CGX: 60 Min ‘The Anterior’ Workout

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

The focus of this workout is the front of the body: shoulders, quads, chest and abdominals. She does not hit the biceps because the counterpart to this workout is The Posterior Workout. Since you work your back in that workout, the biceps get worked as ancillary muscles–you can’t work the back without also working the biceps.

This was a solid full body workout. I am a fan of posterior chain workouts so I didn’t love this workout but I still got a great workout. It contains some exercises I am not a fan of–quad focused Bulgarian lunges and Sissy squats. I do them when they appear because I know I also need to work those muscles but I don’t enjoy working my quads. Since I am definitely doing The Posterior Workout tomorrow, I felt like I needed to also do this workout to round things out. Regarding the Sissy Squats, if you’ve done her Max Program you know the alternative she gives there for Sissy Squats is bodyweight heel elevated squats, but she does not show the alternative during the workout. She does mention it in the intro. Sissy squats are hard, so if that exercise is too much for you, do the alternative.

Though at no point does Caroline alert you (not in the preview and no words on the screen during the exercise), during the very last set of diagonal raises (the last exercise before the Ab Giant Set), she does partial reps the last 30 seconds of the exercise–so full range reps the first 45 seconds then partials the last 30 seconds.

The exercises are done PHA style. 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.

The exercises are done interval style; most of the exercises are done for 60 seconds of work followed by 45 seconds of recovery. If an interval or recovery time differs, it is noted in the breakdown below. 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.

The Anterior Workout is 63:16 minutes (this time does not include the optional 4:41 minute warm up or 3:48 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, heel wedges and a fitness mat. Push up bars are optional. This workout has sissy squats so you need a wall or something to hold onto for balance. 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. High squat (DBs held at shoulders) (30# DBs)
2. Shoulder press (seated in chair, arms are in goal post at bottom of press) (21.5# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 three more times
4. Quad emphasized Bulgarian lunge (stationary lunge, back leg is elevated on bench behind you, heel of front foot is elevated on heel wedge, legs are closer together than normal so that knee travels past toes at bottom of lunge, hold one DB in same side hand as back/elevated leg, Caroline is also holding onto the back of a chair with her free hand to assist in going deeper) (one 25# DB)
5. Repeat #4 on other leg
6. Push ups (Caroline is using push up bars, I used DBs)
7. Repeat #4-6 two more times
8. Heel elevated squats (heels are elevated on heel wedges, holding DBs at chest) (one 40# DB)
9. Upright row (15# DBs)
10. Repeat #8 & 9 two more times
11. Sissy squat for 75 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)
12. 30 second rest
13. Diagonal raise for 75 seconds (somewhere between a lateral raise and a front raise, with arms raising in a V, raise and lower on a diagonal) (9# DBs)
14. 30 second rest
15. Repeat #11-14 two more times

Abs Giant Set:

1. Small tuck for 60 seconds (still on back with head on mat, do a reverse crunch keeping knees bent at 90 degrees)
2. (no rest) Butterfly crunch for 45 seconds (lay on back, knees are bent and open with soles of feet together, crunch upper body while reaching hands between legs
3. (no rest) Repeat #1
4. (no rest) Repeat #2 but pulse once at top of crunch
5. (no rest) Repeat #1
6. (no rest) Repeat #2 but pulse 2x at top of crunch
7. (no rest) Repeat #1
8. (no rest) Repeat #2 but pulse 3x at top of crunch

30 second rest

Finisher:

1. 3/4 rep elevated squats for 60 seconds (bodyweight squats with heels elevated on heel wedges, lower to bottom of squat but only raise 3/4 of the way so there is constant tension in muscles)
2. (no rest) Squat jumps/full range squats for 30 seconds (this is an either/or option–do squat jumps or if you want/need a low impact exercise, do squats)