Caroline Girvan 6 Week Rotation

Caroline Girvan is a relatively new trainer to me. I discovered her in March 2021 and have been binging on her workouts ever since. Caroline creates advanced workouts. Almost all of her workouts are strength training workouts. In fact, she only has one workout that I am aware of (and I have scoured her YouTube page) that is pure stretching. Even her cardio and stretch workouts incorporate body weight strength training.

Caroline has created three 10 week programs (as of the date this rotation posts at least): EPIC, EPIC II and EPIC Heat. Plus she has lots of non-EPIC workouts. Caroline puts a lot of effort into creating all of her workouts, but especially her EPIC programs. They are professionally made and they also have accompanying program guides. These are not short little guides whipped together in an afternoon. These are 40+ page professionally put together PDF files with overviews of the program, nutrition info and more. So why am I creating this rotation when you can just follow one created by Caroline?

There are several reasons. First, I don’t like all of Caroline’s workouts. Unlike the workouts by my other two favorite YouTube trainers Heather Robertson and Naomi Joy, I don’t want to do all of Caroline’s workouts. She has some workouts that look down right unpleasant and I have also done a few that I thought I might like but once I did them, I realized that I just do not want to work that hard. That does not mean that this is a rotation of Caroline’s easiest workouts. Not at all. However, this is a rotation full of my favorite workouts of hers. Second, this rotation is more focused than Caroline’s EPIC programs. Her programs are muscle building fat burning rotations that focus on the entire body every week. This rotation will do that, too, however it will also give additional focus to your posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings and back). There are total body workouts, lower body workouts and upper body workouts in this rotation but there are also additional workouts to hit the glutes and back even harder. Your posterior chain contains two of the largest muscle groups in your body–glutes for lower body and back for upper body. Most popular forms of exercises put more of the focus on the anterior chain and glamour muscles (chest, abs, biceps), plus if you are like me and have a sedentary desk job then you’re anterior chain dominant. Unless you do something remedy that. A strong posterior chain will protect your knees and your back from injury. Another reason women in particular might want to focus on their posterior chain is because building muscle boosts your metabolism, as I am sure you have heard. The way to build the most muscle is to work on those large muscle groups. Plus, who doesn’t like the look of muscular glutes and a strong back? This rotation will devote some extra workouts to your posterior chain. As a personal aside, I have been doing Caroline’s workouts since March and just like in this rotation, I do a lot more of her glute and back workouts than many of her other workouts. I have noticed a difference in my back muscles and my husband has made many (positive) comments about the difference in my glutes. So visible results!

This next paragraph was copied and pasted from the trainer page I have created for Caroline: Caroline Girvan is a personal trainer in Northern Ireland. Due to the pandemic, she created an online channel and started posting workouts. And they are amazing. In her Q&A video, she shares that she is not a fitness model or a competitor. Just a personal trainer. Which is (again) amazing. Her physique is phenomenal. She also says that the workouts she posts online are the same types of workouts she does to achieve her awesome physique. She does not count calories or macros, she does not take any supplements or drink protein shakes. She is just genetically gifted. Her workouts are advanced and have a high production value. They are set to music with no talking. There are all kinds of visuals to get you through the workout–timers counting down intervals and recoveries, a bar at the bottom of the screen counting down your workout time, little beeps and words appear on the screen to cue you. Plus, Caroline is challenging herself in every workout, just like she expects you to challenge yourself. She hits muscle failure and has to take personal breaks to thaw her muscle out so she can keep going. And she is almost always lifting heavy weights. Much heavier than I am capable of lifting! And I love that. It motivates me to keep challenging myself to lift heavier. To learn more about Caroline, watch her 30 minute Q&A.

