CGX: Max Program Day 40: SO much isolation!

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

Just like the rest of the Max Program end of the week workouts, the focus of this workout is your abdominals and isolating the biceps and triceps. You also get some shoulder and quad work. These are my least favorite workouts of the week though I don’t hate them or anything like that. I just don’t find them “fun” like Caroline claims they are. But they are solid workouts that work the arms and core very well. Though they are technically “full body” workouts, a lot of muscle groups are neglected, which is obviously okay in the scope of the week/program because within each week everything is well worked at some point.

The exercises are done interval style. The exercise interval and recovery times vary and are noted below in the breakdown. There is an on screen timer 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.

Day 40 is 38:11 minutes (this time does not include the optional 9:18 minute warm up or 3:04 minute intro, also optional) with a 1:35 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench and fitness mat. This workout has sissy squats so you need a wall or something to hold onto for balance. If you do the alternative to a sissy squat then you need heel wedges. You are also need 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 7.5kg/16.5 pound and 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Elbows past knee crunch (full crunch, lay on back on mat, knees are bent, hands are behind head, elbows open wide, bring knees into chest while also crunching upper body so elbows are outside of knees, keeping knees bent, lower legs so heels almost touch mat)
2. (no rest) Small tuck for 60 seconds (still on back with head on mat, do a reverse crunch keeping knees bent at 90 degrees)
3. (no rest) Repeat #1
4. 15 second rest
5. Rear delt fly (palms facing in) for 30 seconds (seated on bench or chair, torso hinged forward over thighs) (8# DBs)
6. (no rest) Partials for 30 seconds (same as #5 but only lift arms/DBs partway) (8# DBs)
7. (no rest) Lateral raise for 30 seconds (standing now) (8# DBs)
8. (no rest) Partials for 30 seconds (same as #7 but only lift arms/ DBs partway) (8# DBs)
9. 15 second rest
10. Sissy squat for 90 seconds (stand holding onto something for balance (Caroline is holding wall), heels are raised, torso leans back as you lower knees so they almost touch the floor; the alternative given is bodyweight heel elevated squats using heel wedges)
11. 15 second rest
12. Skull crusher x1 for 60 seconds (hold one DB in both hands) (one 20# DB)
13. (no rest) Tricep press for 60 seconds (narrow chest press, arms kept close to sides, palms face each other) (20# DBs)
14. 15 second rest
15. Concentration curl for 60 seconds (single arm bicep curl, seated on bench, tricep of working arm pressed against inner thigh of same side leg) (one 18# DB)
16. 15 second rest
17. Repeat #15 & 16 on other arm
18. Repeat #1-17
19. Repeat #1-14

Finisher: (16.5# DBs for everything)

1. Hammer curls w/ iso hold for 15 seconds (one elbow is bent at 90 degrees, arm/DB is held in this position isometrically while other arm does hammer curls)
2. (no rest) Repeat #1 with arm actions swapped
3. (no rest) Repeat #1 & 2
4. (no rest) Alternating hammer curls for 60 seconds
5. (no rest) Momentum alternating hammer curls for 30 seconds (raise DBs w/ power but lower at normal tempo)