EPIC!! Losing, gaining and groaning with Caroline Girvan

[BigButtons]

New thread!

just seeing if this works link

Someone posted it on the FB group - it's links to all of CGs workouts if you're ever at a loose end.

Thank you for the warning. I've been doing this full body workout of hers 4 or 5 times a week for a couple of months, along with about the same number of other YouTube barre/cardio classes so I thought I'd be able to give it a go - but from what you say this sounds like another level completely! I'll see how it goes tomorrow.

@Itsnotdeep that is progress. The FB groups are mental. I don't do macros since I am rubbish at eating enough anyway. I need to be careful as I get exhausted doing CG if I don't up my calorie intake ( like at the moment)

@MarisPiper92 I find that in the Epics she puts in a lot of repeats so say endless lunges with very little breaks, just when you think you are a bit tired then 'bam' straight back into it and back into it again and again. Recently I did one with three minute long bulgarian lunges on each leg. Often she cannot finish her own sets!

@MarisPiper92 I am not trying to put you off BTW just preparing you!

Don't worry @BigButtons, I appreciate the advice! But I have to admit that 3 minutes of Bulgarian lunges sounds like madness!

There is a lot of madness in the Epics @MarisPiper92 . I am typing here because I am putting off doing the next session, shoulders I believe , which after last week's hamstring frenzy should come as a blessed relief- but I would rather have a nap!. My legs are still sore three days later.

Mine was triceps today. My arms are still quivering.

I can do about 1 slow tricep press up in each set.

Tricep push ups are a bitch. I did manage some diamond ones the other day which really surprised me as i could never even do one inch before. I didn't go low but i could do something.
Today was half an hour just on the rear delts- basically all standing rear delt flies, and lateral raises with the odd shoulder presses -ouch. I used 4kg for the flies as she was using 6kg and when she went to 9kg for the shoulder presses I used 6kg.I can finally use 6kg for my shoulders- yay!

Hi all, did day 27 of Heat, calves and quads, not too taxing during (and over blessedly quickly) but I must admit my legs are a bit trembly still.

Does everyone do the 9 minute warm up from Heat? I try to most of the time and I’m finally finding it easier! At the start it was oh so tiring .

Tricep push ups are still impossible for me after all this time, I can barely get down to 90°. In the last EMOM I substituted with cobra push ups after a while. I’m impressed with anyone who can go all the way down and back up again, even if just the once.

I’ve got a cross fit trial session at a local gym next week, I’m feeling a bit like I do when faced with an Epic HIIT session, like I just want to skip it. It will be interesting to see what my level of fitness is, compared to the thrusting young men who no doubt will be in the class 😬. Another reason I’m ambiguous.

I’m impressed by @VeryLittleOwl with sheep who walks up a steep hill several times a day. I’ve always wanted sheep (and chickens, and horses) plus that type of exercise sounds like it could be a substitute for a Tabata HIIT session. You must be fit, I went walking in the Alps over the summer and I was gasping all the way uphill and needed to lie down the next day.

@Melassa yes that calves one wasn’t too bad at the time but afterwards it was a bit trembly.
I had to charge up some very steep hills today as my daughter was doing a law test and they had sent her to the wrong centre so we had to leg it to the correct one. I thought I was going to have a cardiac arrest .
I’m impressed with your cross fit trial session. I would be put off by the fit young men. Unless they were handsome and then I would just dribble 😂

I am put off by the fit young men! Maybe some are lusting-after material but they all seem to have beards nowadays which I find annoying (yes, my DP also has a beard. I know). I will see what the ratio is men to women as if it’s too man heavy i won’t enjoy it. I did kickboxing many years ago and in one gym I was the only female in a class of male teens who could all have been my children and who all thought they were Power Rangers (or whatever was around at the time). Not fun at all.

