CGX: P.E. Program Day 30: ‘Post fatigue is correct’ (Upper Body)

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

This was another tough upper body strength workout and it concludes the first week of the Post-Exhaust workouts. I am not finding the “post” exhaust workouts easier than the “pre” exhaust workouts! I do like them more because I have the opportunity to lift heavier but it still really fatigues the muscles and for this one I did have to drop to lighter weights on one of the exercises. I had back ups at the ready because I expected to drop to lighter weights on more of the exercises than just one.

The structure of this workout is interesting and really set up, IMHO, to fatigue the muscles. You have 4 supersets grouped into 2 circuits (2 supersets per circuit). Each circuit is done 4 times. After doing the superset twice, one of the exercises in each superset changes for the last 2 repeats.

This superset workout is set up interval style. 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 along the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage. There are beeps and visual prompts to cue you when the exercises change during a superset, however they are messed up on one of the exercises. As noted above, after you repeat a superset circuit twice, one of the exercises in each superset changes but when the tricep push ups (#19 below) change to a diamond press (#26 below), the words on the screen continue to say you are doing a tricep push up. But both the preview and Caroline during the actual interval are doing a diamond press. It was a little disorienting for me the first time it happened.

Upper Body is 45 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 3:19 minute intro, also optional) with a 1:40 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, and fitness mat. Optional is push up bars. 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. Shoulder press for 60 seconds (seated in high back chair, arms are in goal post at bottom of press) (20# DBs first 2 sets, 18# DBs last 2 sets)
2. (no rest) Lateral raise for 60 seconds (still seated) (8# DBs)
3. 30 second rest
4. Chest press for 60 seconds (30# DBs)
5. (no rest) Push ups for 60 seconds (Caroline is using push up bars, I used DBs)
6. 30 second rest
7. Repeat #1-6
8. Repeat #1
9. (no rest) Partial lateral raise for 60 seconds (same as #2 but only lift arms/DBs partway) (8# DBs)
10. 30 second rest
11. Repeat #4
12. (no rest) Cobra push up for 60 seconds (lay on mat, hands on mat under shoulders, keeping legs on mat, do push ups cobra-style)
13. 30 second rest
14. Repeat #8-13
15. Upright row for 60 seconds (15# DBs)
16. (no rest) Rear delt fly (palms facing in) for 60 seconds (seated on chair or bench, torso hinged forward over thighs) (8# DBs)
17. 30 second rest
18. Tricep press for 60 seconds (similar to a chest press, but palms face each other and arms/elbows are kept close to sides the entire time) (20# DBs)
19. (no rest) Tricep push up for 60 seconds
20. 30 second rest
21. Repeat #15-20
22. Repeat #15
23. (no rest) Partial rear delt flys for 60 seconds (same as #16 but only lift DBs/arms partway)
24. 30 second rest
25. Repeat #18
26. (no rest) x1 dumbbell diamond press for 60 seconds (same as tricep press but hold one DB by bar w/ both hands over chest) (one 20# DB)
27. 30 second rest
28. Repeat #22-27

Finisher: (8# DBs)

1. Around the world for 60 seconds (with palms facing forward and hands in front of thighs, keeping arms straight, raise DBs out to sides then overhead, lower DBs out to sides and back in front of thighs)
2. (no rest) Diagonal raise for 60 seconds (straight arm front raise but arms lift/open in a V)
3. (no rest) Partials for 30 seconds (diagonal raise but only lift arms/DBs partway)