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Original poster

Anyone else doing Caroline Girvan's EPIC programme?

894 replies

BigButtons · 22/07/2021 15:50

I thought I was pretty fit and toned. I have exercised consistently most of my life: weights, cardio, hit, running etc ( now 53). I have just finished day 8 of EPIC and feel like a complete wuss. It was the lunges one. I wanted to be sick even though I was standing infront of a large fan the entire time.
How do people actually manage to get through these? I have just looked ahead to the burpee day and feel like I am simply not up to this. Sad

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FlowerArranger · 13/08/2021 14:57

The only break you get is what you get if you finish quickly enough before the next minute starts... ShockConfusedGrin

Melassa · 13/08/2021 14:20

So that’s what EMOM means! Well, I will be avoiding those too in the short term. Did the glutes and abs today, again not too bad but boy, do I hate the hip thrusts. Some exercises just annoy me and that is one of them. I look forward to the full body tomorrow and will be choosing my LIIT wisely to follow. Thanks to @BigButtons for all the warnings!

PS. I could never do a handstand as a child either, the extent of my gymnastic ability was forward and backward rolls. God, I hated gym!

Original poster
BigButtons · 13/08/2021 13:07

I'm with you all on the handstands!

Well I did a low impact CG hiit. Stupidly I did not take enough notice of the title which said 'extreme'.
Turns out it was an 'emom' one whereby you repeat 3 exercises to given reps in a minute- each circuit is 10 minutes. The only break you get is what you get if you finish quickly enough before the next minute starts.
Having bottled out of the first hiit I decided I couldn't bottle out of another one. Didn't manage the crazy leg lift press ups. Just did normal ones on my knees.

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Gherkingreen · 13/08/2021 13:00

@Melassa Glad it's not just me with the handstands! Couldn't do them as a kid let alone a 6ft perimenopausal woman Grin

Melassa · 13/08/2021 12:25

Yes, I was planning on doing one of the Growingannanas ones, I have it saved in my iPad. I have most of your refs saved on different tabs Smile so I can go back to them when I have less time.

FlowerArranger · 13/08/2021 12:22

@Melassa - one of the reasons I love GrowingAnnanas is the fact that her low impact HIIT complement Caroline's more intense workouts. I often have 'intermediate' days where I focus on HIIT plus one of Caroline's shorter workouts.

As for handstands - no, just no! Pistol squats ditto Shock And I'm happy if I can do ANY kind of push-ups with reasonably correct form, instead of some of the crazy variations.

Enjoy your hols Smile

Melassa · 13/08/2021 10:48

Ha! Thanks for the warning! The lunge jumps are what hurt my knee a couple of weeks ago. I think I will opt for a low impact too.

I will shortly be doing glutes, our hike has been postponed as DP is feeling tired (from doing nothing) so we are going to the beach again.

@Gherkingreen I think CG assumes we are all super sporty and more agile than we are, I can’t do handstands either (or half the push up varieties, or the dreaded pistol squats). Apparently she’s toned it down for later series and dropped the handstands and some if the fussier stuff. Thank goodness.

Original poster
BigButtons · 13/08/2021 09:10

right wittering on to myself- just for accountability really- got 20% into today's hiit which seems to consist solely of very dangerous looking lunge jumps, curtsey jumps and push ups at great speed. I have stood staring at the screen mostly. I would become a cripple if i did any lunge jumps or push-ups without carefully checking my form. off to find her non impact alternative.......

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Original poster
BigButtons · 13/08/2021 08:46

Please excuse typos- I haven’t woken up properly and my phone is filling the gaps!😆

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Original poster
BigButtons · 13/08/2021 08:45

@Gherkingreen I thoughts I was pretty fit too! It’s a shocker. The first week of Epic was the most challenging- hence me starting this thread. I think it was because my musicales weren’t strong enough and my head wasn’t used to the pain levels🤣.
It’s still very challenging- day 25 today- but I am so much stronger than I was five weeks ago.

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Gherkingreen · 12/08/2021 17:41

I tried one out after seeing this thread. Omg her workouts are mad! I'm pretty strong and fit (ish) but 45 mins of legs and glutes left me finding stairs a challenge the next day Grin.
However, I did feel like I'd achieved something so will be going back for more.
None of the handstand things though, what's all that about?!

Original poster
BigButtons · 12/08/2021 17:33

Did the hour- was of course interrupted part way through- par for the course- it was ok actually and I even managed to work with 6.5kg dumbbells for all but some of the arm ones, which considering I was on 4's when I started shows strength gains. I sweated like I'd been in a sauna though!
I hate the maker.

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FlowerArranger · 12/08/2021 17:00

@Melassa - why not just do one of Caroline's quick ones?

Or one of these super short tabata workouts from Anna:

Have fun!!

FlowerArranger · 12/08/2021 13:10

You all are pretty impressive and I’m impressed!!!

