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Kettlebell "Giant 1.0"

Everybody is always talking about their shirts getting damaged from being on the Giant and Geoff owes them money or a new set of shirts. While the arms of my shirts are definitely significantly tighter, I've noticed my waist line has gotten much looser for my pants, and my glutes and quads don't fit as nicely.

I'll write a formal review when I'm done, however I've been doing 4 week blocks of the Giant followed by 3 week blocks of King Sized Killer for the last 13 weeks. Phenomenal combination, by the way. I work in Physical Therapy and will sometimes jump on the treatment table for some of the manual techniques and stretches. Yesterday, my butt busted out of my trousers as I was treating a patient. Cue the embarrassment (pun intended). Luckily, I work in a hospital and could grab scrubs from the surgery department to get through the rest of the day.

Pants are more expensive than shirts, Geoff, especially the designer stuff my wife buys me. I'll need extra stretch from now on. I take PayPal or Venmo. Thank you in advance.

In case the 120+ pages of threads have not confirmed. The Giant works. King Sized Killer works. Enough said.
 
JamesPTA said:
Everybody is always talking about their shirts getting damaged from being on the Giant and Geoff owes them money or a new set of shirts. While the arms of my shirts are definitely significantly tighter, I've noticed my waist line has gotten much looser for my pants, and my glutes and quads don't fit as nicely.

I'll write a formal review when I'm done, however I've been doing 4 week blocks of the Giant followed by 3 week blocks of King Sized Killer for the last 13 weeks. Phenomenal combination, by the way. I work in Physical Therapy and will sometimes jump on the treatment table for some of the manual techniques and stretches. Yesterday, my butt busted out of my trousers as I was treating a patient. Cue the embarrassment (pun intended). Luckily, I work in a hospital and could grab scrubs from the surgery department to get through the rest of the day.

Pants are more expensive than shirts, Geoff, especially the designer stuff my wife buys me. I'll need extra stretch from now on. I take PayPal or Venmo. Thank you in advance.

In case the 120+ pages of threads have not confirmed. The Giant works. King Sized Killer works. Enough said.
Click to expand...
Sorry?
 
JamesPTA said:
Everybody is always talking about their shirts getting damaged from being on the Giant and Geoff owes them money or a new set of shirts. While the arms of my shirts are definitely significantly tighter, I've noticed my waist line has gotten much looser for my pants, and my glutes and quads don't fit as nicely.

I'll write a formal review when I'm done, however I've been doing 4 week blocks of the Giant followed by 3 week blocks of King Sized Killer for the last 13 weeks. Phenomenal combination, by the way. I work in Physical Therapy and will sometimes jump on the treatment table for some of the manual techniques and stretches. Yesterday, my butt busted out of my trousers as I was treating a patient. Cue the embarrassment (pun intended). Luckily, I work in a hospital and could grab scrubs from the surgery department to get through the rest of the day.

Pants are more expensive than shirts, Geoff, especially the designer stuff my wife buys me. I'll need extra stretch from now on. I take PayPal or Venmo. Thank you in advance.

In case the 120+ pages of threads have not confirmed. The Giant works. King Sized Killer works. Enough said.
Click to expand...
Those training blocks sound pretty cool......run the Giant 1.0 for 4 weeks, then KSK 1.0's phase 1 for three weeks, then Giant 1.1 for 4 weeks followed by KSK 1.0's phase 2 etc., etc......do I have that right?
 
John Grahill said:
Those training blocks sound pretty cool......run the Giant 1.0 for 4 weeks, then KSK 1.0's phase 1 for three weeks, then Giant 1.1 for 4 weeks followed by KSK 1.0's phase 2 etc., etc......do I have that right?
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That is correct sir, with the exception of going from Giant 1.0 to 2.0 then I’ll hit up 1.1 after next week. As you always say, those higher rep sets are a ball-buster !

