This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page. This was a tough workout! Though all of the upper body muscle groups are worked in some fashion in this workout (isolation or an assisting muscle group), my shoulders and the triceps are what really got burned out. She starts you out with straight sets then trisets and ends with giant sets. I was thankful for the 45 second recoveries she did give us but I would have appreciated them consistently! After 75 seconds of pull overs and that brutal chest and triceps triset, a 45 second recovery would have been welcome! But no, she only gave us 30 seconds for those. My upper body, especially my shoulders and triceps, were so burned out by the end of this workout that even the stretches at the end felt like work!
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 corner of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recoveries Caroline previews the next exercise(s). There is also a progress bar at the bottom of the screen, counting down the workout time as a percentage.
Upper Body is 42:53 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 3:21 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:05 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, a bench and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 17.5kg/38.5 pound, 10kg/22 pound, 7.5kg/16.5 pound and 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.
- Chest press for 60 seconds (barbell @ 73#)
- 45 second rest
- Repeat #1 & 2 two more times
- Pullover for 75 seconds (one 45# DB)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #4 & 5 two more times
- Upright row for 60 seconds (15# DBs)
- (no rest) Arnold press for 60 seconds (20# DBs)
- (no rest) Upright row for 45 seconds (15# DBs)
- 45 second rest
- Repeat #7-10 two more times
- Chest flys for 90 seconds (22.5# DBs)
- (no rest) Tricep push ups for 45 seconds (like a traditional push up but hands are under shoulders and arms/elbows are kept close to sides)
- (no rest) Cobra push ups for 45 seconds (lower body remains on floor, hands are under shoulders, push ups done cobra-style)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #12-15 two more times
- Rear fly (palms behind) for 60 seconds (seated rear dealt flys, torso is hinged forward over thighs, palms face behind you) (8# DBs)
- (no rest) Partials for 30 seconds (same as #17 but only lift arms/DBs halfway) (8# DBs)
- (no rest) Lateral raise for 60 seconds (standing) (8# DBs)
- (no rest) Partials for 30 seconds (same as #19 but only lift arms/DBs halfway) (8# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #17-21
Finisher: Momentum lateral raise for 60 seconds (raise w/ force/power) (8# DBs)
