Getting fitter and stronger with Caroline Girvan- all welcome!

[BigButtons]

New thread!🤩

I'm now on day 17 of the Fuel series. Not loving it. I find it very focussed on the legs (think someone (BigButtons ?) said this too. I've been doing other upper body workouts in between my Fuel ones. And also some running (which is hard to combine with Fuel as running is also legs...).

@SophieLion I am so glad I stopped it. I was dreading the sessions and they way they made me feel.
so good to go back to a balanced programme again and give my poor legs a break!

Why not try this, @BigButtons ? Anna is using 5kg, but feel free to use 10... 😆

This may become my new go-too workout as it ticks all the boxes for me. Even includes a fair few planks! 😍

@FlowerArranger thanks
I am trying not to raise my heart into my cardio zone more than once a week. My body hated fuel with a vengeance. Since upping my protein and going back to Epic three I have lost weight and muscles have become visible!
I will give it a go though as my Sunday workout.
I do CG body weight on Saturday now- treat it like a yoga session.
We went to see the Stones in Hyde park yesterday so there was a lot of walking and hours of standing ( and drinking). Fantastic gig.

@FlowerArranger this is the last one I did- the abs section( which is 15 mins) has a plank hold every third exercise. Think you might like it!
I am pleased to say that I can still hold a plank for 3 mins- I must start doing them again everyday- much prefer them to stomach vacuums which hurt my lower back.

@BigButtons - you went to see the Stones, wow!!!! I would have loved to see this but had too much going on, plus I didn't have a ticket...

The last one you did, with the abs and plans - not sure which one you mean...... do you have a link or a name/heading?

@FlowerArranger they were bloody amazing. Jagger is in his late seventies and still moves around like a much younger man. We were really close to the stage too.
sorry I forgot to post the link!
m.youtube.com/watch?v=AhxDtySwlZo&list=PLeXzBbaPjjPXmnCQxwsFAv6pwmTGCGH0D&index=67

Fuel finished! I enjoyed it more than than it sounds like some of you did, but overall I agree I'd prefer more steady strength training and less cardio. I had to go much slower than CG on some sets just to keep my form. Anyone know if there's anything coming next? I'm thinking about repeating Iron or Heat.

@MarisPiper92 glad you enjoyed fuel- someone had to🤣
she will hopefully have a bit of a break before the next series.
there are so many I want to do like pyramid series and beastmode.
need to get my shoulder strength improved.
I did my epic three Sunday hiit yesterday and her calisthenics leg day from her calisthenics series today- that was brutal! Burned as many calories doing that as I did doing the hiit 😮🥵.
I am hiding in the house today in front of a fan.

I'm doing Epic 3 again. As these are fairly short, I add in a 20-30 minute HIIT courtesy of Growingannanas, plus a short plank* and either a bit of ab work (Rebecca) or thighs & glutes (Lucy), to make it 90 minutes a day.

• Caroline has a neat 5 minute plank, which makes a change from Bowflex:

@FlowerArranger
i’ll do the 5 minute plank one. Mostly I just hold a plank for three minutes( because I am lazy).
90 mins a day is pretty good going. I aim for about an hour ish. I am doing extra tricep/ bicep sessions each week as well as an extra calisthenics one at the weekend.

I've been MIA - new job and whatnot has taken up all my time. I do check in on the thread though and am amazed by your progress and dedication!

I am on the last week of Fuel. Had a dreadful summer cold last week so missed 3 workouts - have been doubling up this week to make them up. E.g. yesterday I combined Day 23 Glutes & Hamstrings Tempo with Day 27 Shoulders Chest & Triceps Tempo. I need somehow to get Day 28 Posterior Chain Clusters, and Day 25 Dumbbell Cardio & HIIT done today. Then tomorrow I can do both full body sessions (Day 25 & Day 29).

I am desperate to finish the workouts a day early e.g. Day 31 Dumbbell HIIT No Repeat on Saturday as we are off to Thailand for two weeks on Saturday night! I am planning to do a few calisthenics or full bodyweight only sessions while we are away. Maybe there'll be a new program by the time I get back! If not, i'm going to start Heat again. I love the 30min format that combines cardio and weights.

I've seen a lot of progress in my strength and cardio health - resting heart rate is now 60bpm! Burpees and sprawls no longer fill me with dread. And I can do a few solid tricep pushups and nearly 10 normal pushups in a row. Still terrible at dips though.

My next focus is to really clean up my diet. I eat pretty healthily but definitely do not get enough protein. Trying to eat at last 25g at each meal, not easy bc I only eat lunch and dinner. I hate the idea of protein shakes as I consider them UPF...but might try a couple of powders mixed into my yoghurt etc.

