Lifting and getting stronger with Caroline Girvan: 2025

[BigButtons]

New thread !

Good grief, who wears something like that to someone else’s wedding. In the comments she said she’s another crazy intermittent faster - six hours eating window this time, ffs.

My 11 year old says I’m ‘buff’. No one else does 😥

@Gobacktotheworld big lol on the photo😂
I did both the anterior and posterior ones last week. I enjoyed them a lot. I don’t think I needed to modify as she moves sections so you don’t get tired - also she is doing a 45 on45/rest split with varied weights. I suspect a warm up for what is to come in September. I really really like this style of more traditional strength training and feel I can go so much heavier with a split like that🙂

I was going to attempt today’s suggestion of iron day three. If is so humid and I am sick with exhaustion. 3 more school days to go. I think I will just put the weights away until next week.

Ah, 3 days to go, @BigButtons bet you can't wait! I vote you put your weights away for 3 days.
@Gobacktotheworld I don't recall needing to modify the anterior and posterior workouts. The anterior got my heart rate up more, squats always do that for me!
Today I did Day 3 from PE, a very solid leg day with wall sits and step ups as well as the normal squats and lunges. I matched CG's weights this time.
The only times I've been told I had muscles was by my nephews and niece who said I was 'hench' and some friends of my son, all early twenties and most of whom go to the gym. I don't think people who have never lifted weights pay much attention!

@Gobacktotheworld I did that one today too, really enjoyed it.

I think that's it exactly.
Others who lift notice others that do.
I notice the odd person who I don't know...there's a lady who runs a cafe in my local town,her arms are fab(I must tell her)and I stopped and looked back at a woman who walked past me in the street who looked toned and fab.

I always notice actress’ arms now! Amazing how many are skinny with no muscle tone at all.

So my bench finally arrived earlier this week, and I only got to use it today thanks to having injured myself (strained an intercostal muscle I think). I did the Unleash day that defeated @BigButtons and got to 28 minutes before I packed it in - I could feel my side muscles pulling so decided to stop. Pullovers on the bench are great but harder! It does seem like a handy piece of kit but I wouldn’t say indispensable.

No flexing on Facebook but I did sneak one pose into the photos I was getting DP to take of me and DD after her y6 “prom” (hot dogs and running around in the hall). I think it’s time to start training her up soon!

I watched the better sister with Jessica Biel and was impressed with her arms and back

Great arms @AtomicBlondeRose! I love doing pullovers on the bench, I use 15kg and get a better range of motion than lying on the floor as I can lower the weight further over my head.
@TessTickle0Jessica Biel is ripped, she trains with Ben Bruno who trains people to be lean and strong. He trains her OH Justin Timberlake too (amongst other celebrities and elite sportsmen and women). I’m almost tempted to try one of his programmes as they can all be done at home too.

Hello…may I join? I’m on day 7 of absolutely beginner so a proper newbie. Am a very mediocre runner normally…3 runs a week (20k total) which I enjoy but hitting my late 40s I have zero upper body strength, flabby belly and arms best hidden under long sleeves. So far I am loving it and feel a difference already (although acknowledge it may be more psychological at this stage) Am using 1 and 3kg weights and plan to build up. I can do everything so far EXCEPT I can’t even do one push up. Even adjusted…I’m leaning on the kitchen table and can only get down about 2 inches before my arms give out. I’m keeping trying though but I at this rate it’s going to take me 6 months to do one full push up with good form! Also found renegade rows very tricky but mildly more do-able than push ups.

I did have a question though. I’m not feeling anything more than a mild muscle “ache” the day after training (not sure that’s the right word…what I mean is I can definitely tell I’ve been working those muscles but not sore or anything) and by day 2 I’m fine. Is that the level I should be working to or should I be aiming for more “pain” in the days after by using heavier weights? (I feel like I don’t have the descriptors to explain this properly…hopefully someone can interpret!).

