Great job @Social_Media_Hater!
Which program is this ☝and is it downloadable onto phone? Link if possible.. thank you!!I purchased it last night. It’s very much worth the $39 price tag. Video instructions on non-kettlebell and kettlebell movements, Giant-ish program, Giant + squat and body weight program, and Swing + bodyweight program. Schedule B is the answer to all the questions of how to add squats and chin ups to the Giant. Schedule C is for those who have a problem going overhead. All auto regulated and geared towards the busy middle aged crowd. Easily adaptable to any equipment. You don’t have to do the programs in order. Super cool idea. Seems like something you can do forever.
What I always do is if I missed 1 out of 3 days in a week, I'll just continue to the next week schedule and consider that week done (albeit partially). But if I missed 2 out of 3 days in a week I will restart that week schedule next week.I can't edit the previous post, but correction to previous post:
What to do if you cannot put in 3 days (non-consecutive, per Easy Muscle guidelines) of training within a given week - regardless of the reason(s). I previously posted what I have been doing, but am open to suggestions from Geoff Neupert.
Thanks to @Hrungnir and @Geoff Neupert for recommending me finishing The Giant series with 1.2 first.To be honest the rep scheme in 1.2 scared me .
But now that I'm on last week of 1.1 it seems less daunting.
I might run 1.2 with the 'guardrails' and extra exercise a la Schedule A after this.
I have a single 20kg which I used for Giant 3.0 and it's my 7-8RM now. Might need to wait a week for my second 20kg to make it a pair for schedule B.
I think he is talking about Easy Muscle:Which program is this ☝and is it downloadable onto phone? Link if possible.. thank you!!
To be honest that’s still, what, 35 seconds per set? (Unless you’re pausing/slowing down substantially elsewhere too). That means you did your first set of the day with 4+ in the tank, then rested 4 minutes before doing your next set?Quick question about the eccentric phase of the grinding movements.
Is there a time I should be shooting for?
I tend to do my pull up and dip eccentric for about 4 seconds, out of habit from other calisthenic approaches. I suppose a faster eccentric would increase my total volume.
Today's session specified 6 reps per exercise. So with my 4-sec. eccentric, a set of 6 pull ups, rest dictated by auto regulation, then a set of 6 dips took up almost 5 min. combined. I ended up doing only 3 sets of each exercise in the 20-min. period, which is a drop in volume compared to the previous push-pull session.
I rewatched the dip and chinup demos for Easy Muscle. Coach Geoff is definitely not doing a 4-sec. eccentric.. Maybe that's the answer right there.
Excellent work, @lais817!Finished Schedule A today with 2x16kg bells and pullups. Will have a day or 2 off and test my rm with both.
Definitely thickened up my arms and upper back, my technique improved with both lifts, my conditioning has gone up as well.
As for WTH effects, managed a 32kg TGU with both sides, where previously that wasn't possible, 24kg TGU feel much lighter as well.
Thanks again Geoff, I think I'm going to run Giant 1.1 and 1.2 with the 16kgs to take advantage of the extra calories over Xmas!
No. Just keep them controlled.Quick question about the eccentric phase of the grinding movements.
Is there a time I should be shooting for?
Yes, it will.I tend to do my pull up and dip eccentric for about 4 seconds, out of habit from other calisthenic approaches. I suppose a faster eccentric would increase my total volume.
No, I'm definitely not. I don't particularly like slow eccentrics.Today's session specified 6 reps per exercise. So with my 4-sec. eccentric, a set of 6 pull ups, rest dictated by auto regulation, then a set of 6 dips took up almost 5 min. combined. I ended up doing only 3 sets of each exercise in the 20-min. period, which is a drop in volume compared to the previous push-pull session.
I rewatched the dip and chinup demos for Easy Muscle. Coach Geoff is definitely not doing a 4-sec. eccentric.. Maybe that's the answer right there.
