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Lifting and getting stronger with Caroline Girvan: 2025

999 replies

BigButtons · 12/04/2025 12:02

New thread !

OP posts:
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samthebordercollie · 24/08/2025 20:39

@Gobacktotheworldthe full body splits have landed! Caroline is definitely testing us with her weights, 15kg for shoulder presses in Day 2😱

Gobacktotheworld · 24/08/2025 22:21

Good fucking God, she can fuck right off with that! 😆

Thanks for the heads-up. I have no excuse not to tackle one tomorrow.

BigButtons · 25/08/2025 09:08

She used to use those weights sometimes in the epics- weird because she said that she had reduced her weights realising that she could get just a good result with lower weights and lessen the chance of injury.
anyway I am trying to release a nasty shoulder impingement- so am off all weights for a bit. Just working on mobility and massage.
Did some work on it yesterday- my shoulder was so stiff and pinchy. It feels better today so I shall crack on with that.
Going on a walk across the downs with friends this morning and a pint in a pub.
have a lovely bank holiday everyone 😀

OP posts:
Worldgonecrazy · 25/08/2025 09:23

@BigButtons when I have an injury and can’t do the weights, I still do the movement, slowly and gently, to avoid loss of mobility. I feel a bit of a twit doing shoulder presses with no weights ….

Gobacktotheworld · 25/08/2025 10:25

Okso I am 47% through the first one and bored out of my skull. I prefer the 30sec rest where I can pause if necessary, to this 45 sec of staring at the ceiling.

This one doesn't have the magic of full body split x 3. /gavel

HGC2 · 25/08/2025 10:29

Does the app give a programme that I could follow in the gym, or is it more a home weight and watch type of thing?

BigButtons · 25/08/2025 10:47

Gobacktotheworld · 25/08/2025 10:25

Okso I am 47% through the first one and bored out of my skull. I prefer the 30sec rest where I can pause if necessary, to this 45 sec of staring at the ceiling.

This one doesn't have the magic of full body split x 3. /gavel

I hate the long sessions- I get bored- have no intention of doing these ones.

OP posts:
Gobacktotheworld · 25/08/2025 12:33

I do usually prefer the longer full body ones but as for me, there is no need for 45 sec rest when you are alternating upper and lower set by set, or doing unilateral work Especially early on in the workout- after a set of 60sec Arnolds, I don't need 45sec rest yet especially as we are going into lunges next. With Full Body Split x 3, the 30sec rest meant you were scampering from one to the other which didn't give you enough time for thumb twiddling.

This workout did improve from maybe 2/3 through when the rear delt / squat combos began because she reverted to 30 secs breaks. And the arm thing at the end with the isometric hold was great, hard. The amount of work done in 75 min was overall less than that accomplished in the 60min full body split though.

Arnold 2 x 12.5kg, Lunges 2 x 12.5kg, Glute bridges 51kg, back row 20.5kg, chest press 15.5kg x2 (17.5kg for last set, was OK but paranoid of my dodgy elbow), staggered RDL 23.5kg, rear delts and lateral raises 2 x 5kg, heel elevated squats 17.5kg. I think she forgot the fourth set of chest press /staggered RDL mentioned in the description, which was a shame for me, as that was the best part of the workout.

Going to do a coin toss as to whether or not to do Day 2. Sometimes workouts do grow on me so maybe this will too? But overall it did disappoint me a little. I am a bit baffled as to why there are so few isolation moves (calves, triceps, abs, biceps, abductors all ignored) when these are long workouts; there was time to chuck some of these things in.

Moan moan moan, have a great Bank Holiday all!

Gobacktotheworld · 25/08/2025 12:35

HGC2 · 25/08/2025 10:29

Does the app give a programme that I could follow in the gym, or is it more a home weight and watch type of thing?

It's more suitable for home, they are follow along videos.

tostaky · 25/08/2025 14:24

I did the 1st video of the Epic programme this morning and it was hard! Im only using 2.5kg weight but i suppose thats ok for a beginner like me. That video was exclusively lower body. I would have preferred a full body workout but i suppose if i follow the program everything will be worked.
Feeling good now after lunch!
@HGC2i do it at home - i have a couple of weights i can use and a mat. You dont need much else i assume

Gobacktotheworld · 25/08/2025 14:33

Congrats @tostaky you will have a full body one every week of the programme. Enjoy! They are hard but good!

Enrichetta · 25/08/2025 17:04

If my memory serves me correctly, @tostaky , EPIC 1 and 2 are quite tough/long, but EPIC 3 and Heat are shorter and easier to get on with.

Why not do a full body workout from several of her programmes and see which one you find most useful?

I started out with 3kg dumbbells but once I felt comfortable with all the various moves I moved up to 5kg, though I continued to use the lower weights for some of the upper body exercises for quite a while.

tostaky · 25/08/2025 20:19

@GobacktotheworldThamk you!
@Enrichetta Thanks for the tip. I will look into these too. I see she has another serie called “iron” but i wonder if thats too much for me at the moment.
it was tough and i used light weights but i like a challenge so i dont mind carrying on this serie. I really like how simple her videos are and the fact there is a series of videos in one neat place.

Gobacktotheworld · 26/08/2025 08:51

It was back to youtube for me this morning.

Started off with Kettlebell Supersets, still one of Caroline's best workouts and you can see from the comments how enduringly popular it is. So cardiovascular and it leaves you feeling powerful.

