CGX: Cluster Series Day 10: Full Body including Abs

This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page. This is the final workout in the Cluster Series and a great way to end it. In this workout you alternate lower body exercises with upper body exercises. The way the cluster sets are structured is also different for upper and lower body. And the core work! I guess you are also getting cluster sets with the abs, but it is no rest cluster sets. Caroline works your entire body using compound moves. This means single muscle groups are not isolated and the focus is on large muscle groups. When you work the large muscle groups the smaller ones naturally assist and therefore everything gets worked.

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 the workout time as a percentage.

Full Body including Abs is 44:04 minutes (this time does not include the optional 4:41 minute warm up or the 3:22 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, yoga block, heel wedges and a fitness mat. Caroline uses 15kg/33 pound and 10kg/22 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Heel elevated squats for 75 seconds (heels are on heel wedges, DBs are at shoulders) (30# DBs)
2. (no rest) Repeat #1 w/out DBs for 15 seconds (bodyweight, hold briefly at bottom of squat)
3. 5 second rest
4. Repeat 2 & 3 three more times
5. 30 second rest
6. Chest press for 75 seconds (barbell @ 75#)
7. 10 second rest
8. Tricep push up for 20 seconds
9. Repeat #7 & 8 three more times
10. 30 second rest
11. Rear step lunge for 75 seconds (reverse step back lunge) (22.5# DBs)
12. (no rest) Repeat #11 w/out DBs (body weight, front foot is elevated on yoga block)
13. 5 second rest
14. Repeat #12 & 13 three more times
15. 30 second rest
16. Repeat #11-15 on other leg
17. Pullover for 90 seconds (one 40# DB)
18. 10 second rest
19. Repeat #17 for 20 seconds (Caroline swaps out for a lighter DB) (one 30# DB)
20. Repeat #18 & 19 three more times
21. 30 second rest
22. Reverse crunch for 60 seconds (lay on mat with hands behind head, lower straight legs until they are a few inches off mat, raise legs and lift hips into a reverse crunch, pushing feet past head)
23. (no rest) Toe reach for 20 seconds (still on back, both legs extended straight to ceiling, crunch upper body while reaching hands to toes)
24. (no rest) Repeat #22 for 20 seconds
25. (no rest) Repeat #23
26. (no rest) Repeat #24 & 25
27. (no rest) Repeat #22
28. 30 second rest
29. Repeat #1-27
30. (no rest) Repeat #22 for 30 seconds