CGX: P.E. Program Day 46: Create force from a deadstop! (Upper Body)

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

This is definitely an endurance level upper body workout. My shoulders–especially my left (bad)–shoulders were fried by the end. And that is the focus of this workout: shoulders, chest and triceps, but mostly shoulders. I had back up weights nearby and I used them.

This workout is made up of supersets, trisets and giant sets. You will do 2 (or 3 or 5) exercises back to back before you get a 30 second 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 exercises. 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 47:12 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 3:36 minute intro, also optional) with a 1:35 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, and fitness mat. Optional is push up bars. Caroline is using 15kg/33 pound, 10kg/22 pound, 7.5kg/16.5 pound, and 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Deadstop chest press for 60 seconds (done on the floor, at bottom of chest press the back of the arms rest on the floor) (30# DBs first 2 sets, 27.5# DBs last 2 sets)
2. (no rest) Push ups for 30 seconds (Caroline us using push up bars, I used DBs)
3. 30 second rest
4. Upright rows for 60 seconds (15# DBs)
5. (no rest) Rear delt fly (palms facing in) for 45 seconds (seated on chair or bench, torso is hinged forward over thighs) (8# DBs)
6. (no rest) Partials for 15 seconds (same as #5, but only lift DBs/arms halfway) (8# DBs)
7. 30 second rest
8. Repeat #1-3
9. Repeat #4
10. Repeat #5 & 6 but this time palms face behind you
11. 30 second rest
12. Repeat #1-7
13. Repeat #8-11
14. Single arm hammer press for 60 seconds (shoulder press, palm faces toward you) (one 20# DB first set, one 18# DB last 2 sets)
15. (no rest) Single arm Arnold press for 30 seconds (one 18# DB first set, one 16.5# DB last 2 sets)
16. 30 second rest
17. Repeat #14-16 on other arm
18. Repeat #14-17 two more times
19. Single arm lateral raise for 30 seconds (8# DBs)
20. (no rest) Repeat #19 on other arm
21. (no rest) Repeat #19 & 20
22. (no rest) Alternating single arm lateral raises for 30 seconds (8# DBs)
23. 30 second rest
24. Single arm hammer raise (front raise, palms face in toward body) (9# DBs)
25. (no rest) Repeat #24 on other arm
26. (no rest) Repeat #24 & 25
27. (no rest) Alternating single arm hammer raise (9# DBs)
28. 30 second rest
29. Repeat #19-23
30. Overhead tricep extension for 60 seconds (seated French press) (one 25# DB first set, one 20# DB second set)
31. (no rest) Cobra push ups for 45 seconds (lay on stomach on mat, hands under shoulders, push up cobra style keeping thighs on mat)
32. 30 second rest
33. Repeat #30 & 31

15 second rest

Finisher: Slow lower cobra push ups for 60 seconds