Excellent.. what were changes in scale weight??Completed Easy Muscle Schedule C this past Friday, then took some tape measurements a couple of days later. Arm diameter increased 2-5% - left arm was a little bigger before Easy Muscle, but now they're the same size. Chest growth was 1.3%. Modest forearm growth, probably from the 2-arm KB swings.
There was also tricep growth, in the section just underneath the shoulder, and the lateral tricep head. Not sure how to measure that, but it's visually obvious.
Despite gains left on the table by doing 4-6 second eccentrics for the first half of the schedule, the program clearly works!
Hopefully in a couple of months, I'll be ready to run Schedule A with double 16kg KBs
Excellent.. what were changes in scale weight??
When you say tour low back is the limiting factor, hows your form on the cleans? I find if I try and clean a heavy (for me) weight then the low back definitely gets more of a workout, probably due to not being used to the weight/form for that weight not being great. Don't have any issues with a 10rm (C+P) weight though.Slowly working my way into Schedule A from Easy Muscle. Couple questions for whoever wants to give their 2 cents:
- My low back seems to be the my limiting factor when it comes to pacing myself on number of reps/how much rest I give myself. Would you recommend working the program as 1h C+P or 2h C+P? I guess my thought process is 1h = more reps of cleans at a lower weight, while 2h = less reps at a higher weight (1x16 if 1h, 2x16 if 2h).
- Would kb rows be ok as my auxiliary work after C+P? I don't have a pullup bar (too heavy to work at that anyway).
- How many sets would someone typically shoot for in week one of schedule A?
Thanks!
Hmmm well I guess what I mean is in the past I’ve tried S+S and neupert programs before. And usually I feel a pretty strong pump in my low back performing cleans, swings or snatches.When you say tour low back is the limiting factor, hows your form on the cleans? I find if I try and clean a heavy (for me) weight then the low back definitely gets more of a workout, probably due to not being used to the weight/form for that weight not being great. Don't have any issues with a 10rm (C+P) weight though.
2H. Emphasise keeping your abs braced for every rep.Slowly working my way into Schedule A from Easy Muscle. Couple questions for whoever wants to give their 2 cents:
- My low back seems to be the my limiting factor when it comes to pacing myself on number of reps/how much rest I give myself. Would you recommend working the program as 1h C+P or 2h C+P? I guess my thought process is 1h = more reps of cleans at a lower weight, while 2h = less reps at a higher weight (1x16 if 1h, 2x16 if 2h).
- Would kb rows be ok as my auxiliary work after C+P? I don't have a pullup bar (too heavy to work at that anyway).
- How many sets would someone typically shoot for in week one of schedule A?
Thanks!
If you feel safer done single bell presses, do themSlowly working my way into Schedule A from Easy Muscle. Couple questions for whoever wants to give their 2 cents:
- My low back seems to be the my limiting factor when it comes to pacing myself on number of reps/how much rest I give myself. Would you recommend working the program as 1h C+P or 2h C+P? I guess my thought process is 1h = more reps of cleans at a lower weight, while 2h = less reps at a higher weight (1x16 if 1h, 2x16 if 2h).
- Would kb rows be ok as my auxiliary work after C+P? I don't have a pullup bar (too heavy to work at that anyway).
- How many sets would someone typically shoot for in week one of schedule A?
Thanks!
Hmmm well I guess what I mean is in the past I’ve tried S+S and neupert programs before. And usually I feel a pretty strong pump in my low back performing cleans, swings or snatches.
Historically that has sometimes progressed after several workouts or several weeks into back pain, causing me to take long breaks and ultimately fall off the program prior to completing it.
Since starting back up roughly 2 weeks ago, I haven’t officially started easy muscle but I’m doing those exercises and just trying to build work capacity to get ready to jump into it for real. I don’t have any back pain, but my low back is feeling a strong pump from the cleans. The presses are very low effort comparatively.
So after typing this all out, to answer your question, my form is probably not the greatest