CGX: Max Program Day 15: Bi’s, tri’s, abs, glutes & delts!

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

As the title indicates, this workout hits some of the muscle groups that did not receive any isolation work earlier in the week–the biceps and the triceps. Caroline really fried my triceps in this workout with the cobra push ups. This workout is one long circuit that is repeated three times. It is made up of mostly supersets with one abdominal triset to kick off the circuit. Each time you repeat the circuit you do a different bicep curl variation. The rests are short so you are moving pretty quickly between supersets/triset. During the first circuit form pointers appear on the screen for almost every exercise. During the lower body band exercises there is a typo that changes the meaning of what she is trying to say. It says “I am making this easy”. But we all know Caroline doesn’t make anything easy! What she means is “I can make this easy” and she is referencing not keeping constant tension on the glute band makes the exercises easier. But she goes on to say that she does keep constant tension on the band–of course!

This workout is done interval style. The exercise interval and recovery times vary and are noted below in the breakdown. There is an onscreen timer counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recoveries Caroline previews the next exercise. There is also a progress bar along the bottom of the screen, counting down the workout time as a percentage.

Day 15 is 37:27 minutes (this time does not include the optional 9:18 minute warm up or 2:36 minute intro, also optional) with a 1:35 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, and fitness mat. You are also using a glute band and light dumbbells for the warm up. Caroline is using 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells for the warm up. For the actual workout, Caroline is using 7,5kg/16.5 pound and 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Reverse crunch for 60 seconds (lay on back on mat, do a reverse crunch pushing legs past head, when you lower legs, extend them straight in line with hips)
2. (no rest) Small tuck to toe tap for 60 seconds (small reverse crunch w/ knees bent then lower bent legs until feet tap mat)
3. (no rest) Small tuck for 60 seconds (just bent knee revere crunch)
4. 15 second rest
5. Lateral raise for 60 seconds (8# DBs)
6. (no rest) Rear delt fly (palms behind) for 60 seconds (seated on bench or chair, torso hinged forward over thighs) (8# DBs)
7. 15 second rest
8. Lateral band walk for 60 seconds (glute/booty band is around thighs above knees, lateral walk 3 steps in each direction keeping constant tension on band)
9. (no rest) Banded hip thrust for 60 seconds (lean back against your bench or step with booty/glute band around thighs just above knees, legs are open wide so there is constant tension on band, raise and lower hips)
10. 15 second rest
11. Palms up bicep curls for 60 seconds (16.5# DBs)
12. (no rest) Momentum alternating bicep curls for 30 seconds (raise with power, lower slowly) (16.5# DBs)
13. 15 seconds
14. Diamond cobra push ups for 60 seconds (lay on mat, hands are together under chest so pointer fingers and thumbs create a diamond, arms are close to sides, keeping legs and hips on mat, do push ups cobra-style)
15. (no rest) Tricep cobra push up for 60 seconds (lay on mat, hands on mat under shoulders, keeping legs and hips on mat and arms close to sides, do push ups cobra-style)
16. 15 second rest
17. Repeat #1-10
18. Hammer curls for 60 seconds (16.5# DBs)
19. (no rest) Momentum alternating hammer curls for 30 seconds (16.5# DBs)
20. 15 second rest
21. Repeat #14-16
22. Repeat #1-10
23. Rotational curls for 60 seconds (starts as a hammer curl, but rotate DBs so palms face upward at top of curl) (16.5# Dbs)
24. (no rest) Alternating momentum rotational curls for 30 seconds (16.5# DBs)

15 second rest

Finisher:

1. Diamond cobra push up for 60 seconds
2. (no rest) Tricep cobra push up for 30 seconds
3. 10 second rest
4. Repeat #2 to failure (or for 20 seconds, done to a faster pace)