CGX: Shoulders and Arms Straight Sets

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

I am not sure how the structure of this workout qualifies as “straight sets” but it doesn’t matter–it is a tough and solid upper body strength workout that will really pump up your biceps, triceps and shoulders. But it is another one of her long ones. With the warm up it is 66 minutes. Though I could manage something like that on a work day, I normally don’t. But this one might be worth it! There is no official finisher like she includes in most of her workouts but those partial reps for the shoulder exercises will still do the job of finishing off your shoulders. She works your arms and shoulder thoroughly then she gives you a nice, longer than usual stretch.

The exercises in this workout are done interval style: 40 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest unless otherwise noted below. There is one exercise (#4-7) that is done to a different interval time. There is a timer in the upper right hand side of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recovery Caroline previews the next exercise. There is also a little bar at the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

Shoulders and Arms Straight Sets is 59:59 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:53 minute warm up and 2:48 minute intro, also optional) with a 3:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 7.5kg/16.5 pound and 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Shoulder press (arms are in goalpost) (25# DBs)
2. Upright row (15# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 & 2
4. Single arm Arnold press for 45 seconds (one 20# DB)
5. 15 second rest
6. Repeat #4 & 5 on other arm
7. Repeat #4-6
8. Bent over rear delt flys (9# DBs)
9. Lateral raise (straight arm side raise) (9# DBs)
10. Repeat #8 & 9
11. Alternating hammer raise (straight arm front raise, palms face each other) (10# DBs)
12. 90 degree lateral raise (bent arm side raise) (10# DBs)
13. Repeat #11 & 12
14. Single arm rear delt fly (palm faces behind you) (one 10# DB)
15. Repeat #14 on other arm
16. Repeat #14 & 15
17. Hammer curl (20# DBs)
18. Palms up bicep curl (20# DBs)
19. Repeat #17 & 18
20. Cross body curls (start with DBs at sides, curl DBs hammer style but keep palms facing body, bringing DBs together in front of you) (20# DBs)
21. Wide bicep curls (keep elbows close to sides) (16.5# DBs)
22. Repeat #20 & 21
23. Tricep push up
24. Skull crushers (14# DBs)
25. Repeat #23 & 24
26. Shoulder crushers (similar to a tricep press but rather than keeping DBs level, when you lower the DBs, angle them so one end of DBs tap shoulders) (12# DBs)
27. Tricep press (similar to chest press but palms face each other and arms/elbows remain close to sides) (22.5# DBs)
28. Repeat #26 & 27
29. Single arm tricep kickback (one 13# DBs)
30. Repeat #29 on other arm
31. Repeat #29 & 30
32. Alternating hammer curl (20# DBs)
33. Alternating palms up bicep curls (20# DBs)
34. Repeat #32 & 33
35. Diamond press (similar to a tricep press (#27 above) but DBs are pressed together) (20# DBs)
36. Cobra diamond push up (lay on mat with hands together under chest so that pointer fingers and thumbs form a diamond, in this position, do push ups cobra-style)
37. Repeat #35 & 36
38. Alternating wide bicep curl (16.5# DBs)
39. Alternating cross-body curl (16.5# DBs)
40. Repeat #38 & 39
41. Partial rear delt (palms away) (bent over rear delt flys, palms face behind you, only raise arms/DBs halfway) (8# DBs)
42. Partial lateral raises (only raise arms/DBs halfway) (8# DBs)
43. Repeat #41 & 42