CGX: Calisthenics Series Day 4: Upper Body, Core & Abs – This was no joke!

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 very tough upper body and core strength workout. Unlike Day 2 in this series, you thankfully get longer recoveries. And they are needed! This workout has lots of giant sets and supersets so the intervals are very long. One nice thing about this workout is she gives your upper body a long 6 minute rest while doing an abdominal giant set. Then you’re back at frying your upper body. It is all bodyweight strength work. All you need is a few props–a yoga block and a chair or some type of elevated surface for tricep dips. My shoulders are still feeling the pump from this workout.

This workout is done interval style. The interval and recoveries vary and are noted in the breakdown below. There is a timer in the upper right hand side of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recovery Caroline previews the next exercise. There is also a little bar at the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

Upper Body, Core & Abs is 56:15 minutes (this time does not include the optional 3:56 minute warm up or the 1:08 minute intro, also optional) with a 1:35 minute stretch. Equipment: chair/bench, yoga block and a fitness mat.

1. Pike push ups for 75 seconds (in down dog, bend elbows lowering top of head toward mat)
2. 15 second rest
3. Y raise for 60 seconds (lay on stomach on mat, arms are extended overhead in a Y, raise and lower arms)
4. (no rest) Rear fly for 60 seconds (palms facing mat) (still laying on stomach with arms extended to sides in a T, raise and lower arms)
5. (no rest) Sweep for 60 seconds (still laying on stomach, arms are close to sides with palms facing ceiling, raise and lower arms)
6. (no rest) Y raise pulses for 30 seconds (same as #3, but keep arms raised at top of lift and pulse arms upward)
7. (no rest) Rear fly pulses for 30 seconds (same as #4, but keep arms raised at top of lift and pulse arms upward)
8. (no rest) Sweep pulses for 30 seconds (same as #5, but keep arms raised at top of lift and pulse arms upward)
9. 30 second rest
10. Diamond push ups for 60 seconds (tricep push ups, hands are together under chest so that fingers and thumb form a diamond shape)
11. (no rest) Cobra diamond push up for 60 seconds (hands are in the same position on mat but thighs remain on mat as you push up cobra-style)
12. 30 second rest
13. Slow tricep dips for 60 seconds (hands are on chair or bench behind you)
14. 30 second rest
15. Alternating dead bug 60  seconds (lay on back, legs are raised w/ knees bent at 90 degrees and arms are extended straight to ceiling, lower one arm overhead while also extending the opposite leg straight)
16. (no rest) Tuck to extend for 60 seconds (still laying on back, extend arms overhead and legs out straight in line with hips but elevated a few inches off mat, head/shoulders also remain elevated, bring knees into chest and tap hands to ankles)
17. (no rest) Alternating dead bug (straight arms and legs) for 60 seconds (same as #15 except legs are kept straight)
18. (no rest) Toe reach to leg lower for 60 seconds (still laying on back, legs are extended to ceiling, crunch upper body reaching hands to feet, then lower straight legs until they are a few inches off the mat)
19. (no rest) Reverse crunch (straight leg) for 60 seconds (still laying on back, legs are extended to ceiling, lower legs until they are a few inches off mat, raise legs back to ceiling, lifting hips and pushing legs overhead)
20. (no rest) Elbows past knee crunch for 60 seconds (lay on back on mat, knees are bent with hands 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)
21. 30 second rest
22. Uneven push up to one arm hold for 60 seconds (start in wide leg plank with one hand on yoga block, do one push up, at top of push up when back in plank lift floor hand)
23. 30 second rest
24. Repeat #22 with yoga block under other hand
25. 30 second rest
26. Regular tempo tricep dips for 60 seconds
27. 30 second rest
28. Tricep press plank for 60 seconds (start in straight arm wide leg plank, lower one forearm to mat then return to straight arm plank)
29. (no rest) x1 arm cobra push up for 60 seconds (place one hand behind back, do single arm push ups cobra style keeping thighs on mat)
30. 30 second rest
31. Repeat #28-30 on other side of body
32. 30 second rest
33. Repeat #1-3
34. (no rest) Rear fly for 60 seconds (palms facing feet) (still laying on stomach with arms extended to sides in a T, raise and lower arms)
35. (no rest) Repeat #5 & 6
36. (no rest) Rear fly pulses for 30 seconds (same as #34, but keep arms raised at top of lift and pulse arms upward)
37. (no rest) Repeat #8
38. 30 second rest
39. Repeat #10-32

Finisher:

1. Cobra push up for 15 seconds (lay on stomach on mat , hands under shoulders and beside chest, push up cobra style keeping thighs on mat)
2. (no rest) Hold at top of cobra for 5 seconds
3. (no rest) Repeat #1 for 10 seconds
4. (no rest) Repeat #2 & 3 two more times