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EPIC!! Losing, gaining and groaning with Caroline Girvan

971 replies

BigButtons · 19/10/2021 21:16

New thread!

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Forgotmypasswordsgain · 04/01/2022 10:50

A slightly delayed day 1 completed for me, a great session. I only have 3kg weights but I think I need to up it slightly as I’m in my comfort zone for some exercises, not sure whether a jump to 5kg would be too much or creep up to 4kg?

BigButtons · 04/01/2022 10:57

@Melassa I can’t work out out I can make bigger leaps in weight in some areas but others I seem stuck.
Still I read a study that showed there was very little difference in lower weight/ lighter two to failure versus higher weight lower rep to failure as far as muscle growth is concerned.
I am changing shape in my arms, I have Ben trying to increase the weights but I am surprised at how little definition I still have. Maybe I should try the lower weight higher rep angle?

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Melassa · 04/01/2022 16:07

@Forgotmypasswordsgain I would go for 5kg, especially for legs, they can take it. I went from 3 to 6kg and it wasn’t too taxing on most exercises, the only ones you’ll probably be stuck on 3s for a while (like me!) are some of the shoulder ones like lateral raises etc.

@BigButtons I often wonder what the difference between lower weights/more reps vs higher weights/ fewer reps is. Maybe the sweet point is higher weights where you can manage more reps? Perhaps everyone has a specific weight at which they start bulking up as opposed to simply toning?

My arms are quite defined now, but only because they were fairly spindly before so any change equals definition. By backside and belly, however, not so much. On both there still is a stubborn layer which is concealing the six pack below. My bum is higher, but the layer of blob is still there and it’s still making my backside more sticky-outy than it would normally be.

I was thinking if tackling it by embracing the16/8 fasting plan, but we eat dinner later here and I couldn’tcope with not eating anything at all until 1. Maybe I’ll try 14/10 which is more fitting for my lifestyle, if it works. Far too much wine, panettone and chocolate in these last couple of weeks.

BigButtons · 04/01/2022 16:23

Day 2 done- felt I bit feeble today for some of them. I really hate skull crushers- I hate them more than hip thrusts and push ups☹️🧐

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StrikingMatches · 04/01/2022 16:39

Day 2 ✅
I did it in the gym in a vain attempt to up my weights. I managed 8kgs and my heavier and 5kg as my lighter. I went up to 10kg for the landmine rows. Those skullcrushers though I really struggled with as always. I can get so far and then just feel like my right arm refuses to do anymore. I don't get it as I'm right handed so why am I weaker on that side??
The 100 raises were ok but I did feel like my neck muscles will be throbbing tomorrow. Also did the abs add on more or less with a few adjustments. Another one ticked off.

Itsnotdeep · 04/01/2022 16:42

I've also done it plus the add on today. I don't think I do skull crushers right as they don't particularly kill me.

Did most of it with 5kg and some with 6kg. I enjoyed the ab add-on. Back to work and school tomorrow!

Itsnotdeep · 04/01/2022 16:42

yes and a 10kg kettlebell for the landmine rows.

Itsnotdeep · 04/01/2022 16:44

My left elbow seems to get stuck on the skullcrushers @StrikingMatches - it always clicks and hurts .

Itsnotdeep · 04/01/2022 16:44

(and I'm left handed...)

BigButtons · 04/01/2022 16:55

I could do 10 kg for the heavier but dropped to 4 for the lighter. Wanting now to see whether more reps at a lighter weight will shift things.
My upper body is deffo bulking up again- at the stage now where I look a bit chubby as muscles are larger but without that cut definition. Maybe I should cover myself in gravy or marmite or something like the body builders do. Instead I have pasty white arms.
My arms were always skinny. I want to look buff😫😭😭😂

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Forgotmypasswordsgain · 04/01/2022 17:40

@Melassa, thanks for the advice, yes 3kg feels enough for some arm exercises but will increase to 5kg for the leg work.

Melassa · 04/01/2022 19:32

I hate the skullcrushers too, and my right wrist suffers more than my left, despite (or because of maybe?) being right handed.

I maxed out at 8kg for the heavy stuff, I struggled with the last few reps as it was. For the lighter I stuck to 3kg but did attempt the biceps and the shoulder press with 6s. The finisher wasn’t d’oro bad, although I think I lost count at some point and possibly ended up with more than 100. Oh well.

Melassa · 04/01/2022 19:37

My upper body is deffo bulking up again- at the stage now where I look a bit chubby as muscles are larger but without that cut definition.