Weeks 1-4: Giant 1.0
Weeks 5-7: KSK1p1
Weeks 8-11: Giant 2.0
Weeks 12-14: KSK1p2 where I’m currently at
Weeks 15-18: Giant 1.1
Weeks 19-21 KSK1p3 OR restart p1 with heavier bell
Weeks 22-25: Giant 1.2 OR 3.0 with heavier set

So far, the weekly volume has improved every week not including reload weeks.
 
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JamesPTA said:
That is correct sir, with the exception of going from Giant 1.0 to 2.0 then I’ll hit up 1.1 after next week. As you always say, those higher rep sets are a ball-buster !

Weeks 1-4: Giant 1.0
Weeks 5-7: KSK1p1
Weeks 8-11: Giant 2.0
Weeks 12-14: KSK1p2 where I’m currently at
Weeks 15-18: Giant 1.1
Weeks 19-21 KSK1p3 OR restart p1 with heavier bell
Weeks 22-25: Giant 1.2 OR 3.0 with heavier set

So far, the weekly volume has improved every week not including reload weeks.
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Ok.....

This is REALLY interesting. I finish Strong! With 2x24k bells in late October.

I need some more information.

What bells did you choose?

How long do you intend to stay on this cycle?

Am I missing something?
 
blad51 said:
Ok.....

This is REALLY interesting. I finish Strong! With 2x24k bells in late October.

I need some more information.

What bells did you choose?

How long do you intend to stay on this cycle?

Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

I started Giant 1.0 with 2x24kg as they were my 11RM. I started KSK with the 28kg. My goal at this time is to get through AT LEAST Giant 3.0 with 2x28 and KSK1p1 with the 32. I want to see how I do there until I decide on the next step.

I was intrigued by Geoff’s email back in March about ways to combine the 2 programs and this seems similar in idea to Pavel’s block training from RTK. Although these blocks are longer, I find they are not hindering my progress.
 
After this thread, and and Geoff’s newest email, I’ve decided to give this a shot for a while. Problem is, where to start. I’m sure it’s been covered, so forgive me, but I just tested an 8RM with 2x24kg and 13RM with 2x20kg. Should I start Giant 3.0 with 2x24kg? Or 1.0 with 2x24kg or 2x20kg?

Thanks everyone!!!
 
Marty said:
After this thread, and and Geoff’s newest email, I’ve decided to give this a shot for a while. Problem is, where to start. I’m sure it’s been covered, so forgive me, but I just tested an 8RM with 2x24kg and 13RM with 2x20kg. Should I start Giant 3.0 with 2x24kg? Or 1.0 with 2x24kg or 2x20kg?

Thanks everyone!!!
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Sounds crazy, but what about trying a 20 and a 24 for offset training? You could start the 1.0 with either set. From experience, I started the 1.0 my second time around with an 8 RM and it was a struggle and quite fatiguing.......but it was effective! You won't get the sets and reps that some have posted here but you'd get stronger!
 
John Grahill said:
Sounds crazy, but what about trying a 20 and a 24 for offset training? You could start the 1.0 with either set. From experience, I started the 1.0 my second time around with an 8 RM and it was a struggle and quite fatiguing.......but it was effective! You won't get the sets and reps that some have posted here but you'd get stronger!
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That’s a great idea!!! Thanks John! Not sure I wanna struggle through 1.0 with 2x24kg because recovery is of prime importance to me (family man with a disabled kiddo). I’ve always been intrigued by offset work, too. Thoughts @Geoff Neupert?
 
Marty said:
After this thread, and and Geoff’s newest email, I’ve decided to give this a shot for a while. Problem is, where to start. I’m sure it’s been covered, so forgive me, but I just tested an 8RM with 2x24kg and 13RM with 2x20kg. Should I start Giant 3.0 with 2x24kg? Or 1.0 with 2x24kg or 2x20kg?

Thanks everyone!!!
Click to expand...
I did 3.0 in a similar situation when I started, the lower reps let me really get the mechanics down and build fluid reps. Out of all the mesocycles in Giant, it was also the only one I achieved flow state in FWIW.
 
