Getting fitter and stronger with Caroline Girvan- all welcome!

[BigButtons]

New thread!🤩

Hey. I have been using CG since beginning of 1st lockdown and loved it. But unfortunately a year and half into it I triggered knee bursitis doin repeatative lunges!! She loves them 🤣

I wanna get bak to doin her for a bit, wedding to go to next month, so will use this post for inspiration 🥳

Another one who loves her but has to watch the lunges thanks to an old knee injury! I can do some, and luckily I'm ok with squats, it's just putting too much weight on the one knee so I stick to those when doing the kettlebell series if I feel it twanging. Love her 15 min kettlebell and abs videos. Perfect for slotting in and keeping momentum up if I'm extremely busy or unmotivated.

@Tia74 also wanting to use this to shred for the wedding!! 😆 what difference did you notice to body composition last time you used the programme? Im a little worried about the lack of cardio having been a cardio bunny and (wrongly I know) believing that's the way to lose weight!

@minimini358 I have been working out for years now, and felt the only thing that changed my body shape was doin heavy weights. Not much cardio!

I used CG as didn't have access to the gym at that time, but did look and feel OK, knackered me out some, and enjoyed the different things each day. However, gym and weight call now.

But obviously alot is to do with diet boo. So now no sugar, no bad greasy stuff, just whole foods, fruit and veg etc but no dieting, no low calories! 👍

Hello everyone!
I just did iron day 25 shoulders. Boy it burned.

@BigButtons excellent. How is that series compared to the rest. Sometimes they get a bit samey?

@Tia74 yes I know what you mean about samey. Sometimes she’s thrown in a move she hasn’t done for ages. I wish she would add more variety.
iron is a lifting program- slow moves at heavy weights. I have managed to use much heavier than I could previously. It has had the most visible effect on my body.
i am so torn between redoing iron and redoing heat

Hello all, I'm a total newbie to CG and hope you don't mind me popping in to ask some questions. I've just done day 1 of epic endgame and it damn near finished me off. To add insult to injury, I quite literally did the lightweight version as I did it on a whim and only had 3kg weights in the house, while she casually threw around her 10kg ones 😂

I'm not overweight but not especially fit, and in the past have mainly done cardio and pilates type workouts. As well as the jelly legs, I felt quite sick doing this. Do I just need to stick with it? Should I have started with one of her earlier programmes?

I'm 45 and keen to build up my strength while toning up, which is why CG seemed like a good option.

Day 1 of Iron done, used 5kgs as they're my current heaviest but I do have some 8s and 10s on the way.

I did get about 10 days into Epic 1 and then fell off the bandwagon so here's hoping this time!

@LegsOfJelly well done on giving it a go! Endgame is harder if you haven't done any CG before. I would recommend that you do the 'beginners'. It's not beginners and is badly named. It introduces you to her moves and uses mostly body weight I think. It is by no means easy.
All of CG is hard. It's meant to be. I suffer during every single workout and I've been doing it for a year now. i started the original thread off last summer because I was finding it so hard ( Epic 1) that I was about to pack it all in. I am SO glad I didn't. More than anything it teaches you mental resilience . Don't think you have to be perfect. Just turning up and trying is enough. She is always going on about You vs you and that's spot on. It isn't a competition. You do YOU. keep going because the rewards both physical and mental will be phenomenal .

Oh thanks @BigButtons How did I not spot the beginners programme??!! I will definitely try that instead and build up to the Epic programmes.

I just sort of googled last night, having seen CG mentioned on MN, found the one that said Endgame and thought oh yeah I'll give that a go. I will hurt tomorrow!

Anyway, glad to have found this thread - I'll keep an eye on it as motivation!

Did endgame day 37 yesterday. Pretty tough legs giant sets. It was hot!

Following.

Day 27 upper body. Was finding the higher weights tough today. 12kg for me for pullovers, diamond press and renegade rows- felt so hard. Managed 7.5 kg for the shoulder presses. Bloody press ups. I still hate them as year on. I can do more of them but I still hate them.
Think it's dreaded glute and hamstrings tomorrow. Then 2 more days left. Her full body in this series have been increasingly punishing- like hitt by stealth with weights 😓😖🤔

I watched a bit the other day and there is no way I could do it! Are you supposed to use similar weights?!

How does it compare to eg. Body Pump?

I think hardly anyone uses her weights!!!...😂
Just use what you find challenging but doable and up the weights as you progress.
No point risking injury...

For anyone starting out I'd suggest EPIC Beginners followed by EPIC Heat.

Personally I alternate Caroline Girvan with Growingannanas for some HIIT Cardio. Or sometimes one of Jake Dupree's full-body workouts.

I also add in a few 10-15 minute favorites that I have found tremendously useful:
Rebecca Louise Best Abs
Lucy Wyndham Read's Thighs & Glutes

• Bowflex 3 minute plank, which I do every day.

Monday and Tuesday last week I started Iron serious having not done CG before. I’ve done loads of weights and cardio etc but have had a break of over 6 months. I can only now walk and raise my arms🤣🤣 I think I need to start at the beginners.

I definitely couldn't use hers!

Day 2 arms done on Iron series. Used a variety of 2, 3 and 5kgs. I enjoy arms more than legs!

@SunshineLane she really is on a level of her own. I hurt and sweat every single time I do a session and pray to god that it will finish. The beginners week is tough enough. You will get strong quickly if you keep on though 🥰

Well done Sunshine! The first week is definitely the hardest while you adjust to her exercises and routines but you would like you're doing really well keep it up!

Well what the bloody hell was that? Iron day 28 glutes. OMG. over 50% worth of weighted banded thrusts. I doubled up on my bands too until I remembered that I had done it for a previous session and had forgotten to remove one.
I swore alot, alot alot. No pancake bum for me. I really hate glute days which probably means I really need to do them.

@BigButtons that's wot I like about her stuff, you can pick wot body part you want to train. I mainly go for the butt ones 🤣

Mayb I should try that one then ? I need mine to go up and my age not down

Hi, I’ve had a longer break than planned from CG after catching a bad cold a week back from my holiday. It’s been hard to get back into the routine while trying to also juggle walking our new dog. Finally forced myself to do day 47 endgame last night and knew it would be brutal to start back on Bulgarian lunge day. Happy to say I managed to complete it (with a couple of breaks to sort a Tesco delivery which last week I would have used as an excuse not to start it) with my 5kg weights (CG10kg). Finding stairs slightly hard work today but that was expected as my legs felt like jelly by the end. Tomorrow press-up and abs day - she didn’t let up for the last week did she!!

@fishonabicycle the last week was not nice. I refused to even so the push up day. Smashed day 49 then got covid. Never did day 50 and quite frankly I have no intention of going back to it😂😂

Sorry that was meant for @Forgotmypasswordsgain !