CGX: P.E. Program Day 44: ”Some body language to assist the biceps!’ (Upper Body)

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

Another tough upper body workout. This one hits the back and biceps. Caroline really fries the biceps. In fact, it looked like all of the bicep curl variations were kicking her butt! This felt like an endurance workout, which I guess it is since the supersets make the intervals very long. My back and biceps are definitely well worked.

This is a superset workout. You will do 2 exercises back to back before you get a 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 progress bar along the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

Upper Body is 44:38 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 3:35 minute intro, also optional) with a 1:25 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 20kg/44 pound, 15kg/33 pound, 10kg/22 pound, 7.5kg/16.5 pound and 5kg/11 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Pullover for 90 seconds (one 35# DB)
2. (no rest) Renegade rows for 60 seconds (alternate arms) (30# DBs)
3. 30 second rest
4. Wide bicep curls for 60 seconds (arms/DBs turned out to sides, elbows kept close to sides) (16.5# DBs)
5. (no rest) Alternating wide bicep curls for 30 seconds (16.5# DBs)
6. 30 second rest
7. Repeat #1-6 two more times
8. Deadstop row for 60 seconds (single arm row, one knee and non-working hand rest on bench, when you lower DB, set it on floor and release it briefly) (one 40# DB)
9. (no rest) Regular single arm row for 60 seconds (one 35# DB)
10. 30 second rest
11. Repeat #8-10 on other arm
12. Single arm hammer curl for 15 seconds (20# DBs)
13. (no rest) Repeat #12 on other arm
14. (no rest) Repeat #12 & 13
15. (no rest) Alternating hammer curls for 30 seconds (20# DBs)
16. 30 second rest
17. Repeat #8-16
18. Single arm rear delt row for 60 seconds (same position as #8 except working arm is out to side, lead with elbow when rowing) (one 20# DB)
19. (no rest) Partials for 30 seconds (same as #18 but only lift partway) (one 11# DB)
20. 30 second rest
21. Repeat #18-20 on other arm
22. Single arm rotational curls for 15 seconds (starts as a hammer curl, but rotate DBs so palms face upward at top of curl) (18# DBs)
23. (no rest) Repeat #22 on other arm
24. (no rest) Repeat #22 & 23
25. (no rest) Alternating rotational curls for 30 seconds (18# DBs)
26. 30 second rest
27. Repeat #18-26

Finisher:

1. Single arm palms up cur for 15 seconds (18# DBs)
2. (no rest) Repeat #1 on other arm
3. (no rest) Repeat #1 & 2
4. (no rest) Alternating palms up bicep curls for 30 seconds (18# DBs)