I do 1.5-2 hours most days. Usually Anna + Caroline, plus one or two of my favorite Rebecca and/or Lucy mini-sessions.

One think I’m not sure about: when the burpees or push-ups get a bit much I tend to ‘modify’ and power on. Wondering whether it might be better to take a short break and try and do it all ‘properly’…

Original poster
BigButtons · 12/08/2021 12:36

Wow @FlowerArranger that’s pretty impressive!
@Melassa it wasn’t that it was silly hard just I had no mojo at all and couldn’t be arsed to put in the effort.
Three hours hiking on top of glute and abs would be a big ask for me. Well done on the swimming.
I have a tendency to overdo things so being strict about just sticking with Epic is a good thing otherwise I would be silly and the. Give up because I had done too much.
There were hardly any test periods for the whole 50 minutes glutes😱
I feel very tired .
I suspect that I am not eating enough . Well I am eating what I normally do but now I have basically 5 hours hard core exercise to fuel and I am not doing that properly.
It’s the full hour for me today. No teens to sit on the sofa next to me putting me off and asking the questions that teens ask, so it might be better.🙏🏼😳

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Melassa · 12/08/2021 12:18

Oh my! You had the energy for all that? I just did CG shoulders and core today and will probably swim this afternoon (DD has got into racing me and, disconcertingly, now beats me). Maybe I’ll do some yoga before bedtime, but we’ll see. Tomorrow we have a 3 hr hike planned (shortest one in our trail book!) and it’s glutes and abs day 23 in Epic. Not sure whether to do it before we leave or just skip a day. I am loath to skip too much as I’ve got into the habit now, but reading what @BigButtons wrote about it I am tempted to just skip it.

We will see how I feel tomorrow.Wink

FlowerArranger · 12/08/2021 12:02

How are you all doing?

I’ve been focusing on sweaty HIIT with GrowingAnnanas and Caroline’s Beast Mode. Plus a little Rebecca for light relief…

Photo summary of what I did today Grin

Anyone else doing Caroline Girvan's EPIC programme?
Original poster
BigButtons · 11/08/2021 17:35

Yes- I find when I don’t drink I don’t get the sweats- I need to drink less often that’s for sure.
Well I didn’t enjoy that abs/ glutes session much. My heart wasn’t in it and my teens kept interrupting me. I did finish it eventually but hated every second . It was me, not CG. I wasn’t in the right head space . Tomorrow’s another day- should dread the full hour but since every workout’s been nearly an hour I won’t know the difference 😂

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Melassa · 11/08/2021 15:35

More brutal? 😱 is that even possible?

On a semi positive note I woke up in a sweat early this morning, and only then I noticed it hadn’t happened in the last few nights, so the HRT must be working as I’m sleeping better. I had a cocktail followed by a glass of wine yesterday, it might have been that setting it off. It looks like I will need to limit myself to the occasional single glass instead of quaffing daily 😢

Original poster
BigButtons · 11/08/2021 15:25

I don’t mind glutes really.
I am able to do these long ones because I am on school holidays. It will become more difficult once I start back in three weeks.
I would love to finish Epic but might have to choose epic heat( god help me) as the sessions are shorter but of course more brutal 🥴😱😮

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Melassa · 11/08/2021 15:01

Yes they do! I noticed that too! They are creeping up towards all being an hour long, not just the full body. If they get any longer it might be problematic keeping them up when I’m back at work, as I’ve been doing them in my lunch break but I also need time to shower and eat.

I look forward to arms and abs tomorrow, my shoulder is finally better. Not looking forward to glutes, there are so many exercises that just set my teeth on edge, even if it particularly hard. I don’t know why.

Original poster
BigButtons · 11/08/2021 13:10

@Melassa well done! I agree that it got tiring very quickly. I had shoulders and abs yesterday which wasn’t too awful. Today is glutes and abs so more hamstring pain for me🥴🥵.
The workouts seem to be getting longer as well😲

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Melassa · 11/08/2021 12:39

Did the day 21 leg hell today, at first it seemed not too bad, but it got quite tiring on the later exercises. Is it just me or did she do the wrong leg in series 2 of the uneven lunges? Off to the lakeside this afternoon to wallow and bob about on my giant inflatable to rest my tired muscles.

I’ve made some Japanese red bean slices to nibble on as a snack, hopefully this will up my protein during the day (although there is some sugar but I’m turning a blind eye to that!).

QueenLagertha · 09/08/2021 21:10

@BigButtons gosh that was tough 🥵 my legs are like jelly. Wish I hadn't taken such a long break. It feels like I'm starting all over again!!

Original poster
BigButtons · 09/08/2021 18:52

@Melassa- that sounds sensible! Lucky you having some sun- it's rubbish here. I take vit d everyday as a matter of course.
I am going to get the foam roller out later- stretches won't be enoughHmm. Thing is it didn't look hard at all, but it is basically 3 minutes solid exercise with a minute off, for 50 minutes.

@QueenLagertha let us know how that goes!Smile

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