Lifting and getting stronger with Caroline Girvan: 2025

[BigButtons]

New thread !

Well done on your back and bicepts @Gobacktotheworld. I've got that tomorrow, it's one of the more interesting B&B sessions on PE. I think defined triceps are much prettier than bulging biceps!

Well a couple of days later than planned thanks to DH dropping a life changing bombshell on Monday but I have completed Ultimate Beginner day 1! 💪
Thoroughly enjoyed it and can feel it a bit even with lighter weights than I am used to - I guess that’s what correct form does for you. Do you guys keep track of how much you are lifting for each move? I am going to stick with easy weights for a bit while I get the hang of it all but later on when hopefully I can lift a bit heavier I don’t think I’ll be able to remember.

Hello You-All…

I used to be a regular under a different name (HaberdasheryAddict?) but haven’t posted for a while. I’ve been travelling a lot, been ill and injured, lots of ‘life stuff’, et cetera. I’m trying to reconnect with Caroline and regain my former fitness but I’m struggling.

Im 71 now, still very fit compared to 90% of women my age but obviously not capable of doing what BigButtons and Samthebordercollie et al are doing. I am finding dedicated arms and legs workouts too strenuous, so I tend to drift between full-body workouts from various series like Heat, Iron, Epic 3, Endurance……

I feel I need a more focused programme that challenges me without stressing me out because it’s too far out of my comfort zone. I don’t have the App as yet but is there something on there that might fit my needs?

For reference, I mostly use 8kg dumbbells for arms and 10kg for legs, plus a heavier adjustable for goblet squats, pullovers and other stuff that only requires one dumbbell. Thankfully my core is still very strong - I do planks, crunches, leg lowering etc every day.

Thanks! 😻

@Enrichetta Maxon the app is the one for you!

So we're getting another Iron in September!

I'm actually realising in retrospect how much I liked Max. I've decided I enjoy the full body format as I seem to pick up less niggling injuries. I admit after ten weeks it got a bit formulaic but then I think back to when I did pump and combat and you had the exact same workout for three months!

Iron isn’t my favourite program. Iron 2 was better than Iron 1 so here’s hoping Iron pro is better than both predecessors. Like the Godfather - sequels better than the original.
feeling guilty I didn’t give Max lot of a try after your comments. It’s just getting out all the equipment, all those hip thrusts….I like my heart rate getting up a little to, it didn’t with the Max workouts I tried.

The August calendar has a few new workouts the look interesting, especially the 2 full body spilt 75 min workouts at the end of the month! It’s worth getting out all the equipment for 75 minutes!

I'm quite enjoying freestyling just now after doing a bit of Intent and a bit of Iron 2. Today I did the 40 minute glute and hamstring one from the app and really really enjoyed it, and I did get quite sweaty. Tomorrow I'm going to do the pre-exhaust back and biceps, having done chest and triceps on Tuesday.
I've done all the recent hour-ish long full body ones also and enjoyed them, I definitely find an hour easier when it's mixed like that. I think if I had to do an hour of largely squats and lunges I'd cry.

I finished Max a few days ok. I added in other workouts most weeks to mix things up a bit, and I didn't always manage 5 workouts a week, so it took me a while to finish it.

It wasn't my favourite, especially the days where it was 3 lower, 3 upper x 3. I just got really bored, and towards the end I would sometimes listen to a podcast to get me through it. I just couldn't get in the right frame of mind for it.

My favourite days were the ones where there was more variety, like the circuit days or when she incorporated supersets or just varied the format a bit. I missed the crazy days of some of the Epic series with lots of Burpees and other moves thrown in. I like doing complexes, trisets etc.

I'm not sure what I will do next. Maybe Iron 2 on the app but with a hiit day added in and maybe a full body kettlebell or metcon workout as well.

