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

This is really helpful to hear. I've keep nearly buying heavier weights and then not (mainly due to finances and room in my house). Is your comment based on experience? What size weights do you lift?

I do my training at 7am so my brain isn't in gear to think if I enjoy the exercises or not! Thinking about it there were some excellent exercises like Turkish Getups and Windmills which I haven't seen for a while. On the other hand, lunges and pullovers aren't lacking!

@BigButtons perhaps the last Tate press was in Iron 2? I've definitely done it on the App. I'm really enjoying the leg days too, especially the pylometrics. I think in the Epics, especially Epic 1 she used a lot of lifts that look good but are less effective than traditional lifts, like curl to press and Svend press for example, Certainly on the App she has gone for more classic lifts, both compound and isometric with the longer rest periods.
I'm probably going to repeat PE from next week, the Christmas workouts aren't long enough for me but they will be good add ons.

@Gobacktotheworld I'm doing the Kettlebell series this week, too. It's a sort of demos after PE which I was really sad to finish, it's been my favourite programme so far, even though I swore more at Caroline than ever before!
She's a machine, isn't she? And she smiles when I grimace during the sets. She never seems to get injured either, but she doesn't lift as heavy as she is capable of doing so that's probably why.

Thanks that’s very helpful.

Super helpful @samthebordercollie and @DreadPirateRobots thank you, 15kg it is!

@WillowWands are you generally fit or haven't you done any sport for a long time? I was a complete novice when I started lifting with Caroline but was very fit cardiowise as a runner so started with her Iron program on YouTube. She now has an Ultimate Beginner programme on the CGX app which is really where absolute beginners should start as Caroline explains all the lifts and techniques, it probably is worth the investment (£9.99 a month?)
I started it's weights of 4kg, 5kg, 7,5kg and 10kg

@Stumpedasatree I increased from 12,5kg to 15kg but need wrist straps for 3 sets of lunges with 15kg. Going to 17kg from 12,5kg is a big jump even for legs

At a certain point @Stumpedasatree you're pretty much in barbell territory unless you want to have a full gym-capacity range of weights. I think the step up from two 12.5s to two 15s is enough as a starting point, but I also decided to stop at 15s and use a barbell from there up.

For my lower body weights, I need to increase my heaviest 12.5kg dumbbells. I don't know whether to get 2x15kg or 2x17kg dumbbells. This would be for squats, lunges and RDLs. I have been strength training consistently for around a year.

Yeah don't go buying a mini trampoline like I did-because the trainer I was following at the time used it for a workout (twice)
😂

Hey @WillowWands do you definitely want to work out at home with CG? Starting at a gym can be advantageous purely because weights are expensive and ideally you do want more than one option. If you're committed to weights and want to work out at home then the easiest option would be adjustable dumbbells as you will want different weights for different exercises. If you really don't fancy that, I would perhaps start with 2.5kg and 5kg weights. Then only other specific thing you might want is a glute band, which is easy to get and not pricey. You can use a common or garden chair or a thick book for all other CG purposes.

I am an absolute beginner too. Never done weights, don't have any. I need basic instructions about what to buy and how to start.

Morning @pinkyponkyplink I'm not sure what you mean by 'absolute beginner'? Caroline Girvan might not be the best person to start with depending on your starting point with exercise?

But if you are ready for CG, then the first series I did (on recommendation from people on here) was the Iron series. However, I still feel like a beginner (I've only been doing CG workouts since April), so someone with more experience might be along later to give you a better answer.

Which video is the best place to start for an absolute beginner please?

@samthebordercollie I haven't done Beastmode but maybe I'll do it as a short programme when I finish Endgame. Still not sure about committing to the app if only because I have a few paid fitness apps already and don't really want to add another one...

I wouldn't say I run hot now but I probably do run less cold than I used to, now that I think about it.

I'm hot all the time at the moment, I'm sat in a gym top and yoga pants at night! Sweating!
I'm putting it down to maybe being peri but you never know! 😀

No, Caroline only ever does 5 workouts a week, her rest days are always Thursdays and Saturdays but you do you - no obligation to even do 5 sessions a week, just do what fits in best with your schedule. I would say that 3 sessions a week minimum are required if you want to see results.

@user50and it's a 5 day a week structure with 2 rest days, but you don't HAVE to do anything. You can do one a week. Or two. You can skip the leg days. You can do whatever you want. I don't skip sessions but I frequently swap the order around as I prefer to do HIITs and days involving hip thrusts at home, and I usually do 3-4 a week rather than 5 as I also try to do a day's yoga and a run, plus I'm sometimes run down or get a "low readiness for exercise" from my Fitbit so don't work out that day.

I'm just about to start the Iron series on YouTube but does it mean you have to do one EVERY day for 30 days?? If not, when would you suggest having rest days?