This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page.
This workout hits the back, chest and shoulders. I had back up weights ready and I used them for most of the exercises! On the second set of deadstop chest presses I was hitting failure halfway through the interval! The shoulder work at the end is a burner with longer intervals and shorter recoveries. I used my back up weights for all of the partial rep exercises. My upper body is definitely well worked! The core finisher was a burner, too. Even Caroline was taking mini breaks!
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 47:33 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 4:35 minute intro, also optional) with a 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, and fitness mat. Optional: push up bars. 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.
- Pullover for 90 seconds (one 40# DB first 2 sets, one 35# DB last set)
- 30 second rest
- Deadstop chest press for 60 seconds (lay on back on floor, at bottom of press the back of the arms/triceps rest on the floor briefly before pushing DBs back to ceiling) (30# DBs first 2 sets, 25# DBs last set)
- 30 second rest
- Push ups for 30 seconds (Caroline is using push up bars, I used DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #1-6 two more times
- x1 arm deadstop row for 60 seconds (single arm row w/ one hand and one knee resting on bench, when you lower DB, set it on floor and release it briefly) (one 45# DB)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #8 & 9 on other arm
- x1 arm Arnold press for 60 seconds (one 20# DB first two sets, one 18# DB last set)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #11 & 12 on other arm
- Repeat #8-13 two more times
- Rear delt fly (palms facing in) for 75 seconds (seated on chair/bench, torso hinged forward over thighs) (9# DBs)
- 15 second rest
- Diagonal raise for 75 seconds (standing lateral raise but arms are on a diagonal so you are raising them in a wide V) (9# DBs)
- 15 second rest
- 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) (8# DBs)
- 30 second rest
- Repeat #15 for 45 seconds
- (no rest) Partials for 30 seconds (same as #15 but only lift arms/DBs partway) (8# DBs)
- 15 second rest
- Repeat #17 for 45 seconds
- (no rest) Partials for 30 seconds (same as #17 but only lift arms/DBs partway) (8# DBs)
- 15 second rest
- Repeat #19 for 45 seconds
- (no rest) Partial lateral raises for 30 seconds (8# DBs)
30 second rest
Finisher: (4 minutes)
- Leg lowers, 20 reps (lay on back on mat, hands behind head and shoulders/head elevated, extend straight legs to ceiling, lower straight legs until they are a few inches off the mat then return to start)
- Reverse crunch to extend, 20 reps (still laying on back with hands behind head and head/shoulders elevated, push legs out straight in line with hips and a few inches off mat, pull knees into chest and do a reverse crunch)
- Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible in 4 minutes