Back to the rotation. This rotation is structured the way I workout. I workout every day for about an hour in the morning so this rotation is not outlining something I would not do. None of Caroline’s workouts contain warm ups and you need to warm up before each workout. Caroline has you covered there. As of the posting of this rotation, Caroline has created 7 warm ups ranging from 5-11 minutes. You need to choose a warm up to do before each and every workout in this rotation (unless I pair 2 workouts together; then just do a warm up before the first workout). You do not need a lot of equipment for Caroline’s workouts. She uses a variety of dumbbells, a booty band, a fitness mat and a yoga block. She also uses furniture around her house. Instead of the furniture she uses, I use my workout bench and my high step.

This not a no repeat rotation. 4 of the workouts in this rotation will be done twice. They are recovery day workouts. Caroline does not have many flexibility/recovery level workouts. Only 3 as of the posting of this rotation so they will each have to be repeated. However, none of the strength workouts will be repeated. Here is how I schedule my workouts in YouTube. I have created a private playlist on YouTube for each day of the week. Every Sunday I get out my rotation for the week and plug in my workouts on the days I plan to do them in the order I plan to do them. Then in the morning I just go to the YouTube app on my AppleTV, click on the playlist I created for that day, choose the first workout, hit play and it will play straight through all of the workouts in the playlist from beginning to end. You can use this rotation post to do the same thing. Click on the workout review; the link to the YouTube workout is in each review, so you can create your playlists directly from this rotation. I also recommend subscribing to YouTube premium which lets you play videos without those annoying commercials. They will give you a free month.

Finally, I suggest previewing each review before doing the workout to help prepare you for it. There is a lot of information in my workout reviews. Not just the length of the workouts but the equipment you need, each exercise and how long the intervals are. This will help you mentally prepare and choose the weights to have ready since I also list the weight I used for each exercise. Caroline tends to only use one set of dumbbells or 2 at the most. I use a much wider selection. Obviously we are all individuals with different strength levels. I cannot lift as heavy as Caroline does but looking at the variety I used will give you an idea of whether you need heavier or lighter weights for the exercises. Below I am linking to each warm up that Caroline has created. I have not reviewed them so the hyperlink will take you directly to the YouTube video. You need to choose one before starting the main workout of the day. I do not choose them for you since you may like one or two more than the others. But you need to warm up–do not skip it. These are advanced workouts. Do not come to them cold.

Warm ups:

5 Min Full Body Warm Up (5:03 minutes)

5 Minute Warm Up Routine (5:24 minutes)

5 Minute HIIT Warm Up (5:38 minutes)

5 Minute Warm Up – Full Body (5:39 minutes)

Cardio & HIIT Warm Up (9:20 minutes)

9 Min Full Body Warm Up Routine (9:41 minutes)

10 Minute Full Body Low Impact Warm Up (10:51 minutes)

6 Week Rotation:

Week 1:

Day 1: Full Body Fuse Workout | EPIC Heat – Day 4 (39 minutes)

Day 2: 30 Min Cardio Workout at Home [Low Impact Steady State] LISS (37 minutes)

Day 3: Uncomplicated Complexes Leg Day Workout | EPIC Heat – Day 1 (37:30 minutes) + 8 Minute Glute Workout at Home | Booty Band (11:30 minutes)

Day 4: Unstoppable Upper Body Workout – Arms, Shoulders & Back | EPIC Heat – Day 46 (38 minutes)

Day 5 20 Min Intense Glute Workout at Home with Resistance Band (27 minutes) + Full Body Stretch and Strength Routine | 25 Minutes (26 minutes)

Day 6: Loaded Glute, Hamstring & Back Workout / Posterior Chain | Epic II Day 37 (54 minutes)

Day 7: REST

Week 2:

Day 1: Dumbbell Leg Day Workout // Pyramid Sets // EPIC II Day 18 (60 minutes)

Day 2: Day 8 of EPIC | Dumbbell Upper Body Workout (42:30 minutes)

Day 3: 30 Min Pumping Cardio Workout | Full Body – No Equipment (34 minutes)

Day 4: Forceful Full Body Workout – Triset Dropsets | EPIC Heat – Day 19 (42 minutes)

Day 5: (no warm up needed) 1 Hour Strength & Stretch Workout at Home (60:30 minutes)

