Which Caroline Girvan Workouts are Easiest?
I discovered Caroline Girvan’s workouts a few months ago, & am LOVING them. While there are a lot of “pseudo” trainers on YouTube: Caroline is the real deal. Her programs are well thought-out; she favors slow, controlled movement over fast & furious; & her programs are so balanced between muscle groups, that you can really feel yourself improving & gaining strength throughout the series. But, you might say: her workouts look so HARD!! Which Caroline Girvan workouts are the easiest? Below, I’ll detail her top programs that are a good place for beginners to start with…

Caroline Girvan’s workouts are LEGIT ~ but most are very advanced. Below I’ll list her best programs for beginners. Photo: Caroline Girvan.
One of my favorite things about Caroline’s workouts: I’ve never put on one of her videos & NOT finished the workout!! I don’t know what it is ~ but you really want to finish her workouts. She takes breaks between sets, which gives you a minute to rest. The music is good, & she previews the next exercise while you’re resting.
So overall, her production level & workout quality is very high…& her workouts get addicting!
What You Need to Get Started:
Top 3 Caroline Girvan Workouts for Beginners

Caroline offers printable calendars for each workout series. It’s fun to print them out & track your progress!
1. Caroline’s “24 Days of Christmas” Workouts = What Makes This Good for Beginners? Quick but focused, 20-minute workouts. Designed to be done before the Christmas holidays, I think she made these workouts shorter to help keep people active during the holidays ~ without having to workout for an hour. 90% of these workouts use weights; so as a beginner, start very light, & work up to a higher weight as you get stronger.
Note: The “Cardio Days” in this series are very challenging; above a beginner level. If they’re too difficult at first, don’t get discouraged. Either skip them & go for a walk instead; or modify & slow down some of the moves.
2. Caroline’s Original “Iron Series” = What Makes This Good for Beginners? Challenging, but do-able 30-minute workouts that focus on strengthening your ENTIRE body. I’m 3/4 through this series right now, & I’ve found that my stamina for other activies has dramatically increased. I can be in my garden for 4-5 hours at a time, doing challenging manual labor (twisting, lifting heavy stones, shoveling loads of dirt, bending, etc.) & it’s SO much easier after these workouts. This series may not seem *Beginner* at first. But if you use lighter weights ~ you’ll be able to complete these workouts.
3. Caroline’s “Beginner Epic” Series = What Makes This Good for Beginners? A series of five, 30-minute workouts that are technically her only “Beginner” workouts on YouTube. These workouts are body-weight ONLY (no weights needed). But in my opinion: that makes these workouts HARDER!! Why? Because doing push-ups, for instance, is much harder than doing chest presses with weights (again, just my opinion). Tricep push-ups are much harder than doing tricep kickbacks. Your own body weighs a hell of a lot more than dumbbells! So note: these workouts are do-able, but challenging.
As you get stronger, they’re great workouts to return to: to gauge how much you’re improving.
Below is an example of each different workout series…
Caroline’s “24 Days of Christmas” Workouts
- 20-minute workouts
- Do you need weights? Yes.
- Does she give you breaks? Yes, there are always breaks taken between sets of weight lifting.
- Cardio included? Yes, typically 1 day/week. These workouts are harder, & you may need to modify moves or skip these days until you get stronger.
The Original “Iron Series”
- 30-minute workouts
- Do you need weights? Yes.
- Does she give you breaks? Yes.
- Cardio included? No, there are technically no “Cardio Days” in this series. She suggests taking a long walk or run several days/week, or incorporating “Sprint Intervals” into walks (sprint for 10 seconds, walk for a minute), to really rev up your heart rate.
The Beginner “Epic Series”
- 30-minute workouts
- Do you need weights? NO. Body-weight only.
- Does she give you breaks? Yes. There are 15-second rests between most moves.
- Cardio included? Yes. There’s a full cardio day included (with 30-second rests between moves). But even the upper body workout will get your heart rate up, as doing all kinds of push-ups gets the blood pumping!
Which Caroline Girvan Workouts are Best for Beginners?
If you have any questions about the “Iron Series,” or other tips for getting started with Caroline’s workouts ~ feel free to reach out to me in the comments below!
xoxo Noelia
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Thanks for this list! I have a three pound and six pound set of weights. Would that be heavy enough weight to use for beginner who normally just does bodyweight exercises? Or which program would be best for someone who has limited access to weights?
Hi Meredith, thanks for your question! So I typically use 6-lb weights for most of Caroline’s workout – sometimes 10 lbs, for glutes, etc. I think 3 & 6-lb weights are perfect for beginners with any of Caroline’s programs. As you progress, you can gradually up your weights. That’s definitely the safest way to do it! Hope that helps : )