EPIC!! Losing, gaining and groaning with Caroline Girvan

[BigButtons]

New thread!

@Anjelika you arms will look amazing. I have no doubt ! I think maybe it is because the tricep is such a big muscle proportionally on the arm taking up the back and outside. Mine are certainly much bigger but still by far my weakest area. I bloody hate skull crushers I find them really hard and my hands fatigue before my triceps.

Back to End game after a break (been doing random workouts instead). So day 17 legs - 100 Bulgarian finisher! Good to be back on track ... Tough but doable - used 9kg handweights throughout. Unfortunately I can't really do many press-ups any more - I definitely have arthritis in my right wrist, and it just hurts pretty quickly (even holding heavy weights is a challenge - really frustrating). But it seems a few of us are working round injuries.

@fishonabicycle I have arthritis in some of my fingers and the base of my thumb so struggle with press ups too.

Rest day for me and feel ready for it. Will do yesterday's glutes one tomorrow as went for a run yesterday.

Active rest day today. I have been signed off from work for a few days- stress. ( mother). Anyway was searching for something to do and stumbled across Epic 1 day 49. It's a real gem. I stopped epic 1 for heat last autumn so didn't get that far. I urge you lot to give it a go. It's a great session if you are after body weight/ yoga/ balance/ stretching fusion.
She talks though some moves as they are happening and has a live 20 min stretch session at the end which she talks you though.
I had to modify some of the push ups, but at least I did them, properly on the toes.( first time in weeks my shoulder has let me). And some of the abs ones were tricky for my back so I subbed. All the exercises were different to her usual ones.
It was very refreshing ( but hard work of course at times)

@BigButtons, I remember enjoying day 49 epic 1 although I found some of the stretch part challenging which was a surprise. I’ve never done yoga, Pilates etc so not very flexible.
Day 25 endgame for me after 2 rest days (slightly unintentional but last minute world book day costume creation had to come first). Like others I found this easier than some of her HIIT although the short rest breaks does always get me in the end. I did the 10 min twisted abs add on which I really struggled with. I think my abs have gone backwards since epic 1 as there is less in endgame if you don’t do the add-ons which I rarely have time for (can’t remember how I found time for 50min WOs in epic 1).

Thanks for reminding me of EPIC 1 Day 49. It's a good one, but I'm finding it more difficult than expected. Two days skiing in heavy snow may have something to do with my stiffness, but I think I definitely need to start focusing on flexibility over strength. I'm planning to do the last 20 minutes of this workout every day until further notice!

@FlowerArranger that sounds like a good plan. I have been doing yoga with Tim- recommended somewhere upthread- and am loving it. He has a very gentle manner and I have found it has really helped x

Happy to hear you like Tim bigbuttons.

Had an active rest day today (did a run) and day 29 tomorrow. It's full body but all the comments I read seem to suggest it's quite cardio-y.

@SophieLion yes- Tim is great. I have been doing his neck and shoulders and a yin one that is so relaxing.
I can’t remember any of the days I’ve already done, even the ones I really liked. I need to go back and look through them and put them into my favourites folder.

I've saved day 49 for myself! Thanks. Didn't really enjoy today's arms and abs much (had to swap out the press-ups) and I'm rubbish at biceps - hey ho.

did Endgame Day 3 Glutes last night (took a rest day on Weds rather than Thursday due to toddler logistics!). I am really enjoying the workouts, the slower pace seems to be hitting the spot for me at the moment. Although the 100 rep finishers are SO HARD! I actually think its more of a mental thing than physical, although the hip thrusts were really difficult last night. I am looking forward to the Full Body tonight, although I loathe Bulgarian lunges. I can never get comfortable, I've tried a dining chair (too tall), a stepstool (too low), the sofa seat (too soft), and just can't get it to work. I do as many as I can but often give up and swap to a regular floor lunge.

@ladybranstonpickle I am lucky enough to have a coffee table at a good height for me. Still rather hate those Bulgarians though!
I am trying to work out what weights to use for today.
No way can I go heavier than 7 for shoulder presses but will need heavier than that for squats/ RDLs and renegades.
I bloody hate hate makers

Try putting a large book (aka a coffe-table book...) on the sofa for those Bulgarian lunges.

Just completed endgame day 26 which was so many push-ups!! I had very wobbly arms towards the end and pushed through the 100 cobras. Multi-tasking today listening to a work broadcast during the workout and meant I had time for the abs add-on. I’m going to try to do abs work more often and found today’s much better than the twisted one. My week is all out of kilter so an active rest day for me tomorrow with netball again.

Day 44. It killed me😫😫
Cg used 10 kg. I thought I was using 8.5 but I think it was actually 9. Far too heavy. I had to drop half way through. By the time we got to the last 2 minute complex flow from hell I was down to 5kg and barely able to stand 😮. It gets harder and harder. I am not enjoying this difficulty level. I keep thinking I should be pushing because that’s the whole point but I think it is crossing the line and I will need to drop the weights back.

I think you're wise to drop the weights, @BigButtons. I pushed through against my better judgment 10 days ago and, despite two physio sessions, I'm still hurting. I've come to accept that it really is "me against me". Challenging myself is fine, but I'd rather do less than I can than risk further injury.

I drop the weights whenever I have to - there is no shame! If my knees are playing up I do lunges unweighted. I don't want to actually hurt myself, and nor should you buttons x

Day 27 endgame completed and glad my arms got a rest today. I used my 5kg throughout but had to drop to 3kg just for the foot elevated deadstop lunges which I found really hard even body weight only. Netball was hard work in the rain and wind yesterday but we won by 44 goals so not too pressured and I was rewarded with a trip to the local curry house for dinner.

@Forgotmypasswordsgain good job and well done with the netball!😃

Day 44 done today, apart from the maker medley not too bad. Mindful of what @BigButtons wrote I stuck to 6kg throughout. It was a sweat fest and I got my heart rate up so all good. I’m toying with doing a glute add on what I get back from my walk as I’m aware that with my aversion to hip thrusts I’ve been avoiding all the glute days. I found one tagged onto day 43 that is all old school donkey kicks etc.

My shoulder is still sore so I’m not pushing on the weights, I’ll keep it low for the next couple of weeks, then build up again when feeling better.

@Melassa very sensible re the weights on day 44! I will go back to that one periodically but with lighter weights!
Actually day 43 glutes wasn’t all hip thrusts - there were some at the start and end but there was also a lot of squatting and lunging in between so a much better variety.
I am going to tackle the EMOM soon- wish me luck. I am tired and hungover and have very little energy 😫🥴🧐

EMOM -apart from round 2 which I had to modify the crap out of. No push up burpees just burpees and push ups on the knees - it was actually ok. Yes my heart rate was up and I had to take a break during round 2 so that I could breathe.
Finisher was 100 squat jumps which was kind of very do-able and even finished before her. I suspect I wasn’t working as hard as she was 🧐🧐

Well done on facing the EMOM @BigButtons. I went for a long, brisk walk, followed by a trip to the supermarket, so I decided that was enough cardio for today. I might come back to though, perversely I don’t mind it as I try and beat the clock so I have more rest time. Probably by doing everything badly…

@Melassa
“perversely I don’t mind it as I try and beat the clock so I have more rest time. Probably by doing everything badly…”
That’s me!!😂😂

Day 46 shoulders done. Shoulders, chest and triceps all worked hard and a good ab finisher.
Bloody Bulgarian lunge day tomorrow