This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page.
This workout fried my upper body. Caroline hits every muscle in some fashion. I had standby weights ready for most of the exercises. And I used them a few times! My chest and shoulders still feel pumped. And the ab complex finisher is a burner!
The exercises are done interval style. The interval and recovery times vary so they are noted below in the breakdown. There is a timer in the upper right hand corner of the screen 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.
Upper Body is 45:17 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 2:24 minute intro, also optional) with a 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, and fitness mat. Push up bars are optional. Caroline is using 17.5kg/38.5 pound, 15kg/33 pound, 10kg/22 pound and 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.
- Chest flys for 75 seconds (20# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Chest press for 60 seconds (30# DBs first 2 sets, 25# DBs last set)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #1-4 two more times
- Pullover for 75 seconds (one 40# DB)
- 30 second rest
- Arnold press for 60 seconds (seated in chair) (20# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #6-9 two more times
- Single arm row for 60 seconds (one knee and same side hand rest on step/bench) (one 45# DB)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #11 & 12 on other arm
- Repeat #11-13 two more times
- Seated lateral raise for 60 seconds (seated on bench or chair) (9# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Paused at shortened position laterals for 60 seconds (standing, lift DBs to top of lateral raise and lower slowly) (9# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Regular tempo lateral raise for 60 seconds (9# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Paused partials for 60 seconds (lateral raise but only lift arms/DBs partway, pause briefly at top of lift) (8# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Regular push ups for 45 seconds (Caroline is using push up bars, I used DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Tricep pus ups for 45 seconds (keep arms close to sides)
- 30 second rest
- Deadstop push up for 60 seconds (at bottom of push up entire body rests on floor, lift hands briefly before pushing back up to plank keeping body straight from head to heels)
30 second rest
Finisher: (4 minutes)
- Bicycles, 20 reps
- Alternating hand to foot reach, 20 reps (lay on back, legs are extended to ceiling, head/shoulders are elevated, lower one leg until it is a few inches off the floor while hand reaches toward opposite foot (leg extended to ceiling), alternate legs)
- Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible for 4 minutes
