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

[BigButtons]

New thread!

Yes, my kettlebells are 8kg, 12kg and 16kg, I don't have the 20kg Caroline uses but I'd struggle lifting that anyway!

I’m trying to access the beginner programme but finding the website so confusing. How do you actually view the workout?

Hi you need to click on the magnifying glass symbol 🔍at the top on the website and at the bottom on the phone App. This will bring up the menu along the top, click on programs and then scroll down for Ultimate Beginner (the most recent programme is at the top of the list, Ultimate Beginner was one of the first on CGX

My 15kg dumbbell pair arrived today. And guess what, I can't lift them on my shoulders to do a high squat 😭I did the squats holding the weights at my sides, but any tips with this? I don't have grip gloves but am hoping Father Christmas will bring them! They're too heavy for me to raise them both to shoulder height currently.

Any suggestions for weights, I need a set of 15kg, not sure where to buy?

I've just got some from here, they were the best price I found.

Can you front rack them on your collarbone? If not keep using them for suitcase squats while you gain strength. You might also like to practice cleans to help get the bells to rack position.

@Stumpedasatree grip gloves help when you are holding the dumbbells low for lunges and RDLs but not for getting them your shoulders for high squats. I can lift the 15kg dumbbells on my shoulders but don't have full range of motion for squats with them so prefer to continue with 12,5kg weights until I get stronger.

Machines some of you!
Here am I struggling with my 7.5kgs to do squats(even having them by my side) I normally just use my 6kg pair because it's the only weight that feels comfortable for me in a squat.
I can go higher with lunges but still can't do Bulgarians!
It's definitely a progress

Good morning all. Has anyone done the Christmas series (on YouTube)? I've finished Epic 2 today (can't believe I've finished another series - I've now done 4 series since April, when I'd never touched a weight before!).

I'm wondering whether to do the Christmas series during December or to find another new series?

@Cherryblossom81 yes I've done it a couple of times. There's a video for every day in December but they are really short-about 20-30 mins each. So it just depends on how much time you have. You could do a short video every single day, you could double up and do two videos one after the other then have a rest day or just fit a short video in whenever you can.
I've just started PE on the app so I'm going to do a longer PE video when I can and if I'm super busy (like today) I'll just do a short Christmas video.

For the CG app, what do you use to view it from? I need a screen larger than my iPhone. Really keen to start PE! What are the options, smart tv and screen sharing or something? I need a fairly small TV I think.

@Stumpedasatree I cast my iphone to the TV which has Airplay, with my previous TV which didn't have Airplay I used Chromecast which works perfectly with the App.

Thank you @samthebordercollie, would you mind letting me know the TV that you have please? Or should I look for any one that has airplay/chromecast?

@Stumpedasatree chromecast will work with any TV with HDMI you just need to buy the device (they are around £35). I have an LG TV, but not all LG tvs have AirPlay! The app was designed to work with Chromecast so that might be your best option.

@Stumpedasatree my tv isn’t smart- it’s old! I bought a basic Roku and cast with that. It’s very easy🙂
@Cherryblossom81 I love the advent series. They are very intense and short. It’s good for my body to mix things up in terms of intensity and duration. I always come back to things with more energy when I do that.I only managed 2 sessions this week as the little darlings at work have given me yet another nasty bug. I do wish we would have a better hygiene protocol - the way we had during lockdown- the kids are sneezing and coughing and we are stuck in a hot, crowded classroom for hours 🫣🤧😫

Thanks @pharmachameleon and @BigButtons I'm going to do the '24 days of Christmas' series. I've just finished Epic 2, where most workouts are around an hour, so maybe it will be good to mix things up.

@BigButtons Hope you're feeling better.

I'm going to start giving creatinine a try.

I saw a study recently that claimed women responded less to créatine than men in trials. I've been taking it for nearly 2 years not sure it's made a difference or not. But I'm very hydrated all the time and a recent blood test showed everything was normal so I'm not going to stop. Créatine monohydrate is the cheapest and most studied form to take, 5g a day.

@samthebordercollie yeah I agree. I take it every day but can’t say it makes any difference. However I am not well hydrated most of the time 🫣

It's always hard to know what difference these things make but I thought I'd give it a whirl.

Bloody hell but those things are like horse pills though. They're huge.

What are you taking?😕

Yes what are you taking? My créatine monohydrate is just powder, easy to add to yogurt or a shake.

These. I didn't really want to mess around with another powder.

Yes, the reviews say they are big too,and you need to take 5 a day to get 5g créatine. It's strange because 5g of the powder is tiny. At least you won't hae the worry about going through customs with those, it's always a worry with the white creating powder!