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

@Cherryblossom81 how is your back today? Hope it's better, but still best to take it easy on the weights for a while.
Does anyone else use wrist straps for heavy weights? I used them for the first time this morning, there were 3 sets of lunges with 15kg weights in today's Intent session and I used them for the last set - it was so much easier! They aren't good to use all the time as they prevent improvement in grip strength but they help get through all the sets. I noticed that even Caroline put hers on for the last set!

I did a chest and back from epic 1 recently that left me with some soreness that definitely didn't feel right.
Middle back and shoulder pain.
I did go heavier and think I just didn't lift with correct form.
I took a few days off(hated having to do so) then focused more on lower body and cardio until I felt ready.
The odd feeling lasted about a week.
Look after your self.

Yes, it was chest and back.

@AtomicBlondeRose definitely stick with Iron, it's a great programme to do before Intent. The longer lifting periods of Intent (often over 1mn) can be hard!

Thanks @thenewaveragebear1983

I've actually just got back from a walk (decided to not do next day of Iron today) and it seems to have eased. I do sometimes have lower back pain but this is in my mid-back and I wouldn't really describe it as pain as such (but definitely very noticeable!).

@Cherryblossom81 I also got some lower back twinges doing iron and I’ve never had back pain, so I dropped my weights and took a few days off. It has seemed to go away but it made me a bit cautious to be honest.

Morning all. I just wondered if it's obvious to know the difference between DOMS and maybe discomfort that's a sign I've done something wrong?

I'm a complete newbie to this type of exercise (last few weeks) but not experienced any DOMS at all yet. I did day 22 of iron yesterday (chest & back) and this morning I can definitely feel 'something' in my middle back.

I've got up this morning ready to do day 23 (in my new found love of the routine of working out first thing before family wake!) and I'm just not completely sure if this feeling in my back is good (DOMS) or maybe a sign that I did one of the exercises wrong and I shouldn't be feeling this?

Sorry, long post! I think if I was feeling this in my arms or legs I'd be less concerned, but more cautious with it being my back.

@florenceandthemac it’s £79.99 for the year - you get I think a week’s free trial to see if it’s for you.

Wow, @Cherrytreat, 6 stone! Well done you! I do like being able to really eat properly for maybe the first time ever? I realised I’ve been skimping myself my whole adult life really. Funny as I was overweight so taking in too many calories but because I was constantly trying to “save” calories and cut amounts from meals. Which left me hungry so I’d fill up on snacks and carbs. Crazy when you think about it but it’s just refreshing to just help myself to more dinner and eat an actual good portion of the real food instead of patting myself on the back for having less.

I’m so intrigued by Intent the more I hear about it! I do need a bit of an easier run so I think I’m right to stick to Iron before I do that but it’s definitely on my list next.

Morning all. How much is the CGX app?

I really wasn't enjoying Intent the first few days because I found it too hard, but now I love it.

I'm not very good at seeing my physical progress after each series, but it's definitely tiring me out. I'm eating a lot more too and still maintaining and sometimes losing weight, it's crazy. I'm 45 and have never been able to lose weight, but I've lost 6 stone in 18 months and look like a completely different person, I'm amazed by Caroline haha, have a lot to thank her for.

I did iron day 20 today which is Abs and core, and it was quite apparent how weak my core had gotten, I couldn’t even do a side plank! I think I need at least one core focussed workout a week, I know the core is engaged in a lot of the workouts but I think I need a specific core workout. I’ll try and find one on YT

anyway, day 20 done 👍

@ellebelli As you say, it's definitely not about cardio and Caroline has made that point frequently when she posts articles in the knowledge section of the App.
I absolutely love Intent on the App, I seem to be getting more muscle with this programme than any others, although it could be the cumulation of 16 months lifting of course! The format is great, a mix of heavy lifting with lighter lifting, longer lifting periods and longer rest. It's tough but it's really delivering.

I will definitely get the ap in the future.
I actually pay for another fitness instructor on patreon, I took a break from caroline to catch up with the workouts she had put out that I've missed...and I simply don't enjoy them as much as Caroline's.
The trainer I follow is very cardio based and I've never really enjoyed that element.
Since Caroline I have made weight gains and noticed more tone to my legs And done less cardio.
I do find I'm more out of breath and sweaty after a workout using the other trainer but it's not all about that,right?
If I had to choose which to pay for it would be Caroline's.
However there is a load of free workouts still on youtube(the other trainer took all hers down)so for now until I work my way through them all I will stick with the free content.

Back in France after a few days away in the UK - I did Caroline's new calisthetics You Tube work out, which was great, based on the cluster format.
She very cleverly used it as an opportunity to publicise her App, (as well as celebrating the 3 million subscribers on YouTube.
It would be interesting to know how many new App subscribers she gets as a result of posting the new YouTube workout!

airtable.com/app90kt6Fz0MBfrty/shrCApiBkaRj96F2D/tblYUQZ5tiHHku1dI

I posted this link on another thread but thought it might be be useful here too. It's an air table listing and comparing all of CG's programmes

@samthebordercollie i have found I’m running better generally but i find it hard to run when it follows directly on from a glutes or hamstrings day, I don’t have the flexibility to change my scheduled run as I only have certain days and times when I can get out. I probably just need to plan a bit better to get my workouts and runs in sync then!

If I remember correctly the Epics have one glutes session every 2 weeks. There is one week with 2 upper body, 1 lower body and one HIT and the next week 2 lower body (one glutes specific), 1 upper body and 1 HIT. At least that's it for Epic 3, Endgame and Heat. Epic 1 and Epic 2 are more all over the place programming wise but fewer glute specific days overall.

@thenewaveragebear1983 just skip the glutes and hamstrings. All her programs have that to a certain extent, but they are often together in one session. I never skip them as they really help with my running - having strong glutes and hamstrings makes going uphill so much easier!

I prefer arms/abs/core to legs, is there a programme which is better for those rather than so much glutes and hamstrings? I’m doing iron at the moment, I’m on day 18 but I’ve gone back down to just 3 a week because it was too much with my running as well.

@BigButtons you need a name change to BigBottoms! I started on Beastmode yesterday. Only day 1 but it seems similar to Iron, but longer overall and shorter rest times. I’ll go back to Iron if I find it too tough.