This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page.
This entire workout (not just the individual supersets) is “pre” exhaust. Caroline starts you out with 4 sets of a superset that will thoroughly fatigue your back and biceps. By the time you get to the more focused bicep and back isolation work, your muscles are already singing. This is a tough workout and like many of the P.E. Program workouts I’ve done so far, Caroline doesn’t always look like she is having fun. At least we know it’s not just us, right? She is struggling right along with us. And my triceps are still sore from Tuesday’s workout (Day 6), so I was very glad we left the triceps alone today.
This is a superset workout. You will do 2 exercises back to back, each for 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 at the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.
Upper Body is 46:13 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 3:23 minute intro, also optional) with a 1:40 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, and fitness mat. Caroline is using 15kg/33 pound, 10kg/22 pound, 7.5kg/16.5 pound, 5kg/11 pound and 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.
- Rear delt partials (palms behind) for 45 seconds (seated on bench or chair, torso hinged forward over thighs, only raise arms/DBs partway) (8# DBs)
- (no rest) Full range rear delt flys (palms behind) for 45 seconds (8# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Hammer curls for 45 seconds (20# DBs)
- (no rest) Bent over double arm row (hammer hand position) for 45 seconds (palms face each other/body) (30# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #1-6 three more times
- x1 arm rotational row for 45 seconds (single arm row, one hand and same side knee rest on bench, at bottom of row palm faces behind you, as you row DB, rotate wrist/DB so that palm faces in front of you at top of row) (one 40# DB first set, one 35# DB last 2 sets)
- (no rest) Supine row for 45 seconds (single arm row, same basic position as #8 but palm faces forward entire interval) (one 35# DB first set, one 30# DB last 2 sets)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #8-10 on other arm
- Repeat #8-11 two more times
- Alternating rotational curl for 45 seconds (starts with DBs at sides hammer style/palms facing legs, as you curl rotate wrist/DB so palm faces body at top of curl) (16.5# DBs)
- (no rest) Alternating palms up curl for 30 seconds (16.5# DBs)
- 45 second rest
- Repeat #13
- (no rest) Wide curls for 30 seconds (arms are open to sides, elbows kept close against side, palms face the ceiling) (16.5# DBs)
- 45 second rest
- Repeat #13
- (no rest) Alternating hammer curls for 45 seconds (16.5# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- x1 arm top half rep sweep for 45 seconds (one hand and same side knee rest on bench, hold one DB in other hand, keeping arm close to side, raise arm/DB w/ elbow slightly bent, only lower DB/arm partway) (one 10# DB)
- (no rest) Single arm sweep full range for 45 seconds (same as #21 but raise to top of lift and lower all the way) (one 10# DB)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #22-24 on other arm
- Repeat #22-25
Finisher:
- Double arm sweep for 45 seconds (sit on bench or chair, hold one DB in each hand, keeping arms close to sides, sweep arms up behind you w/ elbows slightly bent) (8# DBs)
- (no rest) Rear delt fly for 45 seconds (palms face behind you) (8# DBs)
