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

[BigButtons]

New thread!

@ellellebelli I do mine in PJs and slippers at 6am, slattern that I am! I do take the slippers off for lunges.

I quit drinking a year ago and it's been a big game changer in my motivation and fitness. But I drank too much so it was a necessity.

Always bare foot.

I drink far too much. I also work out barefoot always.
I have also woken this morning with my 100th cold since October 😩

I drink alcohol, but honestly less than I used to without trying to cut down just because I get up early every morning! I never have drunk all that much though so not a hangover or bloating person. Everything in moderation!

I wear trainers for leg day because I find getting in position for lunges and split squats hard barefoot. But upper body I happily do barefoot. I always change into workout clothes though because it’s my “signal” that I’m going to do my workout. Sports bra and shorts usually as I get hot. I’m currently on week 6 of Epic 3 and it’s going well, although I’ve skipped a lot of the HIIT in favour of a long Sunday run now the weather is generally better.

I am 49 and had to stop drinking about a year or two ago. I didn't drink that much (usually just a few glasses of wine or fizz once a week) but I was getting the worst hangovers ever from alcohol. I didn't sleep at all the night I drank and had anxiety for two days afterwards. It really wasn't worth it so I rarely drink now and feel so much better. I sleep really well and never have anxiety. I'm hoping I can go back to occasional drinking once I'm past menopausal age.
I always wear gym clothes to do CG workouts as I sweat a bit and feel my workout clothes wick the sweat away. I always wear trainers as I would hate to drop a weight on my bare toes! Plus my trainers support my feet for lunges and squats.

Yeah I don’t really drink much anymore it makes me feel quite rough even 1 or 2 drinks. And sleepy.

i don’t think I could do leg workouts barefoot I don’t think I would feel I had a good stance and stable base to work from

I’m always barefoot, I only have outdoor trainers and we’re a take your shoes off household. For colder months I have yoga socks with grips underneath.

I do like my wine, I have periods of drinking nothing then I’ll open a bottle and have a glass or two for a week, until the bottle is finished (only I drink in our house). Sometimes I’ll meet friends for an aperitivo and have a spritz or a margarita. To be honest I’ve had a dry couple of weeks and not noticed any change in my belly size, unfortunately, so my take is the sacrifice is not worth it 😂

I probably just need to eat a lot less than I do now, which I’m finding hard. I always used to just up the exercise in the past if I found my trousers were getting tight, but it doesn’t seem to work anymore. Plus it is really only my belly, the rest is firm and toned now. I’m at a loss how to zap it!

I'm 58 and thanks to the menopause can't drink much now as it interferes too much with sleep. I have a couple of glasses of red wine at the weekend but that's all. I can't workout barefoot except for upper body because of a bunion operation on my right foot - I'll never have full flexibility in my foot or toes so need to wear shoes for stability and protection.
Is anyone doing the new Intent programme starting on Monday? I don't like doing the programmes live due to all the sycophantic posts on the CG FB group about how incredibly hard/fantastic they are. But I've nearly finished Iron on the App and didn't really like the session of Unleash I tried so not sure whether to give that a go or not.
Caroline did a brilliant write up on hypertrophy and why she chooses what weights to train with. If you have the App it's the March 24th weekly update, I recommend reading it, it's very informative.

@samthebordercollie I intend to start intent- injuries permitting- but I too am fed up with posts on FB. It is like a crazy cult. Her write up today for intent was excellent. I really appreciated the talk about progressive overload not being about weights. I should leave the group really- but I have a perverse interest. Even though I am so fed up with the boasters and the photos and the memes.

Nice to see all these posts. I will continue with epic 2 for another month then move on to epic 3.

I usually do arms barefoot unless there are pushups. Leg day always with shoes on except for only squat routine. Somehow I feel my toes are vulnerable to injuries when folded. I change into workout clothes. I have a pair of ascis which I have kept for workout as they are like spong/socks. Totally useless in wet weather.

I am 47 and never had alcohol. I need to eat a lot less too. When I am stressed, I turn into eating monster and this job search is not helping at all with situation 😒

Perimeno, on HRT and have shoulder, hip and back issues. I wish a fairy would come and just fix everything.

@BigButtons hopefully you are developing good immunity and will get rid of all colds.

To stay in Giravana mode after workout, I have found this playlist lol 😆
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2dO6et1Ut85hRBHbVoijBm

I always get changed into Gym wear-in fact i have developed quite an obsession with it, Sports Direct always has sale items online.
Even though no one sees me I like to look "Gym ready"
I have tried wearing trainers but I just feel too hot, and end up removing them anyway,but i am the idiot who wears vest tops all year round!!!(hence need to work my arms haha)

👋
I did my first CG iron session today after reading about her on here! Really enjoyed it.

@thenewaveragebear1983 that's great! The first leg day is never very easy. I've enjoyed nearly all her workouts although triceps and chest day will never be my favourite!