JamesPTA said:
I started Giant 1.0 with 2x24kg as they were my 11RM. I started KSK with the 28kg. My goal at this time is to get through AT LEAST Giant 3.0 with 2x28 and KSK1p1 with the 32. I want to see how I do there until I decide on the next step.

I was intrigued by Geoff’s email back in March about ways to combine the 2 programs and this seems similar in idea to Pavel’s block training from RTK. Although these blocks are longer, I find they are not hindering my progress.
Click to expand...
This is fantastic! You have given me something to think about as I plan my post Strong! training plan.

Thanks!!
 
Has anyone tried the Giant with single bell? I myself have experienced the benefits of Giant 1.0 and 2.0 with only double 16’s but I am thinking if I can do the Giant with a single 20kg. I am thinking this partly because KSK is a single bell program as far as I know so this thought popped up in my head. I want to try because I was so impressed with the Giant with doubles.
 
Chimp said:
Has anyone tried the Giant with single bell? I myself have experienced the benefits of Giant 1.0 and 2.0 with only double 16’s but I am thinking if I can do the Giant with a single 20kg. I am thinking this partly because KSK is a single bell program as far as I know so this thought popped up in my head. I want to try because I was so impressed with the Giant with doubles.
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I’d imagine you’d create less opportunity for overall muscle gain with less reps (seeing as you’d have to take more time to complete both sides independently) but I think you’d also see more fat loss from the extra overall time under tension, especially in your core, legs, and glutes….

I was planning on running 3.0 with a single bell, only because I don’t think I could get 5 reps with double 32’s… I can with singles. I find you lose a rep or two when you use doubles vs a single of the same weight.
 
Chimp said:
Has anyone tried the Giant with single bell? I myself have experienced the benefits of Giant 1.0 and 2.0 with only double 16’s but I am thinking if I can do the Giant with a single 20kg. I am thinking this partly because KSK is a single bell program as far as I know so this thought popped up in my head. I want to try because I was so impressed with the Giant with doubles.
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Yes, single-bell Giant is great.
 
Chimp said:
Has anyone tried the Giant with single bell? I myself have experienced the benefits of Giant 1.0 and 2.0 with only double 16’s but I am thinking if I can do the Giant with a single 20kg. I am thinking this partly because KSK is a single bell program as far as I know so this thought popped up in my head. I want to try because I was so impressed with the Giant with doubles.
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Several, if not many.

@Eyetic saw some pretty impressive results if I recall correctly from "just" a single KB. I'll let him chime in if he wants.
 
Geoff Neupert said:
Several, if not many.

@Eyetic saw some pretty impressive results if I recall correctly from "just" a single KB. I'll let him chime in if he wants.
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Yes I am! Got to admit that I've commited sin and tried some months of the Strongfirst BJJ Plan A/B, Giant got me prepared for it for sure as it's a very heavy program and without all those months of Giant I woulnd't have succeded for sure.
Chimp said:
Has anyone tried the Giant with single bell? I myself have experienced the benefits of Giant 1.0 and 2.0 with only double 16’s but I am thinking if I can do the Giant with a single 20kg. I am thinking this partly because KSK is a single bell program as far as I know so this thought popped up in my head. I want to try because I was so impressed with the Giant with doubles.
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I do! I have only three kbs 16, 24 and 34 kgs, my core is now strong as hell and I can easily do hanging leg raise with ease, muscle ups and all sort of bw stuff that I couldn't do before, even my running stays on check under this program. Today I've benched 240 pounds and even if its not a big number considering that I didn't bench in more than a year and I've been off due to covid..felt easy to rock 5x5 !! I'll go on holidays now and by august I'll start again "The Giant" either with the 24 or 34 kgs.

Consider that you need a better mobility for double kb work, single bell work is easier for me as I've never been a "flexible" guy, so maybe you will obtain a more quality work by focusing on a single bell and excelent form.

Last option, which I tried as well, is mixing uneven bells and switiching after each set....that works too!
 
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