EPIC!! Losing, gaining and groaning with Caroline Girvan

[BigButtons]

New thread!

@Itsnotdeep life is too short - just swap this one out with another legs one if you don't fancy it. CG didn't have the dreaded plastic chair out for Day 13 - she was using a sofa.

I have just previewed Epic 3 Day 14 which I'm planning to do tomorrow and it looks OK apart from the staple which is Makers. I just can't do the transition from the renegade row position into a crouch position. I might just do the first part for one round (renegade rows and a press up) and the second part for the next (bicep curl to shoulder press either kneeling or standing).

I did day 41 - it was ok. The planking stuff was a bit tough. But I don't mind an RDL.

For various boring reasons I don't think I'm going to get Day 9 done today - pity, it looks quite good. Maybe I'll do it instead of HIIT on Sunday (any excuse to avoid HIIT!)

Back to it today, EH Day 41, glutes. The hip thrust were a killer, I find it hard to push through the burn . It's a very repetetive session but thankfully it's done now.

I'm finally seeing some improvement. Today I used 10kg for the squats and 6kg for the hip thrusts. Been using the 4-6kg weights respectively for ages. I'm also hitting a much better target on our exercise bike than before.

I also restarted today after a manic week, plus I went out walking 10k+ steps a couple of days, so wimped out of any Heat sessions. Did day 31 heat, omg the 3 minute Bulgarian lunges and the single leg hip thrusts, you weren’t wrong @BigButtons. I ended up doubling the staggered thrusts so I could miss out reps of the single leg as they were making me feel sick. I hate hip thrusts at the best of times but these were particularly annoying. I’m beginning to dread hamstrings and glutes sessions, the hip thrusts and hamstring hold thingies are my least favourite exercises and actually make me grind my teeth. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one. I do plough through them as I don’t want to miss out on any benefits, but I sigh when I see them in a session.

I also did a weighted abs as an add on so I feel I have done some penance for a lax week. Tomorrow upper body which I’m oddly looking forward to, although I seem to have developed a bit of a sore shoulder from not doing anything.

Our bonfire week has finished. I am knackered. I haven’t been to bed before 2am for three days on the trot.
In the 24 hours that was actual bonfire and then the clear up I did 34,000 steps😮. It was physically very punishing.

Today I will not be moving at all if I can help it.
I will do the last week of heat next week and catch up on 2 out of the three session I couldn’t do last week when heat has finished.
I do believe there is another death by Bulgarian lunges coming up.

@Melassa I find that the hip thrusts really build my hamstrings as well as my glutes. I really don’t need more bulk there. She does a lot of hamstring/ glute work not just in their own sessions but as part of any leg/ whole body day.

34,000 steps? you must be exhausted, I’m exhausted after less than half.

Yes, CG does seem to be fixated on hamstrings, a part of the body I’m in no rush to build up. I must admit to a few mixed feelings about my new, bulkier shape. I love how muscly my arms and shoulders are becoming, but I’ve noticed that I’m finding it harder to get tops and jackets to fit, some that were already snug fitting are now tight across the shoulders. I went to a vintage shop the other day and tried on a few things in a 10 (but from the era when a 10 was actually small) and I can no longer do them up as too tight at the back. Before it was just the boobage that was a problem, now it’s everything. That said it was upper body today and I happily did it all with 6kg, including the flies, so I’m certainly not doing anything to avoid bulking up.

My thighs are thickening up too, but that bothers me less as I no longer wear miniskirts and many of my work trousers are wide legged. I do love being strong and firm, I guess i just need to get used to having a different shape. Or else up the cardio to stay lean. I dunno.

I am not making much progress with Heat. Life got in the way massively last 2 weeks and I am still trying to get my mojo back. In an attempt to reset today I did a 15 min CG weighted ab and the plank variations. Am currently staring day 25 heat EMOM wondering how I can motivate myself to do it tomorrow, or will I wimp out and do an alternative instead.

@Melassa I know re the changing body shape. I am bothered by my beefed up legs as I can no longer fit comfortably into my tighter jeans. My arms seem to be taking longer to respond. The weights I use for upper body vary a lot depending on the area worked and the number of sets. I go between 8.5kg for chest presses to 5kg for the flies and some shoulder work.
I will try 6kg for the flies next time and do fewer reps.
Yes 35 trillion steps was exhausting and especially since most of it involved pulling a very heavy metal barrel with burning torches, a lot of it up steep hills😱
I am very mindful of protecting my shoulders

Another thought for your arms. If you don’t want to bulk up too much reduce or at least don’t increase the weights? That way you can stay toned without pumping the muscle?

I'm also having an unmotivated weekend/week .
Have now done Epic III day #6 - lots of planks! and abs work. Which I don't think we did in Heat? Epic III does seem quite different to Heat so far.

