Caroline Girvan or gym or PT?

[Dazzleships]

My goals are: to increase muscle mass - am on the slim side (bmi 19.5) and would love to increase muscle on arms and legs; and to improve strength - I have osteoporosis (although only just tipping into the osteoporosis zone).

I have been strength training since my diagnosis and yes, I am stronger but wonder if I would see better gains by following Caroline Girvan's programme. I have just been using weights at gym but feel progress is very slow. Other option would be to use a PT but I could only afford this on a temp basis.

Any advice?

I would recommend signing up with a trainer who is also qualified in nutrition. You could be lifting weights 'til the cows come home but if you're not getting enough protein, you won't see much gains.

A PT who can advise on both aspects would be very beneficial.

(I have a coach who I see F2F but he also does online training. I'd be happy to PM his details if you wanted to look at his socials. This is very much not an ad, I just know how he is priced and how he treats his team as opposed to many of the "bro" trainers that are out there! )

@2PintsOfCidernaBagofCrisps that would be great if you could pm me. I have used a PT in the past but felt very confused as to what I was doing and I had zero nutritional advice.

PM sent 😊

For me they're very different things so I wouldn't get the same out of them. I love being in a gym environment with access to really heavy things and someone to help me get better so a PT works really well for me. Doing Caroline at home really wouldn't hit the same way for me. Gym by myself is fun but I wouldn't get the same progress (and I'd probably break myself by doing too much).

What sort of weights are you doing? The videos of Caroline Girvan that I’ve watched use quite light weights and high reps - more what I’d call accessory exercises. To build significant muscle you probably need to learn to do the 3 main compound lifts in a programme of progressive overload.

Squats, deadlifts and bench press all enable you to lift progressively heavier weights (in multiples of 10 kilos) and build solid muscle!

@FarEast I have been doing weighted squats, lunges and using the gym machines.

I don't really feel confident doing deadlifts or bench presses so I am beginning to think I need to find a PT for a bit to progress.

I'm the same BMI as you and have built good muscle mass by training with Caroline Girvan workouts. Yes, it's not lifting 'heavy' as you can at the gym with barbells but it's very convenient and I've gone up in dumbbell weights. I'm 58 and was a skinnyish runner before, my body has been completely transformed since I started in January.

In that case go for a PT. Even if it’s just to give you confidence to take that next step.

I

A coworker got very strong from doing CG videos, she also got abs after having 2 children. I know she ate lot of protein too but I really believe you don't need a gym or a PT to become strong and tone.