Getting fitter and stronger with Caroline Girvan- all welcome!

[BigButtons]

New thread!🤩

@prescribingmum I use my clothes as a guide. I have had ED issues in the past and know how easy it is for me to become obsessed and anxious. I have no idea how much I weigh and don’t want to know!
I am focused on my health and strength rather than my size🙂

Thanks both, you have the same thinking as me.

I follow a few different PT on insta and majority recommend tracking for all size, weight and calories to improve shape. I also have the type of personality that could get very caught up in it so have resisted until now.

They also claim need to lose fat before can gain muscle therefore need calorie deficit first so it is so good to hear that you dropped a dress size without losing weight first, I am also more interested in how I look in mirror and in my clothes than what the scale says

I've stopped weighing myself altogether since I got into weights. I can tell that my overall calorie burn is higher, and I can both see and feel on my body where fat has disappeared and muscle has appeared. I also track my RHR/VO2 max and of course my running speed/how much I'm lifting. That's all I need.

Hi there. After reading your posts I did Day 1 of EPIC this morning. Wow it was challenging. I've done some weights before but had fallen off the wagon recently so this was great to have a go at something new and set myself the goal of completing the programme. I seem ok with squats but really struggled with lunges which I always find. Can anyone reassure me that they will get easier and any tips to help? I'm really looking forward to Day 2...but not sure if I'll be able to walk tomorrow!!

The lunges do get easier, though never easy...... at least not for me. I've been known to shamelessly substitute easier moves when it all gets too much...

Wait till you get to the weighted hip thrusts 😱

I love this group, my kind of people not closely tracking measurements and weight!

I've been relatively active and feeling fine all day but the DOMs are certainly starting to kick in and sure I will wake up sore tomorrow! I have a very sore knee too so may need to go bit easier on the lunges, managed more weight than I thought I would for them but looks like that wasn't the best idea.

Chest tomorrow will be interesting..!

Omg I did one of the growingannanas HIIT workouts this morning, and it was nails! It was one of the 30min ones and was relentless. Felt like I got such a good workout, I’ll be doing more of those alongside CG.

Can anyone recommend a good 30 minute no crunch abs workout on YouTube that I could do in place of the Caroline ab days on Iron?

I really struggle with arching my lower back and I just can't get an effective ab workout as all it does is hurt my back 😭

Day two of EPIC today and I was surprised I could walk to take part!😉. I wasn't prepared for the relentless push ups and I really struggled and had to make lots of modifications. Please tell me that I will eventually be able to do these!!! Great to hear everyone else's stories!

It's Rebecca Louise's Best Abs you want.
There are a few crunches, but just do sit-ups or Russian twists instead.
But if you are struggling with arching your lower back, you really need to work on your core.
Keep doing Rebecca's Best Abs, but also do the Bowflex 3-minute plank every single day.
Believe me it works!

Epic 3 day 4- three minute complexes with only 30 secs rest every three mins.This will be very demanding says” Caroline.
no shit😮😮😰

I have the same issue with my lower back. I do a little with a block or towel under my back to keep it close to the ground but spend more time on plank exercises or those that involve lying on my front.

I am going to try follow @FlowerArranger 's advice and do a little abs work regularly to try strengthen my core.

Iron Day 2 complete, my arms are not as strong so tougher for me and dropped the weights but glad I got through it. Probably take a break from CG over the weekend and stay active, I find it hard to get time to schedule in workouts

Epic 1 Day 16 arms and shoulders for me, and the disturbing discovery that my left arm is significantly weaker than my right. 😣i was all proud of myself for doing nearly the whole session with my 7.5kgs.

Am wondering if I should replace one run a week with a HIIT, either Caro or growingannanas.

Onto day 3 of iron today. I did enjoy days 1 and 2 but found my muscles ached so much I couldn't do a run or swim on my in between days.
I'm hoping it's just getting used to it again after a couple of weeks break and it'll get easier? I want to keep going with CG but still make progress with running (couch to 5k) and swimming. Not sure if this is unrealistic?
Plan is CG 3 times a week rather than 5 to allow recovery, run 3 x a week, swim 3 x a week (only half an hour) and 1 full recovery day. It sounds doable on paper but I'm struggling!

@milkfromthesleepycow I did day 11 iron today and am walking like I've had an accident today 😆 so I think aching might be for the long haul!

@minimini358 damm! I'll try pushing through- maybe it'll help loosen up everything?! And accept that I probably won't get my best performance in cardio while doing CG. I just want to find a balance where I can keep doing and enjoying it all!!

Enjoyment is the key!
I have sound upping the protein and have a protein drink during exercise really helps with doms- as does proper regular stretching.
walking is very good for helping with leg doms🙂

Agree about the protein and stretching,@BigButtons , though instead of drinking protein I eat a boiled egg or 2 immediately after my workout. Rebecca Louise has a neat little stretching routine that I do a lot as it really helps:

I also find I do much better if I do CG on alternate days only, and doing mostly Growingannanas HIIT in between (with or without weights - her catalogue is huge).

@FlowerArranger
i am
bit great at eating- hence the drink!
I should try her hiit. Must confess I prefer to get my cardio from weights and walking nowadays.
I’ll try the RL stretch. I have also found some excellent ones on you tube.
I am working on building my triceps. They are weak compared to all my other muscles . Slowly getting some success 🙂

Hi all, I finished week 5 of iron yesterday. Debating whether to do day 26 (legs) today. Bigbuttons do you remember how it was? I scrolled back but I don't think you mentioned that day.

Hi, feeling inspired by this thread and wondering what weights everyone uses? Planning to try the epic beginners to start and then move on to the epic, but only have 3k and 5k dumbbells. Should I get more?

@bluespottygerbil I started with 3.5kg back in January for epic 1, but did some exercises body weight only (definitely windmills!). Only got to end of week 8 but then restarted with 5.5kg for mostly everything.

I'm now trying iron and going up and down the weights like a yo-yo! Using DHs barbells for some of the glutes exercise to get up to 20kg and still using 3.5 at times (bloody rear delt flyes!)

I've got adjustable dumbbells, which are not for everyone but I love mine.

In short I think you'll be fine with the weights you've got for while. But it's very addictive

@bluespottygerbil I started with 5kg dumbbells. I now use 7.5s and 10s for a lot of my workouts, but I still switch back down to the 5s for some of the arm stuff (especially after the first set) and I've been known even to borrow the loose 2.5kg plates from our barbell set for long sets of flyes 😳

I reckon you'll be absolutely fine with what you've got for now.

Completed endgame day 48 last night and I got a new phone so I can post again. Struggling to fit workouts in as kids have upped their clubs after school and I can’t say I was looking forward to a full press-up session. I felt a little bad I didn’t complete the 100 finisher as I ran out of time so I might have to do the extra 70 press-ups today! Only 2 more days to go and then I think I will try epic heat.

@SophieLion I like leg days so I probably wouldn’t have mentioned it. I come on here to moan about all the other days😂😮