CGX: Iron Pro Program Day 14: It’s time for our weekly Full Body

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

This is a tough and thorough full body workout. Caroline hits all the large muscle groups and since the smaller muscle groups assist, everything worked. Like the other full body workouts in this program so far, the intervals are longer and the recoveries shorter. She also tacks on little finishers to some of the exercises to really glute bintensify the burn. This workout also gets pretty metabolic. Because this is more of an endurance workout you have to lift lighter weights than you do when doing the muscle split workouts.

This workout is 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.

It is also a circuit workout. It is one long circuit that is repeated three times. The only thing that changes when you repeat the circuit is the row variation. The exercises are done interval style. The interval times vary so they are noted in the breakdown. There is an onscreen 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 14 is 42:32 minutes (this time does not include the optional 9:59 minute warm up or 3:25 minute intro, also optional) with a 2 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, barbell, chair/bench and fitness mat. Push up bars are optional. You are also using a glute band and light dumbbells for the warm up. Caroline is using 4kg/8.8 pound and one 7.5kg/16.5 pound dumbbells for the warm up. For the actual workout, Caroline is using a barbell at 58kg/128 pounds. She is also using 15kg/33 pound, 12.5kg/27.5 pound and 5kg/11 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. RDL for 75 seconds (Romanian deadlift) (32.5# DBs)
2. 30 second rest
3. Chest press for 60 seconds (30# DBs)
4. 10 second transition
5. Push ups for 20 seconds (Caroline is using push up bars, I used DBs)
6. 30 second rest
7. High squats for 60 seconds (DBs held at shoulders) (30# DBs)
8. 30 second rest
9. Supine row for 60 seconds (one hand and same side knee rest on bench, single arm back row w/ palm facing in front of you) (one 40# DB)
10. 10 second rest
11. Momentum supine row (same as #9 but lift with power/force) (one 40# DB)
12. 20 second rest
13. Repeat #9-11 on other arm
14. 30 second rest
15. Bridges for 60 seconds (lay on mat, knees bent and feet flat on mat close to glutes, barbell or heavy DB on hips, raise and lower hips in bridge) (barbell @ 115#)
16. 10 second rest
17. 1/2 reps for 20 seconds (same as #15, but keep hips lifted to top of bridge and only lower halfway) (barbell @ 115#)
18. 30 second rest
19. Rear delt row for 75 seconds (sit on bench or chair holding one DB in each hand, torso is hinged forward over thighs, DBs start near heels, row DBs w/ arms open out to sides and palms facing behind you, leading/raising with elbows, arms are bent and elbows are in line with shoulders) (11# DBs)
20. 30 second rest
21. Repeat #1-8
22. Neutral grip row for 60 seconds (same as #9 except palm faces body/bench) (one 35# DB)
23. 10 second rest
24. Momentum neutral row for 20 seconds (same as #22 but lift w/ power/force) (one 35# DB)
25. 20 second rest
26. Repeat #22-24 on other arm
27. 30 second rest
28. Repeat #15-19
29. 30 second rest
30. Repeat #1-8
31. Rotational row for 60 seconds (single arm row, 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 35# DB)
32. 10 second rest
33. Momentum rotational row (same as #31 but lift w/ power/force) (one 35# DB)
34. 20 second rest
35. Repeat #31-33 on other arm
36. 30 second rest
37. Repeat #15-19

10 second rest

Finisher:

1. Partial rear delt row for 10 seconds (only lift arms/elbows partway) (11# DBs)
2. 10 second rest
3. Repeat #1 & 2 two more times
4. Repeat #1