Page 2 | EPIC!! Losing, gaining and groaning with Caroline Girvan

milkfromthesleepycow · 28/04/2022 11:34

That does sound sensible. I find it hard to stop before a series is finished (although normally that's on Netflix so this is a new experience!)
Will concentrate on yoga for a week or so and then try from day 42 again.
Thanks for the advice- I'm off to Google deloading now!

Original poster

BigButtons · 28/04/2022 10:17

Hi@milkfromthesleepycow I totally get the being tired and not performing as you wish. I would suggest taking a deload week. Exercise gently- lower the weights, or do something completely different, walking, gentle cardio. Your body is telling you it needs a rest and it’s really important that you listen to it🙂

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milkfromthesleepycow · 28/04/2022 08:22

Hi

After some advice from the experts please! I've been reading this thread for inspiration since the beginning of the year.

I'm on my second time around of doing epic 1. First time completed up to week 10 then life got in the way and I had a break for a few weeks and decided to restart.

I've really enjoyed it up (both times) and have managed to progress from using 3kg weights at first to a mixture of 5.5 and 7.5kg.

But now I'm struggling a lot! Just started week 10 and it feels too hard! I'm stopping early in a lot of sets whereas before I was mostly finishing each exercise and I'm a bit deflated.

Not sure whether to push on to the end or drop the weights a bit or just take a break then try a new series?

Original poster

BigButtons · 27/04/2022 12:03

@Melassa she lifts crazy heavy in this series. I can just about manage 12 kg for chest, but i don't think i do it well so often switch down to 11 and that's tough enough. Sometimes i can use to 3/4 of her weights for legs and some arms. Mostly it's 2/3 though. I can often match her when she uses 4 or 3 kg.

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GregBrawlsInDogJail · 27/04/2022 10:16

I totally did wuss out and did session 11 instead of 10. Just good old fashioned weighted squats and crunches.

Melassa · 26/04/2022 22:04

Oh my 2.0! Burpees in public? I could never do that! 😱😱😱I’m a grimacing and grunting mess. Strictly in private!

Melassa · 26/04/2022 22:02

Oh my! I just saw the weights! 17.5kg for a chest press! I can barely manage 8!

Melassa · 26/04/2022 22:00

My Fitbit also complains about lack of calories burned. What does it know? I’m really sore from the leg session yesterday so it must have done something.

just about to embark on Day 2 upper body, waiting for my glass of wine to wear off. Contemplating drinking the foul BCAA powder as it’s supposed to help. Not that I’ve noticed!

GregBrawlsInDogJail · 26/04/2022 13:30

Sadly @BigButtons I'm travelling for work right now - although I normally work out at home, tonight it's the gym or nothing! I think I'm going to temporarily skip the day 10 Burpees and do day 11 quads and abs instead. I also feel like hammered shit after a terrible night's sleep so I think my chance of getting through 35 mins of Burpees is, well...

Hope those hamstrings are holding up.

Original poster

BigButtons · 26/04/2022 13:17

@GregBrawlsInDogJail bloody hell NO-ONE gets to see me do burpees. I suffer by myself in my sitting room. No way could I do that in a gym😮😮

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Original poster

BigButtons · 26/04/2022 13:15

@Melassa there are no jumps in iron. I like it- I can lift much heavier. It is slow and controlled. Hardly burns any calories though according to my badly calibrated Apple Watch😂😂.
I did day 17 this morning then an ab crunch session.
this afternoon is my mum’s cremation and I am madly trying to distract myself.

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Melassa · 26/04/2022 12:51

I finally got around to doing day 1 of iron yesterday, albeit with half CG’s weights. My thighs were trembly at the end and today my glutes are a bit stiff. Mind you I’d been on a long walk just before so maybe some tremble was from that. I’m determined to get home in time for day 2 this evening so I can keep some structure and not keep missing days.

So relieved there are no burpees in Iron!

