This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page. Oh my goodness this was a burner. Caroline supersets a chest exercise with a back exercise and you repeat that superset 3 times. There are only 3 supersets in this workout and one of them is the finisher, but that is plenty. The second superset was the real killer. I normally use heavier dumbbells for both of those exercises but after previewing this workout I knew to use lighter weights and even that fried my muscles. The intervals are longer in the second superset. In fact, the second time you do that superset you do pullovers for 2 solid minutes! So even though the focus of this workout is your back and your chest, your entire upper body is worked. In fact, the second superset was burning out my shoulders and arms as well as my chest and back! I paired this with Day 23 Lower Body and between the two I got a great full body workout.
This is a superset workout done interval style. You will do 2 exercises back to back with no rest/recovery between them. The interval times for the exercises vary; however the recovery after each superset will always be 30 seconds. There is a timer in the upper right hand side of the screen, counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recoveries Caroline previews the next superset. There is also a little bar at the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage. There are plenty of visual cues as well as “dings” to keep you on track during a superset.
Chest & Back Supersets is 23:36 minutes (this time does not include the optional 6 minute warm up or the 2:15 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:05 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and a fitness mat. Optional is push up bars. Caroline is using 15kg/33 pound and 10kg/22 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.
- Chest press for 60 seconds (73# barbell)
- Renegade rows (alternate arms) for 60 seconds (30# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #1-3 two more times
- Pullover for 90 seconds (one 40# DB)
- Chest fly for 90 seconds (20# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #5 for 120 seconds
- Repeat #6 & 7
- Repeat #5-7
Finisher: (2 minutes; no rest/recoveries between exercises)
- Landmine row for 30 seconds (hold one DB by bar with both hands, hinge forward with flat back and row DB to chest) (one 65# DB)
- Push ups for 30 seconds (arms wide and Caroline is elevated by holding push up bars)
- Repeat #1 & 2
