CGX: Iron Pro Program Day 24: Full Body

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

It felt great to be lifting dumbbells again! I took a week off due to shoulder pain. My shoulder is better now, but I still took it easy with the weights I lifted. This is a high rep/endurance workout anyway, so even Caroline was lifting lighter weights. Though this is a full body workout, the focus for the upper body is shoulders and back. It is done mostly 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 structure of this workout is one long circuit that you repeat 3 times. The exercises are done interval style. Some of the interval times vary so it is 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 24 is 43:14 minutes (this time does not include the optional 9:59 minute warm up or 2:58 minute intro, also optional) with a 2:20 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, chair/bench, glute band, yoga block and fitness mat. You are also using the 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 15kg/33 pound, 12.5kg/27.5 pound, 10kg/22 pound, 7.5kg/16.5 pounds and 4kg/8.8 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Squats for 75 seconds (30# DBs)
2. 30 second rest
3. Upright rows for 75 seconds (12# DBs)
4. 30 second rest
5. Banded RDL for 75 seconds (Romanian deadlift, glute band is around thighs just above knees, legs are open so there is constant tension on the band) (35# DBs first two sets/circuits, 30# DBs last set/circuit)
6. 30 second rest
7. Single arm sweep for 75 seconds (one knee and same side hand rest on bench, hold one DB in other hand, keeping elbow slightly bent, sweep DB up behind you keeping arm close to side) (one 9# DB)
8. 10 second rest
9. Partials for 20 seconds (same as #6 but only lift arm/DB partway) (one 9# DB)
10. 30 second rest
11. Repeat #7-10 on other arm
12. Rear step lunge for 75 seconds (reverse step back lunge, front foot is elevated on yoga block) (22.5# DBs)
13. 30 second rest
14. Repeat #12 on other leg
15. 45 second rest
16. Repeat #1-15
17. Squats for 75 seconds (hold one DB in both hands in front of chest) (one 35# DB)
18. 30 second rest
19. Repeat #3-11

Finisher:

1. x3 pulses rear step lunge for 75 seconds (reverse step back lunge, front foot is elevated on yoga block, at bottom of lunge pulses 3x before stepping feet back together, hold one DB at same side as working leg) (one 22.5# DB)
2. 30 second rest
3. Repeat #1 on other let