When I upped the weight (only from 3 to 5kg!!) I really noticed a difference in how hard I found the workouts. Have to say I've not noticed a huge change in body, my legs are more toned but not too bulky yet (they've always been quite chunky so I wouldn't notice anyway ). Arms are still a bit wobbly.....

I quite fancy doing tempo week after I finish heat this week.

I guess she might bring out some more weekly ones after 3 is finished. It would be nice to do a live series, but I’m not that fussed.

Did day 46 upper body yesterday. I can’t get above 5kg for shoulder work when she is doing those 3 back to back 45 second sets.
I wanted to use 6kg on my adjustable a but also needed to use them as heavier weights for the rows etc and that would have meant stopping all the time to change weight.
Maybe I need to find some 6kg dumbbells.
Today is legs but tomorrow a blooming push up session- that will be a disaster in that I will be able to only a tiny few per set.

but you're still getting on and doing the sessions @BigButtons! Honestly, I don't think anyone can smash out multiple push ups for an entire 30 minute session .
I know that I can do more push ups now than when I began, and I'm sure you're the same. (even if that is three instead of zero )

I did Epic III day #7, legs complexes. I really don't like complexes, I find the 3 minutes just too long. I prefer one exercise, 50 seconds, get it over and done with! However I persevered. It was death by lunges. I had a few extra breaks but made it in the end.

@stilllockeddownnowheretogo thank you 😍
Yes I can certainly do more than I could. I know she doesn’t like people going to their knees but if I didn’t do that at times I would not do anything!
Complexes are hard.I’m still traumatised by the 3 minute Bulgarian lunges a few weeks ago!

I’ve also found it hard to keep going with Heat, as with @ManxRhyme life (and work!) keeps getting in the way. I managed a 15 min abs session this morning before getting the train. I’m supposed to be on day 33 but I had a peek and it does seem to be a bit lungetastic which I didn’t fancy either yesterday or today. If I get back in time this evening I might go for it but I suspect I will be too hungry, so it will be tomorrow instead.

Well done @BigButtons getting to day 46! you must feel a huge sense of achievement.

Did anyone do before and after photos? I didn’t bother but now wish I had. Apart from the bulking up (which I do like most of the time, plus I’m a ducted to increasing weights) I still have my belly, but I can feel hard muscle underneath plus I no longer have backache so there has been some change there too albeit craftily hidden by my podge.

I guess I should start complementing CG with more cardio movement, plus really dial down on those carbs. That way the layer of fat should finally melt away and my new chiselled frame will emerge. Or that is the plan anyway

I think I am going to have to remove myself from all CG Facebook groups. The only people that post are the same ones everyday with a trillion photos of them in the same poses doing the exercises and stealth boasting.
One woman was proud that she was still pressing on with epic 3 despite having pneumonia. I haven’t got the patience for it any more.

I think they're quite funny @BigButtons. There was a post about how many additional exercises people do in addition to the CG workouts. Some of them mustn't have a job, or a family - they spend their whole time running 10kms, doing HIIT and adding on 5 add ons to each workout. There's quite an obsession with macros too.

I did day 43 yesterday after a weekend off where I just did yoga. I actually did do an ab add-on but that's because I missed out most of the lunges. I don't think she does enough abs/core work . Today day 44 is a full body workout.

My arms have changed (I now use 6kg weights) although my legs haven't done so much frustratingly. I can't really do all the lunges because of my knees, but I actually do need to build up my muscles to protect my knees. So it's a conundrum.

@Itsnotdeep I think her thinking is that using weights means you have to brace your core most of the time so abs are always being worked.
I have day 47 lower body today- 😬.
I will make myself do the EMOM day 5” just so I can say I finished at the finish. I didn’t do last Sunday’s hiit but I did walk 34,000 steps dragging a heavy weight and up hill a lot- so I certainly got my cardio in!
Then tempo week next week. Will be interesting to see if she brings out something next Monday once Eoic 3 has finished. She might like to take break though and I wouldn’t blame her.
I find when I do her exercises I am ravenous afterwards- especially for carbs- no way could I ditch the carbs @Melassa - I would faint!

I think I have a problem remembering to engage my core!

That was quite a tough leg day- I kept getting interrupted which was probably just as well. My legs ache all over now.
I think I will do day 50 tomorrow as i won't have the chance at the weekend and I really want to actually finish. i'll complete the push ups on Saturday instead and whole body on friday.

@BigButtons and @Itsnotdeep your comments about the FB groups made me laugh. So much stealth boasting going on over there and I agree - some of them can't have jobs or families as seem to spend their entire days doing exercise. Maybe I could do add-ons and more if I had nothing else to do all day!