This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page.
This was a killer upper body workout. I had back up weights ready to go and I ended up using them. My triceps are fried! The title “dead arms” is appropriate. The stretch at the end starts with raising your arms overhead and mine did not want to cooperate!
This is a superset workout. You will do 2 exercises back to back, each for 60 seconds before you get a 30 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 46:20 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 4:24 minute intro, also optional) with a 1:20 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair w/ a back, and fitness mat. Caroline is using 15kg/33 pound, 10kg/22 pound, 7.5kg/16.5 pound, and 4kg/8.8 pound. The weights listed below are what I used.
- Frontal raise for 60 seconds (sit in chair, straight arm front raise w/palms facing each other, at top of raise arc DBs towards each other) (8# DBs)
- (no rest) Arnold press for 60 seconds (still seated) (20# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Rear delt fly for 60 seconds (still seated, torso hinged forward over thighs, palms face each other) (8# DBs)
- (no rest) Lateral raise for 60 seconds (still seated) (8# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #1-6 two more times
- Tricep press for 60 seconds (lay on back, same as a chest press except palms face each other and arms are kept close to sides) (20# DBs)
- (no rest) Chest press for 60 seconds (25# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Diagonal rear fly for 60 seconds (seated on chair or bench, torso hinged forward over thighs, w/ elbows slightly bent, raise arms/DBs up behind you while also opening arms away from sides) (8# DBs)
- (no rest) Diagonal raise for 60 seconds (standing, similar to a front raise but arms are wider and raise in a wide V) (8# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #8-13 two more times
- Chest flyes for 60 seconds (20# DBs)
- (no rest) Diamond press for 60 seconds (similar to tricep press (#8) except DBs are pressed together over chest) (20# DBs first set, 16.5# DBs second set)
- 30 second rest
- Lying overhead tricep extension for 60 seconds (hold one DB in both hands, lay on back and extend arms/DBs to ceiling, angle them back slightly, bend elbows lowering DB toward mat behind head) (one 20# DB)
- (no rest) Seated overhead tricep extension (French press holding one DB in both hands) (one 25# DB first set, one 20# DB second set)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #15-20
- Paused straight arm partials for 60 seconds (standing lateral raise, only lift arms/DBs partway, pause very briefly at top of partial lift) (8# DBs)
- (no rest) Full range lateral raise for 60 seconds (raise arms in a lateral raise, at top of raise continue raising arms, turning wrists so palms face forward bringing DBs together overhead, reverse this motion lowering DBs back to start) (8# DBs)
30 second rest
Finisher:
- Slow dips for 60 seconds (tricep dips off a chair)
- (no rest) Continue #2 but a normal tempo for 30 seconds
