Anyone else doing Caroline Girvan's EPIC programme?

@BigButtons do you meal prep? I find that helps a lot. I plan my vague day out and then look at what I'm missing/over on then adjust where I need to. I am very dull though, I always eat the same breakfast and a variety of 5 or 6 different lunches. I do vary my evening meals though!

I can see how it might look time consuming and at the start it can be. I hit a 500 day streak on MFP yesterday so have all my meals saved and it takes me about 3 minutes a day now if that.

I would start out by trying to hit your calories and protein for a couple of weeks. See how you get on and then look at carbs and fat. Protein was a game changer for me, it fills me up and stops me getting hungry.

I also often work out first thing on an empty stomach. I know I shouldn't but I find it takes more time to eat and then wait to digest and would rather get my exercise done.

I don't use any supplements.

Today I did beastmode day 9 full body. Was more manageable than yesterday's chest and triceps. Rest day tomorrow for me!

@Melassa I don't recall pistol squats at all in epic 2. Skullcrusher pushup was my nemesis for ages, but they do get easier!

@BigButtons I do macros. It took me a while to get my head around but I love it now. Once you get an idea of what is high in protein, carbs etc it becomes much easier. I aim for calories first, then protein then usually carbs and fats fall in line. I highly recommend the macros inc Facebook group, they are really helpful and have a lot of good info and will check your macros (if you work them out on their website first). I had lost 3 stone but then struggled with the last 10lb but macros have helped with that a lot. I can honestly see myself eating like this forever. I just use the free version of MFP, no need to pay. You can change the % of p/c/f, it won't be exact (have to pay for premium for that) but is near enough.

@wetpants I am a figure skater and the whole of epic has really helped my skating. My legs are so much stronger! I should do pistol squats more as I know they'd help me get deeper into my spins.

Push ups - how TF does one get off the ground with a skull crusher push up? Surely that defies the laws of physics?

Chest and triceps completed, pleasantly tired but not really sweaty. I might squeeze in an abs session. Or maybe not. I saw where overzealousness got me last time. I will go out for a brisk walk instead.

Yes! The horror of not being able to do stuff anymore! Stuff that was always so easy! I’m finding it hard resigning myself to being less agile and less strong, which is why I perhaps push myself too much and pull muscles unnecessarily (weak left shoulder, I hear you @BigButtons).

I’d not heard about BCAAs, but I was told by a PT back in the mists of time to never exercise on a completely empty stomach, which for me is a challenge in the mornings, not enough time to eat, digest and exercise before rushing off to work. I also reduced my running by a lot as it was eating into my muscle store and I started looking very skinny and wiry (read shrivelled) instead of ripped.

I will look into where I can buy supplements, thanks for the heads up.

@Melassa - I'm not into supplements (other than calcium, vitamins etc.) and hadn't heard of BCAA, which it seems are a ‘muscle insurance policy’ for endurance athletes, according to this article:

www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/why-you-should-consider-bcaa-supplements/

I usually work out in the morning, one and a half hours on an empty stomach. According to the above, though, this is not a good idea because “the body is essentially pulling BCAAs from muscles during exercise if it needs them for energy production; thus you break down muscle tissue to supply energy, which isn’t good.”

Just wondering whether you guys take BCAAs? What experiences have you all had with this?

As for pistol squats: I used to ice skate as a teenager and at the time found them easy-peasy. Imagine my horror when I realised that I can no longer do them. Okay, it's been 50 years, but still... LOL

Hi bigbuttons, I found that Epic I did get progressively harder. I found it very manageable at the beginning but was much tougher towards the end. For me, epic heat, the circuit series and beastmode are all about the same standard (albeit slightly different formats) to the end of epic I.

Of course I think the weights we choose makes a huge difference. For the chest and triceps today, I had a whole range and often changed dumbbells according to how I was managing.

Good luck for the full body today! 🍀

These sound great!

Placemaking to come back to when not injured!

Did beastmode lower body yesterday (quads sore now) and the chest and triceps session today. For the first time I didn't do the finisher as there was no way my body could do anymore push ups....and they were dead stop ones. it was a really tough workout.

