CGX: Iron Program Day 10: Back & Biceps

This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page. Caroline is definitely mixing things up now. Though this workout contains straight sets of 60/30 intervals, she immediately starts working your back hard with some longer intervals and shorter recoveries. The first 60% of the workout focuses on the back and the last 40% on the biceps. Though your biceps get less time than the back, Caroline makes up for it by burning the biceps out with cluster sets. Cluster sets are short intervals followed by a short rest–15 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of rest. You will do that for 6 solid minutes. And that’s not even the finisher! Another excellent upper body strength workout that works the back very well and fries the biceps.

This workout is done interval style. The interval and recovery times vary 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 thee workout time as a percentage.

Back & Biceps is 32:25 minutes (this time does not include the optional 6 minute warm up or the 4:24 minute intro, also optional) with a 1:25 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, a bench and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 30kg/66 pounds, 17.5kg/38.5 pounds, and 7.5kg/16.5 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Pullover for 75 seconds (one 45# DB)
2. 15 second rest
3. Landmine row for 60 seconds (one 60# DB)
4. 30 second rest
5. Repeat #1-4
6. Single arm supine row for 60 seconds (one knee and non-working hand rest on bench, palm of rowing hand faces forward) (one 40# DB)
7. 30 second rest
8. Repeat #6 & 7 on other arm
9. Repeat #6-8
10. Momentum row (one knee and non-working hand rest on bench, row DB up with power, lower slowly–arm is close to side and palm faces the body) (one 40# DB)
11. 30 second rest
12. Repeat #10 & 11 on other arm
13. Repeat #10-12
14. Palms up bicep curl for 60 seconds (20# DBs)
15. 30 second rest
16. Hammer curls for 60 seconds (20# DBs)
17. 30 second rest
18. Wide curl for 60 seconds (arms out to sides, keep triceps/elbows close to sides, palms up) (18# DBs)
19. 30 second rest
20. Palms up curl clusters for 15 seconds (20# DBs)
21. 15 second rest
22. Repeat #20 & 21 three more times
23. Hammer curl cluster for 15 seconds (20# DBs)
24. 15 second rest
25. Repeat #23 & 24 three more times
26. Wide curl clusters for 15 seconds (18# DBs)
27. 15 second rest
28. Repeat #26 & 27 three more times

Finisher: X1 dumbbell curl for 80 seconds (hold one DB in both hands and do a bicep curl) (one 20# DB)