Getting fitter and stronger with Caroline Girvan- all welcome!

[BigButtons]

New thread!🤩

When I started last summer I had free weights which went up to 5kg. That was enough to start with for sure. Quite quickly though I bought a set of adjustable dumbbells. This year I bought a second set and 4 -5kg weight plates as I can now hold 14kg for legs and press 11-12 for chest. Shoulders I can manage 10 depending on what shoulder sets she is doing. Sometimes she goes down to 4kg if it very intense and fast paced. It all takes time. Go lighter and get your form down. Increase slowly to avoid injury 🙂

Finally got around to doing day 17 Iron today and oh my the weights! I’d been feeling chuffed I was managing most exercises with 2/3 or 3/4 of her weights but the 20kg chest press defeated me. There’s no way I can press more than 10kg and even that is a struggle by the second set. On a more positive note I found the tricep dips easier than I have in a while. I too am weaker on the triceps, probably from avoiding all those tricep push ups in her past series, but I’ve decided I need to stop avoiding or I will be lopsided!

Tomorrow glutes, no doubt with hip thrusts, but I need to stop avoiding those too!

I’ve also been doing CG alternate days or with gaps in between, but with no running or replacement exercise on the other days (except at most running for the tram in heels). I’d love to be more consistent like I was last summer, but my work schedule lately has not been leaving a lot of spare time, or energy.

@Melassa I know those weights are crazy. I can use 24kg for hip thrusts but have trouble picking them off the floor! She has incredible upper body strength. She did say that she has spent a while working up to that.
I have a glute day today-( just got back from
a 5 mile hike though so it won’t be a very energetic session) and am going to stop avoiding them. They are hard because my muscles are weak.
I noticed my dips had got a lot better too. Since doing an extra tricep session each week they are much stronger.

I wasn't feeling the love for epic3 glutes at all. Got 30% done and gave up. Instead I did an old resistance band glute workout of hers that involved no weights and then a weighted standing abs.
That long and hilly hike took it out of me.

That long and hilly hike took it out of me...

Maybe try this tomorrow? I did it a couple of days ago and it ticked all the boxes for me, without leaving me collapsed on the floor at the end 😁

@FlowerArranger Thanks will give that one a go!
I see she has a new prog coming out a week today. Looks to be quite cardio/ hiit based.
there are some weights too. I am in 2 minds about it. I am really starting to see tangible results from the weights training and want to keep that going.
part of me trusts her to know that this will continue to give results and part of me wants to carry on with epic three.
I do like to do live programmes though. Maybe I will try it for a week and see if I like it.
what does everyone else think?

Day 42 endgame upper body done - quite enjoyed it - also like an ab finisher.

Didn't work out over weekend as drove to Gloucestershire with friends for a party (which was fun). After a leisurely breakfast fast at their house, cuddling their new rescue donkeys and baby donkeys, we got caught up on the M25 - which shut down due to an accident and took ages to find our way home 🥺

Did day 18 Iron - glutes. It wasn’t too bad but I did feel a bit thigh trembly at the end. I think my long stint of avoiding the dreaded hip thrusts made them more of a challenge this time around. Did 15kg and 10kg to CG’s 30 and 15kg. I think I could have gone heavier with the single weight but I’d run out of plates for my adjustables. I have an old set too but the plates are different, so no good. I need to invest in a few more I think.

What to do next @BigButtons ? I wouldn’t know. I think some cardio is needed (and I do feel more energetic after a good HIIT session) but I find hers a bit intense at times (anything burpee kills me!). An entire HIIT/cardio series is my idea of hell, but I imagine she’ll retain a lot of weight training, albeit lighter weights. I’ve been enjoying no HIIT this time around, for the cardio I’ve been walking, including up a lot of hills, so I feel like I’m done on that front 😬

I think we all at times reach a point where we're not quite sure how to proceed with our 'exercise journey', @BigButtons ... For me, it has always been about maintaining a bit of variety, rather than getting through a 'program' day after day after day.