It’s absolutely fine not to feel DOMS (which is the scientific name for the next-day aches). Don’t use that as a way of judging what weights to use. I don’t get them very often and actually when I do it’s a sign rather of overdoing it. I can usually feel that I’ve worked out but not actual pain or soreness.

Your current weights are absolutely fine. Caroline has bodyweight workouts that are no laughing matter so the weights are an extra especially at the start. Moving forward you probably want to look at getting some 4 or 5kg weights. Both would probably be good but in that range I only have 4 which I use for shoulder stuff and lateral raises. Then maybe some 7.5kgs. You should be thinking about the end of a set - are you still lifting them really easily? If so that’s when you start to want to go up a weight. However there’s no shame in doing an easy workout either. Some people (not on here) act like if you’re not constantly going up weights you’re wasting time and you’re really not. But if you keep it up you’ll find yourself wanting that challenge.

Pushups are still hard for me after 2 years of CG. I think I can do about 7 decent ones. It took months to be able to do one! Don’t worry about it.

Thanks both! A new word for my vocabulary…Love that it has a name.
That’s very reassuring, sounds like I’m pitching it about right. I think I’ll continue to the end of AB using 1 and 3 then maybe do it again using 3 and 5kg or whatever mixture of those before moving on to one of the other series. I feel like my form isn’t great yet and I get my Romanian doo-dahs mixed up with my Bulgarian whats-its. Need to study the lingo a bit!

@AgnesTeaHousewelcole to the thread! Are you working out yo the YouTube programs or the CGX App? There is a beginner programme on the App which didn’t exist when I started lifting in 2023 but it’s the only programme where Caroline talks and explains the different lifts. I know some people here have done it. Definitely concentrate on form and full ROM before lifting heavier weights. Push ups will come with practice, don’t worry! I don’t know if I posted a before and after photo - I used to be an ultra runner and only did cardio, running 60 + miles a week. I started lifting in 2023 aged 57, I don’t run now (walk lots plus cycling and spin for cardio) and I’m 3kg heavier now than I was in the first photo.

Welcome @AgnesTeaHouse ! I second all the advice given so far. I did push ups on my knees for ages(psst- I still occasionally do that if a shoulder hurts or I am just too tired😗)

Welcome @AgnesTeaHouse i finished absolute beginner recently, thanks to this lovely group for the suggestion. I didn’t really get DOMS either. Apparently some workouts are deliberately designed to give people DOMS so they give the impression they have delivered an effective workout - no idea if that’s true, I have been watching a lot of random fitness stuff on YouTube! But interestingly with those types of workouts the presenter doesn’t do the full workout they stop and talk a lot so probably won’t get the DOMs themselves, whereas Caroline is doing the full workout with us and including appropriate rests. I have seen improvements in a lot of things since starting including push-ups - I still can’t do a full one, but getting better! By the way I found the warm up super hard (perversely enjoyed it be the end 🤣) but the epic warm up on you tube is much much easier. However as a runner it might be much easier for you than me!

I am almost done with week 3 iron, just workout 15 to do. I had one or 2 days where I felt super strong but also had some really bad days where I was shaky with light weights. I think this might be blood sugar related.

Thanks for the tips @samthebordercollie am indeed using the app and doing absolute beginner. I am pretty confident my “after” shot won’t be anywhere near as good as your “before” shot! You look great (before AND after!)

Finished Fuel today! I think I’ve done day 30 a few times - it’s not crazy hiit, just traditional strength moves just a bit faster with some sprawls thrown in.

Trying to decide between Heat and Unleashed now - can’t really remember Unleashed from the first time but I think there’s a bit of cardio?

Unleash definitely gets your heart rate up at times, especially the second half of the upper body days and all the leg days, but there are no specific cardio workouts in the programme.
Day 8 of PE for me today, back and biceps. Not too boring - back and biceps aren't my favourite workouts - then I did my favourite add on upper body workout which really hits the shoulders.