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

Hi @AtomicBlondeRose. You inspired me when you originally posted these photos. Thank you!

Can I ask you about the gloves you're wearing in the last photo? Do they support your wrists? I've got very tiny wrists and sometimes worry about how best to support my wrists.

Before and 1 year later - I wasn't overweight but at 58 a skinny fat runner with very little muscle. Doing CG workouts has made everyday life as well as running easier!

I did some photos when I restarted hiit training 10 weeks ago, I didn’t think I’d really lost much week on week but when I see the 10 week pictures there’s a really noticeable difference. I don’t have a nice tummy like yours though @AtomicBlondeRose, my skin is destroyed by 3 x 10lbs babies over the years and I’ve had 2 c-sections as well which has just left my whole stomach in a mess.

I agree adjustables are good for the jump from 5+. I can do somethings much better with a 7kg than a 10 or 5 right now

Wow @Menora well done to you - incredible achievement! I need to get my tape measure out and put some batteries in my scales so that I can do a proper comparison.

And yes @AtomicBlondeRose it was you - you look fantastic! I am similar to your before pic and would love to feel toned and strong. I’ll do some more dumbbell shopping research later.

@JumpinJellyfish that might have been me! Below is a different before and after from the summer holidays last year to February, and a photo from today!

10kg is good but they’re a big leap from 5kg imo. I did get a set of adjustables during Iron which I went from about 6kg up to 10 on. I find them unwieldy at 10kg so bought some dumbells when Lidl had a special one, and I leave the adjustables at 7.5kg now. I do still use them fairly often so don’t think it’s a waste to get the intermediate sizes. For example this morning in Epic 3 there were 3 sets of upper body exercises and for some I used 10kgs for the first two sets and 7.5 for the last. It’s really handy to be able to move up and down in weight easily during a workout.

@Menora wow, that's incredible weight loss, 56lb and all those inches, congratulations!

I was thinking about before and after photos but I didn’t really plan for it so all my before photos are really not good and I only have about 3 😂 as I refused to have my photo taken for so long

I can post this though for inspiration - I’m older than you @JumpinJellyfish

I got adjustable dumbell/barbell up to 20kg and I really like mine

Hi all, can I join? I discovered Caroline via a mumsnet thread in style and beauty - possibly someone on this one who had made an absolutely incredible body transformation and posted before and after pics?? I’m hoping I can do the same!

Ive done Epic beginner but now moved to Iron and did day 3 today (glutes). I used to be pretty fit pre-kids but haven’t exercised properly since I was on mat leave with my 3.5yo so am rusty and flabby! And also 37 now.

Im actually ttc dc3 atm so don’t want to go too hard but also am sure being fitter can’t hurt!

Ive got 2x4kg and 2x5kg dumbbells at home but definitely need heavier for the legs - I might invest in 2x10kg neoprene ones. I’m a bit scared of the sets that slot together in case they come apart. They are expensive though!!

I just completed YT iron this evening. Buzzing! I'll definitely repeat that series.
I'm going to do Fuel next. Will be interesting to see the difference.

@BigButtons yes the RDLs, she does them and also a staggered RDL where one leg is slightly back - those I really couldn’t figure out. When I have done deadlift with a bar before I’ve really felt it. I think my form is correct because I filmed it.

On the App workout Caroline raises her forefoot on wedges when doing staggered RDLs it's a good way to feel them more. I use heavier weights on staggered, 15kg, if I had 17,5 I'd use them.

I think I do need to up my weights

in other developments, I’m a runner and I have started this year doing the same run on a Wednesday morning as a time trial (it’s the only pace work I do really) - well, yesterday I did this route for the 54th time and did it the fastest since September 2020 (when I was in peak lockdown fitness, no less) so that’s marvellous, and also I’m sure partly down to increasing my overall strength in my legs and core with hiit and CG workouts

Staggered took me a few attempts but I get a lot more stretch out of it. I saw someone say about raising your heels on instagram so I tried it this did also help

keep the weights so close to your legs you are almost skimming them down your shins (but not too close don’t hurt yourself)

10kg on an RDL does nothing for me anymore so I went to 15-20 this helped

Thanks @samthebordercollie and @Menora , I think I am doing that all correctly, maybe I do just need a heavier weight then. I was reluctant to increase if it was a form issue. We used to fully raise the leg at my old gym, I can’t get my head into the staggered (I called it split sorry in my previous post) dead lift. I’ll try a few with a heavier weight tomorrow and see how that feels.

I've hurt myself! Neck,shoulder and upper back killing on one side.
Having to take painkillers.
I used heavier weights and think I've twinged something.
Annoyingly I really enjoyed the workout I think caused it.
Need to rest But finding that had..maybe a lower body session or cardio? Bad idea

@thenewaveragebear1983 When doing RDLs you need to bend your knees slightly, look down, stick your bottom out - imagine you are shutting a door with it - and keep your weights close to your body when lowering and raising. Don't round your back, try and keep it straight. Don't worry about going as low as Caroline, just below the knees is fine. You should then feel the pull in your hamstrings.

@thenewaveragebear1983 i had this. I stood on some weight plates to raise my heels it helped, but I get a lot more from staggered RDL’s. I think everyone’s body is different shapes, I have short legs and a long body so some exercises are either too hard or don’t do much so you can adapt them

RDL’s are hard to get right I agree!

I did day 8 iron today. I’m not great with deadlifts- I don’t know if it’s that my weights are too light or what or whether I am totally doing them wrong but they don’t seem to do very much- I recorded myself doing them and my form appears to be correct, but especially with the Romanian/split deadlift and the back lunge into split deadlift, I just felt like it wasn’t actually engaging the hamstring at all. Any advice?

I like the silky texture of hers, but yet they don’t seem to go staticky which is good. They probably cost a million pounds a pair 🤦‍♀️

Primark are doing some loose shorts for £4.50 I got some yesterday in a waffle style they are really nice for working out

I think she gets a lot of clothes from Lululemon, there are definitely loose shorts in their online store.
@Cherryblossom81 Don't eat in a surplus! With hypertrophy your muscles get bigger, one way to restrict the growth is not to eat too much.
I'm not 'bulky' but my shape has definitely changed for the better - before I was a skinny-but-saggy runner.