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 strength workout. Caroline hits all of the major muscle groups of the upper body. I increased the weight I used for quite a few of the exercises and my upper body muscles are fried! The finisher, which I did not increase my weight for, fried my shoulders. Thankfully I have magnetic weight plates in all different increments so I can microload, because I cannot make big weight jumps, especially shoulder exercises.
This workout is done interval style. The interval times vary and are 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.
Day 7 is 42:09 minutes (this time does not include the optional 5:56 minute warm up or 2:39 minute intro, also optional) with a one minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, bench/chair and 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 workout, Caroline is using 17.5kg/38.5 pounds, 15kg/33 pound, 12.5 kg/27.5pound, 10kg/22 pound, 7.5kg/16.5 pound, 5kg/11 pound and 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.
- Shoulder press f0r 45 seconds (seated in chair or bench with a back, arms are in goal post at bottom of press) (16.5# DBs)
- 60 second rest
- Repeat #1 & 2 (Caroline increases her weight) (22.5# DBs)
- Repeat #1 & 2 two more times (Caroline increases her weight again) (22.5# DBs)
- Repeat #1 & 2 (Caroline decreases her weight) (20# DBs)
- Upright row for 60 seconds (15# DBs)
- 45 second rest
- Repeat #6 & 7 two more times
- Chest press for 45 seconds (25# DBs)
- 60 second rest
- Repeat #9 & 10 (Caroline increases her weight) (31# DBs)
- Single arm rotational row for 45 seconds (one knee and same side hand on bench, palm faces behind you at bottom of the row, as you row rotate hand/DB so palm face in front of you at top of row) (one 42.5# DB)
- 60 second rest
- Repeat #12 & 13 on other arm
- Repeat #12-14
- Repeat #12-14 (Caroline reduces her weight) (one 35# DB)
- Chest fly for 60 seconds (21# DBs)
- 45 second rest
- Repeat #17 & 18
- Diagonal sweep for 60 seconds (sit on bench or chair, torso hinged forward over thighs, keeping elbows slightly bent, sweep DBs up behind you and away from body on a diagonal) (9# DBs)
- (no rest) Diagonal frontal raise for 45 seconds (somewhere between a lateral raise and a front raise, with arms in a V, raise and lower on a diagonal) (8# DBs)
- 45 second rest
- Repeat #20 & 21
60 second rest
Finisher: (8# DBs)
- Lateral raise for 30 seconds
- (no rest) Pronated frontal raise for 30 seconds (straight arm front raise with palms facing downward)
- (no rest) Diagonal frontal raise for 30 seconds