Thank you, @Melassa but I definitely don't have the right muscles in shape for this, coming down the stairs this morning was distinctly dodgy! I'm bracing myself for a long walk this afternoon, I have six who've wandered away from the rest of the flock and I think I spotted them on the next peninsula over when I was feeding the horses last night. It's not somewhere I can get to with the quad bike, so I'm going to have to walk out there if it's not too windy (I'd rather not get blown off the cliffs, thank you) and it'll be a couple of hours each way.

Debating whether to do Beginner day 2 now to get it out of the way or wait until I've done all the stuff I really need my arms for first.

@Melassa the poster rangers thinga did make me chuckle. Hats off to you for doing it though. I am white at boxing. For some reason my arms look like a praying mantis going for it’s prey😂😍.
Years ago my mum took me on a river cruise in France. The boat was docked in Lyon for a few days right next to an outside fitness area. It was the height is summer and I spent hours watching fit young men on the equipment all glistening with sweat with their tanned bodies wearing next to nothing😮😂

Too fast typing- meant Power Rangers!

Beginner Day 2 done. I cannot do a side plank to save my life, I toppled over nearly every single time. I definitely need a much stronger core before I can get on top of this one, I think. Forecast has changed to 40mph and torrential rain for most of the day, so no sheep hunting for me today, they'll all be huddled down in the rocks somewhere.

@VeryLittleOwl leave the sheep to huddle- serves them right for running off!
Did day 37- went for 9.5 kg as it was legs. I quite enjoyed it but stopped at the horrible reverse plank hamstring lifts- my left hamstring was already complaining by then and I wasn’t going to push it- did glute squeezes instead- and now it feels sore to walk on.
It was a sweaty session with the heavier weights to be sure.

Are you doing Epic 3 @BigButtons ? I'm on day 37 lower legs too.

Some of the FB members have knee straps - I was thinking of getting one too. Not in time for today sadly (I'll do it later after I've finished work).

Did a run this morning though which was nice.

@Itsnotdeep no Heat, but I have noticed that the format is pretty much the same. I do use a leg strap now, it does help. I will also do another trigger point massage later which also helps with any right knee pain. I hardly get any actual pain whilst lunging and squatting now, just afterward sometimes.
CG does really love to work the hamstrings though I have noticed. Mine will start to look like those of a Russian shot putter if I’m not not careful 🧐

Day 2 done! Really enjoyed that one, managed 7.5kgs for the shoulder presses but had to go down to 3kg for most of the other stuff. My push ups however, are crap.

Everyone, I have an announcement ‼️‼️
I have finally managed to perform a push up on my toes!!!! And not just one, managed four in one go!! Progress will come if you are patient .

I’ve also managed to increase weights from a piddling pitiful 3kg to sligthly less piddling 4kg when doing delt flies. I’m super happy with this improvement too as I have found delt flies very hard so far.

Thank you all, I knew you’d understand

Well done all the newbies!

@VeryLittleOwl I was pitiful with the side planks at first. I now find them quite a relaxing move CG’s death by thousand lunges will strengthen your core much more than any usual standalone, typical crunches will ever do.

@wetpants yay we’ll done! Delt flies are haaard . I used 4kg with those yesterday, mind you it was half an hour of them in various guises!
Excellent news re the tow push ups too!
I hadn’t thought about lunges and core muscles- ever.
I really should do some warm up and cool down stuff- I never do😮

Thank you @BigButtons I owe it partially to you as you introduced me to the Bowflex 3 min plank I don’t do it daily but I do try to fit it in as much as possible.

Reaching this specific goal has given me a new surge of motivation! Can’t wait to crack on with the next session!!

Aah @Melassa asked about the warm up too. I do a 5 min warm up but that’s it. It tends to be jogging on spot, some yoga stretches, shadow boxing and sometimes just silly dance moves! I tend to skip cool down more often

I had a really weird thing happen during triceps and biceps day 38. Started off ok with the tricep dips then went all weak and wobbly. Had to go down to 4kg and even then that felt hard. My hands hurt, I had no strength at all. I fast forwarded the tricep push ups. Heaven knows what went on there.