a blank screen. It didn’t flow right into the workout. I had to force quit the app and start it over, this time skipping the warm up since I’d already done it. When I did 1 Hour Dumbbell Full Body on Saturday, it went directly into the workout after the warm up. I will be doing many more CGX workouts over the next few weeks. Hopefully today is the only time that happens.

This workout is done interval style. The interval times are all different so they are noted below in the breakdown. The rest/recoveries are always 20 seconds. There is a timer in the upper right hand corner of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recoveries Caroline previews the next exercise. There is also a progress bar at the bottom of the screen, counting down the workout time as a percentage.

Back Circuit is 25:24 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:40 minute warm up) with a 2:40 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, yoga block and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 30kg/66 pounds, 15kg/33 pounds and 75 kg/16.5 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Landmine row for 40 seconds (one 57.5# DB)
2. Pullover for 80 seconds (one 40# DB)
3. Single arm rotational row for 60 seconds (bent over row, palm faces behind you at bottom of row, as you row DB up, rotate DB so palm faces in front of you at top of row) (one 40 DB)
4. Repeat #3 on other arm
5. Single arm renegade row for 40 seconds (non-working hand is elevated on yoga block) (one 32.5# DB)
6. Repeat #5 on other arm
7. Single arm sweep for 60 seconds (hinge forward holding one DB in one hand, palm is facing your body, keeping arm straight, lift DB up behind you keeping arm close to side) (one 12# DB)
8. Repeat #7 on other side of body
9. Repeat #1-8

Finisher: Pronated bodyweight combo (110 seconds; no rest/recoveries)

1. Pronator sweeps for 30 seconds  (lay on stomach with arms extended at sides, palms facing ceiling, lift and lower arms)
2. Reverse flys for 30 seconds (same position as #1 but arms are extended to sides in a T with palms facing floor, raise and lower arms)
3. Repeat #2 but with palms facing behind you for 30 seconds
4. Y’s for 20 seconds (same position as #1 but arms are extended overhead in a Y with thumbs facing ceiling, raise and lower arms)