Ended with a new 20min Charlie Follows yoga routine. Wonderful varied flow, perfect for bodyweight strength and balance. I love her calming voice and beautiful settings.

I will try the second 75min full body one on the cgx app tomorrow if I can get up in time (will mean an extra early start) just to annoy myself pretty much. It starts with 14 minutes of Bulgarians then 4x straight sets of shoulder press... what a crap start to the day. :D @samthebordercollie What did you think of day 1 if you did it? The enthusiasm for it seems muted except among her most devoted Facebook arselickers.

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Fibrous · 26/08/2025 09:24

What's the name of the facebook group? I can't seem to find it.

Charlie Follows is great, I really love her yoga routines.

I managed to get three caroline sessions in (short ones) last week and a fair bit of running so hopefully I'm getting my motivation back. I am not sure I'm up for those long ones - maybe if I can persuade my DP to cook dinner. It seems to take him hours to make something that should be twenty minutes so if I'm attempting a long one that would ease the impatience!

TessTickle0 · 26/08/2025 10:04

Haha I'm with you re partners taking so long to make tea..a 30min meal is an hour epic complete with a pile of shite left next to the dishwasher(just put it in as you use then the damn thing can go on)
The longest I've done is an hour, I know it isn't much longer(75min) but it sounds horrific(5mins of Bulgarians is long enough for me)

Fibrous · 26/08/2025 10:11

That is exactly the result. I don't know why every bowl in the house needs to be used, too. What even for?

Gobacktotheworld · 26/08/2025 10:14

Omg DH cooking time. Especially the endless endless prep. I blame that prison scene in Goodfellas where all the gangsters are precisely shaving the garlic and salami into paper-thin slices with razor blades.

Horrific is a pretty good word for it, Tess. The long rest times made it seem longer still.

Abra1t · 26/08/2025 11:35

I really hate the big butt look--I spent most of my decades trying to reduce the size. I hope we see fewer glute exercises.

And yes, I'm just not interested in anything that's longer than about 40 minutes, preferably 30-35 minutes. Sometimes I increase the play speed so that they go a bit more quickly or drop a set if workouts are longer than that. Life's too short.

I like the look of that FB kettlebell CG workout, thanks to whoever posted it. Have had horrific cold with aching muscles and fatigue, so taking it easy until it's gone.

BigButtons · 26/08/2025 12:30

@Gobacktotheworld I remember doing that kettle bell one years ago- must dig out my bells - although with go light as I will probably pull my back!
I am about to do the 60 min recent posterior chain . I will do the anterior tomorrow. 60 mins is my limit.
to my joy- that anon user is still telling the Kearneys to shut up!
every single comment about every single session she does is the same- how brutal is was. It is so tedious.
ATM I am more obsessed with finding a properly waterproof long raincoat which actually has a functioning hood- not a hood that is pretending . I have a lovely waterproof Berghaus that always gets compliments but I still need to use an umbrella to keep the rain off my face . Think is going to have to be an equestrian coat. Since moving house I walk pretty well everywhere everyday and am fed up of the waterproofs to go to work with/ mind you it hasn’t rained for ever and a day————/-

OP posts:
Fibrous · 26/08/2025 13:37

I get all my coats from here: https://www.magic-mountain.co.uk/

It's the discount shop for mountain equipment etc. They're based near me so I can get stuff repaired if need be, too. I've never bought a full price waterproof! If you're in the north west they do sample sales fairly regularly. Our whole village is kitted out in Mountain Equipment gear 😂

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Fibrous · 26/08/2025 13:39

They don't do equestrian coats, though. Some hoods are definitely better than others. We get a lot of rain in these parts so that functionality is well tested.

Gobacktotheworld · 26/08/2025 14:52

I dunno @BigButtons - that "Anon User" is probably them, posting vaguely unpleasant comments at themselves, to drum up attention. It seriously wouldn't surprise me with that utter fruit loop.

I am actually delighted that, if you discount the gushing praise from the usual suspects, the app comments are not exactly bursting with enthusiasm for these workouts. She has missed the mark with both timings and exercise selection.

Lifting and getting stronger with Caroline Girvan: 2025
samthebordercollie · 26/08/2025 15:43

@Gobacktotheworld No I haven't done the marathon full body sessions and looking at the comments on the App - and your - I'm not exactly filled with enthusiasm to get them done. I will, but want to finish PE first for the third time, only 13 sessions to go. I don't get bored doing it and the rest periods aren't too long plus it's easy preparing for each session as it's either upper or lower body.
I was too late to see the Anon User's comments towards Mr Kearney, but honestly the person who posted 'we neither like or accept negativity on this site' should be banned too. Surely it's OK to say if you don't like a particular workout? It's ridiculous that we can't criticize critically without being deleted - like that bloody FB Group.

tostaky · 27/08/2025 09:43

I have just finished Day 2 of the Epic series. Two questions:
Are you all gym instructors? It is bloody hard!!! I did 98% of all the push up on my knees!!
Day 3 is abs and core - any advice on how to do properly abs? I have a weak pelvic floor and i dont want to damage it further. My diastasis recti is probably awful too after 3 kids and years of inactivity and obesity… I understand if my belly starts “coning” then im doing the abs wrong. But what is the right way? Any good video that can explain the technique?
Many thanks!

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