CGX: Iron Program Day 47: 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 a a great workout to open the last week of the Iron program with. It is a solid upper body strength training workout that works the muscles to fatigue. It is short but it is thorough.

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 side of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recovery Caroline previews the next exercise. There is also a little bar at the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

Upper Body is 35:21 minutes (this time does not include the optional 6 minute warm up or the 3:15 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:15 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair and a fitness mat. Optional is push up bars. Caroline is using 30kg/66 pound, 15kg/33 pounds, 10kg/22 pounds, 7.5kg/16.5 pounds, and 5kg/11 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Single arm chest press for 15 seconds (lay on back w/ a DB in each hand, DBs extended to ceiling, do chest press w/ one arm/DB) (30# DBs)
2. (no rest) Repeat #1 on other arm
3. (no rest) Repeat #1 & 2
4. 30 second rest
5. Bent over row for 60 seconds (landmine row–hinge forward w/ back flat, hold one heavy DB by bar in both hands, row DB to chest) (one 65# DB)
6. 30 second rest
7. Repeat #1-6 two more times
8. Seated Arnold press for 60 seconds (20# DBs)
9. 15 second rest
10. Pullover for 75 seconds (one 45# DB)
11. 30 second rest
12. Repeat #8-11 two more times
13. Upright row for 60 seconds (15# DBs)
14. 30 second rest
15. Uneven push ups for 30 seconds (one hand holds a DB and one is on the floor)
16. (no rest) Repeat #19 holding DB in other hand
17. 30 second rest
18. Repeat #13-17
19. Rear delt flys for 60 seconds (seated in chair, torso is hinged forward over thighs, palms face behind you) (8# DBs)
20. 30 second rest
21. Lateral raises for 60 seconds (standing) (8# DBs)
22. 30 second rest
23. Repeat #19-22 (9# DBs)

Finisher: (2 minutes; no rest/recovery between exercises)

1. Partial rear delts for 30 seconds (seated in chair, torso is hinged forward over thighs, palms face behind you, lift DBs only halfway into a fly) (8# DBs)
2. Partial laterals for 30 seconds (still seated, raise DBs halfway) (8# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 & 2