Anyone else doing Caroline Girvan's EPIC programme?

Oh no at the endless hip thrusts! I have yet to do day 11 as still on my way back from work, so thanks for the warning @BigButtons!

This morning I did my 3 min plank plus a series of push ups in case I didn’t get back in time this evening for day 11 (looking very unlikely now, far too hungry!). After telling you all about being able to do 20-30 push ups, I found I could barely manage 20 this morning, the last ones were not at all low . It must have been a good couple of days last week, possibly never to be repeated.

I absolutely love CG. Her workouts have changed my fitness, my physique, my life. But there's no way I'll ever slavishly follow any of her programmes. For one thing I'm too old, but also because I feel that (for most average people....), she is excessively strength focussed. And her HIIT sessions are just cruel!!!!!

I just do what works for me. Typically it's......

• GC EPIC whatever
• Growingannanas HIIT - low impact, sweaty, military, etc (depending on how I feel that day...)
• mix & match Rebecca, Lucy, GC shorts, Growingannanas Tabata etc
• Jakes DuPree full-body fun

Rinse, lather, repeat...... As long as I do at least an hour each day, I'm good to go. And if I'm really stuck...:

After all, if we are to stick with it, it has to be fun

I went for a fitness test last week. Thanks to Caroline and running on my active rest day my heart health is half of my age

I’m currently halfway through Epic heat. Caroline is an absolute game changer in terms of fitness levels. If everything who was able to do so did Caroline, the NHS would be saved!!

I am absolutely gobsmacked at the changes that have happened to my body since I hit the big 5 0 last year, and it’s all thanks to Caroline. I did zero exercise before my mid 40s so it’s never too late.

Hope everyone else is getting similar success rates.

Welcome @Bw3344! Sounds like you have made excellent progress in just 8 weeks!

@wetpants I reckon the biceps will be worked by so many of the other exercises that maybe she doesn’t focus specifically on them?

I did Heat Day 6 this morning - first workout I have done where I had full jelly arms for quite a while after. Had to drop the weights for one of the later sets of chest press. Will do a short core and stretch this evening.

Did a run at the weekend and it was shocking. It was after Calisthenics on the day before, which was quite leg heavy. I felt great at the start, strong form and posture but very quickly tanked. Wondering if I am overdoing it a bit so may just do a regular run tomorrow and drop the intervals.

In other types of training I’ve done before, you do 3 weeks of progression then an easier week, repeat. As opposed to trying to progress all the time and to allow some rest.

Those who have completed a full EPIC etc - are weeks 4 and 8 any easier??

@BigButtons..... I agree with @Melassa - you should take it easy and pamper yourself until you're better.

etc......... whatever. Maybe some gentle stretching:

youtu.be/uxg_D4LFYXY

Hope you'll get on top of this

Hidihi @Bw3344 - great to have you on board

You are lucky, having discovered CG at such a young age!

The push ups will happen. Work on that core. Start with the Bowflex 3-minute plank and work up to Caroline's 15 Minute marathon...

I'm still not very good at push ups though...

Ladies can I join please?! I'm so happy I've found you! I started Caroline's workouts about 2 months ago, I'm 30 just turned but put on serious lockdown weight and was really unhappy with myself so I started with 5lb weights and now I'm up to 10lbs each arm for the most part (unless I cave)
I managed to do her 500 rep video last week and thanks to this thread I'm about to start the Beast Mode ones....
I feel much stronger and happier, I've lost over a stone and it's great to see other people doing the same to improve strength and conditioning!

Today would have been Epic Heat day 10 which is dumbell hiit. I just couldn’t face any lunges today at all so I skipped it and did one of CG’s standalone 20 min bicep session instead. I find she doesn’t include biceps that much in her workouts or am I imagining it?

Not pushing it (hear that @BigButtons) this morning clearly worked as I’m now feel ready for tomorrow’s Day11.

@BigButtons You are not listening, are you? NO bowflex, no LWR, no push ups!!!

@Melassa Thanks for the technique explanation. I’m also short waisted and have large’ish boobage…

From not being able to do a single pushup without going on my knees before summer, I can now do 12 in a row of a regular pushup though the last two is definitely shaky. And probably 3 tricep pushups in a row. This is all thanks to epic 1. I do gape though at CG bouncing up and down like a basketball during her pushup finishers.

My current ambition is to be able to do ONE push-up - standard pushup only....... I'm not even going to try anything else!! - ONE to every THREE of Caroline's. And do 15 (FIFTEEN) in total, one after the other.

Watch this space.

Though I may be some time...

@BigButtons you should be in bed eating cake. Sometimes a totally lazy day is really needed, especially when you have the remnants of a bug.

@wetpants I used to find push ups hard, but as @FlowerArranger says as my core improved so did my starting position on the push ups, which then improved my firm overall. I can only do the ones with my hands wide apart, as soon as I bring them in closer everything goes to pot!

Like the video I do yogi hands, as otherwise my wrists hurt. Also I’m further forward, as in my hands are slightly behind shoulder height, not directly underneath. Once I discovered the right starting position the rest improved fairly quickly. For full disclosure I go low but avoid touching the ground with the rest of my body as it unbalances me, so I kind of skim. I think my centre of gravity is off - I’m short waisted with biggish boobs - so as soon as I touch the ground completely I lose my balance completely. I think for some people push ups are harder, especially for some women and it’s not all about upper body strength.

@BigButtons You’ve really caught something nasty I’m going to go all mammy at you and tell you to just rest!! Lifting weights can wait for few days

I’ve tried doing pushups against a sofa but I find it just as akwards as the ones on my knees. I can manage few but not very graciously. I guess my arm stregth is still very poor. Sadness. My core has improved a long way but it’s not enough alone.

@FlowerArranger This is your safe space to boast

Thanks for the tips! I’ll search through the Bowflex link. Not tonight mind

I also follow Cory at Redefining strength on IG! I only started to follow her about a month ago. She sent me a personal message to ask what my goals are and we ended up having a convo. I know it’s all about marketing but I was still bit flattered as she has 92k following!

@wetpants - if ever there is a particular exercise I struggle with, I head to Redefining Strength. Cori has several videos on push-ups, including this one:

However, to do them you need a strong core and strong arms. Caroline's workouts will in time give you the latter, but what really did it for me was the Bowflex 3 minute plank. Should be easy to find but the link is in one of my posts above. Do it evert single day and it makes a huge difference. As in, I can now do Caroline's 15 minute plank workout without breaking a sweat. And I'm not boasting, no Sirree........ LOL

I have progressed in many ways but I still can’t perform a single push up I don’t know what gives. Epic Heat is not going to work if I’m unable to perform any push ups. She has them seemingly on every set.

@Melassa I’m very impressed you can perform so many pushups!! Any tips? I dream of able to perform six in one go