Lifting and getting stronger with Caroline Girvan: 2025

[BigButtons]

New thread !

I try and keep pace with CG maybe going lighter but heavy enough to go to near failure. It's as effective as lifting very heavy for fewer reps for hypertrophy and less risk of injury.
I've been redoing Unleash, love that programme! Nice mix of lifting heavyish and endurance in the second part. Heart rate definitely gets up. I actually managed to match CG's weights on Day 1 leg day which I didn't last year, 17,5kg for lunges. No idea how you manage 20kg @BigButtons you're a beast!

@Gobacktotheworld gike question and it made me think. It really depends on the set up of the session, the set length and rest length AND the body part I am working. I will always take if more slowly with anything that involves the lower back and go with slightly lighter weights if unsure.
Sometimes I go heavier and then drop back down.Moaf most of the time I don’t look at her during the session and just go at a speed that suits me. I pretty well always reach failure and have to rest pause before the minute or wherever is over.
I am finding heat challenging and refreshing because if the short bursts of 40 secs work and the short rests. I need a change of ten 90 second sets.

I just did unleash 24 and it’s safe to say I was nowhere near keeping up with the pace or the weight!! I did the makers with 6kgs as they were the most suitable weights I had for push ups, but I did half speed !

@Clearingaspace6kg is excellent, I could t use more than 5kg for makers when I started. Does anyone else follow Bodybymark on Instagram? He interviews fit people he finds in the street. Today was a 61 yr old natural body building champion who was really jacked and does upper lower split with reps in the 12 - 20 range going to near failure each time. So more or less what Caroline does for hypertrophy!

Hello,
I usually hang out on the running threads, but I know that people swear by Caroling Girvan for strength and weights exercises.

What would you recommend d for someone who is new to CG on YouTube? I'd like a programm that would complement the running, but I'm not sure whether I can manage more than 3 sessions a week, as I run 4/5 times as it is and do pilates on one of them.

Thanks.

I’m glad she doesn’t do makers any more really. I think it’s one of those moves that can cause injury due to poor form. Years ago I hurt a wrist doing them - yes it was my fault- it took absolutely ages to get better.
@xsquared hello and welcome! Tu tine isn’t beginner friendly. Having said that most newbies to weight training do iron. DON’t do the beginners one on you tube- it is not beginners in any way, shape or form!
Regarding the running- many people swap running for weights- or least cut down on the running. Running a lot can affect the muscle you build from weights . I think with you schedule you be hard pushed to lift and recover your muscles.
There are people on here who run- or used to run . I am sure they will be along to offer their thoughts!

Thanks for your reply @BigButtons .
Just to add I'm not a complete beginner with weights as I have been attending gym once or twice a week, but I've never really been consistent after marathon training finishes.

I’ve been doing Fuel most days - day 10 today. It’s a challenge after Max, but a good one. There’s some great moves. Today looks fun: supersets involving a bodyweight movement into a weighted movement! I’m also lifting heavier than the last time I did it, I think thanks to Max, which was boring and repetitive but did build muscle.
It’s not going to take me to the new series in September though so I may do Heat again after Fuel!
I don’t mind makers but I leave out the push up, that might be why!

I loved fuel- absolutely loathed it. I prefer to lift when I lift and do cardio/ hiit as separate session. I think it’s a mindset thing. I find it hard to lift and then throw myself to the floor for 1 minute of sprawls.
My body got weirdly tired with fuel too- but I also felt as if I wasn’t doing enough - it didn’t take me to failure like say unleash does.
Funny how we are all different in how we respond and what we like.
Because I ignored my shoulder and it’s pulled muscle it not fucking hurts a lot so no upper body for me for a week or so- that’s gonna be so hard!!

My post made no sense- damn auto correct- I never loved fuel- I always loathed it😂

I've been doing caroline for about a year and a half(she wishes! Haha sorry juvenile joke!)
And I can only manage 6kg for makers but just like @Minesril I leave out the push up..in fact I try anything to leave out push ups in all forms, can do cobra and dead stop, tend to just do these instead of whatever is on the screen

Hi I run and do the Iron series on you tube. It's a 6 week programme doing 5 a week but I do less than that most weeks so I can run. It's taken me about 8 weeks I think and I have 4 workouts to go. They are only 30 minutes long so nice and quick and you can always do 2 back to back which I did yesterday ( an upper body and a lower body) If you go heavy (form you) just the 30 minutes is a very good workout and after some I've been knackered 🤣

See, I quite enjoy lifting heavy and then doing a burst of cardio. I think Jillian Michaels in Six Week Six Pack said that it’s really effective to mix cardio with core work, but who knows if that’s true!

I do remember Fuel being quite controversial when it first came out.

Press ups are weird. I can do a few aside from a workout, but when it’s in the middle of a workout I have to use a band. It’s like my body says ‘nope, not after 30kg squats’. I think I’m getting a bit better at them though: my bum is no longer in the air!

I’ve done 10x10. Not all in one day! Neither did she. No way. Unless she spread them out throughout the day? But why? For FB likes?

Or did Fuel day 10 make me delirious and I’m misreading what she said?

Goodness it must have taken her 3 hours to do that workout and most of it will have been unproductive due to fatigue, what a waste of time and effort. How I miss that FB group 😂
@xsquared reluctant retired runner here, but I did start CG when my knees didn't object to me running and I did 3 sessions a week, started with Iron then went on to do all the youtube programmes just leaving out the cardio days. I tried to do either 3 x full body - so sometimes an upper and lower Iron back to back but on longer programmes one upper, one lower and one full body a week. It really helped my running at the time, running up hills was much easier!

I loved Fuel, and I felt it gave my fitness a real boost. I know there are lots of benefits to straight lifting, but I get so bored doing endless rounds of hip thrusts. I enjoy Burpees being thrown in to mix things up a bit. I like jumping 😄

Thank you. That's good to know doing Iron helped with hills! They never seem to get easier for me!

Thank you to those who responded to my post re CG for runners.

I've regretably had to switch from Intent to Iron. Ironically, my own iron is low so I just needed something not quite as long as I get really panelled at the moment and don't have as much stamina as I'd like.

@ArtTheClownsorry about your iron problems! I’m always very low on ferritin and am on a constant supplement to keep the levels up. I’m hoping that stopping running will help because when you pound the ground you crush the red blood cells. I’m post menopausal so can’t blame it on periods either! Hope you feel better soon x

@samthebordercollie thank you - I've always had issues there and my mum was the same so I'm guessing it's just genetic but it's quite bad just now due to peri stuff, even with supplements.
I did not know that about running, eek! I do run but it's literally 4/5k twice a week, would that do much do you think?

@ArtTheClowndont worry I’m sure around 10km a week won’t do any harm! I was running 80kms + atone stage but cut down to half that with strength training. Genetics probably have a lot more to do with it in your case! I don’t a sore supplements very well even taking them with a big dose of vitamin C and avoiding taking them within a couple of hours of drinking tea or coffee. I recently learnt the dairy inhibits iron absorption but I can’t give up my Greek yogurt or Skyr, it accounts for around 50% of my daily protein intake!

@samthebordercollie wow that is a lot of mileage.
Funny you should mention abou the dairy, I've just tweaked my diet to cut down and also watch the timings, and up my vitamin C, and as you say there goes a lot of my protein intake from my Greek yoghurt - also missing my latte.
But quite looking forward to hopefully not feeling dizzy and breathless.