CGX: Iron Program Day 7: Upper Body

This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page. Another excellent upper body strength workout. She burns you out immediately with the chest press/pullover combo–3 sets of it! I did not end up dropping to lighter dumbbells for that but I was definitely considering it! For me, this is the beginning of week 2 (I prefer to do upper body on Mondays so I shifted the workouts within each week around a little) and I can see she is shaking things up just a bit to keep it interesting and to keep your muscles guessing.

This workout is done interval style. The interval and recovery times are all different so they are noted below in the breakdown. 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.

Upper Body is 35:55 minutes (this time does not include the optional 6 minute warm up or the 1:21 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:20 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, a chair or bench and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 17.5kg/38.5 pounds, 10kg/22 pounds and 5kg/11 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Chest press for 60 seconds (alternate arms) (32.5# DBs)
2. 15 second rest
3. Pullover for 75 seconds (one 45# DB)
4. 30 second rest
5. Repeat #1-4 two more times
6. Single arm row for 60 seconds (one knee + non-working hand rests on bench) (one 50# DB)
7. 30 second rest
8. Repeat #6 & 7 on other arm
9. Repeat #6-8
10. 30 second rest
11. Hammer press 60 seconds (shoulder press, palms/DBs face each other)  (20# DBs)
12. 30 second rest
13. Repeat #11 & 12
14. Chest fly for 60 seconds (25# DBs)
15. 30 second rest
16. Repeat #13 & 14
17. Rear delt row for 60 seconds (one knee + non-working hand rest on bench, row DB keeping arm out to side so at top of row elbow is at 90 degrees) (one 20# DB)
18. (no rest) Repeat #17 on other arm
19. (no rest) Repeat #17 & 18
20. 30 second rest
21. Arc raise for 60 seconds (straight arm front raise w/ palms facing each other, at top of raise, curve/arc DBs toward each other so that bells almost tap) (8# DBs)
22. 30 second rest
23. Repeat #21 & 22
24. Single arm lateral raise for 30 seconds (8# DBs)
25. (no rest) repeat #24 on other arm
26. (no rest) Repeat #24 & 25

Finisher: (90 seconds; no rest/recoveries)

1. Deadstop push ups for 60 seconds (do a full push up but lower body to floor and raise hands off ground briefly before pushing back up to plank, keeping body straight from heels to head the entire time)
2. Tricep cobra push ups for 30 seconds (push ups done cobra style with hands under shoulders)