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Kettlebell "Giant 1.0"

Jim Lauerman said:
1.0 completed. I shut it down after day 1 of week 4 as I was starting to get the all-too-familiar symptoms of overtraining - fatigue, worsening sleep, poor mood, and worsening HRV.

Did a leisurly bike ride Saturday, great fun.

Today I tested the bell 4Kg heavier than my previous 10RM bell. Got a solid 10 reps each arm. That’s now my new 10RM bell. I’ll restart 1.0 with that bell. Sticking to one arm C&P. Only number I care about is seeing my RM increase.

I’m thinking I might go to an 8-9 day ”week”, training every 3-4 days but sticking with the M/H/L protocol. That will hopefully avoid the burnout I experienced after 3 normal weeks. This is especially important as bike-riding season is here.

Recovery capacity isn’t what it once was.
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@Jim Lauerman ,

Nice work!

Remember, you don't have to go all out every week.

If you're not already, you can use RPE's for each week, like this:

Week 1: RPE = 7
Week 2: RPE = 7-7.5
Week 3: RPE = 8
Week 4: RPE = 9

This allows you to modulate your effort levels.

You can also do something like this which uses an active de-load:

Week 1: RPE = 7
Week 2: RPE = 8
Week 3: RPE = 9
Week 4: DELOAD. Use at least 20% less time or at least 20% (to 40%) less reps than Week 3.
- Ex: 30 minute sessions => 20 minutes; 100 reps per week => 60 reps per week

This allows you to still practice the lifts but allows for the body to recover and adapt to the stimulus.

Hope that helps.
 
John Grahill said:
Just finished week 3 of the Giant 1.0. I'm really pretty stoked about this program. I did the 2.0 first as I felt a "break in period" with higher reps than I was used to would be a good idea and the ladders made it a bit more tolerable.

Geoff Neupert advised me that although that idea of using the 2.0 first using ladders was certainly doable, I'd probably be shocked at the difficulty of straight sets.....he was dead right! Straight sets in a density type plan just plain suck! To give an idea, today was day three of week three. On day three of week one I got 50 total reps in 30:00. Today I got 80 reps! In addition, my heart rate today actually stayed lower than it did a couple of weeks ago doing much less volume! I gotta say I'm my mind that's great progress!

Next week is the final week of 1.0 and I'm going to do a deload of sorts, just going for 20 minutes rather than 30.

This program (s) rocks!

EDIT: See also this thread about the Giant program: Geoff Neupert "THE GIANT" ??
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I must be an idiot...or not looking in the right places... where can I find “The Giant”?
 
Geoff Neupert said:
@Jim Lauerman ,

Nice work!

Remember, you don't have to go all out every week.

If you're not already, you can use RPE's for each week, like this:

Week 1: RPE = 7
Week 2: RPE = 7-7.5
Week 3: RPE = 8
Week 4: RPE = 9

This allows you to modulate your effort levels.

You can also do something like this which uses an active de-load:

Week 1: RPE = 7
Week 2: RPE = 8
Week 3: RPE = 9
Week 4: DELOAD. Use at least 20% less time or at least 20% (to 40%) less reps than Week 3.
- Ex: 30 minute sessions => 20 minutes; 100 reps per week => 60 reps per week

This allows you to still practice the lifts but allows for the body to recover and adapt to the stimulus.

Hope that helps.
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Geoff,

That definitely does help.
 
Jim, im only 55, but ive gone to two or three days off between sessions. With a physical job- those first 2 weeks were tough! I went through 2 cycles of Soja and Tobu training twice per week (August 2020 to January 2021) once with a 20kg and then a 24kg. I went from 1 half assed rep per arm with the 24kg to 4 strong reps each arm...5 months later! Im in no rush, so I'll keep the same strategy with Giant 3. I have one day off per week, so Ive adjusted.
 
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Thoughts after the first two cycles . . .

I just finished Giant 2.0 and then 1.1 with the 2x24's. By the end of the fourth week of 1.1, the sets of 6 felt ridiculously easy. I was set to move to the 1.2 but on a whim I tested my RM with the 2x32's. Previous best was three solid C&P reps with a fourth ugly one. This time I knocked out 6 solid reps without any trouble. So I made the decision to run the 3.0 with the 32's to see if I can get that up to a 10RM, and then run the whole series with those bells. I figure, the worst that happens is after four weeks I haven't made it to 10 reps but I am a lot stronger and then I go back to the 1.2 with the 24's and nail it. Thoughts?

