CGX: Intent Program Day 12: Big Shoulder Pump Upper Body

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

This is another workout made up of a long circuit that is repeated 3 times, similar to Day 11 lower body workout. You are even doing some post exhaust supersets. Most of the exercises are high rep/endurance exercises. Caroline definitely fries your upper body in this workout. And the finisher! A major shoulder burner. She hits everything in this workout except the chest but that’s okay because Day 14’s upper body workout worked the chest nicely.

This workout is done interval style. 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.

Big Shoulder Pump Upper Body is 47:49 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 4:11 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:10 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, a chair or bench and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 15kg/33 pound, 7.5kg/16.5 pound and 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Upright row for 75 seconds (15# DBs)
2. 30 second rest
3. Momentum row for 60 seconds (one knee and non-working hand rest on bench, row DB up with power/force, lower slowly) (one 45# DB first set, one 40# DB last 2 sets)
4. 15 second rest
5. Repeat #2 on other arm
6. 30 second rest
7. Cross body alt frontal raise for 75 seconds (alternating single arm straight arm front raise, when doing front raise lift DB on a diagonal toward opposite shoulder) (10# DBs)
8. 30 second rest
9. x1 arm rear delt fly (palm facing in) for 45 seconds (one knee and non-working hand rest on bench, do single arm rear delt fly) (one 10# DB)
10. (no rest) Partials (same as #8 but only lift DB halfway) (one 10# DB)
11. 15 second rest
12. Repeat #8 & 9 on other arm
13. 30 second rest
14. Palms up bicep curl for 45 seconds (20# DBs)
15. (no rest) Hammer curls for 30 seconds (20# DBs)
16. 30 second rest
17. Skullcrushers with 2 DBs for 60 seconds (15# DBs)
18. (no rest) Skull crushers holding one DB in both hands for 45 seconds (one 15# DB)
19. 30 second rest
20. Repeat #1-6
21. Pronated frontal raise for 75 seconds (double arm straight arm front raise with palms facing floor) (10# DBs)
22. 30 second rest
23. Repeat #9-22
24. Repeat #1-6
25. Supine frontal raise for 75 seconds (straight arm front raise w/ palms facing ceiling) (10# DBs)
26. 30 second rest
27. Repeat #9-22

Finisher: (4 minutes)

1. Lateral raise, 10 reps (8# DBs)
2. Frontal raise, 10 reps (double arm straight arm front raise, palms facing floor) (8# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible in 4 minutes