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

Silly boy adian and the caroline clone...Do my head in!
Fair play to them putting the work in but...obsessed?
He looked better before he got big imo

I think it’s interesting that she’s sort of gone so heavy that no beginner would even try to match the weights so it takes all that out of the equation.

I only have 25kg on my barbell because I started with a convertible set and it only holds about 30kg max. I know I could definitely go heavier on the hip thrusts by miles but it means getting a whole new set up so it’s just one of those things I keep putting off!

I’m hoping Max helps me trim down a bit because I’ve noticed since Rev ended and it’s been more piecemeal that I’ve put on a bit of fat. Can’t blame CG for that though as I’ve also been eating plenty of carbs and chocolate! But it’d be nice to tighten up round the waist a bit. My arms are quite big now which I like!

I just did day 1 of Max so here’s my report! It’s a real crowd-pleaser IMO and seems to have two aims - the first is clearly to provide an answer to the million-times-asked question of “what do I do after Iron?” 😂 It’s a similar length and pace so is definitely a good follow-on, but every day is a full body split so different in that respect (and no days full of nothing but Bulgarians hopefully.) The second, I would say (as part of this demographic) is to provide a workable, flexible programme for the “busy mum”-type woman who is probably the larger part of her audience. Caroline uses heavy weights for it so for a more experienced user it still provides the aspirational challenge but for someone who’s only done Iron it’d be really accessible. Also I LOVE that in her articles she’s emphasised that it’s fine to do it as and when, to be realistic and to work to what suits you - some sensible counterpoints against the fucking maniacs in the FB group and comments section I felt. Already people are freaking out about the rest day changing ffs.

I love the length of it and I matched weights for about 50% of the workout which left me quite chuffed - first ever chest press with my 15kgs (only for one set though). Same for squats as I couldn’t lift them to my shoulders for the other sets! Felt like a good workout after although once again made the mistake of looking at the comments to find shaking limbs, people dripping with sweat, fire emoji etc. I mean…not really. But I liked it and felt challenged.

She seems to be a genuinely nice person. I have huge respect for her.

So after day 4 of Calisthenics, I have a new understanding of body weight exercises and the range and variation that there can be. And I’ll certainly bear these workouts in mind next time I find myself in prison/kidnapped/in nuclear bunker post-apocalypse or similar. But otherwise I think I won’t be running back to them because to me they’re the deadly trio of long, hard and boring. No shade on CG who has put as much variety in as I think is possible, but they’ve made me very appreciative of the efficiency of weights workouts. After another 75 second set of some push up variation I was looking at the dumbbells longingly thinking I would have knocked this session out in half the time with a few weights. I’m glad I’ve tried them and it’s good to know about but short and sweet is more my style!

I think she looks great in the calisthenics videos. She is quite short I think so naturally a smallish build, and she is lean but I don’t think too lean personally. It’s a physique I think would be somewhat achievable myself which is of course part of the attraction of the workouts! I’d say if I paid proper attention to my diet I could look similar (and had nicer hair and bothered with fake tan!). But the trouble is I mostly eat well but then ruin it all with hot cross buns and chocolate and wine. Oh well, one must live. And I’d never dare wear all white like that because a) I am pale and b) I’d INSTANTLY sit on a red felt tip or pour a discarded cup of tea over myself.

I like Caroline's look too, she's lean and sculpted rather than bulky so she looks good in normal clothes as well as excercise gear. She never bulks and cuts like a lot of professionals/influencers/content creators, she is 'natty' and not out to impress anyone, she clearly loves what she does and isn't out to exploit people like a lot of on line trainers and influencers seem to be doing on social media these days. She could be making A LOT more money than she does, as well as having an easier time, by employing other trainers, for example, and exploiting the brand like BODI or Les Mills.
I have a lot of respect for her not selling out in this way.

I am still using Youtube, I love Carolines look, Really want her legs..however I see stills from the app on the FB group, and I actually think she is looking too lean right now.

Yes, I was really impressed by that article. I get very frustrated elsewhere online with people hyper-obsessing over grams of protein, timing of food, number of reps and so on, with the idea basically being if you don’t get it right, it’s useless. I mean, it CAN’T be the case that there’s only one way to get strong and healthy - there’s plenty of men in manual jobs who survive on beer and junk food (not stereotyping, this is based on real life observations!) who still manage to have plenty of muscle without doing any formal exercise.

I loved her point that even if you were lifting some weights at some point in the week, even if it wasn’t the optimal way of doing it, it was still more than the vast majority of people anyway and therefore beneficial! I remember on another thread someone was criticising Caroline because in their opinion her figure was less than perfect and so her workouts must be crap…er…I walk among the public on a daily basis and (without wanting to be sycophantic) she’s like an elite goddess compared to 99% of the people out there!

Oh yes please, start a new thread! 17,5kg is serious for pullovers and rows @BigButtons those are Caroline's weights! I'm up to 15kg for pullovers and normal single arm rows - not rotational and momentum rows.

I think it's the Americans who get up at 4am to exercise, it seems quite normal for them, judging by the US podcasts on exercise and nutrition I listen too. But but then they are in bed at 8 or 9pm every evening.

If anyone hasn't read it Caroline has written an excellent article on exercising in menopause and debunking pseudoscientists like Dr Stacy Sims who are making a fortune out of preying on vulnerable and often desperate menopausal women!

And the ones who get up at 4am to workout.

Not looking forward to the shorter workouts which bring out in droves the double-uppers, the “did that and went for a 10k”, the weighted vests and the “add-on abs”. Like they’re going to get gold stars from CG.

Hunny bunny isn’t around as much these days. Perhaps he weirded the admin out too.I call psychologist guy Mr Short Shorts.

Thanks sam for those subs,very useful to me.
"Silly boy" you know who does my head in, don't mind the wife but he annoys and tbh I'm not a fan of how muscly he is.
I know the 'rock on"hunny bunny guy you all mean but not seen him post in aaages.
The fb group does piss me off,yet I'm still in it!