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

[BigButtons]

New thread!

Thank you!
now I have stopped unleash yes I am! 😍

Nice to hear that you are feeling better.

I have messed up my shoulder, back and hip with IT desk job and posture mistakes over the last 26 years. When I was younger, I used to just ignore or carry on with some painkillers but for the last couple of years, I had started to feel like I am always tired and complaining about pain here and there. So two years ago I went for physio and honestly did all physio exercises, also made sure every day I do 10K steps. I got into a better state last year and then I found out about CG while reading in the Mumsnet Meno forum. I feel so much better now, it is like all my joints have improved and I have so much more energy. I am not too bothered about muscles actually. Perhaps yoga would have suited me more but I find it very hard and boring. I am enjoying CG epic workouts.

Today I did
epic 1 day 18 : It was good workout as it had two exercises between breaks.
epic 1 day 11 : The one with core exercises and squats.

Hello, whilst looking for a new series to follow (I found Tempo, 1 week long which I’ll try), I spotted a pull ups session. So, I thought I’d give it a try seeing as now I should be stronger and we have a pull up bar in one of the doorways. Nope, I needed a chair to get up there and only managed 1 slow lower which was a lot more rapid than hers. Has anyone tried it and actually managed to complete any? I find pull ups really hard, I suspect my bottom half is far too heavy…

I can’t do them. I think you have to be really bloody strong.
I am also going to start tempo week again tomorrow. It’s one of my favourites 😍

Have you tried Pilates, @Vtm ? You might find that in the mix beneficial.

Re pull-ups (no, not even vaguely on my radar) - I think very few women can get the power to weight ratio for those!

Well- I tried a CG liss video this morning and felt so tired and weak. I have also had a hormal spot explosion on my face. It’s so embrassing. I have managed to pick at them in the night so now they look much much worse. A next door neighbour just asked what had happened to my face!😮
Definitely time for me to take a deload week or two. Body is clearly very stressed.
come to think of it I don’t think I have had a decent deload since August and even then I was in the middle of a stressful house move.
Stretching and walks for me. My right leg and hip have been getting increasingly stiff and painful . I don’t know what is going on so am going to try and see a sports physio.
remember to deload people! Don’t be like me and over train!

@bigbuttons sorry you're suffering with injuries. It must feel frustrating when you're used to being active. I hope the rest helps.

How often and how long should a deload be for?

Thanks. I have left it too long - as usual and ignored the signs.
we are all different and there is no formula. Everyone does it differently. I know I need to when I start feel super tired and lethargic and find any exercise difficult.
some people do light weights, some yoga, some nothing at all. Some deload with regularly- say every 4-6 weeks and others just play it by ear.

@BigButtons , hope you feel better soon. Yes go for physio, that talk with physio usually helps to identify what is causing pain and the gentle exercise they suggest helps to ease muscles and joints.

Today I did epic 1 day 19 full body exercise. I couldnt manage the planks and pushups so replaced with something else.

@ErrolTheDragon , Pilates is an excellent suggestion. I will check for any good classes nearby.

@Vtm I've been adding pilates into my weekly routine now, on top of my strength training and running, and I think I am seeing the benefits of it

I used to follow Lottie Murphy and Move with Nicole on YouTube for Pilates before I discovered Caroline and strength training!
@BigButtons I hope a sports physio can sort out your aches and pains. I'm not looking forward to Unleash but I have Iron 2 to do first in any case. I didn't lift at all at the weekend, just ran 20 miles.
Today was Beastmode 2 Day 43 and 44, glutes and full body, followed by a 5km dog run as usual. Hoping to finish Beastmode this week, it's a great programme.

I'm about to do my Pilates in a few minutes - I've got a lovely instructor, during lockdown she started doing zoom and has continued one session a week of that which suits me well in conjunction with other things.

Hi all

Without having read through all the posts on Caroline, I was wondering whether anyone knows If there is a leg day without lunges?

I used to do the workouts on YouTube during lockdown. I have arthritis in knees, and unfortunately, during a lunge session, I got a tear, or poss bursitis, 2 plus years ago, still have fluid now. Cannot do lunges as still too painful. Squats have just started again.

I enjoy doin her workouts, but it all seems like lunges!

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated!

@Estelle74uk epic 1 day 11 : The one with core exercises and squats. It has some lateral lunge and staggered squat but you could replace it with something like romanian deadlift.

I am taking couple of days break from CG and any exercise. I have a job interview coming up. It is bloody hard to find a new job in this market so I am going to give it my best shot.

@Estelle74uk Epic 2 is quite squat heavy in the same way Epic 1 is more lunges so there are a few days there, Day 34 for example - squat, squat and press workout. Can you manage step ups? They are a good alternative to lunges.

Good luck with your job interview @Vtm!

Today full body Day 45 Epic 2 and the random 20 minute full body workout and 5km run.

@Estelle74uk could you just swap out the lunges for step ups, goblet squat or bulgarians?
I avoid lunges too

Thank you so much everyone. I shall look at epic tomo then. I think she is lunge mad. Your right I could change them up.

Good luck with the interview!!

My gym is a bit annoying though. Reception can be awful so ends up stopping! 😑😂

I have only been following caroline for about 3.5mths,before that I followed a trainer who mainly did full body and cardio workouts with more focus on upper.
I have never done so many lunges and squats 😩 and don't think I've ever really done BLs 😕

It is intense and I'm starting to feel my back when doing certain lower body exercises..I can't go as heavy as I would like because it hurts my back.
Do you think it's form or just a case of progressing up in weight
When I first started I tried to go heavier.
I have made gains in weight with upper but struggling with lower and I don't know why

@ellebelli form is more important than weight. Go lighter or even no weights for squats and lunges until you get the correct form. I know when I wobble around the weights I'm using are too heavy! I don't want really chunky quads (they are super defined now which is enough for me) so I'm not bothered about going really heavy on lower body workouts.
I love leg days!

So my interview didn't go well. Back to search and applications. Nevermind, the hiring manager was rude and I feel it was a narrow escape for me that I didn't get the job.

I had an umbilical hernia repair with mesh 10 years ago and lately I am feeling a bit tender around my belly button. So now on all core exercises and push-ups are off limits and I will stick to lower side of weights for dumbbells. It's so hard to find any exercises that doesn't involve core. The whole world wants to workout core!

Today I did epic 1 day 11 squats but no abs.
Tempo week day 1 upper body but no pushups.

Only just seen the new thread.
I finished epic 1 last week and now onto iron. Bought myself from new dumbells from net world sports. 4kg and 7kg. So I enjoyed having more weight options today for iron day 2.

That's a shame unleash is not working out for everyone.

Today i did epic 1 day 12 shoulder workout. I am also feeling that I have caught cold again. It is a bit frustating when your mind wants to workout but body isnt ready. I am now giving my mind some exercise too and learning new skills for my job search 🙂

@BigButtons , hope your are feeling better.

@Vtm sorry the interview didn’t go well. You might well have dodged a bullet - but being rejected is never nice. Someone will appreciate and want you soon I am sure!
Hope your cold doesn’t get bad.
I have a horrendous cold now and feel so rubbish.
so- no exercising again for me next week unless I make a quick recovery.

An interview is as much about seeing if you want to work there as much as if they want you, and like PP said, sounds like you've dodged a bullet.
I've had interviews where the company was great on paper, but when I went along I didn't gel with the interviewer, and then not getting the job felt like a relief that I didn't have to make a decision to go there or not!