Lifting and getting stronger with Caroline Girvan: 2025

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Hello! Can I join? I’ve just signed up to the app having quit my gym because the format was injuring me. My pelvic physio has said I need to limit heavy pelvic work to one day a week. I’ve been doing Intent and then recently switched to the daily suggested exercise. Does anyone know of any programs that are lighter on the lower body work? Otherwise I’ll just keep skipping all but one of those days per week when they come up, or do them with light weights or bodyweight.

I only have sets of 10kg, 5kg and 2kg weights at home, so have been making do with those. I was lifting 50kg barbells at the gym but I still seem to be getting aching muscles from the home weights so if they work without injuring me then happy days. I will prob add some in as time goes on but heavy weights are unsurprisingly quite expensive! They have to live in my small terraced house in the sitting room too so I can only buy what I can hide behind my sofa.

Don’t hide them behind the sofa, @Fibrous - flaunt them!! 😎

@Enrichetta ha well I would but I have two very accident prone greyhounds who would spend their whole time falling over them and tearing their insanely fragile skin - it’s bad enough trying to persuade them out of the way when I’m exercising. They seem to see the unfurling of my yoga mat as an invitation to take up all the floor space in my sitting room. I’d love to have a garage!

Hi all. I’m sorry, I seem to only post on here when I have a question. I read most of the posts, but feel like such a beginner still that I don’t often think I have anything to add to the comments! You all really inspire me and, thanks mainly to this thread, I’ve now been doing CG workouts 4 or 5 days per week for around 15 months. Thank you all for sharing your experience and progress.

My question is, what are the benefits of doing shoulder presses, etc. seated? Caroline sometimes does this and I’m not sure why? I’ve tried a bit of an online search but still not sure why it is better to be seated?

I am not an expert by any means but I find that if I am seated I can lift heavier!

@Cherryblossom81 - Your core is supported so you can lift heavier when sitting. I can't do 3 sets of shoulder presses with 10kg dumbells standing, but i can sitting with my back supported. So I suppose if you want to work on core strength do them standing, if you want to build your shoulders using heavier weights do them sitting!

Thank you @Enrichetta and @samthebordercollie That’s really helpful. I’ll experiment with both seated and standing.

I’m a huge advocate of a strong core. It makes everything sooooo much easier. I used to suffer from low back pain - that’s all gone. I can walk for hours without getting tired. I can lift heavier than I could otherwise. Abs exercises are child’s play. And quite a few people have commented on my posture.

if I was starting out I’d do these:

• Bowflex 3-minute plank
• Rebecca Louise’s Best Abs
• Caroline’s Braced Core and Abs

I still do a 3-8 minute plank and a 10-15-minute abs workout most days, in addition to whatever else I’m doing.

Welcome @Fibrous !
I blooming hate ab work especially anything with leg lowers and it bores the hell out of me.
My lower back is curved- mild scoliosis . I do wish she would do another standing abs session.
I make sure I brace my core hard when I lift and even through the fluff I can see some definition so it must be doing something.
yesterday I redid CGX iron 21- a very hard core leg day that from my notes I gave up on first time round. This time I used 20kg and 15 kg as she did- we were both wiping the sweat off our hands though😂.
I took some sets down to 45 seconds and took some longer rests. I like that she has started using something to balance one now- I think it makes it more effective.
I wonder what weights she will lunge with on the new series? 20kg is my max atm.

I slack a bit when it comes to core and don't usually do any additional work, but you have inspired me to do more. I do yoga about 4 times a week and most workouts have some core work, but I do need to do more.

I normally do shoulder presses standing with my 7kgs, but I'm going to have a go at some seated ones with my 10kgs and see how I get on.

It was Rev day 2 for me today. After Max (and having just spent a week on holiday indulging), it was a shock to my system to have my lower body destroyed in that way 😆

I hate ab work,I still force myself to add in a session once or twice a week.
I can see some definition which helps to push me to continue.
Trouble is I feel it in my neck a lot..must be doing something wrong? I could do more of a set sometimes but it is hurting my neck so I have to stop.
I try to brace my core and push my lower back to the floor,I bend my legs when needed and put my hands under my hips...still it annoys my neck!!

I remember, years ago, my neck hurting if I did crunches and the like. I just stopped doing those. Instead I did Rebecca’s Best Abs over and over again, plus the Bowflex plank every single day. In time - not sure how long but we’re talking months, probably way longer than a year - my neck got stronger enough to do crunches.

I think I also did Dr Jo’s neck pain exercises and those helped too.

@Gobacktotheworld lol- my 20kg are adjustables- I used those for ages until I started collecting free weights. It is bloody hard work using those- must be said and my arse has been on fire today- but you know- try it- even for a couple of lifts. You might surprise yourself!😍

@Gobacktotheworldcardio is as important as weight training if not more so for longevity. Cardiac illnesses are still the biggest cause of death. For fat loss - well that’s diet more than anything. A lot of people who lift are in cardio denial because they don’t like doing it. I love cardio, I get an endorphin rush out of cycling and spin classes I don’t get from lifting weights or walking. My RHR is still 45 which it was when I was running so that’s good, I thought it might have increased since I had to stop running and it gets up to 180 during a spin class which is good as I’m nearly 60.

Hi, can I join? I'm doing the YouTube iron series atm, day 13 today, posterior chain which looks like I will enjoy it. Yesterday was chest and triceps, which was a struggle because my new 8kg dumbells are a bit too much for my wrists right now and I had to swap down to 5kg. My wrists were still in too much pain by the end for dips and push ups. I have the same problem with my ankles in the leg workouts with endless lunges. Please tell me they will eventually strengthen up!
Really impressed that some of you are matching Caroline's weights, I aim for about half but it gives me plenty of scope for progress.
Part of the reason I'm loving the iron series so far is the lack of cardio! I walk a lot and run occasionally but much prefer lifting.
I'm going to stay with my parents on Thursday for a week and would like to keep up the workouts, any recommendations for how to do it without weights? I think there may be some small dumbells and a kettlebell so I'll use those where possible.

@samthebordercollie I agree, sadly, as I don't love cardio, but I'll diligently drag myself out for a 5km run two or three times a week for this reason (or do a cardio workout if the weather is really bad).

As much as I don't love it at the time, I feel really really good afterwards in a way I never do from the weights.
I love the results I'm getting from the weights, so I'm happy with my combination.

I have got so unfit now that there are no hiit Sundays. I live in a town with a lot of very steep hills so that is better than nothing. I really do need to do some cardio but cg stuff is so punishing. What else could I do? I used to ‘run’ but my knees don’t like it and my rhr is creeping up 🤔

Hi @LostaraYil 🙂
she has a calisthenics series on you tube- be warned- it is very very hard!