Getting fitter and stronger with Caroline Girvan- all welcome!

@prescribingmum - I find Rebecca Louise's Stretch very useful. Redefining Strength also has a lot of stretch advice.

@milkfromthesleepycow - Redefining Strength has a lot of advice about the correct way of doing push ups. Though I still struggle with anything other than basic push ups...

No advice, only sympathy @Lelivre!
Did EPIC 1 (almost twice!) and now iron- still can't do a proper push up! Not even one
I have progressed to 2/3 of a push up, which is something I guess

Can anyone help or advise please?

I've just done epic heat 48 (push-ups) and whilst I know I'm a beginner (my first program) and very high on the scale for hypermobility (which is always going to go against me, I know that) I am so fed up that I haven't progressed further with push-ups.

I am such a lightweight, I did all of them on the stairs or my knees except for the plank based ones and cobra's. I can't get as deep as I would like either. Dead stop for example, isn't happening!!!

I really thought I had improved my strength but no. The best I can say is that I've graduated from wall push-ups.

I am under a physio and have a new program for my upper body, but I feel like I will never get there with push-ups.

Any advice please?

I was on day 6 iron today too. Agree it was a lot of lunges. Found I was stopping before the timer by a good ten seconds. Think iron might be one for repeat and progression? I am enjoying it more than epic 1. The half hour time fits nicely with other things I'm trying to achieve!

@prescribingmum I'm sure there are plenty of free options on YouTube, but I use the Down Dog yoga app which is about £15 for a year, and I do flexibility-focused yoga - you can set both the length and focus of your session, and even add a boost if you want to focus on a particular joint or area (I usually do a hip flexor boost because of all my running and desk work).

Thank you, just had a very half hearted attempt at D6 Iron Series.
I hated the volume of lunges, I am not one that has avoided or hated them in the past. For the first time, my knees are also getting sore too so I think I will look at substituting some for another exercise
Any stretching video recommendations? I really need to improve before I injure myself

Thank you @BigButtons, both finally back to school/preschool and I am starting to get back to routine. I need to invest in a resistance band so skipped Iron day 3 but have gone onto 4 and 5. Hopefully will be able to get one this weekend so can go back to glutes day 3.

Trying to keep up with some core work in the background too and maintain 10k steps per day to keep baseline activity high

Yeah I was doing them right at the end of the routine after my biceps and triceps had been merrily caned for 35 minutes. I'm blaming that. I could probably do at least a few if they were right at the start. 😉

Do they get better @BigButtons ? My dips are fine now and I can do tricep presses etc. but the push ups elude me still.

Me neither. Tricep push ups I barely bend at the elbow, or I fall down. Skull crushers push ups, I don’t get off the ground. If I start off the ground, I fall on my face.

you are not the only one. I was beginning to think I was missing a muscle.

I CANNOT DO TRICEP PUSH UPS. Normal full push ups, fine. Tricep push ups, nope. And skull crusher push ups, fuhgeddaboudit. I can just about do 5 if I do them on my knees. Aaargh.

Endgame day 43 yesterday - poxy hipthrusts! Lots of sumo deadlifts too. My upper body looks fine, as I am pretty toned and don't really carry any weight there. Legs still look a bit shit, but very slowly improving.

Oy vey, I still hurt from those lunges on Monday. Badly need a flexibility yoga session somewhere.
Epic 1 Day 18 later, chest and abs.

After a great start last week, I completely stopped due to ill children. Both children got chicken pox simultaneously so we've had lots of sleepless nights and general all round exhaustion.

Seem to be heading towards recovery at last so hoping to get back onto it tonight/tomorrow morning. Iron day 3 awaits!

@minimini358 that might just be me. I can’t seem to let go of the carbs or wine. But I am very firm 😄

@GregBrawlsInDogJail i also get my HR up a fair amount doing weights at speed. I think with the other series I spent the week dreading the Sunday hideous HIIT session, it’s been refreshing not worrying about it with Iron.

Ps. My HR hits the upper end of my cardio zone when I do a weights workout, so I reckon it's contributing to my cardio fitness too.

Epic 1 Day 17 for me: basically 40 minutes of lunges. Owwww.

I'm sticking with Epic 1 for the moment; it's giving me what I want and I like knowing that at this pace I'll basically have fresh Caroline to do until I retire 😁maybe I'll even do a HIIT tomorrow instead of going for a run.

I think I'm gonna swap to heat, you ladies have convinced me! Definitely don't want to go up a dress size!

I too want that leaner look, which is why I was thinking of going back to Heat after Iron finishes. I’m very toned and firm, but I seem to have gone up a dress size 🤔A few Heat sessions might help with that (as well as a decreased appetite because it’s so bloody hot here!).