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

Forgot to ask - does anyone else do stability ball exercises? I've just bought one to use but I'm not feeling the effort in my hamstrings, OTOH my calves are screaming. So I'm doing something wrong but not sure what!

The heavy days are exhausting, I find, not cardio but mentally trying to concentrate! I did Day 6 and 7 this morning, a slow heavy lower body and a faster circuit upper body, so a nice contrast. Managed 15kg for the 3 sets of lunges adn staggered RDLs- CG was using 20kg 😱- but my left wrist probably wouldn't have coped with a 4th set. For the upper body for once I could match Caroline's weights as no overhead pressing or chest presses!
Loving Intent.

@chloechloe ive been doing exactly that on my wfh days - works really well for me too.

I did Iron day 4 today. I’m really enjoying Iron - seems so basic compared to Epic beginner (the only other one I’ve done) - but I like that!

Hi everyone! I’ve not posted for a while - my usual trick of falling out of the habit of exercising.

But I’m feeling really positive that I have a new plan which seems to be working. As I WFH most days I’ve started doing the school run in my gym kit, then as soon as I get home, I do my CG workout, have a quick shower and I’m at my desk by 9:15 (school starts at 8 here). I decided it was time I prioritised working out instead of putting everything else first, which invariably led to me getting to the end of the day without having done my workout. I really think this is something I can stick to.

I’ve just finished my first Programme - Beginners on the App. And I’ve started Iron on the App today and really like it. I’m hoping it will be good for shredding some inches, as I have a holiday coming up in 6 weeks.

Burpees I also hate.
I'm still on epic 1 and I started the enom (towards the end of the programme, can't remember the number because I have to change them all around to fit in with work etc) anyway there were burpees,squat jumps and lunge jumps in the first round(for ten minutes!) I was way behind in the first minute and then just turned it off and found a different day to do.
Just can't do it some days..I'm not a machine, but she clearly is

Me too! I just get stuck on the floor. Just torture.

@AtomicBlondeRose i love burpees but oh my, those tricep dips off a chair will literally never get easier. It’s reassuring to see that even CG can’t do a full minute by the third set but honestly, I can’t do more than 10 seconds without a rest

I absolutely hate sprawls and burpees. They’re the only exercises where my body just…stops. Like, literally will not do one second more. I get fitter and stronger at all sorts of things but those, nope, never any better.

As I'm a weakling, lazy and time-poor I've been doing the 24 days of Christmas series, as they're only 20 minutes long! Finding it great, until cardio day! HOW DOES SHE DO THAT? I can follow for about five seconds, then modify, then give up entirely.

@AtomicBlondeRose do you have a barbell? She uses a barbell for hip thrusts and bridges on the App. I bought one, it's a lot easier than using dumbells. 13kg will be fine for everything except perhaps sumo squats where you might want to go heavier. I've never gone heavier than 15kg for lunges and squats, my wrists are too weak! Yes, Iron is 30 mins. Intent 45 minutes, so longer sessions. It's definitely more intensive than Iron.

The app Iron is 10 weeks isn’t it? That fits well into my schedule so sounds like a good choice. I did enjoy the first Iron because of how simple it is.

@AtomicBlondeRose I would do Iron on the App first, it's a good program, more interesting than Iron on YouTube. And good preparation for Intent. I'm glad I did it first.

I finish Epic 3 next week and then I’m going to pay for the app I think. Would Intent be a good one to go on to? I’ve heard good things about it, but I don’t have any
especially heavy weights (I have a random pair of 30lb/13ish kg dumbbells that I got cheap but that’s the highest). Or I do want to do the app Iron at some point too.

Because Intent is an upper lower split it makes it ideal as a full body workout with 2 sessions 3 days a week as well as individual sessions over 6 days. I did Day 4 and Day 5 from Intent yesterday as a full body workout, and my shoulders were really feeling it all day! I'm enjoying this program too, I think it's really effective. And definitely not dull.

My toes are hurting from lunges. It’s the bit that bends at the big toe crease underneath. I couldn’t do my lunges today for this reason. I did 10kg staggered RDL’s and squats instead. I also did an upper yesterday and my chest area is on fire!

I’m impressed at all the photos, I’ve built some upper body but my belly is still very much there! Probably more so than post baby.

@Cherryblossom81 I have spindly wrists too and use gloves with moderate support, I got them from decathlon, there’s a wraparound bit with Velcro for the wrist. They do help a bit, it’s mainly lifting the 10kg dumbells off the ground and over my head for the chest presses, or up to my shoulders when doing squats, where I need the most support. Although they also help with hand and wrist fatigue during lunges etc. for shoulder and arm work I’m nowhere near that weight so it’s not been an issue.

@JumpinJellyfish it’s very odd isn’t it. My youngest is 8 and I hate to say it, but it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. I can tell I’ve lost weight because the skin becomes more crepey and my belly button changes shape, but it is still visible under my clothes and it makes me very self conscious.

Ah you all look great! Well done

I can’t heavy shoulder press either don’t worry 😂

Wow at @samthebordercollie your arms and legs look amazing-and you have the shoulder bumps that caroline has ha ha!

@AtomicBlondeRose your tone is great. 10kg lifted up to shoulder height? Pah I can only wish(I've just gone up to 10kg for chest press but no way I can do shoulder press with 10kgs. .)

@thenewaveragebear1983 my tummy skin is also ruined from 2 x 9lb babies - I have a kind of wrinkly collection of stretchmarks around my bellybutton and then underneath it…kind of hoping will be less noticeable with a toned tummy?!

@samthebordercollie amazing work!

@samthebordercollie wow! Great work for one year! Your arms are amazing 🤩

@Cherryblossom81 my gloves are very cheap ones from Temu! They don’t give any wrist support, they’re just for comfort as the grips of my 10kg dumbells are textured and annoy my hands when I do renegade rows or lift them into my shoulders. They were just a couple of £ but work amazingly well - not sure what you’d use for support.