CGX: P.E. Program Day 24: ‘End as we begin…bicep curls!’

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

This morning my triceps are still sore from Day 22, so this was fun! But Caroline doesn’t hit your triceps, at least not with any isolation exercises. This workout focuses on the biceps and the back. But those partial pullovers are not only killer but they work everything in the upper body–including the triceps. I had back up weights at the ready during this workout which I used for a few exercises. I am nearing the end of the “pre” exhaust part of this program (only one more pre-exhaust workout to go). When I return to the P.E. Program in a few weeks it will be all post-exhaust. I am not sorry to be done with the pre-exhaust half of this program. I feel that many of the workouts were grueling and it frequently looked like Caroline felt the same way. Looking forward to the post-exhaust half of the program!

This is a superset workout. You will do 2 exercises back to back before you get a 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 47:08 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 2:40 minute intro, also optional) with a 1:50 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, and 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. Wide to narrow curls for 30 seconds (hold one DB in each hand, palms facing out and arms open to sides, curl DB, at top of curl, move/rotate arms so they are in front of you and complete curl, lowering arms/DBs to front of thighs, reverse this motion) (16.5# DBs)
2. (no rest) Palms up curls for 30 seconds (traditional bicep curls) (16.5# DBs)
3. 30 second rest
4. Repeat #1-3
5. Lengthened partials pullover for 60 seconds (keep arms straighter than normal for pullover, lower DB to top of pull over but only lift partway) (one 30# DB)
6. (no rest) Full range pullover for 30 seconds (one 30# DB)
7. 30 second rest
8. Repeat #5-7
9. Repeat #1
10. (no rest) Wide curls for 30 seconds (keep arms open to sides, elbows are kept close to sides) (16.5# DBs)
11. 30 second rest
12. Repeat #9-11
13. Repeat #5 for 30 seconds
14. Repeat #6 for 60 seconds
15. 30 second rest
16. Repeat #13-15
17. Alternating hammer curls for 30 seconds (20# DBs)
18. (no rest) Double arm hammer curls for 30 seconds (20# DBs)
19. 30 second rest
20. Repeat #17-19
21. Rear delt row for 60 seconds (seated double arm row, torso is hinged forward over thighs, arms are open out to sides, row DBs leading with elbows and lifting until elbows are in line with shoulders) (12# DBs)
22. (no rest) Renegade rows for 60 seconds (alternate arms) (30# DBs)
23. 30 second rest
24. Repeat #21-23
25. Alternating rotational curls for 30 seconds (starts as a hammer curl, but rotate DBs so palms face upward at top of curl) (16.5# DBs)
26. (no rest) Double arm rotational curl for 30 seconds (16.5# DBs)
27. 30 second rest
28. Repeat #25-27
29. Partials rear delt row for 60 seconds (same as #21 but only raise the DBs partway) (10# DBs)
30. Repeat #22 (25# DBs)
31. 30 second rest
32. Repeat #29-31
33. x1 arm deadstop row for 60 seconds (single arm bent over row, one knee and same side arm rest on bench, do a single arm row, placing the DB on the floor at bottom of row, release it, then pick it up and do another row) (one 40# DB)
34. (no rest) Momentum row for 30 seconds (row DB up with force and lower slowly) (one 40# DB)
35. 30 second rest
36. Repeat #33-35 on other arm
37. Repeat #33-36 two more times

Finisher: (2:30 minutes, no rest/recoveries between exercises)

1. x1 dumbbell bottom half for 30 seconds (hold one DB in both hands, do bicep curls but only raise DB/arms halfway) (one 20# DB)
2. Top half for 30 seconds (raise DB to top of bicep curl but only lower halfway) (one 20# DB)
3. Full range bicep curl for 30 seconds (one 20# DB)
4. Repeat #1-3 w/ 2 DBs curling hammer style and only doing each exercise for 20 seconds instead of 30 seconds (15# DBs)