@BigButtons have you done the first session of Intent today? It looked very heavy. Usual fan posts by the Principal Contributers - not sure I'll enjoy it as much as they seem to! I certainly won't be using 20kg in each hand for lunges 😱

@samthebordercollie I actually did day 2, arms and chest as I ran ten miles yesterday and my legs were a bit aching. I have now found the calendar thing for the iron programme so I’m going to start at day 1 and do the full 6 weeks I think. I didn’t realise when I started it that it was a structured programme like that.

Not yet- will get to it this afternoon. No way am I going heavy for legs again. I reckon that is where allot of my niggles have come from( and the bulky thighs). I will use half her weight for all lower body days. I feel like I am taking a massive step backwards having worked so hard to get strong and lift heavier.
A couple of weeks ago I did hip thrusts of 55kg using the barbell. In retrospect it was far too ambitious for me. My form must have been appalling as I managed to pull a muscle on my quad doing it. My quad- doing hip thrusts?🤷🏻‍♀️😳
less it more.
these people that put posts up about pushing yourself and upping weights- you can do more than you think etc- are idiots.
yes the usual posters are posting the usual stuff 🥱

How do you even hold on to 20kg dumbbells? My hands and wrists struggle once I get past 10kg. I got as far as using 14kg on lunges but had really sore hands from holding the weights. I was thinking about getting a barbell for heavier squats, then like@BigButtons I decided I wasn’t going to go heavy on the lower body. My max now is 8kg, with 14kg on a sumo squat (hands permitting!).

I'm not sure I'll do Intent. I just find it hard to motivate myself through long and slow workouts. I managed Unleash, Iron 1 and half of Beastmode, but I still prefer Epic Heat and Fuel.

Or perhaps I'll just do Intent at a rate of two or three a week.

@Melassa i have a barbell but yeah for dumbbells i prob need grips as my hands hurt after a while

I did CG ‘no knees’ leg work out and OMG, it just goes to show how much your knees really do! I really struggled! No way am I upping weights till I am ready. I’m happy with a long slog of lower weights and no injuries

@thenewaveragebear1983 ah, yes, I understand! I'm a runner too, how often do you run? I do 10 miles every other day and do CG workouts on the other days, with occasional other sessions chucked in if I have time. This morning was a run and this evening a session from Iron on the App, back and core, I really enjoyed it. I find ab only sessions really boring but incorporated with back exercises it was really fun to do.
@BigButtons let us know how you get on with Intent!
@Abra1t I think it is just 2 sessions which are slow and heavy a week, the others are more moderate weight - more like the Epics - so hopefully it won't be slow and heavy every session

@samthebordercollie I run 3 times a week but not 10 miles every time! My hips and knees won’t take it anymore.

@Melassa there’s a no knees workout? Where?!
@samthebordercollie have just finished day one. Went with 10kg for the RDLs and lunges. I used hooks as my forearms are so buggered. They helped a lot.
my right knee and right are still angry with me so I took it all very slow.
went with 35kg for the bridges but I should have gone lighter as I couldn’t feel the activation in my glutes much at all- hence me pulling a quad muscle.
it was a bit boring tbh- I will stick with it and sub exercises as she encourages us to do!🙂

I just went back and did day 1, wow- I love her! 😍 wasn’t massively keen on the side lunges as I don’t think my form is correct, plus they seemed to go on for ages.

Do the workouts repeat or are they totally new every time? I may need to sub something in for those!

I have been toying with investing in a basic barbell set with a few plates. Any recommendations? I’m not lifting heavy at all and I am quite lopsided so I’ve always preferred single side/dumbell exercises, but some would benefit from a barbell and also it might make me push the weight a bit more. I currently have an adjustable dumbbell which can go up to 20kg but I use it as 2 tens.

I was also really surprised by the calorie burn for that workout- I know it doesn’t mean anything but it’s all relative- 30 minute arms yesterday was around 65, 30 minutes legs today was 200 🥵

@BigButtons that wasn’t me with the no knees workout, but I would be interested too @Menora

i hope you recover soon, there’s nothing worse than accumulating aches and pains when you’re doing something that’s supposed to make you feel good. Maybe take a week or two off and do some slow Pilates or yoga to recalibrate? Many years ago I did Alexander technique exercises which were apparently designed for injured dancers. They were quite good, I was recovering from a knee and Achilles tendon injury (on different legs!) and I got the feeling they kept me strong and flexible despite being fairly immobile at the time.

@thenewaveragebear1983 all the workouts are different, of course some lifts are repeated but side lunges not too often. I'm with you, I find them,hard to perfect, you need to go as low as you can, you might need lighter weights if you can't get very low.
A barbell is a good investment, for all programmes on the App Caroline uses a barbell for hip thrusts, and as she says, if you prefer to use a barbell,for RDLs, squats etc instead of dumbells, then do, you do you!
Leg days burn more calories than upper body, the cardio is definitely increased on those days. As with the Epics where the rest periods are often shorter than with the Iron programme.

I don’t even do her app I just do YouTube and I mix all her workouts up

there is 1 she does with no repeats