Day 6: Tricep Workout at Home with Dumbbells | 10 Minutes (13 minutes) + Disciplined Dumbbell HIIT Workout / Full Body | EPIC Heat – Day 10 (33:30 minutes)

Day 7: REST

Week 3:

Day 1: Framework 30 Min Back & Biceps Workout | EPIC Heat – Day 8 (38 minutes)

Day 2: Squats for Glutes Workout // EPIC II Day 28 (54:30 minutes)

Day 3: Tangible Triceps and Delts Workout / Strength | EPIC Heat  – Day 16 (39 minutes)

Day 4: 15 Minute Hardworking Hamstrings / RDL Dumbbell Workout (20 minutes) + Depleted Lower Body Workout / Leg Day | EPIC Heat – Day 3 (37:30 minutes)

Day 5: Chilled Cardio Workout | No Equipment, No Repeat, No Jumping (20:30 minutes) + Unwind 20 Minute Full Body Stretch Routine (24 minutes)

Day 6: Day 28 of EPIC | Glutes, Hamstrings & Back Workout [Posterior Chain] (54 minutes)

Day 7: REST

Week 4:

Day 1: Colossal Full Body Workout – Strength & Cardio | EPIC Heat – Day 39 (39 minutes)

Day 2: 30 Min Full Body HIIT Workout | Tabata Style No Jumping & No Equipment (32:30 minutes)

Day 3: 20 Min Dumbbell Leg Workout | Step Ups, Lunges, Squats (26 minutes) + 20 Min Glutes & Hamstrings with Dumbbells | No Repeat (24:30 minutes)

Day 4: Build Back & Biceps Workout at Home / Dumbbells | EPIC II – Day 9 (48 minutes)

Day 5: 30 Min Glute & Outer Thigh Workout at Home with Band (32:30 minutes) + Full Body Stretch and Strength Routine | 25 Minutes (26 minutes)

Day 6: FEARLESS Full Body Dumbbell Workout / Complex | EPIC II – Day 45 (65 minutes)

Day 7: REST

Week 5:

Day 1: Unilateral Full Body Workout at Home with Dumbbells (50 minutes)

Day 2: 30 Min Swift HIIT Workout / No Equipment / No Jumping | EPIC II – Day 21 (33 minutes) + 15 Min Standing Abs Workout | Arms + Core with Dumbbells (17:30 minutes)

Day 3: 15 Min Compound Leg Workout with Dumbbells at Home (19 minutes) + Girvanated Glutes Workout – Giant Sets, Hip Thrusts | EPIC Heat Day 41 (37:45 minutes)

Day 4: Upper Body Workout with Dumbbells – Muscle Building | Circuit Series Day 2 (46 minutes)

Day 5: (no warm up needed) 1 Hour Strength & Stretch Workout at Home (60:30 minutes)

Day 6: Dumbbell HIIT Workout at Home | 15 Minutes (18:30 minutes) + High Powered HIIT – Superset Full Body Workout | EPIC Heat – Day 30 (35 minutes)

Day 7: REST

Week 6:

Day 1: Galvanized Glute Workout | EPIC Heat –  Day 21 (47:30 minutes)

Day 2: Sequenced HIIT Full Body Workout (with Low Impact Modifications) | EPIC Heat – Day 15 (36:30 minutes)

Day 3: Giant Killer Upper Body Workout – Arms, Chest, Back, Shoulders | EPIC Heat – Day 32 (36:30 minutes)

Day 4: 15 Min Leg Workout with Dumbbells (18:30 minutes) + Torched Lower Body Workout – Legs & Glutes | EPIC Heat – Day 31 (42 minutes)

Day 5: Chilled Cardio Workout | No Equipment, No Repeat, No Jumping (20:30 minutes) + Unwind 20 Minute Full Body Stretch Routine (24 minutes)

Day 6: It’s Row Time! 45 Min Back Workout with Dumbbells // Epic II, Day 23 (51:30 minutes) + 15 Min Glute and Hamstrings Workout at Home with Dumbbells (21 minutes) (includes a 4 minute plank challenge)