CGX: Iron Program Day 20: Bi & Unilateral Shoulders

This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page. Caroline works all areas of your shoulders in this workout and it gets tough. There is a labeling mistake in this workout. #22 below, the screen says to do partial rear delt flys but in both the preview and when Caroline does the exercise, she is doing full range. Then a few exercises later you actually do partials. So pay attention to what Caroline is actually doing or you will do some extra partials! And partials are burners!

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 thee workout time as a percentage.

Bi & Unilateral Shoulders is 33:35 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:52 minute warm up or the 3:02 minute intro, also optional) with a 1:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, a chair or bench and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 10kg/22 pound dumbbell, 7.5kg/16.5 pound dumbbells, and 5kg/11 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Upright row for 60 seconds (15# DBs)
2. 30 second rest
3. Repeat #1 & 2
4. Single arm shoulder press for 60 seconds (in kneeling lunge, working arm held to side in cactus/half goal post) (one 25# DB)
5. 10 second rest
6. Repeat #4 on other arm
7. 20 second rest
8. Repeat #4-7 (one 22.5# DB)
9. Single arm rear delt fly for 60 seconds (hinged forward with one knee and one hand on bench) (one 10# DB)
10. 10 second rest
11. Repeat #9 on other arm
12. 20 second rest
13. Repeat #9-12
14. Lateral raises for 60 seconds (8# DBs)
15. 30 second rest
16. Repeat #14 & 15
17. Single arm Arnold press for 60 seconds (in kneeling lunge) (one 20# DB)
18. 10 second rest
19. Repeat #17 on other arm
20. 20 second rest
21. Repeat #17-20
22. Rear delt fly (it says “partials”on the screen but she is doing full range) (single arm, hinged forward with one knee and one hand on bench, palm faces behind you) (one 10# DB)
23. 10 second rest
24. Repeat #22 on other arm
25. 20 second rest
26. Lateral partials for 60 seconds (standing double arm side raise, only raise arms/DBs halfway) (8# DBs)
27. 10 second rest
28. Repeat #26
29. 20 second rest
30. Rear delt partials for 60 seconds (same position as #22 but only lift DB/arm halfway) (one 10# DB)
31. 10 second rest
32. Repeat #30 on other arm
33. 40 second rest

Finisher:(2:30 minutes) (I used 8# DBs for everything)

1. Frontal to lateral raise for 60 seconds (do a straight arm front raise, at top of raise open arms to sides then lower arms/DBs to sides, raise arms/DBs to sides, at top of raise bring DBs in front of you then lower DBs to thighs)
2. 10 second rest
3. Lateral raise for 20 seconds (done at a quick pace)
4. 10 second rest
5. Frontal raise for 20 seconds (done at quick pace)
6. 10 seconds
7. Frontal then lateral raise for 20 seconds (alternate front raise with lateral raise)