This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page. This is a circuit workout using the PHA technique. PHA stands for Peripheral Heart Action. What this means in training terms is that you alternate between upper and lower body resistance exercises, allowing as little rest as possible between each movement. The lack of rest and recovery keeps your heart rate elevated for cardiovascular and fat burning benefits, while switching between upper and lower body exercises maximizes blood flow to all parts of the body and reduces build up of lactic acid. It also gives the muscle group you just worked a longer recovery time before you hit it again (i.e. upper body rests while lower body works). Caroline is giving you 20 seconds of recovery between exercises but this is less recovery time than she generally gives in the Iron Program. It worked for me! I got a great workout and burned more calories than usual (512 according to my Apple watch). Additionally, I spent a total of 5 minutes in my peak heart rate zone. This is an excellent metabolic total body strength workout.
This workout is done interval style. The interval times vary so they are noted below in the breakdown. The recovery is almost always 20 seconds except between the single arm back rows. 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.
Full Body is 39:07 minutes (this time does not include the optional 11:38 minute warm up or the 1:08 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, heel wedges, a chair or bench and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 15kg/33 pound and 12.5kg/27.5 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.
- Single arm row for 50 seconds (Caroline is resting one knee and non-working hand on chair) (one 50# DB)
- 10 second rest
- Repeat #1 on other arm
- 20 second rest
- Elevated high squat for 60 seconds (DBs are held at shoulders) (30# DBs)
- 20 second rest
- Shoulder press for 60 seconds (seated in a chair, arms are at goal post) (22.5# DBs)
- 20 second rest
- Deadstop lunge for 60 seconds (stationary/static lunge, knee rests on mat briefly at bottom of lunge) (25# DBs)
- 20 second rest
- Repeat #9 on other leg
- 20 second rest
- Deadstop push ups for 40 seconds (at bottom of push up entire body rests on floor, lift hands briefly before pushing back up to plank keeping body straight from head to heels)
- 20 second rest
- Rear step curtsy lunge for 60 seconds (hold DBs at shoulders, step back into cross-back/curtsy lunge) (25# DBs)
- 20 second rest
- Repeat #15 on other leg
- 20 second rest
- Repeat #1-17
- Momentum row for 50 seconds (row DB up with power, lower slowly) (one 50# DB)
- 10 second rest
- Repeat #20 on other arm
- 20 second rest
- Constant tension squats for 60 seconds (1.5 rep squats, lower to bottom of squat, raise halfway, lower to bottom of squat then raise all the way) (30# DBs)
- 20 second rest
- Repeat #7
- 20 second rest
- Regular static/stationary lunges for 60 seconds (30# DBs)
- 20 second rest
- Repeat #28 on other leg
- 20 second rest
- Regular push ups for 40 seconds
- 20 second rest
- Repeat #15-18 w/ one DB held at shoulder of working leg (one 30# DB)
Finisher: (2 minutes; no rest/recovery between exercises)
- X1 Dumbbell squat 30 seconds (hold one DB in both hands at chest) (one 30# DB)
- Repeat #1 w/ heels elevated on wedges
- Paused bodyweight only 30 seconds (heels still elevated on wedges, hold isometrically for a few seconds at bottom of squat)
- Paused regular squats for 30 seconds (still body weight, no wedges)
One thought on “CGX: Iron Program Day 24: Full Body”