GregBrawlsInDogJail · 26/04/2022 12:25

Epic 1 Day 9 full body for me yesterday. A good one which hit home. In theory, though, it does mean that I should do Day 10 today which is all burpee-based HIIT. And I just don't know if I can bring myself to do it in front of God, the gym and everybody.

Original poster

BigButtons · 25/04/2022 20:40

Day 16 iron for me today. OMG my hamstrings hurt, really hurt. I am not going to be able to walk easily tomorrow. The actually session was 30 mins of just RDLs and hamstring thrusts. It was tedious, not gonna lie. It was effective though! managed to use 13.5 kg for the rdls and just over 20 for the hamstring thrusts.
Can't believe I am actually using these weights. I went to Argos again this weekend and bought more weight plates 4x5kg so that I can push the weights up and have more flexibility with my existing adjustables. Never in a million years did I think I could do this. My forearm and grip strength are weak though and I finding holding the damn things for a whole minute really hard. It will improve though, slowly.

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Lzzyisgod · 24/04/2022 09:28

Day 6 and 7 of iron completed this weekend 🙌 💪

Forgotmypasswordsgain · 23/04/2022 19:30

After a longer break from exercise than planned, back to epic endgame today with day 46 upper body. My 5kg weights (CG 9kg) seemed very heavy after 2 weeks off from weight training but glad to get back into the exercising routine. Bulgarian lunge and press-up days to look forward to this week. I might struggle to fit in my usual weekly 4/5 workouts as we picked up our new rescue dog on Monday but at least I’ll up my step count instead. Annoyingly, I don’t seem to be able to post from my phone after the mumsnet update.

Original poster

BigButtons · 22/04/2022 12:55

@GregBrawlsInDogJail repetitions can be tedious, but I find those are the ones that are the most effective!

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GregBrawlsInDogJail · 22/04/2022 10:08

Day 8 Epic 1, all arms. Quite enjoyed it actually, and managed nearly all of it with my 7.5kgs. I think it might be time for me to order the 10kgs...

I can't believe I've become someone who is positively squeeing at the prospect of ordering a new pair of dumbbells. I also can't believe what weights have done for my abs, when it wasn't like I wasn't fit before.

Lzzyisgod · 21/04/2022 20:25

Day 5 iron. The biceps and triceps I was rocking tbrough with 6kg but oh the abs the abs.

I swear I found ab muscles I've never used

GregBrawlsInDogJail · 21/04/2022 18:19

It was one of the few I haven't liked as well tbh, because after every exercise I knew I had ANOTHER two sets of lunges coming up and it eventually got boring and annoying. I do prefer her no- or minimal-repetition sessions.

GregBrawlsInDogJail · 21/04/2022 18:00

I still hurt. A lot.

Original poster

BigButtons · 21/04/2022 17:15

@GregBrawlsInDogJail that day is one of her toughest ever IMO! Well done on getting through it!

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GregBrawlsInDogJail · 19/04/2022 22:30

Day 7 of Epic 1 today for me. MANY LUNGE. SO OW.

Melassa · 18/04/2022 22:58

Wow @BigButtons, really impressed with your weights. 14kg is a lot! I too have sore wrists when I increase to heavier weights, which is one reason I started dialling down the weights after pulling my wrist during a skull crusher. I bought some support gloves but they don’t help at all.

I will give Iron a go in a week or so, still building up and getting back in after my long rest period. I like the control element of it, the first Epic really helped with my back pain as my core was braced due to having to control all the movements, something I lost a bit as I progressed up the weights and relaxed a bit too much!

Original poster

BigButtons · 18/04/2022 22:19

Also the deal with iron is that it is slow- sometimes only 8 reps I’m a minute- that is the focus- allows you to go heavy and also check form.
On the biceps yesterday I was still only using 5kg but realised that I was using my traps to help lift. Once I pushed them down boy did that make a difference to how hard my biceps worked. They really stung!

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