CGX: P.E. Program Day 48: ‘Concentration yes, but the set up means tension is inevitable!’ (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 an intense upper body workout that focuses on the back and biceps. I do love rows and pullovers so this was an enjoyable workout. However, it is also an endurance level workout so I used lighter than usual weights for most of the exercises. It still fried my biceps. Your biceps will definitely feel the pump by the end of this workout.

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 at the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

Upper Body is 45:03 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:55 minute warm up or the 3:03 minute intro, also optional) with a 1:25 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, and fitness mat. Caroline is using 17.5kg/38.5 pound, 15kg/33 pounds, 12.5kg/27.5 pound, and 7.5kg/16.5 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. x1 arm hammer grip row for 60 second (single arm row, non-working arm and same side knee rest on bench) (one 40# DB)
2. (no rest) Hammer concentration curl for 60 seconds (sit on bench with legs wide, do single arm hammer curl with tricep against inner thigh of same side leg) (one 18# DB first set, one 16.5# DB last 2 sets)
3. 30 second rest
4. Repeat #1-3 on other arm
5. Repeat #1-4 two more times
6. x1 arm supine row for 60 seconds (same as #1 except palm faces in front of you) (one 35# DB)
7. (no rest) Palm up concentration curl for 60 seconds (one 16.5# DB)
8. 30 second rest
9. Repeat #6-8 on other arm
10. Pullover for 75 seconds (one 30# DB)
11. (no rest) Lengthened partials for 15 seconds (lower to bottom of pullover and only lift halfway) (one 30# DB)
12. 30 second rest
13. Rotational curls for 60 seconds (starts as a hammer curl, but rotate DBs so palms face upward at top of curl) (16.5# DBs)
14. (no rest) Momentum alternating for 30 seconds (rotational curls but lift w/ power) (16.5# DBs)
15. 30 second rest
16. Repeat #10-15 three more times

Finisher:

1. Momentum alternating palms up bicep curls for 60 seconds (16.5# DBs)
2. (no rest) Momentum alternating hammer curls for 30 seconds (16.5# DBs)