CGX: Unilateral Shoulder Session

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 endurance workout. My shoulders were burning during this workout! It definitely highlighted strength differences. My right shoulder is stronger than my left. That is no surprise since I had rotator cuff surgery on my left shoulder a few years ago. But I was surprised at how much more I struggled with the first exercise on my left shoulder compared to my right shoulder. Both of my shoulders are definitely feeling it! Another short but excellent and thorough upper body strength workout.

This workout is done interval style. Each exercise is done for 70 seconds but you change arms halfway through the interval (after 35 seconds). The rest/recoveries are always 15 seconds; however you do not get a rest/recovery between every exercise so the recoveries are noted in the breakdown below. The way it plays out is 140 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of rest. 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. There are plenty of beeps and visual graphics to alert when to change arms.

CGX: Unilateral Shoulder Session is 25:17 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:53 minute warm up) with a 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 10kg/22 pounds and 5kg/11 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Kneeling press (in kneeling lunge, do a single arm overhead press) (35 second each arm, you will also swap your kneeling position when changing arms) (one 25# DB)
2. Repeat #1 (one 22.5# DB)
3. 15 second rest
4. Kneeling Arnold press (in kneeling lunge, do a single arm Arnold press) (35 second each arm, you will also swap your kneeling position when changing arms) (one 20# DB)
5. Repeat #4
6. 15 second rest
7. Rear fly palm down (bent over single arm rear delt fly) (35 seconds each arm) (one 10# DB)
8. Repeat #7
9. 15 second rest
10. Lateral 90 degree raise (single arm bent arm side raise) (35 seconds each arm) (10# DBs)
11. Repeat #10
12. 15 second rest
13. Overhand frontal raise (single arm front raise) (35 seconds each arm) (8# DBs)
14. Repeat #13
15. 15 second rest
16. Repeat #7-9  but with palms facing behind you (one 8# DB)
17. Lateral raise (single straight arm side raise) (35 seconds each arm) (8# DBs)
18. Repeat #17
19. 15 second rest
20. Hammer frontal raise (single arm front raise with palm facing to side) (35 seconds each arm) (10# DBs)
21. Repeat #20
22. 15 second rest

Finisher: (105 seconds; each exercise is done for 35 seconds with no rest/recoveries) (8# DBs)

1. Alternating bent over rear delt flys
2. Alternating lateral raises
3. Alternating hammer frontal raise