EPIC!! Losing, gaining and groaning with Caroline Girvan

[BigButtons]

New thread!

@Itsnotdeep no- I moved things around this week. Did day 50 then 49 and this was day 48. You’re going to do push ups galore too!

Wow, well done @BigButtons!

I have just finished week 2 of Epic III. Thoughts so far:

• Definitely more abs work. Dead bugs, planks etc. I think there's been more in 2 weeks of Epic III, than in all of Epic Heat. No complaints from me; I enjoy a lying down exercise sometimes
• The 40 minutes does feel a bit longer. Yesterdays HIIT was 30 minutes and it flew by. (Tabata HIIT, which I like a lot) I am finding I need to allow myself a full hour to change, find weights, do the video. Rather than 35-40mins.
• Still hate Bulgarian lunges , though I think I am better at them. @ladybranstonpickle, I definitely lie the top of my foot flat on the sofa for support. Not sure that is right; but I cannot balance if on the ball of my foot!

Heigh ho, week 3 starts tomorrow

@Itsnotdeep do you mean a set before heat? If so yes- I got to day 30 of epic 1 but found the 1 hour sessions too time consuming once the summer hols were over.)
@stilllockeddownnowheretogo more abs work sounds good . I love dead bugs!
The three minute plank I do most days is working wonders on my abs though I must say.

Rambling on to myself.Slightly lost after HEAT. I decided to do beastmode for 2 weeks. First up murder of my quads. Really tough. The repeated 90 second wall sits were the breather!

Just done Day 16 of EPIC 3 - all shoulders. Was really quite repetitive, but on the plus side I am already thinking about buying lots of halternecks to wear next summer.

I've got one more day of Epic 3 and then will do one of the week long ones as I'm away for a week.

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She finished Epic 3 on Sunday and I think posted links to all of her other workouts. I think I'm going to do Heat next

I can definitely see a difference to my arms and shoulders. Need to look at my diet I think in order to see more abs definition, but I know from my yoga that my core is getting stronger. And actually the reason I started this is to keep my bones strong as I hit menopause. I'm now in a routine and quite like doing it at the end of my working day.

Well done @BigButtons!! You must feel...
EPIC 🤣

Hope you surgeon gives you the all clear @FlowerArranger.

I cheated and skipped straight to full body then the HIIT last week. Feeling a bit bored and wanting more overall cardio/HIIT. I can confirm that CG EMOMs are objectively more brutal than other HIITs out there, according to my fitness tracker.

@ManxRhyme I prefer the EMOM because I can go like the clappers and get a decent rest😂
Will be int to see what the rest of beastmode brings.
I am currently being very entertained by a batshit crazy thread about an elaborate birthday party and a christening.

Did bestmode arms and shoulders yesterday- worked hard. Today glutes and hammies. This went really quickly and for some really very odd reason I was able to use my 10kg weights without struggling, even doubled them up for the hip thrusts. I must have been doing it all wrong

Goodness! For 2 days I’ve not been able to access Mumsnet. Amazing how much I got done though!

Did day 36 shoulders and this morning a 10 mins ab session as I fell I’ve been neglecting my abs (glances at wobbly belly, pours another glass of wine). Tomorrow I shall plough on with day 37 of heat, now I’m getting nearer the end I want to get through the workouts. I do have a sore arm, albeit predating the shoulder workout. I suspect from excessive smartphone use . I’ve tried the trigger points but apparently a tennis ball is required for that area and I’ve found the cat-sized fake tennis ball to be of no use. I will need to buy a proper one this weekend.

Well done on completing Heat @BigButtons, I too might look at Beeastmode afterwards, or another short series. I’m a bit loath to commit to another 10 week workout as I’ve been having trouble finding the time in my day to get through the sessions and it does seem that they never end. I think I will find shorter series more achievable and less demoralising if I miss a day.

Oddly enough I’ve been looking at CG’s shorter spot workouts and been finding them too easy. But I am in no way that fit.

@FlowerArranger I hope you are able to get back to exercising soon. An ex of mine had eye surgery and he had to remain immobile for 20 days and not exert himself for another 10 weeks . I hope your convalescence is nowhere near that long!

I'm on holiday next week, so am doing a short programme called Complex Series. When I come back I'll start Beastmode or Heat I think.

@FlowerArranger hope you can start soon - I'm only away for a week and I'm wondering whether I can put some weights in my luggage....

Thanks, guys - feeling much better and today my surgeon cleared me for moderate exercise (and skiing!!!! Yeah )

It’s going to take a while to get my mojo back, but I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again!!