I am running the program with 30 minute workouts this time (I previously was trying it with 20 minutes). In my opinion, it feels like the "magic" happens in those last 10 minutes.
 
Stoneface77 said:
Thoughts after the first two cycles . . .

I just finished Giant 2.0 and then 1.1 with the 2x24's. By the end of the fourth week of 1.1, the sets of 6 felt ridiculously easy. I was set to move to the 1.2 but on a whim I tested my RM with the 2x32's. Previous best was three solid C&P reps with a fourth ugly one. This time I knocked out 6 solid reps without any trouble. So I made the decision to run the 3.0 with the 32's to see if I can get that up to a 10RM, and then run the whole series with those bells. I figure, the worst that happens is after four weeks I haven't made it to 10 reps but I am a lot stronger and then I go back to the 1.2 with the 24's and nail it. Thoughts?

I am running the program with 30 minute workouts this time (I previously was trying it with 20 minutes). In my opinion, it feels like the "magic" happens in those last 10 minutes.
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I'm no expert but I kind of think that I'd wait until I completed the 1.2 with the 24s then retest the 32s. Bet you'll pick up another rep. Trust me, the heavier bells are tougher to make progressions with. I'd wait and hit em up next month after the 1.2.
Also, don't forget that although the 6s are light, in the 1.1 they're supposed to be. The above 7 rep sets are an eye opener even with "lighter" weight.
 
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John Grahill said:
I'm no expert but I kind of think that I'd wait until I completed the 1.2 with the 24s then retest the 32s. Bet you'll pick up another rep. Trust me, the heavier bells are tougher to make progressions with. I'd wait and hit em up next month after the 1.2.
Also, don't forget that although the 6s are light, in the 1.1 they're supposed to be. The above 7 rep sets are an eye opener even with "lighter" weight.
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Just started G 1.1. first day was quite easy. 54 reps no problem. In G1.0 6's was hard.
And now what John said. 8's is a completely different day. I though my cardio improved quite a lot until I did 8's. 56 reps in 30 min was close to my max. I am afraid about next week's and my recovery. If really tired I was going to add 1 extra day off.
 
Stoneface77 said:
Thoughts after the first two cycles . . .

I just finished Giant 2.0 and then 1.1 with the 2x24's. By the end of the fourth week of 1.1, the sets of 6 felt ridiculously easy. I was set to move to the 1.2 but on a whim I tested my RM with the 2x32's. Previous best was three solid C&P reps with a fourth ugly one. This time I knocked out 6 solid reps without any trouble. So I made the decision to run the 3.0 with the 32's to see if I can get that up to a 10RM, and then run the whole series with those bells. I figure, the worst that happens is after four weeks I haven't made it to 10 reps but I am a lot stronger and then I go back to the 1.2 with the 24's and nail it. Thoughts?

I am running the program with 30 minute workouts this time (I previously was trying it with 20 minutes). In my opinion, it feels like the "magic" happens in those last 10 minutes.
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Nice job, @Stoneface77 !

I'd lean to what @John Grahill said -

Do 1.2 with the 24s, then go back and test your 2x32s. I think you'll hit a new RM of an easy 7-9 reps.

The higher reps make a BIG difference.

Hope that helps.
 
Geoff Neupert said:
Nice job, @Stoneface77 !

I'd lean to what @John Grahill said -

Do 1.2 with the 24s, then go back and test your 2x32s. I think you'll hit a new RM of an easy 7-9 reps.

The higher reps make a BIG difference.

Hope that helps.
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I'm in 3rd week of doing pretty much the opposite of what John and Geoff advocate (rather than push on to 1.2, I tested the next weight @ 5RM so moved to 3.0) and I think I'd have to say I'm.... with them. The "systemic hit" with the lower rep sets just isn't there like it is with sets of 6-8 (I didn't write 9 because I never tried one of those......, that might put me in the hospital; which amounts to a whole 'nother "adaptation").

I'm definitely getting "stronger", though very slowly, but I'm getting mildly nervous that it's coming at a cost to my overall "condition"....., as my heart rate doesn't get nearly as high, even on heavy sets of 3, as it does on lighter sets of even 6, let alone 8.

