CGX: Max Program Day 37: 3 movements all with movement at the shoulder joint!

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

This workout is done PHA style. For more information on PHA, see Day 1’s post.

This is a high rep, endurance level workout. The intervals are all long but thankfully Caroline gives us a 30 second recovery. For the majority of the exercises I managed more than 20 reps. So no heavy dumbbells! Though this is a full body workout, you are not working all of your upper body muscle groups. For the upper body the focus is the shoulders and rear delts.

This workout is done interval style. The exercises are done for 90 seconds followed by a 30 second rest. 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. For the stability ball roll outs Caroline shows alternate exercises, one using sliding disks and one bodyweight only.

Day 37 is 38:39 minutes (this time does not include the optional 9:18 minute warm up or 2:02 minute intro, also optional) with a 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, heel wedges, stability ball and fitness mat. You are also using a glute band and light dumbbells for the warm up. Caroline is using 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells for the warm up. For the actual workout Caroline is using 12.5kg/27.5 pound, 5kg/11 pound and 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Heel elevated squats (heels are elevated on heel wedges, holding one DB in both hands in front of chest) (one 30# DB)
2. 1.5 rep sweeps (seated on bench or chair, hinge forward, keeping arms mostly straight and close to sides, sweep arms upward behind you, lower partway, sweep arms up behind you again then lower all the way) (10# DBs first set, 9# DBs last 2 sets)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 two more times
4. Stability ball roll outs (lay on back on mat, place calves and heels on stability ball, raise hips and keep them raised as you roll ball in towards glutes then back out)
5. Seated lateral raise for 45 seconds (8# DBs)
6. (no rest) Standing lateral raise for 45 seconds (8# DBs)
7. Repeat #4-6 two more times
8. Bulgarian lunge (no DBs, static/stationary lunges, back leg is elevated on step/bench)
9. Repeat #8 on other leg
10. Rear delt row (sit on bench or chair, torso is hinged forward over thighs, row arms/DBs leading with bent elbows, palms face behind you, arms out to sides) (11# DBs)
11. Repeat #8 & 9

Finisher:

1. Rear delt row for 30 seconds (sit on bench or chair, torso is hinged forward over thighs, row arms/DBs leading with bent elbows, palms face behind you, arms out to sides) (11# DBs)
2. (no rest) Partials for 30 seconds (same as #1 but only lift partway) (11# DBs)
3. (no rest) Repeat #1