Good to see you back,@ladybranstonpickle!

I know what you mean about the protein. I once did an analysis which, if memory serves me right, suggested I 'need' around 140g of protein a day. No way...... even if I wasn't trying to control my calories intake as I need to lose some weight...

I'd be interested how others manage their protein intake. Is it possible to get 'enough' without resorting to powders?

I'm back too! After a truly grim 2 weeks of sickness in which I didn't work out at all. I wound back on Epic 1 a bit and didn't push it on the weights today.

@FlowerArranger I got 140g in today even before dinner ! Not hard. I had a protein pancake for breakfast, 2 protein squash drinks over the course of the day, collagen drink with breakfast, large chicken salad for lunch- bingo! I don’t count the incidental protein I get from milk and nibbling on cheese.

Hi everyone, I posted on this thread a while ago to say I was going to start one of the CG programs, I'm now on day 17 of Epic Heat and really loving it! Feeling stronger and pretty good all round... have been trying not to get hung up on the scales but was a bit disappointed to find I've put on 0.5kg in the last 4 weeks! I know muscle weighs more than fat but has anyone else experienced this? Was hoping to shift a little at least - diet wise I am intermittent fasting and low carb, and feel like I've been doing so well so feel a bit despondent!

I'm another one who struggles with protein. I'm vegetarian and also don't buy eggs, and I avoid meat-substitutes as they're so ultra processed. I've started with a protein powder mixed into yoghurt recently, but have been disappointed to discover it's quite high in salt. Will keep looking!

I am now, I estimate, about 1.5kg heavier than when I got into weights, yet also smaller.

I don't really pay much attention to the scales any more. At least until I can get a body comp set.

I am absolutely loving epic 3. It is brutal and I often have to pause in this heat. I pull ugly faces a lot and have to dig deep. But of all of the progs I have done it is by far my favourite.

@BigButtons - I can see that protein powders can be helpful, but I'm on a calorie controlled diet because I really need to lose a few pounds that crept up on me over the past year. I also avoid all processed food and dairy. Which means my protein sources are limited to chicken, fish and eggs...

I try not to get too hung up about weight, @bluespottygerbil . I use my favourite jeans, i.e. how loose or tight they are, as my standard measure of how trim I am...

I too like EPIC Heat. I think I'll redo that once I'm done with EPIC 3. I'm supposed to be doing #15 - aka as Badass Burpees

I'm supposed to be doing #15 - aka as Badass Burpees - today, but I think I'll give this one a miss 😵

@FlowerArranger my protein powder is whey but it is not a milky one and doesn’t have many calories compared to the milky one but it has as much protein.
have you tried the protein pancakes? They are 36g of protein for one pancake and only 160 calories.
I have found I am losing weight now that I have upped my protein. I am eating more than I used to but I guess because I am eating much fewer carbs I am eating fewer calories? Muscles are certainly popping and I appear to have more endurance.
epic 3 lunge day from hell yesterday. Hurt like buggery and I had to keep pausing but I actually did enjoy it.

@bluespottygerbil I actually put on weight over this past year. I have no scales but my clothes tell me so. Initially I was freaked out but recently I have got my eating back under control and upped my protein intake. I was growing muscles but adding fat. Not a great combo. I suppose it is a form of bulking.
now my legs are starting to see individual quadriceps definition rather than just being hard and large!
I would take no notice of the scales- go by your clothes, although they too will fit differently because of your new muscles!

Oh my goodness, I couldn't justify spending 160 precious calories on just one pancake!! I'm trying to stick with 1200-1400 a day, so its strictly lean protein and veggies only.

It's a long road, unfortunately, as life often gets in the way, and the road to ruin is paved with many good intentions but not enough resolve. But I shall persevere...🤗

I'm pretty sure I am putting on weight, well doing a very slow body recomp - I've been bouncing around 65kg for basically this whole year. But my belly has shrunk, and I am starting to see some definition in my arms. I would like to burn some fat, but just plugging away at a decent diet, the CG workouts, and now am focusing on getting a bit more protein when I can.

I was planning to do one of my catchup sessions today (Fuel Day 24 Full Body) that I missed last Friday due to my cold. But I actually do feel a little wiped out. Not sure whether to do it but not push myself or skip entirely. I hate the idea of not getting a full tick✅for all 30 of the workouts though. If I do Day 24 today, I can do Day 27 on Friday and possibly combine with Day 29. Then Day 30 on Saturday and I am DONE!!!

I might be a bit overambitious though. Perhaps the best thing is to just do both full body's today and take a rest day tomorrow, with the idea of smashing the final workout on Saturday. We head off on holiday Saturday night, and I like the idea of being done then so I can really relax for the first week of our holiday.