CGX: P.E. Program Day 6: ‘Pec, Delt & Tricep Pump Guaranteed’ Upper Body

This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page.

Caroline gives us another tough upper body workout in the P.E. Program. This one fries your chest, shoulders and triceps. I had back up weights for nearly every exercise and I used them for most exercises. I was so glad for the longer recoveries. When we did the first superset of the diamond press/neutral grip chest press, I was hoping by the end of the superset for a longer rest and thankfully she gave us one because that superset is a burner. I considered dropping to lighter weights on that one but didn’t, mostly due to the longer rests. As usual in this program, Caroline was struggling, too.

This is a superset workout. You will do 2 exercises back to back, each for 60 or 45 seconds before you get a 30 or 45 second recovery. 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 superset. There is also a bar along the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

Upper Body is 46:17 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 4:14 minute intro, also optional) with a 1:20 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, and fitness mat. Optional is push up bars. Caroline is using 15kg/33 pound, 10kg/22 pound, 7.5kg/16.5 pound, and 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Push ups for 45 seconds (Caroline is using push up bars, I used DBs)
2. (no rest) Deadstop chest press for 60 seconds (done on the floor, at bottom of chest press the back of the arms rest on the floor) (30# DBs first set, 25# DBs last 2 sets)
3. 45 second rest
4. Repeat #1-3 two more times
5. Rear delt row for 60 seconds (sit in chair, torso is hinged forward over thighs, row arms/DBs leading with bent elbows, palms face behind you, arms out to sides) (15# DBs first set, 12# DBs last 2 sets)
6. (no rest) Arnold press for 60 seconds (sitting in chair) (20# DBs)
7. 30 second rest
8. Repeat #5-7 two more times
9. Slow eccentric diamond press for 45 seconds (lay on back, hold a DB in each hand, pressed together over chest, push DBs to ceiling and lower slowly) (20# DBs)
10. (no rest) Neutral grip chest press for 60 seconds (arms/DBs extended to ceiling with palms facing each other, open arms out to sides as if doing a chest fly, but bend  elbows so arms lower chest press style) (20# DBs)
11. 45 second rest
12. Repeat #9-11 two more times
13. Lateral raise for 45 seconds (8# DBs)
14. (no rest) 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)
15. 45 second rest
16. Repeat #13-15 two more times
17. Overhead tricep extension for 45 seconds (seated French press) (one 30# DB first 2 sets, one 25# DB last set)
18. (no rest) Tricep dips for 60 seconds
19. 45 second rest
20. Repeat #17-19 two more times
21. Lying overhead tricep extension for 60 seconds (hold one DB in both hands, similar to a skull crusher but arms are extended back further and you lower DB behind head)  (one 20# DB first 2 sets, one 16.5# DB last set)
22. (no rest) Skull crusher for 45 seconds (holding one DB in both hands) (one 20# DB first 2 sets, one 16.5# DB last set)
23. 45 second rest
24. Repeat #21 & 22

30 second rest

Finisher:

1. Partial lateral raise for 60 seconds (only lift arms/DBs partway) (8# DBs)
2. (no rest) Momentum lateral raise for 30 seconds (full range lateral raise but lift w/ power) (8# DBs)