I am quite interested in iron pro. I enjoyed the format of the shorter lift/ longer rest ratio of some of her new releases. It allows me to go heavier. It also mixes things up. I realise that I get bored very quickly with formats. She uses so few moves. I do wish she would have a wider rotation. I love a Tate press- she never does those any more, or face pulls. Is just exactly the same exercises with a huge emphasis on glutes and shoulders .
i have been roughly following the suggested calendar.
excited as I sourced a pair of cheap vinyl plates for my bar bell. They are 15kg and massive which is now perfect for wiggling under. My cast iron plates were much smaller and it was impossible for me to get out from under the bloody barbell. Just got to work out where to store the things!
another thing is I bought I weight bench from another fb group friend who lives nearby.
I was wanting a small foldable bench - but this is so big and heavy and I don’t want it in my sitting room all the time.
Think I am going to have to sell it on and look for a more compact one. I wish I had a home gym!
i am sure we can get by without have a bench though?🤷🏻‍♀️

Poor Sam is getting pushed further out from his original sleeping space thanks to Caroline 😂

I’ve not worked out for ages due to being away (though racked up the steps walking around London and was lucky enough to see the Lionesses too!), so today I jumped back in.

I went for the new glutes workout on the app mostly because I saw she uses the bench and I wanted to use mine. I’m not sure about hip thrusts using it - she’s slightly shorter than me but not much so I tried to position myself the same but it feels very awkward on the back. Don’t know if that’s me getting it wrong or that I’ve been spoilt using the sofa where it’s nice and soft! I did like the weighted leg exercises. You could do them on the floor or with a chair but they’re fantastic on the bench which gives you such a good range of movement. If that’s the sort of thing she’s going to bring in more of then I’m pleased.

It also struck me that this workout is the type of thing I think people sometimes look at and criticise CG for. Relatively short (35mins) and looks really simple on paper. Nothing punishing or killer. But I had sweat running down both arms when I was doing donkey kicks. Just simple moves that really work. I agree it can get repetitive but over a few years maybe that’s always going to happen?

It’s weird- I did that glute one yesterday. Maybe I wan’r concentrating hard enough - but I didn’t find it challenging at all- apart from the diagonal raises- my glute medius is really weak so I always hate those.
i will always use the sofa for thrusts - anything harder sibs into my back and distracts me.
was great putting on those two huge 15kg vinyl plates though- made it so easier to get out from under the barbell. I had been told I would have to get bumper plates but my bar is only 1 inch. Then I saw the cheap huge ones.I could add my normal cast iron weights on top of those 🙂

I've got a great little Ikea bench - bench shaped but padded! I have a throw on it so I can wash the sweat away as needed.

I did the '4x straight sets' upper body one today - really enjoyed it. All the upper body weights faves, no pushups or renegade rows. Was just over an hour and it flew by.

To those of you who have done the Rev series, what did you think of it? I'm away on holiday at the moment, but I'm thinking about what to do when I get back. I've just finished Max. Fuel was one of my favourite YouTube series, so I'm wondering whether Rev will have a similar vibe. And the circuit days in Max were my favourite.

@ItsCoolForCats if you like circuits, you should love REV! I liked it, I didn't feel I got the strength gains I did with a programme like PE but it was very enjoyable to do. I especially enjoyed the full body days as they really got the heart rate up, so if you like you will love those workouts.
I'm getting near the end of the pre exhaust PE workouts, looking forward to the post exhaust sessions as they are a little easier. Am matching CG's weights in nearly all workouts now. @Gobacktotheworld no idea how you've managed without 7,5kg I think I've used them more than any other dumbells, certainly for triceps, biceps and upright rows. I can't imagine using 9kg, you are strong!
@AtomicBlondeRose even though I have a bench I still do hip thrusts against the sofa as it's more comfortable.

Thanks @samthebordercollie. It does sound like my cup of tea. I got a bit bored towards the end of Max, so I want to do something with a bit more variety. And mentally I feel like tackling something that is six weeks long rather than twelve. Then I think I'll do PE afterwards as I know that gets a lot of love on here.