This is a workout from Caroline Girvan‘s CGX app. For more info on Caroline’s App, see the CGX App page.
This was a tough upper body workout. I was not feeling strong this morning. I am not sure why. Plus my triceps are sore from Day 2. This workout was harder than I expected it to be. I had my 50 pound dumbbell out, thinking I would use it for single arm rows, but as I mentioned, I was just not feeling strong this morning so I didn’t end up using it. But I am only in the first week. I have 9 more weeks to grow strong enough to use it! In this program, Caroline does warm up sets for some of the exercises. She does this by using a lighter weight for the first set of an exercise. I followed her lead with my weight choices–not that I was lifting the same weight as her, but decreasing and increasing the weight I used when she did. Caroline also sneaks in a long core circuit at the end of the workout–no rests; 5:30 minutes of non-stop abdominal work. My abs were burning! Then the finisher is a bicep burner.
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 5 is 41:36 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:56 minute warm up or 1:19 minute intro, also optional) with a 1:05 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench and a fitness mat. You also need a bench/chair and dumbbells for the warm up. For the warm up Caroline is using one 7.5kg/16.5 pound and two 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells. For the actual workout Caroline is using 25kg/55 pound, 20kg/44 pound, 17.5kg/38.5 pound, 15kg/33 pound, 7.5/16.5 pound and 5kg/11 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.
- Single arm row for 45 seconds (one knee and non-working hand rest on bench/step) (one 40# DB)
- 60 second rest
- Repeat #1 & 2 on other arm
- Repeat #1-3 two more times (each time Caroline increases her weight) (one 42.5# DB 2nd set, one 45# DB 3rd set)
- Repeat #1-3 (Caroline returns to her lightest weight) (one 40# DB)
- Pullover for 45 seconds (one 35# DB)
- 60 second rest
- Repeat #6 & 7 three more times (Caroline increases her weight) (one 40# DB)
- Rotational curls for 60 seconds (starts as a hammer curl, but rotate DBs so palms face upward at top of curl) (20# DBs)
- 45 second rest
- Repeat #9 & 10
- Alternating rotational curls for 60 seconds (20# DBs)
- 45 second rest
- Rear delt row for 60 seconds (seated double arm row, torso is hinged forward over thighs, arms are open out to sides, row DBs leading with elbows and lifting until elbows are in line with shoulders) (12# DBs)
- 45 second rest
- Repeat #14 & 15
- Repeat #14 for 30 seconds
- (no rest) Partials for 30 seconds (same as #14 but only lift partway) (12# DBs)
- Elbows past knee crunch for 45 seconds (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)
- (no rest) Reverse crunch (tuck to extend) for 60 seconds (do a bent knee reverse crunch then extend legs out straight in line with hips)
- (no rest) Repeat #19
- (no rest) Small tuck to chest for 45 seconds (still laying on back, knees remain bent at 90 degrees throughout, do a small tuck bringing knees to chest)
- (no rest) Repeat #19
- (no rest) Crunch for 60 seconds (lay on back, knees are bent and open to sides with soles of feet together in reclining butterfly, crunch upper body)
- (no rest) Repeat #19 for 30 seconds
15 second rest
Finisher: (20# DBs)
- Hammer curl for 30 seconds
- (no rest) Palm up bicep curls for 30 seconds
- (no rest) Alternating rotational curls for 30 seconds
- (no rest) Continue #3 for 30 more seconds but lifting with momentum
