EPIC!! Losing, gaining and groaning with Caroline Girvan

[BigButtons]

New thread!

@FlowerArranger you are not starting again from zero though. You will get fitter and stronger again quickly. Muscle has memory and all that. Be kind to yourself

Thanks, @BigButtons, I'm sure I will. Eventually .

My main issue right now is lack of energy. I feel so weak! I've also gained a fair bit of weight through inactivity and comfort eating (and ...). I need to lose 10-15 lb and seriously recharge my batteries.

How can I lose weight and gain strength at the same time...

@FlowerArranger are you able to get some walking in?

Just ‘ completed beastmode chest and triceps
. As predicted I had to completely swap out some exercises. Why oh why does she put in loads of push ups right at he end? Why not at the start when my muscles have some fight left?
Didn’t really enjoy that. Triceps are rock hard but My right shoulder is not happy with the chest presses and push ups. Need to do my shoulder yoga.

Thank you for commiserating @BigButtons and @FlowerArranger. I'm sorry you are having a tough time Flower. I know it's easy for me to say but you will catch up quickly compared to where you were when you first started.

On the upside, Caroline herself liked my IG post where I declared I had finished the Heat series . I'm glad I had kept it positive and did my venting in here .

@BigButtons Aaargh your last post makes me thing maybe I should tackle another series next than the Beastmode!!

My inner forearms and triceps are roaring today. In all the months of CG my inner forearms have never hurt!

I took my "after" pics this morning. To an untrained eye there isn't much difference between before and after but my arms defo have more definition and my thighs are much more solid rather than wobbly. My stomach is the most noticeable though. My waist size hasn't changed at all, it's exactly the same cm in circumference but the pouch (2 x csections) underneath has noticeably got tighter and flatter! And I think there is defo a faint start of a sixpack! I wish I had taken another measurement across my pouch section to compare rather than just the narrowest point of the waist line.

Hi all, did day 39 finally, I have a bit of a sore shoulder and wrist so needed to be careful on some moves. I suspect sore shoulder is mouse and smartphone related as it’s not going away despite yoga or whatever else I throw at it. Oh well. Annoying as I’m restricting the weights because of it and I was hoping to start going up a weight on the shoulder presses etc.

I also have an unsightly c-section pouch @UglyModernWindows, I never thought of exercise having any effect on it, I had assumed it would be resistant to anything. Underneath it is quite taut but I wouldn’t know if more so since I started CG. I’d always ignored that area, but I will now keep an eye on it. Interesting. My before pic was just after full lockdown when I’d lost all my muscle tone and had become a general blob, but way before CG, so since then there has definitely been an improvement. Although not as much as I would have expected. I guess it’s age, 10 years ago after less than a month of just Jillian Michaels I got super toned, now it all takes so much longer and there is a stubborn layer that won’t shift. But I feel strong and in pretty good shape overall so that’s good enough for me nowadays.

@Melassa well done on getting to day 39.
I never did the before/ after photos. I can certainly see a difference. My clothes fit differently. My first 2 children were c sections so I know what you mean re the over hang. Doing all the abs work- especially the 3 min plank hold- has really pulled things in and there is less over hang now.
I will not be doing the beastmode day 10 hiit tomorrow. I did day 9 yesterday and couldn’t
Finish it. Thought I was coming down with another bug. Have woken up this morning to a throat that feels like I have been swallowing razor blades and no voice whatsoever. Bed day for me.

Hello everyone, I'm thinking about starting Epic1 next week, slightly nervous after having a sneak peek at a couple of the workouts! It's been a good few months since I last worked out and even then I was just a beginner. I'm hoping it won't be too much for me....what was everyone's fitness levels when they began and how did you find it?

