Anyone else doing Caroline Girvan's EPIC programme?

[BigButtons]

I thought I was pretty fit and toned. I have exercised consistently most of my life: weights, cardio, hit, running etc ( now 53). I have just finished day 8 of EPIC and feel like a complete wuss. It was the lunges one. I wanted to be sick even though I was standing infront of a large fan the entire time.
How do people actually manage to get through these? I have just looked ahead to the burpee day and feel like I am simply not up to this.

Just finished the burpee session, absolutely dripping with sweat. I had to go out on the balcony in the 20 second breaks just to cool down.

I only managed 4 reps of most of the exercises, with the odd 8 and 10 rep for the less elaborate ones. I never thought there could be so many versions of a burpee. Pistol squats you say? There’s a burpee for that. There seems to be a burpee for most tortuous positions including impossible push up combos (push up and clap anyone? I never even got off the ground)

The positives are that I got through it and that it seemed to pass quite quickly in a haze of horror and tomorrow is a rest day!

I’ve decided I much prefer the weight sessions, even the dreaded lunges. It’s just too hot for HIIT even with the aircon on. Maybe I will see it differently in the autumn.

@Melassa oh god- maybe I’ll do a different hiit…….

I'm convinced that burpees, in whatever shape or form, are the work of the devil! I've decided that, for the time being, I'll just do basic, straightforward burpees, without any embellishments. And leaving out the push-up and/or the little jump at the end if it all becomes too much.

I am totally with you, @Melassa, when it comes to weights vs HIIT, but Anna has loads of low impact HIIT sessions which aren't too taxing in this heat.

At the end of the day, my philosophy is that any form of exercise is better than sitting on the sofa drinking and eating carb-rich salty or sugary cr@p...

No really, you should do it, it does pass quite quickly and you feel great afterwards. It is hard but if you can only manage 4 reps per exercise it’s still a great workout. You got through the hour weight session, you can get through this, promise!

I was just amazed at the range of burpees. It really is quite twisted how many evil combinations she thought up. But all good in the end

@FlowerArranger I agree with you, I have seen the “fruits” of my inactivity. Yesterday I got piggy swollen feet from sitting in the office all day then in a bar drinking cocktails. I never had swollen feet or ankles even in pregnancy, so I’m finding this horrifying.

I have looked at the links you posted and will probably do a low impact session tomorrow, after my walk in the morning. They all look really interesting, I did the knee one earlier, before burpee hell. Thank you for those, there’s a lot on YouTube but a lot isn’t great, so recommendations are always super welcome.

I don't mind a pistol squat, I am a figure skater and they have really helped my skating, as has the single leg and core stuff. They don't come up very often, just to reassure you. Wish I could say the same for the burpees

It’s funny the things that we find easier and then really difficult. I could do the balancing backwards and forwards on one leg stuff and the cross leg squats without an issue. I find squats much easier than lunges. The glute bridges didn’t hurt. Makes me think I must be doing it wrong because the rest is hell.

I started EPIC, but found it too difficult to carve out the time, so I did EPIC Heat instead. I didn't follow it religiously - I run a couple of times a week, so sometimes subbed that in for HIIT, or did a day a day late.

I haven't seen a dramatic transformation (some of the people on the FB group are incredible!), but I'm definitely more toned, bit of arm/ab definition. I've put on, rather than lost weight - hoping it's muscle mass and not just my age! I was an OK weight to start with though.

I'm another person in their 40s concerned about bone density (don't want to turn into my mother!!), so that's a big motivator.

I think if you can see yourself improving, that's what matters. I could hardly do any push-ups at the start, and now I can do 10 or so in a row, and a couple of decent tricep push ups. I've just got some heavier weights - I did lower body with 6.5kg today, previously I was using 4.5. Not much compared to some people, but an upward curve for me.

As you say, different people find different things easy. I can squat/wall sit etc all day, but my core strength is terrible!

If someone had told me, pre-GC, that I would one day be able to do push-ups and burpees, plus doing all kinds of stuff with 5-10 kilo weights..... well, no way, absolutely no way. And yet here I am!! And I'm 67!

However, I strongly suspect that the lovely Caroline has drunk from the witches' brew - I mean those burpee and push-up variations...!!!

@FlowerArranger wow amazing stuff! I thought I was one of the oldest at fifty something. You are inspiring.

