CGX: P.E. Program Day 22: ‘To lift the arms for cool down…a struggle!’ (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 was a tough upper body workout that focuses on the chest, the triceps and the shoulders. I had back up weights at the ready but I didn’t actually use them till the end of the workout. My triceps were so fried by the end that every time the French press was repeated I had to drop to a lighter weight and it was still frying my triceps! I was grateful for some of the longer rests Caroline gives us in this workout. That was probably what kept me from dropping to lighter weights earlier.

This is a superset workout. You will do 2 exercises back to back, each for 60, 45 or 30 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 47:39 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 3:53 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:15 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, push up bars and a fitness mat. 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. Diamond press for 60 seconds (lay on mat w/ a DB in each hand pressed together over chest, keeping arms close to sides push DBs to ceiling) (20# DBs)
2. (no rest) Chest press for 45 seconds (27.5# DBs)
3. 30 second rest
4. Partial lateral raises for 60 seconds (only lift DBs/arms partway) (8# DBs)
5. (no rest) Full range lateral raise for 30 seconds (8# DBs)
6. 45 second rest
7. Repeat #1-6 three more times
8. Upright row for 45 seconds (15# DBs)
9. (no rest) Arnold press for 60 seconds (done seated in a chair) (20# DBs)
10. 30 second rest
11. Frontal raise for 60 seconds (holding one DB in both hands do a straight arm front raise) (one 18# DB)
12. (no rest) Push ups for 30 seconds (Caroline is using push up bars, I used DBs)
13. 45 second rest
14. Repeat #8 for 60 seconds
15. Repeat #9 for 45 seconds
16. Repeat #10-13
17. Repeat #14-16
18. Overhead tricep extension for 60 seconds (seated French press) (one 27.5# DB first set, one 25# DB second set, one 22.5# DB 3rd set)
19. (no rest) Tricep push ups for 30 seconds (Caroline is using push up bars, I used DBs)
20. 45 second rest
21. Repeat #18-20
22. Repeat #18
23. (no rest) Cobra push ups for 45 seconds (lay on mat, hands on mat under shoulders, keeping legs and hips on mat, do push ups cobra-style)

30 second rest

Finisher:

1. Diamond press for 45 seconds (lay on mat w/ a DB in each hand pressed together over chest, keeping arms close to sides push DBs to ceiling) (18# DBs)
2. (no rest) Tricep press for 45 seconds (similar to a chest press except palms face each other and arms are kept close to sides) (18# DBs)