Getting fitter and stronger with Caroline Girvan- all welcome!

[BigButtons]

New thread!🤩

Well done on doubling up @mommybear1 ! I’m really enjoying Iron so far (but have only done week 1). Yesterday I did the arms and core session and the non-stop abs bit at the end was so mean! Also, putting triceps push-ups at the end of an arms workout just ain’t going to happen! (Unless you’re an exercise robot like CG 😀, no idea how she keeps smiling).

Does anybody else sometimes think they’ll never get up off the mat again after the cool-down?

Just popping in to say I finished Iron last week and enjoyed it so much that I started it again this week!

A lot of people do this! Are you going to go heavier on the weights for round 2?

No I’m not this time around. I’d like to for the challenge and I have heavier weights but I can already feel my arms are slightly larger in clothes and I don’t really want to have to buy new clothes right now. I know everyone says it’s really hard for women to bulk up but I really do gain muscle easily - I always have. And I don’t eat that much either (no breakfast, just soup for lunch - no bread, then a normal dinner). Trousers are feeling looser but I think that’s because of my pear shape. It’s been great for my lower body and has made such a difference already. Maybe I’ll increase the weights in summer when I’m wearing short sleeved tops!

I did iron #3 today, followed by a >10 km walk.

I'm really struggling with Iron, I'm just not enjoying it in the same way as I did with Fuel. I've had a break since Day 14 as I hurt my back (unconnected) so I need to get a grip and finish it. I'll start again tomorrow.

I periodically have a go at Iron. I always enjoy quite a few sessions, but then I somehow get bored and end up back at Epic 3, Heat or Endgame.

I found it a good one to start with but I've nearly finished Heat now and much prefer the pace of that. I sometimes go back to the full body Iron workouts but only feel like I've done something if I lift a lot heavier than I do with Heat (which is probably the aim of the programme!)

Iron isn’t the only thing I do; I do that in the mornings and then do additional (cardio) workouts in the evening.

I'm with you, @samthebordercollie . I think Epic Heat is my favourite, but I need the challenge of Iron every now and again.

@bluesuitcase - I do a fair bit of cardio too. Usually Growingannanas in conjunction or alternating with Caroline. When I can be arsed have the necessary stamina, I run for half an hour on the spot while listening to Radio 4.

I also do the Bowflex plank every day, as well as Lucy's Thighs & Glutes and Rebecca's Best Abs quite regularly - all of them with variations, to make them more challenging.

I find iron boring. I did it live and then did about 4 weeks of a second round and got bored. I went back to endgame. Having said that I had to stop that too as my left elbow has been screaming blue murder and my clunky groin issue on my right hip was also bad. I was also getting that very familiar feeling of exhaustion- I have done no weights this week.
I tied a growingananas hit which was surprisingly sweaty- I also pulled a muscle in my dodgy right hip doing it. I am falling apart!
yesterday I had an amazing full body massage. The woman also lifts weights so knew where to go looking. She found knots- bad bad knots in my hips and legs. My back was ok. I am going back next week for her to work on my shoulders and arms.
I was literally doing breathing like I did in labour when she was digging in.
I had assumed the elbow issue was a nerve one but she squeezed my triceps near the elbow insertion and wowzers they were so painful.
so there we go- nearly 2 years of Caroline without proper Care and attention to warm up and stretching has caught up with me.🥴

So sorry to hear about your woes, @BigButtons! That sounds really tough. I'm afraid I've joined the Walking Wounded Club as well - intermittent pain on my side, just above my right hip, golfer's elbow and a painful left shoulder. Even though I do warm up religiously and do lots of stretching.

I think I've just been overdoing it, especially using heavier weights than I should. I think there is a risk one ends up doing this with Iron, so I'll go back to Heat or Endgame once I've recovered.

In the meantime I'll stick to stretching and my old favourites. Lots of planks as well. I hope you recover soon,@BigButtons🙏

@BigButtons @FlowerArranger sorry about your aches and pains! My brother is a kettlebell lifter and came to stay with me last week - he made a point of telling me how important stretching is after lifting: Not so much the warm up, but the stretching after was important for recovery: He showed me some quick streches to do which was useful!
@FlowerArranger can I ask some advice, would you recommend Endgame after Heat? I'm not sure if Fuel would be too cardio (I run 30 miles a week so don't really need that) or would it be better to do Epic I, II or III?

Im a great believer in stretching. I’m sure I’ll be fine in a week or so. I’m attaching a photo of some of my favorite stretching routines in case anyone is interested.

i always get confused between the various Programmes, but I remember liking Endgame much more than Fuel, which I have never completed. I tend to get most of my cardio with Growingannanas.

I agree that stretching afterwards is more important than the warm up. I don’t do a proper warm up - my morning walk (school run) is enough.

I don’t do the CG stretches/ cool down - I tried the first one and didn’t find it as good as the stretches I’ve learnt from other trainers, so I switch off at that point and stick to the routine I’ve learnt from those.

And for my evening workouts I don’t do any warm up as being generally active during the day is enough for me.

I've done the first five of Iron now, quite enjoying most of them.

Hello again! I’ve had a week off CG (oops!) as we were away over half term.

I picked up Iron again today - Week 2 - and used my new (pink) 8kg weights for the quad session. I fear my legs are going to be shredded tomorrow which is not good as I have to go into the office (usually WFH) which involves a long walk to and from the station.

It seems there is a bit of a love/hate thing with Iron. I actually like it (but only have Heat and the Beginner Programmes to compare it to). I can definitely see the difference on my legs and my waist seems to be slimming down slowly. Let’s see if I manage to complete it, I hope so!

I've just finished Iron and loved it so much! I'm so happy I found this thread and discovered CG's workouts. I did an Iron workout around 3x a week and a Growingananas HIIT class and abs class maybe once weekly. Feel absolutely brilliant and can maybe see a bit more definition in my arms?? I used around 50-75% of the weights Caroline used so I'm my next set I'll try and increase a bit.
I'll spend a bit of time looking into which series to do next.
Also think I'll cancel my Les Mills membership as I haven't done any classes since I started CG. Although I like their spin classes and my spin bike is now gathering dust!
Thanks all.

I've done iron up to 9 so far, weights about a third of hers, and being a bit cautious about anything that may strain the lower back. Enjoying most of it so far.

I've just finished Heat, 2 sessions most days. I loved it, more than Iron and Beastmode, but goodness, there were some tough sessions at the end of the programme. Having a day off today, just running, looking forward to starting Endgame next.

@samthebordercollie why did you prefer Heat to Iron? I'm wondering which series to start next so would be good to know what Heat is like.

@pharmachameleon I preferred Heat because it was more fast moving, varied, more cardio, shorter work periods than Iron and shorter rest: It wasn't easy, especially at the end, but really enjoyable, even some of the HIT workouts (although not a fan of EMOM but there were only 2 of those!) You're still lifting, but the weights are generally lighter than Iron, even for Caroline, because it's faster paced:

Great to know thanks!

Just done iron day 11 - nearly all lunges, which I'm not a big fan of. I've got limited mobility in my big toes, which I don't think helps, and just a wee twinge in one of my knees, so not doing quite as full range as I might.
Also I must get round to acquiring a yoga block instead of using a gardening encyclopaedia