CGX: Iron Program Day 42: Upper Body

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 thorough upper body strength workout. Caroline hits every upper body muscle group and, because the intervals are shorter than usual, you can challenge yourself to lift heavier. Which is a great thing! It’s week 9 in the Iron Program after all–this is a great place to test the strength gains you’ve made in the past 8 weeks. The end of this workout is really killer. After already working your biceps and triceps hard, the finisher really fries them. I had planned to do one of her short arm workouts as an add on after this but my biceps and triceps were so fatigued that I just added on a longer stretch instead. A core workout would be a good choice as an add on or doing her wonderful 10 Minute Back Builder first, right before starting this workout, to get some additional back work in is another idea.

This workout is done interval style. The interval times are always 45 seconds (except the finisher) and recovery times are usually 30 seconds but not always, 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 37:13 minutes (this time does not include the optional 6 minute warm up or the 2:22 minute intro, also optional) with a 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, a chair, a bench and a fitness mat. Push up bars and dip bars are option. Caroline is using 17.5kg/38.5 pound, 7.5kg/16.5 pound, and 5kg/11 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Seated Arnold press for 45 seconds (20# DBs)
2. 30 second rest
3. Repeat #1 & 2 two more times
4. Chest press for 45 seconds (barbell @ 72.5#)
5. 30 second rest
6. Repeat #4 & 5 two more times
7. Single arm rotational row for 45 seconds (bent over single arm row with one knee and one arm resting on bench, at bottom of row palm faces behind you, as you row rotate the DB so your palm faces in front of you at top of row) (one 42.5# DBS)
8. 15 second rest
9. Repeat #7 & 8 on other arm
10. Repeat #7-9
11. 30 second rest
12. Deficit push ups for 45 seconds (Caroline is using DBs to go deeper into push up)
13. 30 second rest
14. Repeat #12 & 13 two more times
15. Diagonal raise for 45 seconds (straight arm raise but with arms raising in front of you in a V) (10# DBs)
16. 30 second rest
17. Repeat #15 & 16 two more times
18. Single arm rear delt fly (palm behind) for 45 seconds (hinge forward with one knee and one arm on bench) (one 10# DB)
19. 15 second rest
20. Repeat #18 & 19 on other arm
21. Repeat #18-20
22. 30 second rest
23. Tricep dips for 45 seconds (on chair or bar; Caroline is using dip bars)
24. 15 second rest
25. Hammer curls for 60 seconds (20# DBs)
26. 30 second rest
27. Repeat #23-26 two more times

Finisher:

1. Cobra push ups for 30 seconds (hands on mat under shoulders, arms kept close to sides)
2. Repeat #1 at a slower pace
3. Repeat #1
4. 15 second rest
5. Palms up bicep curls for 30 seconds (16.5# DBs)
6. Curl halfway so elbows are bent at 90 degrees, hold DBs isometrically for 15 seconds (16.5# DBs)
7. Momentum lift for 30 seconds (palms up bicep curls, lift with power/momentum and lower slowly) (16.5# DBs)