Lifting with Caroline Girvan 2024: What's not to love?!

@DreadPirateRobots ah ok maybe I've never noticed this I've been doing them on random days when I started so maybe the structure will become more obvious when I start on consecutive days.

Most CG series do have that structure though? Monday is a leg day, Tues is upper body, Weds will vary in focus but usually mops up anything not covered on Mon and Tues and has some core, Thurs is always full body and Fri is generally a HIIT. That's true of her YT programmes anyway, I don't use the app.

I'm currently working my way through Epic III and have previously done Epic Heat, both of which have the structure above.

Hi all, I found CG on YouTube after coming off a paid app that would post dumbbells workouts for home use. I need to watch finances at the moment.

I've worked through the Iron series on YouTube and enjoying it. I substitute push-ups with other exercises and do some of the lunge heavy workouts bodyweight only (of which I have enough). I use 5-7.5kg for upper body but could do more, just don't have any at the moment.

What I am missing is the routine of e.g. Monday = upper, Tuesday = lower, Wednesday = core etc as this was how my other app worked.

Do most people here work through the different series? I was wondering whether I should build myself a routine. Has anyone for any favourite programmes they keep going back to for the different muscle groups? I only have access to YouTube though.

Thank you.

I am ok with squats but I am not good at push ups and I have very short legs but a long upper body, my centre of gravity feels really off. I have good core strength and my arms aren’t weak but I can’t do more than a few!

@roundcork as others have said, Advent is 20 mins per workout and then you have Iron and Heat both programmes have sessions of 30 mins.
@Cherryblossom81 glad you are enjoying Endgame! Caroline does love her push ups, doesn't she! If you can't do them at all, then start by putting your hands on a bench or chair instead of on the ground. That will help train your arms. Doing push ups on your knees is a waste of time. Another tip when you do push ups with hand on the floor is to spread out your fingers out. It really helps a lot! Push ups are easier for shorter people if that's any comfort, there is less leverage require - I'm tall 😅There are loads of videos on You Tube which can help with push up technique.
And make sure you eat enough. I took a photo of my back recently and it's horribly skinny, I didn't realise as the scales are the same but all the bones are sticking though and it doesn't look healthy at all 😱. Muscle is very hungry, so make sure you feed it!

Yes and she has the advent series that's 20m or less

She does loads of 20 min ones on YouTube

Hello. Might be a bit off topic but although I love the workouts they’re just too long for me to fit into my day. I really need something that’s less than 30 mins. Does anyone have any suggestions? I run 5k twice a week and want to do strength on 3 more but I find CG is getting closer to 45-50

Just stumbled upon this thread. I started with CG in 2021 but late last year life took a change and I got out of the habit. I need to motivate myself. This thread is helping. Caroline is bloody fantastic

Thank you @samthebordercollie I've just completed the first week of Epic Endgame.

I'm feeling so hungry this week. It's frustrating as, although at healthy weight, I want to lose a few pounds, but maybe I need to listen to my body. I only eat around 1200 calories a day (quite short) but wondering if I might need a few more to fuel my body.

Has anyone got any tips for how to learn to do push ups? I just can't do them! (& Caroline really likes lots of variations on push ups!)

I have a cute 4kg in pink and my 6kg are purple.
For my more serious heavy weights I have metal, 😀

Also, beware of cheap 5kg weights as I’ve seen some in Tesco that were fricking HUGE and would really put me off using them. I like neoprene ones in the lighter weights.

I started with 2kg and 4kg. Now, after a year, I never use the 2 but still use 4s very regularly for things like laterals and rear delt flies.

I also have 7, 10 and a random pair of 30lb (13kg). To be honest although I do use the heaviest ones I’d still feel like I was getting a good workout with the 10s. I also have a barbell for hip thrusts but again, using 2x10kg would be fine. So I’d say use what you have and then keep an eye out at eg Argos or Lidl (my 10s were from there and a real bargain), or FB marketplace for some 4/5kgs and maybe some 7s. If I had to do a whole workout with just 4kg and 7kg I’d still feel it so that’s a really good place to work towards IMO.