I also tried the Rebecca louise lower abs yesterday (thank you flowerarranger). Was a different format to what I'm used to and liked it apart from her constant stream of chatter which I found quite annoying.

@Melassa I was too worried I might injure myself so didn’t persevere with them. And like SophieLion I wasn’t sure how it was suppose to feel and felt bit confused how to do it.

I haven't actually done epic 2 Melassa so can't vouch it's pistol squat free! But certainly I don't remember them at all in epic heat nor the recent one week programs. I struggle with them because I have a bad knee and I just cannot put all my weight on one leg in that way.

That's so true about ice skaters wetpants. And they make it look so easy and graceful!

I was also confused by the bridge jumps as to which part of me was supposed to be working. I think it must be a combo of quite a few muscles with focus on core abs glutes.

@wetpants I find the bridge jumps hard too, maybe it’s a lack of core strength. I’ve done loads if core exercises now and in the past, but I still think I’m missing some strength there. I can no longer get my legs up in the air when doing a freestanding headstand, whereas I was doing them on the beach only a few years ago.

Despite of my fears I really enjoyed the 40 min glutes session this morning! I bet my buns will be on fire later on though 😨

There was one exercise I couldn’t do, single leg bridge jump. I tried but found it really hard. I wonder if it’s lack of core or glutes strength?

Re: pistol squat, I’m not strong enough to do it yet but I’ve set it as my personal challenge to try to master it - eventually! I know look at all those ice-skaters with new eyes and new found respect. Imagine doing pistol squat on skates, spin around several times whilst at it and then just glide off like it was no big deal

Well, I did the lunge workout today, taking it more slowly than I would normally have done, and you were right @BigButtons, it wasn’t so bad. I also did 6kg and didn’t find it too taxing. The ironic thing is yesterday I did a yoga session with lots of one leg balances (I like them to “reset” my back and posture) and my bum was feeling it a bit this morning, goodness knows what I’ll feel like tomorrow.

For the pistol squats I just kicked out my leg with a faint bend in the opposite knee. Glad to hear they’ve been weeded out of later sessions @SophieLion, I will look forward to a pistol free EPIC 2 (if I manage to get through the first one!).

I will say I have noticed an increase in strength from when I started, but I still have a long way to go to reach former levels (for eg. I can no longer do a pull up, whereas I used to manage one and a half a couple before), I hadn’t realised how much strength I’d lost, I was convinced I was still fairly fit. Ditto for cardiac capacity, I now get tired sooner or feel sick during intense HIIT routines, it never used to happen before. I guess I will never reach my fitness levels of, say, 10 years ago, let alone my 20s/30s.

Yes girvan's EMOM is unbelievably tough. I never look forward to those sessions!

I also like Tim senesi and cat Meffan for yoga. I feel Tim explains things really well and focuses a lot on form. Plus he has a great sense of humour. Cat Meffan I enjoy because she always does very creative original routines and I never get bored.

Today I am supposed to be doing beastmode day 7 (lower body). I hope that will happen!

Melassa. - pistol squats are really tough but I've noticed she doesn't really use them in her more recent workouts/programs. Remember them popping up a few times in epic. Perhaps the feedback was that they were too hard. Also remember an upper body session in epic with handstands and they've not appeared again either.

You know what BigButtons You mentioned lunges on blocks which gave me an aha moment. Monday’s work out included those and that must be the reason why my buns are still killing me!

I haven’t ached like that for a long time but I’ve never used yoga blocks for lunges either.

I did my favourite yoga sequence (by Adrianne) this morning. Tomorrow is glutes day by CG, scared already

I got halfway through Caroline's relentless EMOM HIIT EPIC 45 today... doing about half of what she does. Decided to divert to some more sedate arms and abs stuff. Still managed to get in 90 minutes of pretty solid work, so feeling quite virtuous.

I too cannot stand RL's inane chatter. "Look I've taken you to Bali!!!" And Alfie this and Alfie that. Poor chap has cancer, sadly. But there's always Penny...

I deal with it - and Caroline's and Anna's music, which isn't to my taste - by turning down the volume to very low - so I can still hear the beeps - and I listen to Radio 4, or 3. I guess I'm showing my age here