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 thorough upper body strength workout. The only muscle group that isn’t isolated in some fashion is the biceps but they are worked as an assisting muscle group in many the back and chest exercises. Some of the exercises were a little awkward for me this morning. My right CMC joint has been acting up so I am wearing a thumb stabilizing brace. But it protected my CMC joint so it was worth it.
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 42:57 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 3:37 minute intro, also optional) with a 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, a chair or bench and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 15kg/33 pound, 10kg/22 pound and 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.
- Deadstop chest press for 60 seconds (lay on back on floor, at bottom of press the back of the arms/triceps rest on the floor briefly before pushing DBs back to ceiling) (30# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Arc emphasized x1 arm row for 60 seconds (single arm row, one knee and same side arm on bench, at bottom of row bring DB more forward in front of you) (one 40# DB)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #3 & 4 on other arm
- Repeat #1-5 two more times
- Pullover for 60 seconds (one 40# DB)
- (no rest) Diamond press for 60 seconds (hold one DB by bar with both hands over chest, push DB to ceiling keeping arms close to sides) (one 40# DB)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat 7-9 two more times
- Chest fly for 60 seconds (25# DBs)
- (no rest) Skull crusher for 60 seconds (holding one DB in both hands) (one 253 DB)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #11-13 two more times (20# DBs for both exercises)
- Sweep for 60 seconds (hinge forward and “sweep” arms up behind you, elbows slightly bent, arms kept close to side) (10# DBs)
- (no rest) Push ups for 30 seconds
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #15-17 two more times
- Paused lateral raise for 60 seconds (pause briefly at top of lift) (8# DBs)
- (no rest) Tricep dips for 30 seconds
- 30 second rest
- Paused momentum lateral raise for 60 seconds (same as #19 but lift DBs with power) (8# DBs)
- (no rest) Tricep dips for 30 seconds
- 30 second rest
Finisher: (90 seconds; each exercise is done for 30 seconds with no rest/recovery between exercises)
- Tricep push up
- Deadstop tricep push ups (start in plank with hands under shoulders and arms kept close to body, lower body to mat, lift hands briefly then push back up to narrow arm plank)
- Diamond cobra push ups (hands are together under chest with thumb and pointer finger forming a diamond, push up cobra style lifting torso and keeping hips on mat)
