CGX: Pre-Exhaust Back & Biceps

This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page. This workout has a different take on supersetting the back and biceps. Your back is the largest muscle group in your upper body and your biceps assist in all back exercises so they are working, too. By starting each superset with the biceps first, you are fatiguing (i.e., pre-exhausting) the assisting muscle group before even starting the back exercise, And because of this Caroline gives you some longer than usual recoveries which I appreciated. This workout was tough and my biceps definitely feel pumped afterward.

This workout is done interval style. Most of intervals are 45 seconds. The ones that aren’t are noted in the breakdown. The recovery times vary so all of the recoveries will be noted 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.

Pre-Exhaust Back & Biceps is 28:07 minutes (this time does not include the optional 6 minute warm up) with a 1:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, a bench or step and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 15kg/33 pound, 7.5kg/16.5 pound and 5kg/11 pound dumbbell. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Hammer curl (20# DBs)
2. 15 second rest
3. Hammer row (double arm bent over row, palms face each other and arms are kept close to sides) (30# DBs)
4. 45 second rest
5. Repeat #1-4
6. Sweep (hinge forward, palms face each other, arms are kept mostly straight and kept close to sides, sweep arms/DBs up behind you) (12# DBs)
7. 30 second rest
8. Pullover for 90 seconds (one 45#)
9. 30 second rest
10. Palms up bicep curl (20# DBs)
11. 15 second rest
12. Supine row (bent over row, palms face forward, keep arms/elbows close to sides) (30# DBs)
13. 45 second rest (screen says 15 seconds but it is actually 45 seconds)
14. Repeat #10
15. 15 second rest (screen says 45 seconds but it is actually 15 seconds)
16. Repeat #12
17. 45 second rest
18. Repeat #6
19. 30 second rest
20. Repeat #8
21. 30 second rest
22. Alternating rotational curl (arms start at sides hammer style, when you curl rotate DB so palm faces ceiling) (20# DBs)
23. 15 second rest
24. Alternating renegade row (30# DBs)
25. 45 second rest
26. Repeat #22-25
27. Repeat #6-9

Finisher: (60 seconds; no rest/recovery between exercises) (I used 20# DBs for the entire finisher)

1. Slow hammer curl for 15 seconds
2. Regular paced hammer curl for 15 seconds
3. Slow palms up curl for 15 seconds
4. Regular pace palms up curl for 15 seconds