EPIC!! Losing, gaining and groaning with Caroline Girvan

[BigButtons]

New thread!

I also did the Tabata this afternoon, after doing the day 32 upper body this morning. The finisher nearly finished me off. The rest was ok only because everything lasted 20 secs and for some exercises that meant only 2 reps! Any more and I probably would have fainted.

We did an epic heat full body - it was a good hot one!. Does anyone else look at those epic heat FB groups? I'm unsubscribing - it's mainly 2 or 3 incredibly ripped women posting posed photos and waiting for the praise. Makes me want to puke!

Yeah yeah we all know you look great - you know you look great. Stop being so effing needy and attention seeking.

@fishonabicycle yeah they can be like that. I go most on the CG over 50s group and the carolinegirvan community group. Still a lot of poseurs but also some normal people. They are supportive groups on the whole. I ignore the needy ones!
@Melassa 2 in one day? Wow , no wonder you are knackered!
I am glad( I think ) that there are 2 upper body days this week as my legs are stiff and sore and I’m walking up the stairs like John Wayne🧐😂. But my right shoulder is still needling me so I shall be very careful with the weights I use. 8t doesn’t tend to hurt when I exercise but after. Like after my pathetic attempts at push ups today and all the other shoulder work that was in the hiit- no it is really sore😳🥴.

@BigButtons yes, 2 in one day as penance for doing SFA most of the rest of the week. Oddly when I input the Tabata into my Fitbit I only burned 100 calories! I burn more going to the supermarket. Oh well, I feel suitably euphoric post workout so it has done some good I suppose.

@fishonabicycle I deliberately steer clear of those groups. Many years ago when I used FB a lot more I joined a Jillian Michaels group. Oh my! The worshippers! The “I workout harder than you” crowd. Where do these people find the time, amongst other things?

I hate leg lowers, I was groaning throughout the 50. Now thinking I should do 20 a day as I find them so hard.

@Forgotmypasswordsgain - try Rebecca-Louise's Best Abs workout a few times a week and you'll soon find leg lowers easy:

Myself, I think I'm going to have an easy day today as I'm still recovering from Friday's skiing. Even though I'm not sore, nearly 6 hours of skiing is one hell of a workout.

So today for me it's Rebecca's Abs and Lucy's Thighs & Glutes, plus a short Tabata HIIT courtesy of Anna........... with a view to getting back to EEG tomorrow - as well as trying to get to grips with some of the knees before toes guy exercises - especially the lunges.

I think this is enough to be getting on with!

@FlowerArranger out of interest i investigated the knees over toes exercises and tried a few . I could do some without pain and will try to remember to incorporate some.

Where are you skiing @FlowerArranger? We looked on the webcam yesterday of the place we normally go and there wasn’t much snow. Plus it gets hot during the day and what there is gets slushy, only to freeze overnight so it’s crunchy the next morning. A bit disappointing this year, last year all resorts were shut and there was loads of snow!

@Melassa - I'm currently in California, thus able to ski in the Sierra by Lake Tahoe. They've not had snow since December, but there is a solid base which, together with excellent grooming and not-crazy-hot weather, meant that conditions on most of the slopes were pretty good for most of the day. Of course, these are the kind of conditions we'd normally see at the end of March or in April...

The climate here is totally fucked, and God only knows where all the water will come from this summer - especially for all the thousands of acres of almond trees that are still being planted here there and everywhere. To balance this (!), restaurants now have to ask if you want water rather than offering it outright. Yes, it's totally fucked up!!

@FlowerArranger😥

That is so sad.
Finally stopped blowing a gale and raining here, will try to actually get outside for a walk and do some sort of Caroline too.

Tonight's workout is my last Epic Heat! EMOM full body HIIT. Gulp.

I meant to do it yesterday but had spent the weekend at my best friend's hen party, just was a bit too fizzled out to contemplate doing anything active. The wedding is in five weeks, so I'm feeling the pressure in terms of toning/weight loss now.