I don’t lift very heavy either, 5kg on arms mostly and more on legs but sometimes just body weight.

I get mine on Amazon too

I've always just got my dumbells from amazon..they usually do a decent price for what I'm after.
I think I started with 4kg and 5kg with a pair of 3kg for things like lateral and frontal and bent over flies...which I'm still crap at now...I have managed to progress to using mainly 6kg and 7.5kg for most arm exercises(heavier on things like chest price and rows etc) that's taken time and most workouts I need to lower as the workout progresses,but I still cannot go heavier on those certain moves mentioned above!
I'm slowly trying to go heavier on lower body but again I struggle with feeling it in my lower back if I go too heavy.
I suppose we are all different and to go at are own pace.
Caroline's weights amaze me and some of the posters on here lift heavier than I think will be possible for me!

Where’s the best place to buy the dumbbells?

Hi everyone, it’s been a while since I’ve posted but I’m still lifting with CG! I finished Ultimate Beginner last week and following a recommendation up above I’m now into Iron.

Really enjoyed UB and highly recommend it to anyone just getting started. Iron is quite different, but not in a bad way. It’s definitely more challenging - most of the sets are 60 seconds for a start, rather than 45, and I find that 15 seconds makes a difference! It’s also interesting that you see Caroline sometimes actually taking a break during a set (fair enough, her dumbbells are heavy!) which you never saw in UB. In UB she never broke a sweat, but in Iron she definitely does.

I’ve only done 2 workouts so far - a (now resolved) medical emergency with my DS forced me to take a couple of days off - so I may take a little longer than 10 weeks to complete it, but I don’t mind that. I also have to have some dental work myself which might sap motivation levels, but I keep telling myself this is for life. Getting workouts in whenever I can is good, giving myself a rest is good, not kicking myself if I miss a planned workout is good, seeing CG rest and knowing a rest doesn’t have to derail me is good. Right?

I promised myself if I finished UB I would buy some more dumbbells. I have - please don’t laugh - 1.5kg, 2.5kg and 3kg. I kind of still need the 1.5kg on some of the arm exercises like Arnold presses, but for most of the other ones I’m comfortable on 2.5kg and 3kg, and I know for some of the lower body I could definitely go heavier. Any suggestions how heavy to go?

Went back to CG after a 3 week break. I have the most intense leg DOMS. Lesson: don’t have such a long break

@AtomicBlondeRose those frontal raises were brutal - I was using 4kg instead of 5 but was lifting to failure by the end of each set.
Did back and chest today, 27kg for the bent over row and I was really pleased to have been able to lift 12,5kg for the chest presses throughout the 10 sets. Started to lose the will to live with the 100 pullovers, they might be one of Caroline's favourite lifts but they certainly aren't mine!
One of the things I'm enjoying most is only having to get out a few weights. With Intent I was using just about every dumbell for each session not to mention wedges, band, bench, stability ball...the 10 x 10 is easy to prepare for and clear away after.

@BigButtons I have no cartilage in one knee and I think the other is going the same way. Having had a week off running weight lifting is so much easier and I have more energy, it's all good!
I did Day 1 of the 10 x 10 today, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be! I felt like a proper weight lifter with the long breaks between sets. Not sure I went heavy enough, I used 27kg for the sumo squats - I don't have a dumbelle heavier - 12,5kg to get full range of motion with the lunges and 10kgs for the elevated squats, the only one I matched CG on.
I did a lower body Mallorca bodyweight only as an add on and it felt harder than the 10 x 10. Love the Mallorca series as add ons!

So I did the upper body 10x10 yesterday, which was fine (except I had to switch to one dumbbell for frontals!) - but my god, I have such DOMS from the lower body, it’s unreal. And I never normally get any at all. Not sure if it’s the format or the fact it was my first weighted workout after a week of body weight, but I’m on my second day of them and it’s a bit annoying tbh as I’ve got lots of walking/summer holiday stuff to do. So be warned!