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

965 replies

BigButtons · 07/01/2024 18:48

New thread!

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AtomicBlondeRose · 05/03/2025 21:35

I think the majority of people don’t follow the programmes live anyway so I really see the extra ones between programmes as a real bonus. Most users will have some sort of backlog of workouts they never did or favourites they revisit, so if you want new stuff all the time it’s probably not the best app for that. I like the rhythm of it personally - sometimes it’s nice to just pick and choose especially after a fairly intense programme like Rev.

MsMoody · 11/03/2025 10:27

I've been doing Caroline (YT only) for nearly 5 months and all I have to say is: 😱!! I've never looked or felt better. I love this woman. I've always carried weight on my tummy, nothing would shift it and I was always discouraged. Whilst it's still not "perfect" I don't fear my t shirt riding up anymore.

Most of all, I genuinely enjoy, and look forward to, the workouts with her. Someone explain this sorcery.

BigButtons · 11/03/2025 14:21

@Gobacktotheworld the app has so many series, programmes and workouts . I like the gao between programmes. Sometimes I follow her suggested schedule loosely but atm I am catching up on Rev after a long illness( 4 weeks). I enjoy revisiting some of my favourites and seeing if I am lifting heavier weights.
it is good shake things up. Doing a shorter (in this case shoulder) session is good for the body and the mind- it keeps things fresh.

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BigButtons · 11/03/2025 14:23

I am loosing my Caroline mojo a bit. I think it might be the length of the sessions?
I did the first callisthenics yesterday and by 45 mins in I was so bored.
i posted a reply on the face book page saying as much and the comment was removed.
i wish she did more variety in session length.

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samthebordercollie · 11/03/2025 14:46

@BigButtons Oh no, four weeks is a long illness indeed! Hope you are fully recovered now.
I was surprised at the length of the new callisthenics programme session, I suppose she has made them longer to increase the volume because of the lack of intensity in weight. I haven't tried them yet, I've stuck with redoing PE as I found it was the best programme for strength gains I've done so far and it's easy to follow rather than choosing different workouts all the time.
I caved and bought some push up bars as I managed to do at least 4 in Decathlon when I tried them. They will also be useful for practicing pull ups, I'd like to be able to do at least 7 in a row properly by the end of the year. My lower body strength is much better than upper due to many years of running and cycling so a lot of catching up to do!

AtomicBlondeRose · 11/03/2025 15:47

I’ve done the first two calisthenics and although I do like the bodyweight stuff, they’re soooo long. I have to get up at 6 to do them and they do start to drag. However as they are long, I feel no guilt in skipping bits that I hate! I feel it’s more something I’d do on holiday but it’s a good thing to try.

Gobacktotheworld · 11/03/2025 16:34

I thought the first two sessions have been OK (if a little long). These would be great for a holiday though. But tomorrow is just quads? If she brings back those &%#!@ sissy squats from Rev, I'm doing something else.

IrisBearded · 11/03/2025 19:12

I've tried 2 calasnetics, I had to stop at about 70% because I do them before work and ran out of time.

Looking forward to the new program because they're only 30min workouts, perfect time for me. I'm just treating this week as a bit of a rest from the weights and will just do what I can

AtomicBlondeRose · 12/03/2025 10:44

I’m very pleased the new ones are 30 minutes, I do them before work too and it’s just so much easier when they’re under 45 mins. I’m actually a bit annoyed at bloody pistol squats and sissy squats being in the calisthenics - yes they’re good body weight moves but they’re actually fucking impossible unless you’ve really trained to do them, and none of the other programmes are the right sort of training to do those, so after nearly 2 years of quite dedicated workouts I just felt flat and a bit ashamed to not even be able to do one of either move. I started on Epic 1 where there’s about a million moves I couldn’t do and it just took me right back to feeling inadequate. I can’t even do them with support! I just felt like these are SO hard and if I knew they were coming up I could at least maybe try to prepare for them.

Anyway I just skipped them so that took a good few minutes off. I just don’t like doing workouts where I’m at 75% or even 100% of Caroline’s weights sometimes and then being hit with a move that surely the majority of people can’t do!

Gobacktotheworld · 12/03/2025 10:53

Yeah same thoughts. Sissy squats are not a safe move for people to try to force, anyway, and she doesn't take you through progressions to get to these moves, so they're going to be unachievable for the vast majority. Poor programming and a waste of time. I skipped and will do a Heather Robertson or an Epic III one from youtube after work.

BigButtons · 12/03/2025 16:19

It must be increasingly difficult for her to come up with new material.
i quite enjoyed most of Rev but often thought I had clicked on the wrong day as I was Ute it was almost exactly the same as a previous session- and indeed it was.
I do wish she would vary the moves she chooses more. I think that is part of my ennui with it atm- it’s just so samey. All these long sessions with the same moves.
she seems lovely and genuine and I really like the way she emphasises safety and form over weight.
i wish she would do a dedicated stretch session for post leg and upper body day.
I fed up with so many of the posts on the Facebook group- the sychophancy can be nauseating.
The Irish couple- well the man anyway really annoys me- always banging on about his wife’s menopausal struggles.
maybe I am just a grumpy old bat.
Foe some reason I can’t tear myself away from it though 🤷🏻‍♀️

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samthebordercollie · 12/03/2025 18:27

Gobacktotheworld · 12/03/2025 10:53

Yeah same thoughts. Sissy squats are not a safe move for people to try to force, anyway, and she doesn't take you through progressions to get to these moves, so they're going to be unachievable for the vast majority. Poor programming and a waste of time. I skipped and will do a Heather Robertson or an Epic III one from youtube after work.

If you look in the Form Library section of the App you will find Caroline gives demonstrations and practice exercises for all lifts, including sissy and pistol squats.

