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 workout! Caroline’s complex workouts usually, but this workout fried my upper body. It was not enjoyable but it definitely did a great job working me hard! This is all bodyweight strength. No equipment necessary except a chair or bench or something elevated for a few of the exercises. Another great travel workout!
This workout consists of complexes; each complex contains 2 exercises. What this means is you are doing 2 exercises with no rest between the exercises and you do not stop alternating those two exercises until the time is up. Each complex is done for 2 minutes then you get a 20 second rest before moving on to the next complex. The complex you are working through is listed in the lower right hand corner of the screen for your reference. It lists each exercise you are doing and the amount of reps you do for each exercise. This is especially useful if you cannot keep pace with Caroline then you can still keep track of your complex. Additionally, this workout contains a staple exercise that is done for 60 seconds followed by 30 seconds of recovery. It appears 3 times. There is a timer in the upper right hand corner of the screen, counting down your 2 minutes of work as well as the staple exercise interval and the recoveries. Caroline previews your next complex (or staple) during the recovery. There is also a bar along the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.
Up with the Sun Upper Body is 22:38 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:56 minute warm up) with a 2:10 minute stretch. Equipment: chair and towel. Push up bars are optional. The towel is used like a fitness mat.
Complex 1:
- Push ups, 10 reps (Caroline is using push up bars for more depth; I used DBs)
- Cobra push ups, 10 reps (lay on stomach on towel, hands under shoulders, push up cobra style keeping thighs on mat)
- Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible within 2 minutes
- 10 second rest
Complex 2:
- Rear delt raise, 20 reps (lay on stomach on towel with arms extended out to sides in a T with pinkies facing sky/ceiling and palms facing behind you, raise and lower arms)
- Prone around the world, 10 reps (still laying on stomach, extend arms in front of you superman style, sweep arms out to side and when the reach your sides, bend elbows bringing backs of hands to small of back)
- Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible within 2 minutes
- 20 second rest
Staple: Decline plank to pike for 60 seconds (place feet on a chair or other elevated surface, hands are on ground so you are in a plank with feet elevated, walk hands back toward elevated surface so glutes are raised and you are in pike, walk hands back out to plank)
30 second rest
Complex 3:
- Pike push up, 10 reps (in pike position with glutes elevated, bend elbows to lower crown of head toward mat)
- Diver push up, 5 reps (dive bomber push ups–start in down dog, lower your head between your hands and continue forward until your chest is between your hands and a few inches from the ground, then bring chest upward into upward facing dog, push back to down dog)
- Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible within 2 minutes
- 20 second rest
Complex 4:
- Tricep dips, 20 reps (hands on chair or other elevated surface behind you)
- Tricep push up to hand walk, 5 reps (stand at end of towel, walk hands out to plank and do one tricep push up, walk hands back to feet)
- Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible within 2 minutes
- 20 second rest
Staple: Decline plank to pike for 60 seconds
30 second rest
Complex 5:
- x1 arm plank up and down, 5 reps (in straight arm plank, lower to forearm of one arm then return to straight arm plank)
- Repeat #1 on other arm
- Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible within 2 minutes
- 20 second rest
Complex 6:
- Deadstop push ups, 10 reps (at bottom of push up entire body rests on floor, lift hands briefly before pushing back up to plank)
- Sweeps, 20 reps (lay on stomach on towel, keeping arms close to sides, lift and lower arms with palms facing the ceiling)
- Repeat #1 & 2 as many times as possible within 2 minutes
- 20 second rest
Staple: Decline plank to pike for 60 seconds
30 second rest
Finisher: Diamond cobra push up for 60 seconds (tricep cobra push ups, hands are together under chest so that thumbs and first fingers form a diamond, push up cobra style keeping thighs on mat)
