CGX: Cluster Series Day 6: Upper Body

This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page. Back to the cluster sets this week! This workout fried my upper body. I had back up weights set out and ready for me. I eyed them a few times but I ended up sticking with my planned weights. Until the finisher, that is! I dropped to a lighter weight for that. I am imagining lots of DOMS tomorrow but we shall see! Even the stretch felt like too much for my poor fatigued arms!

This workout is done interval style. Since it is made up of both straight sets and cluster sets, 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. There is also a progress bar at the bottom of the screen, counting down thee workout time as a percentage.

Upper Body is 43:15 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 3:21 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:25 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, a bench or chair, dip bars and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 15kg/33 pounds, 7.5kg/16.5 pound and 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Alternating chest press for 60 seconds (30# DBs)
2. 10 second rest
3. Deadstop push ups for 15 seconds (at bottom of push up entire body rests on floor, lift hands briefly before pushing back up to plank)
4. Repeat 2 & 3 three more times
5. 30 seconds
6. Supine row for 60 seconds (bent over double arm row with palms facing forward) (30# DBs)
7. 10 second rest
8. Landmine row for 15 seconds (hinge forward with back flat, hold one heavy DB by bell with both hands, row DB to chest) (one 50# DB)
9. Repeat #7 & 8 three more times
10. Tricep dips for 60 seconds (on chair or dip bars) (Caroline is using dip bars, I also used dip bars)
11. 10 second rest
12. Tricep dips off chair for 15 seconds (Caroline us doing them off her bench, I used a chair)
13. Repeat #11 & 12 three more times
14. 30 second rest
15. Upright rows for 60 seconds (15# DBs)
16. 10 second rest
17. Repeat #15 for 15 seconds
18. Repeat #16 & 17 three more times
19. 30 second rest
20. Overhead extension for 60 seconds (hold one DB in both hands, done the same as a skull crusher except bring DB back further so it almost taps the floor just behind the head) (one 25# DB)
21. 10 second rest
22. Skull crusher for 15 seconds (holding one DB in both hands) (one 25# DB)
23. Repeat #21 & 22 three more times
24. 30 second rest
25. Around the world for 60 seconds (with palms facing forward and hands in front of thighs, keeping arms straight, raise DBs out to sides then overhead, lower DBs out to sides and back in front of thighs) (8# DBs)
26. 10 second rest
27. Straight arm partials (lateral raises, only lift arms/DBs halfway) (8# DBs)
28. Repeat #26 & 27 three more times
29. 30 second rest
30. Repeat #1-29

Finisher: (2 minutes; each exercise is done for 30 seconds w/ no rest/recovery)

1. Overhead tricep extension (hold one DB in both hands, done the same as a skull crusher except bring DB back further so it almost taps the floor just behind the head) (one 20# DB)
2. Skull crusher (holding one DB in both hands) (one 20# DB)
3. Repeat #1 & 2