Lifting with Caroline Girvan 2024: What's not to love?!

[BigButtons]

New thread!

On the App workout Caroline raises her forefoot on wedges when doing staggered RDLs it's a good way to feel them more. I use heavier weights on staggered, 15kg, if I had 17,5 I'd use them.

@thenewaveragebear1983 do you mean RDL s?
if so form is really important. It is a hip hinge movement. Your back should be flat and your bum pushed right back and up as if you are trying to shut a door with it. Contract your lats and hinge down and hinge up- not bending - hinging . Of my form is correct I feel it in my hamstrings using body weight.

@BigButtons yes the RDLs, she does them and also a staggered RDL where one leg is slightly back - those I really couldn’t figure out. When I have done deadlift with a bar before I’ve really felt it. I think my form is correct because I filmed it.

Odd- I can feel it in my hamstrings without any weight if I push back hard enough 🤷🏻‍♀️ worth seeing if you can?

I just completed YT iron this evening. Buzzing! I'll definitely repeat that series.
I'm going to do Fuel next. Will be interesting to see the difference.

Hi all, can I join? I discovered Caroline via a mumsnet thread in style and beauty - possibly someone on this one who had made an absolutely incredible body transformation and posted before and after pics?? I’m hoping I can do the same!

Ive done Epic beginner but now moved to Iron and did day 3 today (glutes). I used to be pretty fit pre-kids but haven’t exercised properly since I was on mat leave with my 3.5yo so am rusty and flabby! And also 37 now.

Im actually ttc dc3 atm so don’t want to go too hard but also am sure being fitter can’t hurt!

Ive got 2x4kg and 2x5kg dumbbells at home but definitely need heavier for the legs - I might invest in 2x10kg neoprene ones. I’m a bit scared of the sets that slot together in case they come apart. They are expensive though!!

Welcome @JumpinJellyfish !
liek you I started with those weights. I would REALLY recommend going to Argos and getting their 10kg cast iron adjustable dumbbells. I have now got 2wets of these plus heavier weight plates. This allows me to increase slowly and offers me such a lot of variations. Also saves space!

I was thinking about before and after photos but I didn’t really plan for it so all my before photos are really not good and I only have about 3 😂 as I refused to have my photo taken for so long

I can post this though for inspiration - I’m older than you @JumpinJellyfish

I got adjustable dumbell/barbell up to 20kg and I really like mine

@Menora wow, that's incredible weight loss, 56lb and all those inches, congratulations!

@JumpinJellyfish that might have been me! Below is a different before and after from the summer holidays last year to February, and a photo from today!

10kg is good but they’re a big leap from 5kg imo. I did get a set of adjustables during Iron which I went from about 6kg up to 10 on. I find them unwieldy at 10kg so bought some dumbells when Lidl had a special one, and I leave the adjustables at 7.5kg now. I do still use them fairly often so don’t think it’s a waste to get the intermediate sizes. For example this morning in Epic 3 there were 3 sets of upper body exercises and for some I used 10kgs for the first two sets and 7.5 for the last. It’s really handy to be able to move up and down in weight easily during a workout.

Wow @Menora well done to you - incredible achievement! I need to get my tape measure out and put some batteries in my scales so that I can do a proper comparison.

And yes @AtomicBlondeRose it was you - you look fantastic! I am similar to your before pic and would love to feel toned and strong. I’ll do some more dumbbell shopping research later.

I agree adjustables are good for the jump from 5+. I can do somethings much better with a 7kg than a 10 or 5 right now

I did some photos when I restarted hiit training 10 weeks ago, I didn’t think I’d really lost much week on week but when I see the 10 week pictures there’s a really noticeable difference. I don’t have a nice tummy like yours though @AtomicBlondeRose, my skin is destroyed by 3 x 10lbs babies over the years and I’ve had 2 c-sections as well which has just left my whole stomach in a mess.

Before and 1 year later - I wasn't overweight but at 58 a skinny fat runner with very little muscle. Doing CG workouts has made everyday life as well as running easier!

Hi @AtomicBlondeRose. You inspired me when you originally posted these photos. Thank you!

Can I ask you about the gloves you're wearing in the last photo? Do they support your wrists? I've got very tiny wrists and sometimes worry about how best to support my wrists.

@samthebordercollie wow! Great work for one year! Your arms are amazing 🤩

@Cherryblossom81 my gloves are very cheap ones from Temu! They don’t give any wrist support, they’re just for comfort as the grips of my 10kg dumbells are textured and annoy my hands when I do renegade rows or lift them into my shoulders. They were just a couple of £ but work amazingly well - not sure what you’d use for support.

@thenewaveragebear1983 my tummy skin is also ruined from 2 x 9lb babies - I have a kind of wrinkly collection of stretchmarks around my bellybutton and then underneath it…kind of hoping will be less noticeable with a toned tummy?!

@samthebordercollie amazing work!

Wow at @samthebordercollie your arms and legs look amazing-and you have the shoulder bumps that caroline has ha ha!

@AtomicBlondeRose your tone is great. 10kg lifted up to shoulder height? Pah I can only wish(I've just gone up to 10kg for chest press but no way I can do shoulder press with 10kgs. .)

Ah you all look great! Well done

I can’t heavy shoulder press either don’t worry 😂

@JumpinJellyfish it’s very odd isn’t it. My youngest is 8 and I hate to say it, but it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. I can tell I’ve lost weight because the skin becomes more crepey and my belly button changes shape, but it is still visible under my clothes and it makes me very self conscious.

@Cherryblossom81 I have spindly wrists too and use gloves with moderate support, I got them from decathlon, there’s a wraparound bit with Velcro for the wrist. They do help a bit, it’s mainly lifting the 10kg dumbells off the ground and over my head for the chest presses, or up to my shoulders when doing squats, where I need the most support. Although they also help with hand and wrist fatigue during lunges etc. for shoulder and arm work I’m nowhere near that weight so it’s not been an issue.

I’m impressed at all the photos, I’ve built some upper body but my belly is still very much there! Probably more so than post baby.

Intent ‘heavy and slow ‘ leg day for me today. CG is using her 2x20kg for endless lunges. Will be 10kg for me!
I am liking this series a lot. Much prefer the faster and lighter days. I thought the lighter uppper body wasn’t too taxing at the time. My doms are so bad from it- especially in my biceps.

My toes are hurting from lunges. It’s the bit that bends at the big toe crease underneath. I couldn’t do my lunges today for this reason. I did 10kg staggered RDL’s and squats instead. I also did an upper yesterday and my chest area is on fire!

Because Intent is an upper lower split it makes it ideal as a full body workout with 2 sessions 3 days a week as well as individual sessions over 6 days. I did Day 4 and Day 5 from Intent yesterday as a full body workout, and my shoulders were really feeling it all day! I'm enjoying this program too, I think it's really effective. And definitely not dull.