CGX: P.E. Program Day 26: ‘The pump will be pretty insane…’ (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. And, for me at least, another no-fun workout. Caroline did not appear to be having fun during this workout either. She looked like she was struggling at times, too. So was I! You work your chest, triceps and shoulders in this workout.

This is a superset workout. You will do 2 exercises back to back, each for 60 or 30 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 along the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

Upper Body is 45:20 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 3:22 minute intro, also optional) with a 2 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. Neutral chest press for 60 seconds (arms/DBs extended to ceiling with palms facing each other, open arms out to sides as if doing a chest fly, but bend elbows so arms lower chest press style) (25# DBs)
2. (no rest) Chest fly for 60 seconds (20# DB)
3. 30 second rest
4. Momentum lateral raise (raise DBs with force/power and lower w/ control) (8# DBs)
5. (no rest) Paused partials for 30 seconds (lateral raise but only raise DBs/arms halfway and pause briefly at top of lift) (8# DBs)
6. 30 second rest
7. Repeat #1-6 three more times
8. Close hammer press for 60 seconds (seated in a high back chair with a DB in each hand, press DBs together in front of chest, keeping them pressed together do an overhead press) (16.5# DBs)
9. (no rest) Hammer frontal raise for 60 seconds (standing, do a straight arm front raise w/ palms facing each other) (10# DBs)
10. 30 second rest
11. Rear delt fly (palms behind) for 60 seconds (seated in chair w/ torso hinged forward over thighs) (8# DBs)
12. (no rest) Paused partials for 30 seconds (same position as #11 but only lift DBs/arms partway and pause briefly at top of lift) (8# DBs)
13. 30 second rest
14. Hammer press for 60 seconds (seated in a high back chair with a DB in each hand, do an overhead shoulder press with palms facing each other/framing face at bottom of press) (18# DBs)
15. (no rest) Pronated grip raise for 60 seconds (standing, do a straight arm front raise w/ palms facing floor) (10# DBs)
16. 30 second rest
17. Repeat #11-13
18. Arnold press for 60 seconds (seated in high back chair) (18# DBs)
19. (no rest) Arc raise for 60 seconds (standing, do a straight arm front raise w/palms facing each other, at top of raise arc ends of DBs towards each other) (8# DBs)
20. 30 second rest
21. Repeat #11-13
22. Tricep push ups for 60 seconds
23. (no rest) Cobra push ups for 60 seconds (lay on mat, hands on mat under shoulders, keeping thighs on mat, do push ups cobra-style)
24. 30 second rest
25. Diamond press for 60 seconds (similar to a chest press but press DBs together over chest and keep arms close to sides) (20# DBs)
26. (no rest) Continue diamond press but holding one DB in both hands for 30 seconds (one 20# DB)
27. 30 second rest
28. Repeat #22-27

Finisher:

1. Supine grip front raise for 60 seconds (stand w/ a DB in each hand, palms facing forward, do a straight arm front raise, keep palms facing upward and bring ends of DBs together in front of chest at top of raise) (8# DBs)
2. (no rest) Straight arm front raise holding one DB in both hands, palms are still facing upward under DB bells for 30 seconds (one 10# DB)