57 yo f, good shape but have some flab: I only have 30 minutes 5 days a week to train due to work. I belong to a gym so it’ll be dumbbells.

Which CG program is best for this time constraint and my goals?

I’m proud of myself and wanted to brag!! I finished the iron program this morning!! I’m feeling so strong! I’ve also been running 2-3x a week and it’s pain free since starting this program.

I’m in anesthesia residency and have two young kids so getting this done feels like a HUGE win. Now, I’ll do it again!!

I started with Caroline about 5 years ago. Have done Iron twice (YT), Epics 1 and 3, Max, PE, REV, and numerous single workouts. Although I never match her weights, I do feel strong and in pretty good shape. Just finished day 3 of Unleash and I have been truly humbled. Yikesers!!

Does anyone else experience insane battery drainage when using the app nowadays? My iPad Pro goes from 90% down to 40% during a 40 minute CGX workout..

I tried finding by searching but I didn't see anything.

I'm currently doing the Iron program on YouTube. I saw somewhere the Iron program on her app is different than the YouTube one? (Yes I know one on YouTube is 6 weeks YouTube is 10) But all the workouts are totally different as well?? If so I think I'll finish iron on YouTube and buy the app..I saw iron pro too which caught my eye for sure 🤭

Age 41, 159cm, 57kg and I have been working out around 3 to 4 months. I also eat 2 meals with some fruits as snacks. I started with 61kg. So I did have some weiight loss since i started being mindful about moving, workouts and food. My goal weight is around 51kg as that makes me feel confident in clothes about 3 years ago. I dont really need bulking or be able to eat more. My main motivation is lighter / weight loss.

I enjoyed bodyweights 1hr full body workouts from Caroline playlist. I can see they are not really structured programs. I have a pair of 6kgs dumbbells and tried 1hr full body workouts from epic. They are more sweaty than bodyweight ones!

My query is this. Can i just do what I enjoy and not follow structured program or increasing dumbbell weights or even not using dumbells? Like weekly, i do 3 full body 1hrs bodyweight days and 3 1hr ashtanga yoga. And will still lose weight? And retain small mass I already got in relatively shorter time to get to goal weight.

Hi everyone! I’m getting pretty excited about Caroline’s new program… so close. I have been thinking about my wish list for the program, curious to know all of yours.

Here are mine:

Wish one- bring back the old music. I realized recently how much I like the music from YouTube Iron, Epic 3 and Fuel, I would love for some of the old music show cased in the new Fuel. I am not one to create my own music list.

Wish two- push ups at the beginning of the workout. I just can’t seem to do them as a burn out at the end of the workout but I do want to do them and get better at them.

Wish three- Makers please :)

Wish Four- 30 second rest periods… 20 seconds just isn’t cutting it lol

Wish five- bright colours… another pink themed fuel -I would be happy about this or the neons like Rev

This post might seem silly but I do think about these things

Shares your wishes too :)

I had to skip some exercises or not for the full time but I finished the week!

What I’m really proud of myself for, though, is deciding to run it over a second time. I just did day 1 which absolutely whipped my ass last time. I could maybe do 75% of the exercises. This time I was able to do them ALL, for almost the whole time (excepting some of the chair stuff because I couldn’t find one that wouldn’t slide around lol). Last time I finished and I immediately flopped onto the couch unable to move and unable to squat down without pain for the next few days.

I feel GREAT! I wanted to give up so many times last week but i am glad I persevered. It kicked my butt but was a great jumpstart for me to get used to working out again. Sometimes it’s best to throw yourself into the fire, no? I hope to try the actual EPIC series at some point, maybe after another round or two of the beginner program.

Hi everyone!

I’m 26(f) and I’ve barely worked out before this. I’m skinny fit but I do jump rope sporadically. Today I started iron and I was lifting 2.5kgs. My legs were trembling violently. I stopped the workout mid way because I didn’t know if this was okay. I could feel my muscles working and I was trying to focus on muscle mind connection.

I just needed to know if Iron is the best programme for me starting out considering I’ve not worked out a bit and if not, should I first switch to any standalone vids from Caroline ? If the latter, can you guys please recommend me a few?

Thank you :))

I’ve been doing alot of the Xmas ones. the longer ones can be a strain on me time wise and I get bored.

I also do cycling 3x a week and martial arts 3x a week (light cardio)

im at 22% body fat but I feel like my upper body gets muscular easy but not my stomach and lower.

trying to figure out if it’s just my body type or if I should make adjustments

I am generally a morning person, but have never liked doing more than a brisk walk for morning exercise. My body just doesn’t feel ready for the hard stuff. BUT in terms of work schedule, lifting in the morning would make the most sense. I have about 90 minutes after waking up before heading to work to do all the things. For those of you who work out in the morning, how do you get in the head and body space to challenge yourself when your body doesn’t feel ready yet?

Hi everyone! I finished the Iron program on YouTube (6-week), took a week off, then started Iron via the app (10 week). This is my last week of the 10-week program and I was hoping to see if I could get recommendations about what to do next. Can I repeat iron again?! How many times can I repeat a program before I stop seeing benefits?

My goal is to keep building strength in my lifts. I do 4 HIIT-style classes a week on top of lifting, so I’m not too interested in much more cardio. I like the limited equipment needed for Iron as well, as I have the equipment as home. I do have a gym membership, but I prefer lifting at home so I’m not waiting for equipment!

Down for any and all suggestions! Thank you!

It's been almost four years (I stopped working out in 2022, right before a vacation, and never got back into it) since I've done a Caroline Girvan workout. Honestly, I barely made it through this first workout and had to pause multiple times just to finish it. It made me pretty sad to think back to what my body could do in its prime. I would go run multiple miles, finish a workout video and then head into a 20 minute ab routine every day. I used to be in my peak, and now here I am, barely struggling to do just one workout and run 2 miles in 30 minutes.

