Getting fitter and stronger with Caroline Girvan- all welcome!

Thanks, I’ll check it out!

Unilateral series is good, pretty sure it's 5 days

Thanks @florenceandthemac, yes the idea of revisiting did appeal and if it’s shorter I’m more likely do do so.

I’ve been doing random full body sessions in between, but I do like the structure of a series, just not too long a one. I started with Epic 1 and pretty much got to the end, but that was in the second lockdown so I had the time. Then I did Heat and Iron but couldn’t keep up the days so they all took a lot longer. I think CG has some other shorter series so I’ll try those after.

@Melassa I've not done the whole beastmode program (I rarely do the programs, I mainly only do her upper body workouts as I train my legs at the gym) but I really enjoy them. I like the fact you do 4 sets, as this is how I generally like to train. 4 sets of as heavy as I can. I think if I was to follow one of the programs start to finish, it would be Beastmode, then I'd do it again to see if I could go heavier. I need metrics to see I've made improvement!

I'm the same with the renegades, i have psoriatic arthritis too so my wrists and fingers can be very sore. I put my resting hand on a yoga block

Hello all, back after falling off the wagon big time over the summer (far too hot), then super busy with work I kept putting off getting back into it. I’ve now completed the Christmas series and have started Beastmode on YouTube. I was attracted to it as it was short, I did Heat last winter/spring and it took me 5 months to complete as I can only manage 3 days a week and not 5.

Has anyone done Beastmode? So far so good, on day 2 which was fairly taxing, but I’ve got used to shorter workouts. It does have a lot of the word intense in the descriptions, but doesn’t seem too bad yet. It’s only 10 sessions so I
should manage to complete it quickly, then I think there’s another short series. For the longer series I find life gets in the way too much, I don’t have a lot of free time during the day and I’m so not a morning person so a 6am workout is definitely off the cards!

for the renegade rows I put my hand flat on the floor, as I find it really uncomfortable on the weight. I have weightlifting gloves (with wrist splints!) but they don’t help make it any easier.

My core is relatively ok, fortunately, I've been doing Pilates with an excellent instructor for years.

I probably sound like a broken record........ but your upper body strength will increase exponentially if you work on strengthening your core!

Day 2 Beginners on the App done.

My upper body strength is completely terrible too. Although it always surprises me how quickly it improves if you stick with it.

I actually prefer holding the weight versus having my palm flat - straight wrist is much better for me than bent. Not that I'm back to doing RRs with Caroline yet. Having to have a day off after just the first 3 days of the beginner epic, bad DOMS.

If it's alternating renegade rows, I do one side for half the time then switch and have my other hand on a yoga block. Hand on my weight just hurts too much, it's like holding a parmesan grater.

I wear my cycle gloves too for things like renegade rows. They really help.
If you want to check your posture for doing them, balance a yoga block or book on your back whilst doing the exercises. If it doesn't fall off your posture is correct!

I use exercise gloves for things like renegade rows. Also, to do them properly, your core needs to be perfectly straight, i.e. you are not supposed to rock from side to side. Which is where the importance of a super-strong core comes in.

I did day 2 of Iron this morning which is upper body. Feeling it in my arms! I've now got a variety of dumbbells and interchanged them throughout the workout. I found the renegade ones - can't remember the proper name sorry - really flipping difficult and hard on my hands leaning on them. Determined to keep on though. I have no terrible upper body strength!

Hi everyone! I’ve fallen off the wagon for the last few months but am hoping to start again more consistently. My issue is that as soon as work gets hectic or I catch a cold etc, I stop training and then don’t get back into it straight away.

As i have the App, I was wondering whether to do Unleash in real-time but have now decided against it. I will struggle to train 5 times a week and I really need to get my strength up again. So I’ve started doing the Beginners Programme on the App (again!). Day 1 done today and I really enjoyed it.

I got my current weights from FB marketplace as it happens! Though the petrol I expended may well have been more than it was worth...

@herbaceous I've always managed to get lots of weights from Facebook Marketplace, if that's any use to you. There's lots of people that sell barely used equipment

Try Factory Weights and Argos for reasonably priced dumbbells.

I‘m with you re. bizarrely enjoyable, @herbaceous … 😹

Only started CG in December, and was enjoying it before extended break due to illness and then being away for Christmas! Back on it today, with one of her 20-min full-body numbers. Could barely walk afterwards, but it is bizarrely enjoyable.

Am going to look out in Aldi, Lidl etc for bargain heavy weights...

@ladybranstonpickle that's some good advice about the mind muscle connection. It's very important and you are night slowing down the action helps. I use 12,5kg for some leg workouts but don't really want my legs to get much bigger now so not sure about going heavier even if it's possible with wristbands!

I did in Epic 1 when she used 10kg for nearly everything but certainly not for later programmes. Generally around 70% of her weight, possibly will be even less with Unleash!

@samthebordercollie i absolutely loved Iron. No HIIT (which I do but really don't enjoy much) and a big emphasis on muscle-mind connection/pristine form. I don't match her weights, at least not often! I'm at about 75% of hers but could prob go a tad heavier but lack the right weight dumbbells. For example, when she uses 15kgs I use my 10kgs, but that's because I don't have any 12kgs. If my weights feel too light I try to slow down the exercise and really focus on my form - that's how you make the most of the weight even if its not as heavy as you could go.

@samthebordercollie do you try and match Caroline's weights?

@ladybranstonpickle I was thinking of doing Unleash but I think I'd better try Iron 2 before. I'm not used to lifting very heavy (20kg for lunges 😱) and Unleash goes heavier than Iron 2 if wristbands are recommended. It's interesting to see how Caroline's programmed have developed from Epic 1 through to the latest programs!