This fuel series is simply amazing. I am really loving the mix of cardio and strength training. I am able to do movements that seemed impossible a year ago and the growth and stamina is crazy to me and I look forward to each workout. This week I am most looking forward to dumbbell hiit (it's my favorite!) and full body Friday. Caroline, I can't thank you enough for providing us with so much great content all for free. You are truly the best!!
3 years ago | 9
Thanks for a great week 4! Just finished the HIIT workout and now off for a run! Looking forward to week 5. Everyone have a great week! Caroline, I cannot thank you for enough for the wonderful workouts and education. ❤️💪
3 years ago
| 20
Hi Caroline...another superb detailed post ...I so much enjoy reading your Sunday evening updates! I so much agree with the idea that it doesn't matter so much what weight you lift but how you use it! This is exactly how I train! I so much enjoyed today's hiit and there's lots to look forward to next week! Wednesday's finisher sounds interesting ...and I think that Friday's and Sundays workouts will be real highlights for me! Thank you so much Caroline...and have a fantastic week everyone! Matthew
3 years ago
| 14
My wife loves your coaching! She's making great progress and is motivated...at 66. Thank you!😊
3 months ago | 1
I love reading the Sunday posts for the week ahead! They really help remind me of the best and most effective way to train. Much appreciated Caroline 😀
3 years ago | 3
Lovely post! Always trying to improve my mind muscle connection and humbling my self by dropping the weight if I need to for a better contraction and connection. I seriously have changed my mind set to practicing each session and that is a big thank you to you and the reminders like this, that you post. This week is going to be fun! Thanks so much.
3 years ago | 12
Thank you for the great workouts! They motivate me to push myself and not give up. When the series started, I only did half to 3/4 of the first three workouts but I realized that I wasn't giving it my all. So I took a rest day and restarted the series. I think it was the best decision as now I am invested in finishing every workout. Granted, I've taken more rest days in between but I feel a sense of accomplishment that I've rarely felt before after a workout session.
3 years ago | 0
Hello. Thank you Caroline for your very helpful Sunday updates. They are so informative, insightful and help me understand what's to come for the next week of workouts. The mind muscle connection as you say is so important. Week 5 looks stupendous 😃. Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into every single workout you provide for us. Having an insight into how you plan your week is hugely appreciated. Tuesday sounds like one I'm looking forward to along with Friday full body. Have a great week. Penultimate week let's go!!
3 years ago | 1
Thank you so much for this post! I really needed to be reminded about the mind-mucsle connection. It am 58 and can no longer perform the heavy barbell squats, dead lifts, bench press etc...that I did in my 20's & 30's. Your strength training methods have got me feeling strong & confident again!! Now I understand it's not about the weight you move, but how you move it. I absolutely love your programs and am so thankful for you! I have shared your site with my friends and now we all follow your workouts 💪
3 years ago | 0
It's another great and informative post by Caroline!! Caroline has mentioned really very important things about mind to muscle connection. I have learnt this from herself. I really find it extremely useful to target the right muscles. I working on improving it day by day. She is marvelous. I loved Mega HIIT.. Week 4 was fantastic.. Looking forward to week 5.. Thank you so much Caroline for everything that you do for us!! Forever grateful to you.. Lots of love ❤
3 years ago | 2
Thank you, Caroline, for a fantastic week 4 and the very helpful MMC explanation and reminder! It has been a long while since we've had a classic HIIT, I absolutely enjoyed every single minute of it, kick thrus, rainbow kicks and all the burpee variations, loved all of it! Excited for week 5, looking forward to all new challenges and more fun along the way. Can't wait!
3 years ago | 3
Hi Caroline, hi everyone! What a sweaty and challenging week we just had… so many burpees 🔥 Time is flying by… only two weeks lefts! Thank you so much Caroline! Can’t wait for leg day tomorrow and for full body on Friday ! Kicking off the week by a circuit workout is exactly what I’ll need tomorrow morning 💪
3 years ago
| 33
"Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started "-CG . So true..after 20 months of ecercising with CG I still get nervous before the Hiit sessions. After I read Caroline's this reply to one of the comments ..i bravely dived in. Got a surge of energy at 55% and went on hyper-speed. Finished strong with 14 chest to floor burpees in 60 secs. So lesson learned today : trust the process, trust your body and most of all ...trust your trainer!! Love you CG💕
3 years ago | 25
Loving the Fuel series and everything it has to offer so far! I’ve gotten into a groove and I can’t stop thanks to Carolyn and this beautiful weather! I’m really looking forward to Sunday’s dumbbell workout as today’s was really bringing back memories of the dreadful Sunday HIIT 🤣🤣. I can’t complain since it only makes us stronger and better at all the exercises. I hope you had a wonderful birthday celebration this week
3 years ago
| 14
Another amazing lineup of workouts sure to challenge our mental stamina, cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and overall health! I am learning so much and it's exciting!
3 years ago | 5
These posts make my week, so much insight and knowledge, I don't know how you come up with such diverse workouts, it's really incredible thank you
3 years ago | 5
Week 4 complete! I managed 16 burpees during today's killer finisher and ended up completely exhausted but so proud of myself! 😅💪🏼 I love training with Caroline so much... having such a sexy and powerful woman fighting and struggling along with me makes the workouts so much more enjoyable! Thank you so much Caroline, discovering you was the best thing to happen to me in the last few years! ❤❤ Bring on Week 5, let's go!