I just sub things for another lift if I can't do them, during Rev there were Sissy squats so I did some but got more benefit from subbing them for heel elevated squats which I can do properly! Likewise for pistol squats, I'd do side box step ups instead.

BigButtons · 12/03/2025 21:39

I guess I should start a new thread soonish? If it’s useful to people?
I managed 17.5kg for some single arm rows and pullovers the other day. Felt proud- but it is def something I will add in and then back off to 15kg again!

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Gobacktotheworld · 13/03/2025 08:48

I have that Irish man blocked- I hate all the crap he floods the group with. Caroline unfortunately seems to like her yes men, ugh. I also blocked that one who keeps calling her "hunny bunny," gross.

Thanks Samthebordercollie yes she says in the sissy squat how to video "don't do these if you have knee problems." She needs to put that in the main videos, surely?

I did the "stretched position" Hour long full body one she posted two weeks ago and it was wonderful

AtomicBlondeRose · 13/03/2025 09:25

Oh lord the “hunny bunny” guy makes me sick. The whole group is a bit of a horror show to me tbh. But you do get some updates in it which are useful.

17.5kg for pullovers is hench as hell @BigButtons ! I can use my 30lb/13ish kg ones for the odd pullover but not for long. A new thread would be great too!

ellebelli · 13/03/2025 13:53

Thanks sam for those subs,very useful to me.
"Silly boy" you know who does my head in, don't mind the wife but he annoys and tbh I'm not a fan of how muscly he is.
I know the 'rock on"hunny bunny guy you all mean but not seen him post in aaages.
The fb group does piss me off,yet I'm still in it!

BigButtons · 13/03/2025 15:37

It annoys the hell out of me that silly boy is always posting about his wife’s menopause struggles. His silly costume and poses annoy me too. And he’s supposed to be in psychology or something.
i don’t get all the ‘twinning’ stuff either.
There is definitely a clique on there and on the app too.
i see people on there all the time doing crazy stupid stuff, regulars, pushing themselves with weighted vests and silly weights and then they go off injured.
There can defo be an unhealthy, competitive mindset around lifting and exercise.
yet- I am still on it🤷🏻‍♀️

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Abra1t · 13/03/2025 17:25

Hunny bunny isn’t around as much these days. Perhaps he weirded the admin out too.I call psychologist guy Mr Short Shorts.

AtomicBlondeRose · 13/03/2025 17:37

Not looking forward to the shorter workouts which bring out in droves the double-uppers, the “did that and went for a 10k”, the weighted vests and the “add-on abs”. Like they’re going to get gold stars from CG.

BigButtons · 13/03/2025 17:40

Abra1t · 13/03/2025 17:25

Hunny bunny isn’t around as much these days. Perhaps he weirded the admin out too.I call psychologist guy Mr Short Shorts.

He’s there alright- doesn’t do so much stuff live anymore.
ah yes the double uppers.
i did the second calisthenics legs today- quads. I kinda did most of it but was bored. I dropped the block in the end because it was hurting my knees.
i usually quite like calisthenics. The you tube one is much more int and challenging.
will do a weighted upper body tomorrow.

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Abra1t · 13/03/2025 18:04

AtomicBlondeRose · 13/03/2025 17:37

Not looking forward to the shorter workouts which bring out in droves the double-uppers, the “did that and went for a 10k”, the weighted vests and the “add-on abs”. Like they’re going to get gold stars from CG.

And the ones who get up at 4am to workout.

samthebordercollie · 13/03/2025 19:13

BigButtons · 12/03/2025 21:39

I guess I should start a new thread soonish? If it’s useful to people?
I managed 17.5kg for some single arm rows and pullovers the other day. Felt proud- but it is def something I will add in and then back off to 15kg again!

Oh yes please, start a new thread! 17,5kg is serious for pullovers and rows @BigButtons those are Caroline's weights! I'm up to 15kg for pullovers and normal single arm rows - not rotational and momentum rows.

I think it's the Americans who get up at 4am to exercise, it seems quite normal for them, judging by the US podcasts on exercise and nutrition I listen too. But but then they are in bed at 8 or 9pm every evening.

If anyone hasn't read it Caroline has written an excellent article on exercising in menopause and debunking pseudoscientists like Dr Stacy Sims who are making a fortune out of preying on vulnerable and often desperate menopausal women!

AtomicBlondeRose · 13/03/2025 19:30

Yes, I was really impressed by that article. I get very frustrated elsewhere online with people hyper-obsessing over grams of protein, timing of food, number of reps and so on, with the idea basically being if you don’t get it right, it’s useless. I mean, it CAN’T be the case that there’s only one way to get strong and healthy - there’s plenty of men in manual jobs who survive on beer and junk food (not stereotyping, this is based on real life observations!) who still manage to have plenty of muscle without doing any formal exercise.

I loved her point that even if you were lifting some weights at some point in the week, even if it wasn’t the optimal way of doing it, it was still more than the vast majority of people anyway and therefore beneficial! I remember on another thread someone was criticising Caroline because in their opinion her figure was less than perfect and so her workouts must be crap…er…I walk among the public on a daily basis and (without wanting to be sycophantic) she’s like an elite goddess compared to 99% of the people out there!

ellebelli · 13/03/2025 19:45

I am still using Youtube, I love Carolines look, Really want her legs..however I see stills from the app on the FB group, and I actually think she is looking too lean right now.

Gobacktotheworld · 13/03/2025 19:54

That's so funny. I have seen that before too; someone wrote on some forum, "Who would want to look like Caroline?" It's honestly a foul way to speak about any woman, but she is really unusually nice-looking, isn't she, and takes pains with her appearance. Such remarks have got to be rooted in jealousy.

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