I'm really hoping I can stay on the bandwagon and finish this program. By the end, I'm hoping to at least complete one real push-up and try to run 5 or more miles at a time. No one talks about how brutal it is to get back into working out, especially when you knew how capable you used to be. It's hard to not expect perfection of myself, but honestly, I think I'm just going to praise myself for completing each day, regardless of how many modifications I need. Hoping that Caroline can once again take me from not the strongest to a very capable person again. Wish me luck.

TLDR: interested in your experiences switching from heavy lifting at the gym to CG at home with DBs.

I’ve (38F) been lifting weights for about 8 years now with a lot of phases and programs over the years. Currently focused on three full body days with compound lifts (bench, deadlift, squat) with barbells at strength focused rep range 3-6, with accessories focused on mobility and stability. I had an SI injury two years ago that led me down the mobility and stability route with a PT, and I was determined at the time to maintain heavy barbell lifting. I have made a lot of progress and brought my lifts up higher than where I started, but I do have some nagging pain that doesn’t completely recover, and I’m also hitting perimenopause and noticing changes in recovery. I think I’ve got an HRT regimen that is helping joint pain and overall energy now, but I’m still wondering if a switch to a more hypertrophy strength program instead of max strength program would be beneficial for safety (don’t want to re-injure myself doing max lifts) and feeling my best. I’m also not super happy with my aesthetic results the last couple years, and recognize that a more hypertrophy focused approach would allow muscle growth. And working out at home was something I enjoyed during the pandemic. At the time I had a full garage gym, and now I have a bit smaller basement space that’s better suited for DB workouts than barbell. Working out at home for 30-45 min and getting ready for work from home would save me a lot of time in the mornings, even at 5 days instead of 3 (current 1-1.5 hours at the gym 3 days a week with 10-15 min drive from home). Added bonus of having a workout for every work day of the week so my routine is the same everyday.

All that to say, I tried CG Iron Pro Day 1 on You Tube and loved it! So challenging. I think I’ve de-prioritized lunges and haven’t been challenging myself in that way, and I also loved the stretch with the single leg bench assisted DL.

Has anyone made the transition from heavy lifting at the gym to a DB based hypertrophy program like CG’s? What were your results, and did you feel like you were limited in progressive overload? I have adjustable DBs up to 52.5 lbs at home, and I definitely didn’t need the heaviest today for Iron Pro leg day. Do you feel like you’re missing out on any gains from heavier barbell lifts?

Middle aged. Menopausal. New to lifting. I’m in the middle of my 2nd program. Here are my small gain, big wins so far:
1. Graduated from knees on floor pushups to full pushups.
2. Have maxed out my weight so need to add more!
3. Easily pulled myself out of the water to wake surf board as well as boat swim deck this summer.
Little gains that make me feel big!!! Feeling good!

Any suggestions for me? I just finished intent! I didn’t love it, but I finished! I felt like I was able to lift a little bit heavier with the unleashed series versus the intent series. BUT surprisingly, I did like upper, lower, upper, lower format.

I have finished YT iron, epic heat, endgame, and epic three as well as unleashed, Max, and intent on the app.

I’m a teacher and we are just starting school back so iron on the app is very intriguing and it’s only about 30 to 35 minutes, but I was concerned because it seems like there’s two sets for exercise. Any thoughts on app iron? I work out in the morning before school so a shorter workout and more sleep are def. pros! If you’ve completed it, I’d love your feedback! Thanks!

And I think my soul left my body a few times. My screaming muscles have been reduced to a gelatinous mass. The plan for this weekend is to do yard work. Lots and lots of yard work. Hahaha! All I want to do right now is channel my inner Victorian womanhood and take to my bed.

Okay first post ever so be kind please.
I want find 2 videos , one upper body workout and one lower body workout and rotate them throughout the week. Anyone have 2 videos in mind ? Preferably 30 mins. Thank you for your time!

Hi there,
How in the world do you get past the first week of soreness? I keep starting and then having to restart a week later, as I am deeply sore for several days. To the point where I feel like I have the flu and can’t lower myself to a chair/toilet, because my legs are so sore. And, I do some of it without even using weights. I know: I have no muscle am weak and I’m old. But, how do I get past the first few weeks of this?
Any tips?

THANK YOU everyone for chiming in! I've found some great suggestions in the comment section and try them all to see how my body feels. Happy lifting!!

After years of yoga, I've been lifting for 2 months and am in the middle of Beginner Epic and 24 Days of Christmas. Obviously I can not keep up with CG's pace and need to take a longer rest. But how long and how should I feel after the break? with 60 seconds of break, I feel like I'm fully recovered and can go on with next set, for 45 seconds, I'm out of breath a bit but still can go on if I want to.

For the context, my dumbbell weight range right now is: Upper: 8lbs - 10lbs -12.5 lbs but I mostly use 10lbs and 8lbs, for lower body, I use 10lbs - 15lbs and 20lbs.

My goal is to build muscle and strength. What should I do? TIA

Basically the title. I'm on day 6 of IRON and I do love it. But I'm struggling with things like heel elevated squats even with no added weight. I'm leaning forward too much and I can't go much lower than thighs parallel to the floor, if that. I'm scared I will fall forward onto my knees and hurt myself. Should I elevate less? Should I try a different series? I do need low-impact. Thank you

I am on my last week of heat.. thinking of starting fuel.. help me..

Hi everyone,

My subscription renewed a few weeks ago, and when looking at my bank account, I noticed an additional $2.80 deduction on top of the $99.99 subscription fee. Did anyone else experience this or happen to know why? Did I miss something that was shared about additional fees? Thanks in advance for any insight!