Should I take a deload week? I was thinking maybe I would do some yoga classes (proper, full length ones) this week and then start Heat from the beginning again on Monday. But with only 5 weeks today, maybe a week off is a luxury I can't afford?

@ladybranstonpickle I guess it all depends whether you feel your body needs a rest. Sometimes having a reload week produces better results.
I could do with a de load well. EEG has been increasingly punishing on my shoulders.
I did the shoulder one today.cg was using some 4kg weights so you can imagine how tough that was. I used 3 to protect my right shoulder ( which coped fine. But my left ( which up until today wasn’t sore at all) had a melt down. So pissed off.

Day 20 EEG done, definitely a sweaty 💦 one. My husband had tidied my low 1.5kg weights to the outbuildings so had to do it with 3kg which is the closest I’ve come to CG who was using 4kg. Had to slow it down slightly to keep good form but felt my heart rate up throughout. Another netball match tomorrow so won’t be starting week 5 until Wednesday.

Did a 20 minute squat and rdl, then a 10 minute abs. No walk as the wind was very strong again.

EEG has made my body so sore ALL THE TIME. After this week 2 more to go. I have a feeling it is only going to get harder.
I will definitely need a week of yoga and no weights at all when this is done😮

I’m stiff as heck from yesterday, I can’t actually put my arms behind my back without some effort. Sore all over, but I suppose that’s normal with a doubles session after a week of inactivity. I seem to lose strength really quickly too.

Tomorrow I will do something short then we will see for Wednesday.

Today is my favourite day. Weighted squats! Finisher is 100 goblet squats.
Oddly my shoulders feel better today than they have in a while, even after that shoulder session.
@Melassa I persisted with massage from that trigger point book. I found knots on the outside edge of my shoulder blades that made me want to hit the roof. My shoulders had become really stiff with limited movement. They are finally feeling ‘freer’ this morning and no pain on my right shoulder for the first time in ages.

Well my attempt at the EMOM HIIT was pretty pathetic...Just. So. Hard. I pretty much gave up on the lunges and lunge hops and just did the last third. I am brewing a cold so perhaps that's why I struggled so much. I might repeat it on Sunday after a few days of yoga and no workouts.

Then start at the HEAT beginning again. I did look at the others but I really don't think I can commit to workouts of an hour. Unless anyone has any strong recommendations about getting better results with some of her other programs?

@ladybranstonpickle the EMOM are hard- just do what you can just trying is good enough!
EEG has 40 minute session so is fine time wise.

Is there a prep section for Caroline's workouts? I'm not very fit and definitely couldn't use weights in a workout at the moment. I'd really like to give it a try but I worry it will be too much for a beginner.

@ThankYouVeryMuchGerry I'm a beginner! I'm third time on the beginner epic and doing so much better than 1st time around. About 90% this time compared to 50% (of the movements or of the 45 seconds) when I did the lower body day this morning. I have hypermobility to contend with and injury prone as a result so I'm just doing what feels 'difficult and challenging but ok' and not pushing too far too soon. I'm progressing already!

Caroline has an EPIC Beginners programme that is very useful, but even that can be quite challenging!

Maybe stitch together a few sessions from other trainers till you feel up to it? I'd recommend:

• Rebecca Louise: Best Abs, Ageless Arms, Bingo Wings, Stretches
• Lucy Wyndham Read: Thighs & Glutes, Pear Shaped
• Growingannanas: any number of HIIT and Tabata workouts, with and without weights

+ some of Caroline Girvan's shorter, targeted workouts

Thanks both. I think I’ll take you’re advice Flower and do some other programs before the Epic one. I don’t want to get disheartened cos I can’t do it and then give up!

@ThankYouVeryMuchGerry @FlowerArranger gives good advice!
Cg is tough, but it's also ok just to do what you can. Just trying within your ability is enough. It is a physical thing for sure, but it is also just as much an emotional one; pushing through when you feel disheartened or just turning up and giving it a go. Not comparing yourself with anyone else and celebrating your own gains, however small they might seem.