Getting fitter and stronger with Caroline Girvan- all welcome!

[BigButtons]

New thread!🤩

Here are some more floor-based leg exercises from Lucy. I often incorporate these in her Thighs & Glutes workout, i.e. do one of these instead of the leg swinging at the beginning. However, I always do the leg circling and knee bending exercises as these are super effective.

Do you guys always have a rest day before a full body workout. I don't follow the programmes exactly. I done arms today and the next one is full body which I have time to do tomorrow.

I listen to my body and have a rest day as and when it seems necessary, or when I've got other stuff going on that day. Usually every 6-10 days.

I do some form of full-body workout most days, so if she is doing legs, I'll add in a short arms workout, plus some abs. Or a Growingannanas HIIT session. And always always always a bunch of planks. And a dozen or so pushups.

If I've done, say, a really tough legs workout, I'll give legs a miss the next day and do a bit more cardio/HIIT. Ditto arms.

Basically I play it by ear. After 4.5 years of doing this, I am pretty attuned to what's works for me.

I usually alternate a run day with a lift day but a couple of times a week I lift on consecutive days and have no problem on doing a full body after a leg or arm day. It's not as intensive as a pure upper/lower body workout. As has been said, listen to your body!

Bloody hell but I am finding Epic Heat challenging. I just did day 5 (burpee HIIT) and yowza.

OTOH, aided by some intermittent fasting which has taken some fat off the top, I am starting to look genuinely cut, especially around the abs and shoulders. I'm vaguely fascinated by the emergence of my own musculature.

Hello everyone.
2 more days of iron on the app for me. I am hoping her next app series isn't a fuel mark 2 as i will have to give anything like that a miss. Have loved this series, it has given me huge strength gains. Still struggling to get above 9kg for arnolds though. managing 15kg x 2 for lunges etc and 32 for glutes.

@GregBrawlsInDogJail i know what you mean, no abs for me but I’m fascinated by the muscles in my shoulders!

@BigButtons why no Fuel for you? I’m thinking of doing that next as it’s six weeks which will run me straight up to Christmas

Wow, 9kg for Arnolds is impressive! I can manage 7,5kg but not for more than one set usually. Then it's back down to 5kg. And 10kg for lunges, sometimes 12,5kg but I'm not too worried as I don't want my legs to get a lot bigger.

Most of the FB groups seems to think Fuel II will be the next programme on the App. I hope not too, I like doing more lifting, don't need the cardio because of my running. I'm not mad keen on burpees during every session either!

@Diggersandunicorns fuel didn't work for me body at all. I never felt satisfied after a session but became increasingly wired and tired as the weeks went on. I think it spiked my cortisol. I also didn't like that it was so leg heavy. I gave up after a month and went back to epic three and felt much happier. When I lift i just want to lift, not throw myself to the floor and doo burpees half way through.

I'm also 7.5s overhead at best @samthebordercollie . I can nearly match Caroline on legs a lot of the time but overhead arm work, forget it. 2/3s to 3/4s is a good day.

for all those stuck with weights do try ron on the app. i was very reluctant to pay for the app, really reluctant. I bought it when iron 2 was launching and it is superb. The instruction she gives both on 'paper' and at the start of each session is a game changer as far as form is concerned. The app has allowed me to go much heavier than I ever thought I could. I have wondered how she has managed to make that happen. I think it is because her words of encouragement bring on a 'just try' attitude . Just show up.
I am frustrated with my weights for shoulder pressing simply because they have not gone up the way the weights for everything else have.
i am mindful of protecting my shoulders though.
This series has also made me furiously hungry most of the time but I am slimmer now than when I started it. she has been working us haaaarrrrrrddddd!

Can the app finally be streamed on the TV ? , I really want to buy it and move on from the youtube videos, but I just can't be bothered to faff about with fire sticks etc. it has to be easy and foolproof for me or I will just abandon it too quickly and waste my money..

I have a brand new TV in my gym room, so it is up to date, and the app sounds brilliant, so would love to be able to get started on it.

I will get the ap once I have worked through all her YouTube videos.
I need to be able to stream onto my TV too.
I can connect my laptop into my tv will that work or is it just from the phone?

On my old TV I streamed using Chromecast it worker perfectly I now have a new TV and stream directly from my iPhone using AirPlay which works perfectly too.
I second @BigButtons about the App, I'm doing Beastmode and finding it really effective. I'm looking forward to doing Iron 2 now, I didn't enjoy Iron 1 nearly as much as the Epics but it sounds like Iron 2 will be excellent! CG is a real perfectionist and I love reading her weekly previews of the workouts (even if I'm not doing the program yet!) the meal recipes are excellent, the articles informative and there are some standalone exercises (like the arms end shoulders 55min workout) I have as favourites and do regularly.

Forgot to say that CGX are wikkng on a PC version of the App

Working!

How much is the app, again?

Just looking at it on the Google store. It has pretty poor reviews, but it looks like those are functionality-related rather than about CG's workouts.

@samthebordercollie Thank you, that's good news, excited to sign up and get started.

I cast to my tv. It took a bit of fiddling as I have on old tv and an old chrome cast. I am sure if I had a smart tv it would be easy.

I found this quick youtube one today from 3 years ago. wanted something I could do quckly, really enjoyed it, its mainly boxing moves.

5 Min STANDING ABS WORKOUT | Arms + Core with Dumbbells

Iron on the app does sound good. I will probably get it once I've done some more YouTube.
I'm halfway through epic 1. I managed 10 push ups in a row today....progress!

5 Min STANDING ABS WORKOUT | Arms + Core with Dumbbells

That should read 15 Min and not 5 Min.😊

I have read there is a website version of the app on the way, anyone else hear that? If that is the case I will stick with the youtube videos and wait for the website.

I like this one too for a quick workout

Yep I regularly do the 15min boxing standing ab one.
I struggle with ab exercises hurting my neck(obviously doing something wrong/weak core) so these I enjoy.

Is it possible that you are doing too many crunches, @ellebelli ? I'm always careful with crunches and stop if I feel tension.

To workouts really helped me get my core in shape:

• the Bowflex 3-minute plank (which I still do every day)
• Rebecca Louise's Best Abs

NB: Dr Jo has some excellent neck exercises.