Anyone else doing Caroline Girvan's EPIC programme?

weight lifting is very very important for women. My mum is having problems with brittle bones now in her 80s and I want to try and keep myself as strong and healthy as possible going forward

I would like to shout this from the rooftops!!
This is so, sooooooo important.

For those struggling with Caroline every day, I'd highly recommend doing HIIT with Growingannanas on alternate days. They compliment each other really well, particularly if you add in a short workout for legs, arms and/or abs.

I also like to do a daily minute plank:

Let's keep on encouraging each other

BigButtons you can do it! Please keep this thread going with your progress - we can all motivate each other!

Yes modify as much as you need! As Caroline says herself it is you vs you. I do find her FB community really supportive but there are some people who take it a bit seriously for me. Do what you can with what you have at your disposal I reckon!

I hate burpees so much, but I actually didn't find the burpee workout that bad (I won't talk about the EMOM right now ). But there are workouts that have genuinely taken me hours. For some I would just do 10 mins, then another 10 mins later etc until it was done. Can you maybe rest on your finger tips and step in lightly rather than jumping? I'm sure you'll find a work around anyway.

And glad you shared the Joan Macdonald guardian article @FlowerArranger what an inspiration she is

Should add as well I only use 3 and 5kg weights and have still seen excellent results. I have had 3 c sections and had zero core strength and now I have the start of abs.

Weight lifting is so good for women as we age I really cannot shout enough from the rooftop about this!

Epic is hard! But I promise it does get easier and the results are 100% worth it. I am more lean and toned than I've ever been and at my lowest weight as an adult.

I've done epic 1 and just finished 2 and absolutely never thought I would get to this point. I remember being like you in the first week thinking I was going to die but your strength improves so quickly.

I really can't recommend Caroline enough. Her workouts are so well planned and the results speak for themselves!

Over the last 9 months or so I’ve lost 2.5 stone by low carbing and during this spring started to lift weights too.
I’ve done CG’s stand alone sessions on and off, feeling much better about myself I started the 1 week Heat beginner and nearly died

I’ve attempted Epic but gave up on day 8 (I think). Not just because it was too hard, I also struggled to fit 45 mins into my morning routine. I’ve carried on doing her stand alone routines but planning on starting the Heat series after our holiday next week. 30 mins sessions fits in much better in my mornings. Bloody scared of it though!!! (dreading the burpees and the maker 😩)

So far I already have some visible muscle definition which is very encouraging and motivating. I hate her during the session but the first time ever I feel really good afterwards and have a kind of euphoria lasting all day. I never achieved that when I used to trudge along in the gym.

For the reference I’m 48 and permenopausal.

Well, if you do really tough strength work, your body will crave protein

I do my workouts in the morning, then eat 2 or 3 eggs and some fruit. Love eggs - lots of protein and only 70 calories.

It's all good - muscle mass weighs a lot more than fat, so use a tape measure, not just scales...

If you're a size 10/12 you are slim. I'm about the same. And yes, I also have a bit of a stomach pouch...

80% of abs are made in the kitchen, but even if the fat layer cannot be eliminated completely, just feeling your abs makes such a difference. If I were you I'd definitely focus on strength work.

In any event, there's only so much weight you can lose through cardio. I'd say at least 75-80% of my workouts focus on strength work, using both bodyweight and dumbbells.

I find if my abs are strong, I feel less hungry. Maybe it's psychological..

I love Caroline . I have wrist, back and knee issues and though exercise helped before, the improvement since starting Caroline’s programmes has been massive.

A definite yes to the wrist supports. I have nerve / ganglion issues. Also I find push up bars help with wrist pressure.

And always form before reps and weights. It took me years to build up to lunges thanks to arthritis is my knees, but I got there.

And I even did one slow tricep push up the other day, that has taken a year to build up to. Go me!!!!

I use a mix of 5, 8, and 15kg weights. No way could I lift as heavy as Caroline but I always choose to focus on what I can do, not what I can’t do.

As Caroline said, one good rep is worth more than several bad ones.

Keep going, it’s scary seeing some of the routines but the feeling when you realise you just made it through thirty minutes of burpees is amazing.

Our bodies are capable of so much more than we think.

Hi used to think Jillian Michaels was tough, but Caroline pushes you to go places you thought were impossible, and she makes it fun.

@BigButtons - absolutely substitute with more appropriate exercises if you find something difficult. I do it all the time, e.g. missing out the push-up in burpees and doing them way slower than CG does. Burpees are a killer - sometimes I just do mountain climbers instead.

If you have concerns about your wrists though, I'd urge you to see a physiotherapist for a couple of sessions, for advice on what you should or shouldn't do. I have very mild carpal tunnel syndrome in my left hand and I always use a brace when lifting weights.

I would also recommend Rebecca Louise and Lucy Wyndham Read for some good but less challenging routines. I particularly like these (I credit Lucy for my very strong skiers' legs...)

And this is brilliant for abs:

And Anna for HIIT:

Here is some more inspiration and encouragement for you:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jul/23/a-new-start-after-60-i-was-sick-tired-and-had-lost-myself-until-i-took-up-bodybuilding-at-71?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

'“People need to know, especially women, that you are not finished at 40, definitely not finished at 50 or 60 or 70. You can go on and on until the day there is no more,” she says. “And you should be able to do it with pizzazz.”'

Hey - you can do this!!

I absolutely love Caroline!
I was already pretty fit when I started with her 5 months ago, but she has taken me to an entirely different level.
I'm in my sixties but I'm fitter - and stronger!! - than most women half my age.
Yes, it's tough, it's challenging, but my God it works.
However I do not follow the EPIC programme religiously. I usually do one EPIC one day, and then something less challenging
the next day.
I like doing HIIT on alternate days, usually with Anna from Growingannanas. She's great too.
And I don't use anywhere close to her weights . Currently mostly 5kg, occasionally 7.5kg.
Part of her appeal is that she clearly know what she's doing and she emphasises the importance of good form. She explains and demonstrates each exercise really well.
Oh - and no shouting or fake enthusiasm!!

You are very motivated! I find my heart is willing, the energy levels are there....but my joints say Nope!

Sounds painful, that's why I do yoga