CGX: Cluster Series Day 2: Chest, Triceps & Shoulders

This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page. Wow. I knew this was going to be a tough workout but Caroline fried my upper body! I had back up weights sitting close-by, but I powered through. The second time through the circuit my muscles were burning by the end of each cluster set. But I got a great upper body workout. The format is one exercise done for 75 seconds then once you finish that you get a short break then immediately go into cluster sets to burn out the same muscle group you just worked with the straight set but using a different exercise. There are 10 workouts in this series and I will be doing all of them over the next few weeks. I am a little nervous!

This workout is done interval style. Since it is made up of both straight sets and cluster sets, the interval and recovery times vary and 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.

Chest, Triceps & Shoulders is 43:34 minutes; (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 2:44 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:25 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells/barbell, chair/bench and mat. Optional: push up bars. 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.

1. Chest press for 75 seconds (barbell @ 75#)
2. 10 second rest
3. Push ups for 15 seconds (Caroline is using push up bars, I used DBs)
4. Repeat #2 & 3 three more times
5. 30 second rest
6. Rear delt flyes (palms behind) for 75 seconds (sit on chair or bench, torso hinged forward over thighs, do rear delt flys with palms facing behind you) (9# DBs)
7. 10 second rest
8. Partials for 15 seconds (same style of rear delt flys as #6 but only lift arms/DBs halfway) (9# DBs)
9. Repeat #7 & 8 three more times
10. 30 second rest
11. Chest flys for 75 seconds (25# DBs)
12. 10 second rest
13. Diamond press for 15 seconds (similar to a chest press but DBs are pressed together over chest, arms are kept close to sides) (20# DBs)
14. Repeat #12 & 13 three more times
15. 30 second rest
16. Lateral raises for 75 seconds (9# DBs)
17. 10 second rest
18. Partial lateral raises for 15 seconds (only lift arms/DBs halfway) (9# DBs)
19. Repeat #17 & 18 three more times
20. 30 second raise
21. Full range frontal raise for 75 seconds (hold one DB in both hands, raise DB from thighs to overhead) (one 20# DB)
22. 10 second rest
23. To parallel raise for 15 seconds (same as #21 but only raise DB from thighs to shoulder level) (one 20# DB)
24. Repeat #22 & 23 three more times
25. 30 second rest
26. Diamond cobra push ups for 75 seconds (lay on mat, hands are under chest with pointer fingers and thumbs together forming a diamond, push up cobra style keeping hips and legs on mat and arms close to sides)
27. 10 second raise
28. Tricep cobra push ups for 15 seconds (same as #26 except hands on mat under shoulders, arms arm kept close to sides)
29. Repeat #27 & 28 three more times
30. 30 second rest
31. Repeat #1-29