CGX Max Program

Max is a program created by Caroline Girvan and only available on her CGX app. It is a 10 week program containing 50 workouts total (5 workouts per week). All of the workouts in this program are full body strength workouts. However, in the context of this program, full body is not the same as total body. Each workout will work both the upper and lower body but some workouts will skip entire muscle groups and I don’t mean small ancillary muscle groups that assist the larger muscles groups. I mean entire large muscle groups. But you should not hit the same muscles every day anyway, especially when lifting heavy. So Caroline mixes muscle groups up throughout each week so that by the end of the week you will have hit every muscle in your body in some fashion.

Unlike her other programs thus far, this program has a dedicated 9 minute warm up that is very enjoyable. It uses equipment (glute band and light dumbbells) and really warms you up nicely. ***This has changed before I posted this program review. Her latest program, Iron Pro, also has special warm ups unique to that program.***

Most but not all of the workouts are PHA workouts. PHA stands for Peripheral Heart Action. What this means in training terms is you alternate between upper and lower body resistance exercises. Switching between upper and lower body exercises maximizes blood flow to all parts of the body and reduces build up of lactic acid. This gives muscle groups plenty of rest between sets; in theory, your upper body is resting while your lower body is working, and your lower body is resting while your upper body is working. In this program the first 4 days of the week are usually PHA and the last day of the week is a circuit workout that mixes things up. But there are a few outliers that deviate from PHA style. Additionally, the 1st and 4th workout of the week are structured so that you can do your heaviest lifting of the week. The 2nd and 3rd workouts of the week are usually higher rep/endurance level workouts that you will use lighter (but not necessarily light) dumbbells. And the final workout of the week is completely different. It hits your core and smaller upper body muscle groups (always the biceps and triceps along with some shoulder work). It always has at least one lower body exercise that is either bodyweight or uses something other than dumbbells to add resistance (booty/glute band, stability ball, etc.).

During an exercise Caroline sometimes gives form pointers via on screen graphics that point to the muscle groups or area of form on her body that she is referring to as she performs the exercises. All of the workouts have finishers and the finishers tend to alternate by day–one day is an upper body finisher and the next day is a lower body finisher.

The workouts are all pretty short. All of them are 50 minutes or less with the warm up. The stretches at the end tend to be quite short so I frequently added on a more thorough full body stretch.

Now that I have finished the program I can say I really enjoyed it. The main purpose of this review is for my reference. I will not return to this a a program but I will return to some of the workouts–specifically the 1st and 4th day of the week workouts. But having the weekly summaries also lets me know if maybe there is another workout worth returning to.

Week 1: For an opening week to the program, this was a pretty great week. I loved 3 of the workouts and will definitely be returning to those (Days 1, 3 and 4). The focus the first 4 days is large muscle groups: back, chest, shoulders, glutes/hamstrings and quads. Day 1 and Day 4 are designed for using heavier weight, whereas Day 2 is more endurance/lighter weights and Day 3 is a mixture. Day 5 Caroline finally hits the core and smaller upper body muscle groups–biceps and triceps. Days 1-4 are all done PHA style whereas Day 5 is structured differently.

Day 1: The Most Well Known Compounds to Start (38:45 minutes; 48 minutes w/ optional warm up)

Day 2: A Higher Rep Output! (40 minutes; 49 minutes w/ optional warm up)

Day 3: Starting and Ending with Shortened Range Hammies (37:30 minutes; 46:45 minutes w/ optional warm up)

Day 4: It will have been those sumos! (39:30 minutes; 48:30 minutes w/ optional warm up)

Day 5: Our ‘Fun’ Day of the Week! (38:45 minutes; 48 minutes w/ optional warm up)