My next step will be 2.0, and then 1.2 (both dropping back to the lighter weight), and then I'll re-evaluate whether to try 1.0 with the weight I'm currently using.

At some point, I guess maybe I should try something else altogether.....; hoping to pull off 1-rep with bodyweight first. For that, I either need to lose 10#'s, or get stronger.....; either seem a worthy goal.
 
WxHerk said:
Post rain Giant. Do these count as “deficit cleans?” My lovely 32’s!!View attachment 13275
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John Grahill said:
Yes they do. I will post my 36s! 10 years old, beaten up after three moves flying around in a moving truck.
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They might get beaten and bruised like John Wicks, but likewise they sure hit back and hit hard at the end of the day. Those two might need more than surgical threads though.

@John Grahill ... Whenever I rent a rickety moving truck, I'll think of you and your 36s.
 
I think I'm starting to get beat up by this programme.

But this programme has elicited the most comments on my body ever.
Mainly around fat loss or "looking slimmer" is the term most often used while being told by my GF *3 I'm thickening out in the upper body aswell.

As to burning out I look at it this way I can literally walk in and do one set of 9 which are the reps of the day & walk out. Because it's autoregulated!
The reason I'm burning out is ego/must beat or match my previous volume.
 
I have found ego to be my biggest challenge with any of these autoregulated programs. I pushed too hard last week, and some old problems started to hurt again. After taking a more "leisurely" pace in the last couple of sessions, I feel much better.
 
Cearball said:
I think I'm starting to get beat up by this programme.

But this programme has elicited the most comments on my body ever.
Mainly around fat loss or "looking slimmer" is the term most often used while being told by my GF *3 I'm thickening out in the upper body aswell.

As to burning out I look at it this way I can literally walk in and do one set of 9 which are the reps of the day & walk out. Because it's autoregulated!
The reason I'm burning out is ego/must beat or match my previous volume.
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Are you sure that "looking slimmer" is a complement??
 
Cearball said:
I think I'm starting to get beat up by this programme.

But this programme has elicited the most comments on my body ever.
Mainly around fat loss or "looking slimmer" is the term most often used while being told by my GF *3 I'm thickening out in the upper body aswell.

As to burning out I look at it this way I can literally walk in and do one set of 9 which are the reps of the day & walk out. Because it's autoregulated!
The reason I'm burning out is ego/must beat or match my previous volume.
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This is why many of my workouts have been the same volume as the previous week but with time shaved off. If there's still 3 minutes left on the clock but I'm really crushed I walk away. Did I get more reps, no. Did I make improvement from the previous week, yes.
 
I like to do more than before.
I'm cutting breaks by 10 seconds. This gives me time for an additional set. With difficulty - but does it.

If I cant do it, I did the same as before, but faster.
 
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Reardon55 said:
I'm in 3rd week of doing pretty much the opposite of what John and Geoff advocate (rather than push on to 1.2, I tested the next weight @ 5RM so moved to 3.0) and I think I'd have to say I'm.... with them. The "systemic hit" with the lower rep sets just isn't there like it is with sets of 6-8 (I didn't write 9 because I never tried one of those......, that might put me in the hospital; which amounts to a whole 'nother "adaptation").

I'm definitely getting "stronger", though very slowly, but I'm getting mildly nervous that it's coming at a cost to my overall "condition"....., as my heart rate doesn't get nearly as high, even on heavy sets of 3, as it does on lighter sets of even 6, let alone 8.

My next step will be 2.0, and then 1.2 (both dropping back to the lighter weight), and then I'll re-evaluate whether to try 1.0 with the weight I'm currently using.

At some point, I guess maybe I should try something else altogether.....; hoping to pull off 1-rep with bodyweight first. For that, I either need to lose 10#'s, or get stronger.....; either seem a worthy goal.
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For me at least, the use of the 10RM kettlebells was something I felt I wanted to try. I had been doing low rep work for a long time. What surprised was the impact the 10RM work had on me overall including my wind, body composition and strength. After going through 4 months of the 2.0 and the 1 series of programs with 32s my my rep max with them obviously improved but so did my rep max with the 36s! I really don't feel like I lost any max strength by dropping the heavier lower rep work.
 
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