3 years ago
| 18
This is my first time to do burbee’s even though I was doing your workout all the time this is my first time performing it.. Don’t know why I didn’t do it before maybe I was terrified because I am actually a plus size.. but it feels good doing them .. I actually did not skipped any of the workouts since the beginning of the program and it’s really doable. Thank you for this amazing workout and I really looking forward to complete this program to add it to the iron series that I did before.
3 years ago | 11
Thanks Caroline. Hope everybody had a good week. Great workouts.
3 years ago | 5
An informative post as always. Always something to chew on and consider going forward. The weights I use now are good enough and plenty for some time to come I think. I used to think that chasing DB increases was the whole point of lifting. But so many BW exercises test our strength too as you’ve definitely shown us. I just love it all mixed up together. Thank you for this series. I’m having a lot of fun with it.
3 years ago | 0
Caroline Girvan
Hello everyone!
Firstly...phew! What a sweaty 30 minutes Day 20 was! 😅
Well done if you completed today's session, that is week 4 complete!
It is wonderful to read how many of you typically don't complete the HIIT workouts on a Sunday previously, but having experienced those short bursts of HIIT within the FUEL Series, took on today's session and loved it!
Sometimes we can really surprise ourselves!
Due to hypertrophy still at the heart of FUEL, I just wanted to touch on how much the importance of mind-to-muscle connection differs depending on the type of movement, whether a compound movement involving multi-joints to lift or isolation (single muscle, for example).
If you are training more towards hypertrophy and building muscle as opposed to strength (utilising fewer reps and more rest), treating each workout as an opportunity to 'engage' the targeted muscles and target as intended is something I try to practice every session when lifting. Often they cross over, but when writing this, I am referring to hypertrophy to build muscle.
Many of us have muscles we can 'connect' with and other muscles that take over and compensate. It's possible to lift technique-wise perfectly yet not hit targeted muscles, leading to other muscles taking over, i.e. traps taking over during lateral raises or even during curls.
It takes time to develop this, particularly if new to lifting. Mastering movement at the beginning is more important for the motor pattern to feel 'natural' and familiar; you may begin to notice and consider developing those internal cues.
During a lunge or chest press, there is more focus on moving from A to B with the correct technique. In contrast, during bicep curls, if I cannot lift with intent, be present and connect with the muscle intended, I will reduce my weight, even if still lifting that weight with good technique and control. This leads to me, during most of my workouts, remaining curling at 8kg arm max (typically), yet this brings me the great stimulus to intended muscle, and I am happy to remain here for as long as I feel I am becoming stronger and gaining max stimuli of reach rep!
Having awareness will contribute to better performance of that movement and overall growth during more isolation exercises such as bicep curls or lateral raises. When the mind-to-muscle connection is lost during increased weight, often this can be a good indicator to hold back on that progressive overload, even in the meantime.
I credit this method of continually practising and improvements to intentional lifting that have not only helped build muscle but also understanding that 'heavier' weight is not always required to provide new stimulus to the muscle... plus practising means you must be present, and this alone brings benefits.
I love improving the mind-muscle connection. Visualising the muscle contracting and releasing has been shown to increase the muscle activation level, leading to more growth!
Again, just something to think about next time you are performing single-joint exercises in particular... its not always about the weight you use but the execution of said rep!
And here's a brief overview of the fun coming this week!
Monday
LEG DAY CIRCUITS!
One big circuit… x 2 rounds!
Moving across different planes, plyometrics and tempo all combined for what will be an intense leg session hitting the entire lower body!
There will be a few movements that really challenge your determination!
Minimal equipment, so just dumbbells!
Tuesday
UPPER BODY COMPOUND & CLUSTERS!
There will be a staple that will be a simple ‘flow’ format to break up the sets that I have wanted to incorporate.
Longer duration sets combined with complimentary shorter sets to make up those cluster sets… this workout will be full of variety yet will require A LOT from the entire upper body!
A perfect workout to keep your selection of weights nearby!
Wednesday
TEMPO GLUTES & HAMSTRINGS!
This workout will have a dynamic staple that will work well along with the more controlled, traditional movements to hit the glutes and hamstrings!
The finisher will likely involve using our band, which I am looking forward to!
Friday
FULL BODY!
The session is what I am most looking forward to this week… I want this to involve movements requiring the core to provide stability, strength, anti-rotation and alignment throughout, combined with traditional resistance lifts for a full body workout that will be more challenging than it might appear!
For your reference, I will likely use a heavier and lighter pair of dumbbells!
Sunday
DUMBBELL CARDIO & HIIT!
Short periods of work involving a pace as fast as you can with control! More extended periods using dumbbells naturally involve a slower pace and even more control!
Highs and lows of heart rate throughout!
I will likely use 2 x 4kg or 2 x 6kg dumbbells!
I hope you have incredible sessions ahead of you this week and celebrate each new win!
Week 5, bring it on! 👊🏼🤩
Cx
CG Community: www.facebook.com/groups/carolinegirvan
3 years ago | [YT] | 4,269