Me too, I’m looking a bit chubbier on top, except for arms, and I can see no definition whatsoever for the chest, for instance. I think to get the cut look you need to ditch the carbs, my OT from the 90s used to do body building comps and for a week to 10 days before he’d cut out carbs completely so he looked more lean. He said eating carbs made you look “softer”. I guess that might describe me in parts where there are still “cushions”.

Anyway, taking about carbs, off to make a risotto. Wink

BigButtons · 04/01/2022 19:57

@Melassa life is too short to ditch carbs! I get so more hungry when doing CG 4-5 times a week- I need carbs!
Bet your risotto will be fabulous( I am crap at cooking risotto).
I am going to try and eat more protein in the Hope that I can have more, I dunno, muscle, well muscle that looks like muscle anyway😂😂

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Melassa · 04/01/2022 20:00

@BigButtons I agree totally, especially when I live in a country with such nice carbs Grin.

I’ve been trying to up the protein, I got a ton of cheese for Christmas plus I’ve been making scrambled eggs a lot. But the nicest protein is best eaten with carbs! What can you do?

BigButtons · 05/01/2022 08:27

@Melassa glutes day today- hip thrusts 😭😠.

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Forgotmypasswordsgain · 05/01/2022 08:30

Day 2 done, I’m sure I’m going to feel it tomorrow as I also had my first netball training in a month last night. Hoping to catch up with the week by doing day4/5 on sat/sun.

Itsnotdeep · 05/01/2022 12:11

Death by a thousand hip thrusts. It's just a bit boring! I was actually glad to see the fire hydrants...

The add on is also a glute one (which I haven't done (yet?)).

BigButtons · 05/01/2022 14:49

I hated that- first CG I have ever really hated. Chair hip thrusts just do my back and hamstrings in- I don't feel them in my glutes at all. I have pulled my left hamstring and lower back a bit now. I will always stick with hip thrusts on the floor from now on. I get much much more out of a smaller range of movement.
I managed the finisher on the floor.
There are so many more interesting and IMO effective glute exercises out there.
How disappointing.
I might do the glute ad on as I don't feel i got much out of that one at all. One positive though is that the 3 minute format makes time fly.

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Anjelika · 05/01/2022 16:34

I did Day 2 today which was OK. I went quite low on the finisher so only had to take one break.

You are all putting me off Day 3 now! I don't mind hip thrusts so much if there are some RDLs and goblet squats in there later on but sounds like this one is 100% thrusts!

BigButtons · 05/01/2022 17:47

@Anjelika it wasn’t all thrusts. Some leg raises and squats and standing band work. There is a floor based glutes she does that has no thrusts at all and I find that very painful -in all the right places.

I suspect that the curve in my lower back which makes leg lowering so difficult with abs also means the chair thrusts will strain my back and my legs which try to compensate. Lesson learned.
I still feel peed off about that session☹️

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Melassa · 05/01/2022 19:10

My, that was grim. I liked the other exercises but she just had to pepper everything with the dreaded thrusts! I ended up doing most in the end, although the weighted ones I might have stopped at around 15 seconds before time was up. I expect to have stiff glutes tomorrow, having studiously avoided the thrust sessions in her Advent series. Blush

It also didn’t help that my cat decided to distract me by jumping on kitchen worktops and anywhere he wasn’t supposed to. Note to self, avoid exercising at cat dinner time.

Itsnotdeep · 05/01/2022 19:53

I did the add on this evening and my glutes were definitely feeling it from this morning!

It's a rest day tomorrow, although she said she will sometimes post workouts.

fishonabicycle · 05/01/2022 19:54

We did Epic endgame day 1 - pretty tough (got nowhere near 100 squats! Maybe 60?). I will do something tomorrow, not necessarily day two, as not sure husband will want to workout tomorrow, as he has a long day at work first.

Weights wise, you just need to do as much as you can - I have sh*te knees, so generally use either 7.5kg or sometimes 10kg for legs. For upper body, generally 10kg chest press (although I can go heavier, but the rest of the weights are out in the shed!), And then 5 or 6.5 for the rest of the stuff. I've definitely improved the look of my body since starting CG, despite not using as heavy weights as I used to when I went to the gym. And the only way to get that muscle definition, and lean look is to lose fat - so you can eat carbs, but just cut calories a bit for a while.

BigButtons · 06/01/2022 08:02

@fishonabicycle I think because CG does so many reps each set it requires lighter weights than you might use at a gym?

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