As I'm quite old 😅I tend to alternate between Caroline and Growingannanas, though I always always always do the Bowflex planks and/or a short abs workout in addition. I love what CG and her weights focused programs have done to my strength and appearance, but I find that I need regular cardio and HIIT to maintain my form.

@FlowerArranger you are right. I was actually at my leanest when I did heat. But I want more muscle definition on my upper body. Legs are good. If I get any more I will be too bulky!

@BigButtons what would you say the difference between iron and heat is? I'm two weeks into iron but missing my hiit style a little bit! I ache after every session so it's definitely doing things but I really want that 'leaner' look.

@BigButtons - I'm actually planning to do Heat again as I remember it being an excellent combo of weights and HIIT, particularly if one adds an additional weights based abs, arms or leg session, including my old favourite, Lucy's Thighs & Glutes, which I still do at least once a week.

I think I've decided Iron isn't for me. The kind of weights needed for it to work are just too heavy for me. Not to labour a point, but as I'm getting older, I need to focus on cardio and endurance/stamina as much as building muscle.

@FlowerArranger I love the lifting and my new muscles but i think i do need a balance.
@minimini358 iron is more like traditional simple lifting; slow and heavy weights.
Heat is fast paced with little rest, weights not so heavy- but she lifts heavy anyway- so you are often out of breath during the weights sessions as well as having a hideous hit dedicated session on sunday

I too want that leaner look, which is why I was thinking of going back to Heat after Iron finishes. I’m very toned and firm, but I seem to have gone up a dress size 🤔A few Heat sessions might help with that (as well as a decreased appetite because it’s so bloody hot here!).

I think I'm gonna swap to heat, you ladies have convinced me! Definitely don't want to go up a dress size!

Epic 1 Day 17 for me: basically 40 minutes of lunges. Owwww.

I'm sticking with Epic 1 for the moment; it's giving me what I want and I like knowing that at this pace I'll basically have fresh Caroline to do until I retire 😁maybe I'll even do a HIIT tomorrow instead of going for a run.

Ps. My HR hits the upper end of my cardio zone when I do a weights workout, so I reckon it's contributing to my cardio fitness too.

@minimini358 that might just be me. I can’t seem to let go of the carbs or wine. But I am very firm 😄

@GregBrawlsInDogJail i also get my HR up a fair amount doing weights at speed. I think with the other series I spent the week dreading the Sunday hideous HIIT session, it’s been refreshing not worrying about it with Iron.

I am bigger all over. I used to care- a lot- but I am so firm now and am different shape that I no longer care. legs are Rock hard.
this afternoon I am due to tackle the hardest leg day she has ever done😳😩😬

After a great start last week, I completely stopped due to ill children. Both children got chicken pox simultaneously so we've had lots of sleepless nights and general all round exhaustion.

Seem to be heading towards recovery at last so hoping to get back onto it tonight/tomorrow morning. Iron day 3 awaits!

@prescribingmum hope your kids get fully better soon and that you manage to get back to things again!
well I did epic 3 day 7 leg day this afternoon.
Christ on a bike. I thought epic 1 day 7 was brutal. I managed 10kg for nearly all of it. Had to drop for the last rounds of curtesy to lunges 40 mins of. 3 minute complexes of various squats and lunges and RDLs . I. Can’t feel my legs. Even CG had to keep drying herself off with a towel!

Oy vey, I still hurt from those lunges on Monday. Badly need a flexibility yoga session somewhere.
Epic 1 Day 18 later, chest and abs.

Endgame day 43 yesterday - poxy hipthrusts! Lots of sumo deadlifts too. My upper body looks fine, as I am pretty toned and don't really carry any weight there. Legs still look a bit shit, but very slowly improving.

@fishonabicycle day 48 glutes is even worse😮😮

I CANNOT DO TRICEP PUSH UPS. Normal full push ups, fine. Tricep push ups, nope. And skull crusher push ups, fuhgeddaboudit. I can just about do 5 if I do them on my knees. Aaargh.