Lifting and getting stronger with Caroline Girvan: 2025

[BigButtons]

New thread !

@samthebordercollie max isn’t hard but I found it tedious - especially with the bitty use of the barbell for thrusts and my arse is big enough from all the glute work she has us do!

I am feeling chuffed. I am following the members’ schedule on the app. Today was 10x10 chest and back. It’s the 3rd time I have done this one.
i managed 23kg for the rows, 12/10 for the chest press- my front delts are a weak point for me and easily injured- probably because my form is poorer than I would like to think. And then I managed 15kg for all pullovers- Christ but they were hard. I was actually shouting at myself towards the end ‘LIFT’😂😂. I distracted myself by counting in 10s in all sorts of wired ways!
it is one of my favourite series- I love rep based work.

I enjoyed the 30 min 3 move flute session- I don’t generally like flute session- but these were 45 second sets with 45 rest so very so able.
i managed to match her with 20kg for the Bulgarians and 25 for the sumos - I went with 50 for the bridges- she only went with 58. It felt gentle🙂

@BigButtons flute sessions 😂😂
@AtomicBlondeRose bench lloks great! I like doing rear delt flyes and rows face down with a 30° angle, I feel them more that way than bent over like Caroline. And also I use it in the upright position for overhead pressing, I can go heavier than when standing. It's good to lean against too, for balance with sissy squats of weighted Bulgarians.
@Gobacktotheworld I wasn't looking forward to the 10 x 10 series but enjoyed it when I did it.
I did 2 back to back sessions of Unleash today, they weren't heavy on cardio, an upper body - mainly chest- and a shoulders and arms workout. Still umming and ahing as to whether or not to tackle Max next week!

Hi! Has anyone experience of injuries/soreness?
I seemed to have hurt my shoulder after the delt workout early last week.

It's not that bad, I've got full range of movement. It's just annoying, a bit like a trapped nerve as I can feel it down my arm to my hand, uncomfortable to sleep on at night. Definitely not muscular..

How long should it be rested? Should it be total rest? I've not done another shoulder workout since, but I'm still doing bodyweight and holding weights for the lower body movements. Or maybe using lighter weights in upper body will help?

I'm trying to decide what to do next week.

@CoffeeandWalnuts i am a beginner so no expert but, I had similar but with no pain at night so not as bad by the sound of it. Think it was from makers! It coincided with wanting a rest week, so I had 4 days off (did a spin bike and stretch workout) tried to use that thumb less for scrolling on my phone! Then started iron anyway as it was feeling better, but went in a bit lighter with weights and my weights are already light. There haven’t been many push-ups yet which probably helped. It came back a little but seems basically better now 2 weeks on. If it doesn’t get better with rest you might need to get it checked out as this is a common place for women to get injuries apparently. Hope it feels better.

week 2 iron done yesterday! I like it.

Thank you both, maybe I'll try a couple more days of resting, I'll just do lower body. I can't really work out where it's coming from, feels like a trapped nerve I think.

Saw the 50min quad and glute workout for today, will probably pass as it seems too long for me. I'm so lazy when there's no program to follow, I just pick the quicker workouts instead, 30mins max!

@CoffeeandWalnuts I also have something that is niggling- was my left shoulder for months and months- now it is my right- but a different issue- my right hip is perma grumbly! I just keep going otherwise I would never be able to exercise. I have found that rescuing weights and avoiding specifically irritating moves helps. I couldn’t do lateral raises for ages so I did around the worlds until the pain was better. Injury teaches you to be really mindful of your form.
Hope you get better soon.

And I agree with @Gobacktotheworld re the rotator cuff issues. You do have to be careful . I discover that a lot of my issues came from lore hand positioning when pressing- my warts were cocked back, but if I was mindful of straightening them the pain stopped- you have to be very mindful of positioning and setting your shoulders before any kind of exercise that involves them, whether that be over head presses, rows, chest presses., scapula back and down- wings tucked in!

Thank you @BigButtons. Yeah I did think I either keep moving or seize up altogether, it's a fine line! It's working for you then to work through it but being mindful of form. That's helpful to know

Please excuse ridiculous typos! Warts?😂😂

@Gobacktotheworld those are amazing weights- you are fuck off strong!

I have hardly been on the increasingly deranged FB group as I snoozed it for a month. Now the posts are creeping back in. Just now there is one of a woman flexing her biceps with her teen son in the background. Her post is " my mum died on Tuesday and the kids came home. I did this upper body session with my sion and he said it was tough" WTAF?

I saw that one and had the same reaction. My dad died just over two weeks ago. I think I’ve only managed one workout in that time because frankly, I’m a mess and exhausted still - and no, surprisingly enough I didn’t feel the need to post a photo of me doing said workout!

@Pleasenomoreglitter I'm really sorry about your Dad. Look after yourself and don't worry about exercise, your muscles will come back quickly once you're ready!
@BigButtons Glad to hear the CG community is still as disordered and deranged as when I got kicked out.
@Gobacktotheworld Wow at those weights! I find I modify her programmes now, I'm more confident to do so having been lifting for a couple of years. Agree about the dolphin thing, it bored me too. I haven't gone for MAX just because I love my upper/lower body split so much it means I can work out 6 days a week. With the full body on MAX it would mean too much work looking at each workout and making sure I gave muscles a rest the following day of working out. I know you can do hip thrusts every day without too much problem, but I don't want to!
So I restarted PE for the third time, forgot how much I didn't like the pre exhaustt part, it's harder than the post exhaust - at least for me.

@Pleasenomoreglitter so sorry to hear about you dad. It's a horrible time for you. be kind to yourself and deal with each day as it comes x

Week I attempted the suggested day today .unleash day 17. I have notes of previously. I threw in the towel at about 18 mins. Just no energy - my form was awful. If the last week of the school term for me- we finish next Tuesday and I just have no energy and a low level cold.
i hate days like this. The last 2 were successful with the weights and I felt all💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
I also hate that I can’t just listen to my body with grave and be kind to it when it is tired. I could hear myself going’ just do some short session, do this, do that’
No I did something- I tried- no off to do some gentle painting🙂

Thanks all. Taking it a day at a time. I actually felt like I had more energy today so picked up Max again at day 32. Think I’ll feel that tomorrow after not doing much recently, but glad I felt able to try it.

It used to be a reason same group and a group where discussion could happen and were not shut down immediately.now it’s about stealth boasting ‘opps I am at my son’s funeral but was cheered up by my Hubble snapping this pic of my biceps .
must say no one has ever commented on my muscles