This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page.
This is another tough endurance level workout. Some of the intervals are longer but not all. The focus is the biceps, triceps and shoulders. I had back up weights ready and I used them for the bicep and tricep exercises. My arms were so fried at the end that I used my 16.5 pound dumbbells for the finisher but I probably could have stuck with the 18 pound dumbbells. After doing the diamond cobra push ups, the bicep curls felt easy. Those cobra push ups are killer! So much harder than I ever expected them to be (though I know now after doing them many times in many of Caroline’s other workouts). Once you finish the 20 in the complex it feels like yet another rep just to push yourself up to standing! Thankfully, the stretch at the end is better than what she usually gives us for an upper body workout.
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 46:58 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 3:10 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:14 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, and fitness mat. Caroline is using 10kg/22 pound, 7.5kg/16.5 pound, and 5kg/11 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.
- Diagonal rear delt raise for 75 seconds (seated on bench/chair, torso hinged forward over thighs, hold DBs with palms facing body, DBs start near feet, lift DBs behind you opening them out slightly to sides so you are raising them in a V, elbows are slightly bent) (10# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Lateral raise for 75 seconds (standing) (9# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Tricep push ups for 60 seconds
- 30 second rest
- Diamond press for 75 seconds (press DBs together over chest, arms kept close to sides, push DBs to ceiling) (20# DBs first 2 circuits/sets, 18# DBs last circuit/set)
- 30 second rest
- Tricep press for 75 seconds (similar to #7 except DBs aren’t pressed together, arms are still kept close to sides with palms facing each other) (20# DBs first 2 circuits/sets, 18# DBs last circuit/set)
- 30 second rest
- Overhead lying tricep extension for 75 seconds (still laying on back holding one DB in both hands, similar to a skull crusher but arms/DBs are extended further back so when you lower DB it comes close to floor behind head) (one 20# DB first 2 circuits/sets, one 18# DB last circuit/set)
- 30 second rest
- Hammer curls for 60 seconds (20# DBs first 2 circuits/sets, 18# DBs last circuit/set)
- 30 second rest
- Rotational curl for 60 seconds (arms/DBs start hammer style, as you do bicep curl rotate wrists/DBs so palms face ceiling) (20# DBs first 2 circuits/sets, 18# DBs last circuit/set)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #1-16 two more times
Finisher: (4 minutes)
- Cobra push up, 20 reps (hands under shoulders, arms kept close to sides, do push ups cobra style keeping thighs on floor)
- Alternating rotational curl, 20 reps (16.5# DBs)
- Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible in 4 minutes