I may join

Wait for Epic day 45.....EMOM HIIT but only 30 mins...how bad could it be

Seriously, I'm 49 and have never had tone and strength like I've got now - I also thought I was fit until I started her workouts - wrong!!!!

My biggest achievement was going from zero upper body strength to being able to go back and forth along the monkey bars in the school playground. I got a round of applause from Y5

Newborn - have a look at Beginner Epic or some of her shorter workouts if you find the Epic ones too much - I just went to it, and used light (or no) weights to start with, took breaks and did very few reps, and missed out anything that would have damaged me (pistol squats and knee to squat jumps, I'm looking at you....)

go back and forth along the monkey bars in the school playground

Oh yes, I've done that too

@Newbornandupwards - I agree with @Pekkala. Also, there is no law that decrees that you have to do an entire EPIC workout on a single day. Just do what you can, and maybe add on a light 10-minute Lucy or Rebecca workout.

Alternating CG with Growingannanas is another way of easing into EPIC life

I did a filler workout of hers yesterday- low impact stuff. I was sweating like a pig . This was with a view do doing the burpee hiit today.
Today I am proper exhausted from the end of term- proper exhausted. It was a hard year at school with a very hard class. I need a couple of days off now.

@BigButtons - the perfect 'Caroline why are doing this to me??!!!!' antidote:

I did day 11 today and upped my weights from 3 to 6kg. My legs were extremely wobbly going down steps after, I needed to hold on to the wall. Again absolutely dripping with sweat (I obviously need bushier eyebrows as it trickles into my eyes and stings).

I’ve also been trying to avoid my wine with crisps daily aperitif, which has been my downfall and probably led to the wobbly tummy. It has been hard, I’d got into the habit of pouring a glass in order to mark the end of my working day, now I do a workout and at most nibble on Korean crispy seaweed with fizzy water. I really hope my tum goes down after this, I’ve not had a drop since last week and have 3 bottles of white in the cooler staring at me 😬

Tomorrow shoulder workout which bizarrely I’m looking forward to. I used to have some definition there from boxing and martial arts years ago which I’m hoping to get back.

I have no idea what the EMOM is, sounds grim, not sure if I dare look! 🙈

@FlowerArranger ah RL does make me chuckle- she’s so full on!
I’m as stiff as a board today and my left knee really hurts. I really tried to be careful with the lunges but reckon I pushed it too far🥴.
@Melassa well done you! I am forgoing the burpee session and will do I think number 10 tomorrow. I have some 7.5 kg weights on their way but will be careful which sets I use them for- don’t want an arm/ shoulder injury as well as a knee one 😳🧐

Quick tip for lateral raises when increasing weights: angle the arm slightly forward (about 5 to 10 degrees) rather than level with your body. It puts less stress on the shoulder and prevents injury.

@Worldgonecrazy thanks - it’s later raise day tomorrow.
Did abs and squats today and must say that although I was dripping in sweat it didn’t actually feel hard on my muscles at all- unlike the lunges😃

I've been following Jillian Michaels programmes for a few years but I really need a change. I found CG and have been following some of her kettlebell routines which I enjoy though I do need to build in some HIIT as I risk losing stamina. 45 minutes would be difficult to accommodate so could anyone tell me which of her routines are more the 30 minute mark ?

@TheDogsMother I think her epic heat series is 30 mins? It frightens me though 😂

@BigButtons Arrggh what am I letting myself in for !!

@TheDogsMother epic Heat and her new 2 week series Beast Mode are about half an hour. You'll be fine if you are used to exercise but do take it at your own pace! She has lots of shorter standalone videos too - you could always do two of the 15 minute ones maybe?

I started week 2 of beast mode this week as I fancied trying one as it was released rather than being weeks behind like I was with Epic 1 and 2. Didn't want to start heat as I go on holiday soon so waiting til I come back. Really liking beast mode, yesterday back and biceps (i can really feel it today in my back!) and today lower body. 4 sets of various mostly compound movements with an optional add on. I'm liking the shorter workouts - I did find it a struggle to complete the epic 2 workouts towards the end as they all felt so long.

Thanks @Moonflower12345 this is really helpful. I'm not sure if I've seen Beast Mode so will need to check it out. I'm not sure if that needs a paid subscription as so far I've just been finding them on YouTube. I know if I start with the longer workouts I will end up giving up. Shorter ones regularly work for me.