Hello @mner1896
That’s a good question. I started the original thread in July 7days into Epic 1. I had always exercised in some form since I was a teen. I am now 54. I ran, followed Jillian Michaels, Joe wicks, owned weights and kettle bells. I thought I was fit and strong.
The first week of Epic 1 floored me and I was about to give up -but didn’t thanks to the support and encouragement here.
CG is really tough but sticking with it will make you hugely stronger and fitter, but it will hurt- a lot!
I suggest you do the beginners program as many times as you need. It will help build your strength and stamina and familiarise yourself with her moves.
Don’t be fooled by the moniker beginners though.
@FlowerArranger linked to many slightly less hardcore alternatives in the first thread. You might like to check those out too?🙂

Hello @mner1896 - I agree with @BigButtons, especially in terms of building up to CG with less challenging routines* and doing EPIC Beginners as many times as you need to. And use weights that challenge you but that you feel comfortable with. As Caroline keeps stressing: good form and doing the exercises correctly is way more important than the actual weights.

* I recommend Rebecca Louise, especially her best abs workout, Lucy Wyndham Read's Thighs & Glutes (a game changer if you do it every day), and Bowflex planks.

• I also suggest doing regular HIIT sessions with Growingan nans as Caroline's HIIT can be a bit....... OTT

Growingannanas !!!

@BigButtons How do you feel today? My youngest came down this morning complaining about sore throat too. I hope I can swerve it!!!

@mner1896 I started Epic Heat in early September, prior to that I had done couple of Caroline's two week series as well as some yoga and excercise bike. I wasn't completely unfit but I was lacking in strength and muscle tone. I also did the Epic beginner series few times prior starting the Epic Heat. The first round was incredibly hard but it does build you up! Just take it on your own pace. Often when CG does 15 repeats, I can only manage 2 but that's fine. Two well made moves is better than 15 made in haste.

I started the two week Tempo series this morning. Loved it! I chickened out on the Beastmode . I was dreading the start after doing yoga for a week but the first half was all performed on lying on your back so that suited me just fine . It was hard but flew by!

@UglyModernWindows thanks for asking. My throat is less sore but I am very bunged up and coughing. Will spend another day in bed. Possibly no CG for me next week. My do the LWR legs and some abs exercises when I feel like I have some strength. Definitely no mad cardio though!

Just seen that CG will be doing short(20 min) daily routines everyday from 1/12-24/12. That’s 7 a week. Should be good😀

I'm back! MN stopped working on my phone and I can't figure out why. I've taken a full week off any exercising due to a bad cold but back on it tomorrow.

@BigButtons just saw the CG advent calendar on insta - I'm quite excited!

Will read through what I've missed for the last couple of weeks now. Hope everyone is well!

I'm also back! Have also taken a week off as I've been away. I also avoided the FB page during that time, so have felt no guilt whatsoever.

And yes, the 20 minute work out looks perfect for December. Will try and do some kind of add on some days I think. Possibly LWR's glute work out.

Good to see you back @ManxRhyme and @Itsnotdeep!
I am feeling quite encouraged. Not well enough to attempt any CH I just the old favourite LWR thighs and flutes. Last time I did them it still really hurt. This time I used ankle weights and didn’t find it nearly as tough. My thighs must be so much stronger. I will up the ankle weight next time.
I am sure on the FB groups that the crazies will do all the advent ones plus another at least everyday. They are bonkers.

Excuse my crappy typos……

thighs and flutes! Makes it sound so appealing.

I spent sometime yesterday looking up how to do lateral raises. Pullovers. Rows, face pulls etc properly. Having just done a shoulder and arms session it bothered me that i was not seeing the gains I wanted . I chose a heat session.
The videos I watched were very informative, proper gym coaches. I will make sure I try and remember what to do. I wish she would spend more time talking about proper form.
Ironically she has put these very exercises on today’s advent .
I won’t do them today, will give my shoulders a rest but will combine both sessions tomorrow.

I agree about the form @BigButtons. I have looked up how to do RDL properly as it’s so easy to get it wrong and damage your back.

I’m excited about the daily count down calendar for December too! 20 mins sessions is just brill. I’ve now done Tempo series day 1 and 2. Was aching so much yesterday that I had to take a day off. I can’t exercise today or tomorrow morning either which is frustrating. I’ll start the xmas calendar work outs on Friday and will re-start the Tempo series once Xmas is done.

@BigButtons I agree that I'd really like CG to talk about form - either before, between or even during sets. I did a session from Epic 3 on Monday - it was glutes and core but I have hurt my back a bit. I was struggling with one move - looked like a sumo squat but she called it a deadlift - and could really have done with some advice during that one!