@Melassa don’t do yourself a disservice! You will be much fitter and stronger now than you were when you started.
Recently with her workouts I have made myself so something that I thought would be too hard- skull crusher push-ups and I have surprised myself as to how much stronger I am now.
Once beast mode is finished I will do tempo week. What is good about doing the shorter series is that the rhythm of the routines is different and that is welcome.

Beast mode full body day. Do- able not a punishing as heat.
I even managed 4 sets of push ups towards the end . They were supposed to be dead stop but no way can I do them. I can get down but can’t get back up again 😂.
Managed 4 sets on on toes of normal ones- 10 reps a set. Arms were quivering though!

What is odd is the way I have suddenly been able to tolerate heavier weights since finishing heat. I think the exercises themselves are easier?

CG posted a new one today which got the FB groups very excited!

I did Complex series day 3. I actually ache from day 2 (Arms). Day 3 was a glute one and killed me! Donkey kicks galore. They're good though - go really quickly (which is the main plus point for me)>

I don't know @BigButtons, the FB peeps seem to think Heat is hard! So maybe you are just doing easier ones. They are also speculating about an advent set for December. I may be becoming a little bit obsessed.

I can't get back up either @BigButtons.!

Heat was hard! Beastmode is not as hard! I am enjoying it because it is not as hard!

me talking to me for accountability!
Ploughing on with beastmode. Into week 2. Back and biceps day. I managed the back with 11kg . Started the biceps with 5kg but had to drop to 4 as my shoulders and arms were toast after the endless rows.
This seems to be more weight focused than heat which was also cardio. This has meant I can up the weights.

Hi @BigButtons, I’m still here too, on EH Day 39 which I’ve yet to do, but my firearms are a bit sore from the bicep and tricep bonanza yesterday. Weirdly my right thumb and right wrist started to get sore, so I was actually stronger on my left side. No idea why!

I’ve started to incorporate a core and abs session every day, after the warmup and before the Heat session, so I’ve been alternating between the 15 plank session, Rock hard abs, isometric abs and braced abs. That way if I don’t have time at least I’ve done the abs, which is my worst area! Not helped by crisis and crap lying about the house…

Should say forearms, no firearms here, thankfully!

@Melassa lol @ the firearms
I do a three minute plank hold once or twice a day and do some CG abs. I like the weight ones but will check out the iso one in a min.
I just did the plyo/ iso legs from heat rather than the beastmode one. I managed to do the sumo holds with a 21kg weight. That was bloody hard!!

Well, I have finished the Heat series now. I did the last day on Sunday but it felt like a big anticlimax tbh. Couldn't even be bothered to update here until now! The reason being the final session was shit IMO . The Emom format was ok but the in the middle section you were expected to do something like 100 pushups . In fact, I think CG must have done something close to 200?

I've improved so much along the way but there's no way I can do that. It left me feeling like a failure a bit. I know I am not failure at all but I didn't come out feeling like I can conquere the world. IYSWM? I wanted to quite when I was about 10 mins into it but didn't as I really wanted to experience the confetti rain in the end . So, during the pushup section I did my pitiful 4 on toes push ups. Tried my best to do as many on knees push ups as possible and the rest I just did planking until the last section came on. If that makes sense.

Oh well, meh, I did it. This week I'm only doing yoga which has been nice. On Sunday I'm planning to start the Beastmode series next.

I know what you mean, @UglyModernWindows. I feel quite discouraged at the moment. 6 weeks ago I seemed to be quite fit and felt I was really getting somewhere. Since then I've had 2 operations under GA and was unable to do anything at all until a week ago.

It feels so discouraging when I look at CG workouts now, so I'll just stick to Growingannanas and Rebecca Louise for a while. Not forgetting LWR's Thighs & Glutes and the Bowflex plank. I guess I'm back to where I started back in February, so it'll take a good few months to get back in shape.

Moan over - onwards & upwards!!!

@UglyModernWindows sorry that you felt so let down by the EMOM. I didn't mind it. I was just glad to finish. There were endless press ups and I did have to go to my knees for a few of them. The way I looked at it was that I have vastly improved in strength since July. There's no way I can keep up with her with usb ups, ever. The fact that I could do many more than I ever could before was victory enough for me.
Today looking through beastmode day 8 there are tricep and dead stop push ups. No way can I do those on my toes, but I can do the normal and diamond ones. It's ok. I get stronger bit by bit!