Lifting and getting stronger with Caroline Girvan: 2025

[BigButtons]

New thread !

Is everyone using a barbell for hip thrusts and bridges? I just got a hip thrust belt from Amazon but it’s so awkward with my 2x15kg dumbbells in and not very comfortable. I need to go up in weight too.

I have a belt and it’s fine for hip thrusts but not for bridges. The weights hit the ground before I have reached the full, downwards movement. But I now don’t worry about it as I only use lighter weights and a band instead. Really don’t want any glute growth.

I had a belt and it was fine but once I got a barbell I never used it again. The belt is a cheap and easy compromise that works well enough but it’s nowhere near as nice as using a barbell. I never felt stable with it and always thought the weights were slipping around.

I have a barbell and it is so much easier. But I too do not want any more glute growth so am often just doing banded body weight. My arse has got too round- no thanks

Those of you with barbells - do you have proper bumper plates or would I be okay with the standard plates? I'm not planning to lift anything so heavy that I need to drop it, and the standard plates are certainly much cheaper.

Bumper plates, you can roll them on and off your legs easily. With normal size plates you can’t

Standard do allow you to get full ROM in glute bridges.
I have to be creative how I load my standard for HT as it doesn't roll over my legs, though. I have to put a heavy dumbbell on on top of the barbell essentially

standard plates are a right pita for me if I go over 55kg- can heave them over my legs . Since my arse is big enough now that is no longer a problem 😂

Hi I have been lurking - I followed a tip on here to do the free trial followed by one month of subscription to give enough time for ultimate beginner. I access the app on the silk internet browser via my Amazon fire stick. My dd bookmarked CGX for me and as we don’t use silk for anything else I have no problems and it’s always loaded up the app so far (well I guess it’s the website version?). It’s probably not as user friendly as screen mirroring and controlling by a phone but it works.

Welcome clearingaspace, how are you enjoying Ultimate Beginner?

I redid Max Day 8 tonight as I liked the selection of exercises in that one (sumos, diamond press, staggered RDL, rear delt rows, glute bridges, upright rows), using a single heavy kettlebell for upright row and a barbell for the sumo deadlifts. It was really hard to get through the 75sec staggered RDL sets after the sumos; my grip strength was going by about 45sec! Loved all the posterior chain exercises; apart from diamond press, EVERYTHING was hitting the back side. Feel nicely exhausted now and might search youtube for a chest/abs/quads workout tomorrow just in case she's ever produced such a dreadful thing haha, though probably one of those Epic push up type workouts would be best if I'm brave enough.🙈

Since I am nursing a pulled glute I have been doing other upper body from different series. A couple this week were an unleash back and biceps which I loved and has serious doms from and intent day 2.
what is interest is to see how much stronger I am since first doing them. More often than not I am matching Caroline- not with chest or flies as I have a dodgy shoulder still. Land mine rows are up to 27kg- my back can’t cope with anything heavier.
today’s max looks good so I will do that one
🙂

Can anyone point me in the right direction for a barbell? Husband is looking st 6ft weighted ones...but he's got me things in the past that haven't really been quite right 😅 (stackable weights that roll all over,a water filled punching bag that would break my hand if I tried even with boxing gloves etc etc)

Caroline uses a 4ft Mirafit Olympic barbell, I think,Tess. 5ft is an all-round useful length in case you want to ever squat, deadlift etc with it
https://mirafit.co.uk/mirafit-olympic-weight-bar-bumper-plates-set.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20077084302&gbraid=0AAAAADKKnjmvwBohC9o-qFf0FcpC8Md3E&gclid=Cj0KCQjwucDBBhDxARIsANqFdr0_s0e__I7UydBmq9J9ex8xnh2K7jiYqHg0TxRp25pGC9dFUJMIALsaAngGEALw_wcB#465=6521

BigButtons ouch... never had a pulled glute or knew that was possible. Sounds nasty.

Another good-looking Thursday MAX workout indeed and I will do that at the weekend. Going to do Epic Heat Day 42 after work and perhaps that vicious 20min ability to talk liss again.

I didn't know you could pull a glute, either! I love those Unleash upper body workouts, there is quite a lot more cardio involved than with Intent.
I'm finding that I'm regressing - I'll be 60 this year and according to my smart scales I'm gaining fat and not muscle now, and muscle quality is lower. I eat plenty of protein and haven't changed anything in my workouts, it's really annoying. Although on another FB group - Lyle McDondald's who is the GOAT of everything hypertrophy focussed - said at 60 you should be happy just to maintain - you're not going to gain anymore muscle at that age 😥

Can I join please? I started CG 3 weeks ago. I have been doing free weights and HIIT for couple of years but wanted someone else to ‘drive’. I loved CG from day1. For want of better knowledge I started with the Fuel series and now up to date11. I find it hard in a good way but I can’t do more than 2 days in a row before needing a break/cardio day. Have I started the wrong program? Do I need to switch? I’m comfortable with 4-6-8kg dumbbells and familiar with all her routines.
What is the right order in which I should do CG programs please?

welcome! There is no right order. It's a case of finding a series that you like and fits in with your goals. I personally hated fuel. I loved epic 3 and heat and have liked alot on the app. You might consider the 2 week free trial on the app?

Can I ask why did you hate Fuel? I don’t have the app, I prefer YouTube on my laptop (and being away from my phone). Am I missing something by not being on the app?

You can pull any muscle! I made it worse by trying to stretch it out.
i notice that the Caroline wannabe is barely posting at all. This seems to have happened since she had a run in with the brilliant anon poster on the app.
it makes the group slightly more bearable- but it’s mostly stealth posing and attention seeking shite.

I order to concentrate on lifting or cardio. I disliked the mix of both. Cardio due to lifting is different. I didn’t like randomly throwing myself to the floor for a few burpees and then lifting again.
it was too leg heavy.
my body hated it. I felt very tired but at the same time never felt satisfied after a session. I started it live but gave up half way through and went back to epic three.

@Samthebordercollie Intrresting. Lyle has always known his stuff. But we know even the really elderly (75+) can improve muscle size and strength with training. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32740889/
Perhaps he means "for the already well-trained"? But if we have been training properly (and eating) for 5-7 years, 10 years, then chances are we're already within touching distance of our potential anyway, right? And those smart scales are full of shit! Even more than usual scales. :D

The age-related changes in body composition are just so crap and unfair though!

Hello Dolt! Fuel is one of my favourites!

To my mind it doesn’t matter whether I gain now- I am 57. I know that lifting will bring a myriad of of nealrth benefits so I keep doing it. I have certainly gained a lot of muscle these past few years . I am busting out of my clothes!

On the group today someone posted something genuinely impressive - summitting Everest.

Yeah but did they summit Everest with a weighted vest on and add a bicep finisher and an incline treadmill run? And a motivating meme about babes getting it done at 8000m above sea level? And a picture of their arse in scrunch leggings posed majestically overlooking the Himalayas? If not, why not?

I did a great cgx app one called "One Hour All On the Posterior Chain" over the weekend. The hip thrusts and glute bridges were in straight sets which made set up sooo much easier. Will keep an eye on MAX in case any other good ones are uploaded but week 8 so far doesn't appeal to me.

I can't believe I once did Jillian Michaels's 30 Day Shred workout #1 for months and months on end every day when DD was a baby and there was no gym nearby. There used to be a Jillian thread on here back then- was anyone here on it?- and a lot of us just did the same workout or small handful of workouts on repeat. Now I get bored and a bit petulant because every Monday of Max is somewhat similar 🙃. Sorry, Caroline.