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Kettlebell "Giant 1.0"

What's the general consensus regarding running the Giant 3?

It says to run it then after 4 weeks test your max.
If your running multiple cycles of Giant 3 back to back should you leave the testing until the end of say the 8 or 12 week?

Should you combine that with a rest week?

Or perhaps plug the test into the first week of the new cycle instead of say the easy or hard day?
 
Just finished Giant 1.0 and it was a lot more fun than I thought. Double 16kg bells:
  • Surprised at how quick the workouts went (20min).
  • Didn't lose any weight (eating at approx -500 calorie deficit daily with a few higher cal days). Disappointed here. Wondering if I pushed the pace too much?
  • Did some walking on off days in the beginning, not so much the last couple of weeks.
  • Definitely feel fuller in the arms, shoulders, chest, though I have no measurements or photos to substantiate that, other than my shirts feeling tighter.
  • Surprised at keeping HR at a nice level, roughly used this for recovery between sets, but the real goal was to get one more.
  • Sets were 16,16,24; 20,18,27; 24,21,29; 25,22,32
Debating now about 1.1 or moving to one of Sonnen's Club Bell programs then back to 1.1

Question: Would it be inadvisable to do 1.1 but bump the minutes to 30min?
 

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Cearball said:
What's the general consensus regarding running the Giant 3?

It says to run it then after 4 weeks test your max.
If your running multiple cycles of Giant 3 back to back should you leave the testing until the end of say the 8 or 12 week?

Should you combine that with a rest week?

Or perhaps plug the test into the first week of the new cycle instead of say the easy or hard day?
Click to expand...
In practice you should test your max to see if you can/should increase the weight for your next cycle. I would not say it is a requirement, if you get into the second cycle and things seem to be "easy", do a test and consider upping your bell size or wait until the next cycle.
 
brucecolbert said:
Just finished Giant 1.0 and it was a lot more fun than I thought. Double 16kg bells:
  • Surprised at how quick the workouts went (20min).
  • Didn't lose any weight (eating at approx -500 calorie deficit daily with a few higher cal days). Disappointed here. Wondering if I pushed the pace too much?
  • Did some walking on off days in the beginning, not so much the last couple of weeks.
  • Definitely feel fuller in the arms, shoulders, chest, though I have no measurements or photos to substantiate that, other than my shirts feeling tighter.
  • Surprised at keeping HR at a nice level, roughly used this for recovery between sets, but the real goal was to get one more.
  • Sets were 16,16,24; 20,18,27; 24,21,29; 25,22,32
Debating now about 1.1 or moving to one of Sonnen's Club Bell programs then back to 1.1

Question: Would it be inadvisable to do 1.1 but bump the minutes to 30min?
Click to expand...
Yes. Absolutely you should do 30 minute sessions. 33%more time, 33%more work. Give er!
 
Cearball said:
What's the general consensus regarding running the Giant 3?

It says to run it then after 4 weeks test your max.
If your running multiple cycles of Giant 3 back to back should you leave the testing until the end of say the 8 or 12 week?

Should you combine that with a rest week?

Or perhaps plug the test into the first week of the new cycle instead of say the easy or hard day?
Click to expand...
I tend to only do a test at the beginning of 4-week cycle if I am unsure of what weight to use and in that case, I do it on the first day at the beginning of the session; and then I do a 20m session of "the light day" and am pretty liberal with the rest periods. I reshuffle H-M-L in the second week.

Last time I tested, I only got 4 (and barely) of the weight I.......really wanted to use for 3.0. Launched into "Strong!" instead.
 
I'm just wondering how many have run the Giant with a single bell as opposed to two? Was your progress slower? Did you switch to two and found it better?
 
brucecolbert said:
No matter what way you slice it doubles going to have a much greater impact. Geoff says so himself in multiple places, not just in the Giant.
Click to expand...
Just my unimportant opinion......Although I agree that doubles provide a big systemic hit and for me I prefer doing them......one shouldn't look down on single bell work. I find it "tougher" in many ways such as longer overall time under tension which leads in my case to a bit more fatigue ..... often times for singles I'm able to use a heavier bell than I could using doubles. In other words if I'm using 2 24s for doubles, I'd most likely be using a single 28 which hits each individual side heavier........again this is just my experience. You'd most likely gain more muscle using doubles but that certainly doesn't mean you won't gain any using singles. Single bell training can certainly be effective too. Remember, the Giant started as a single bell program! If all you have is one kettlebell you can make some great progress!
 
John Grahill said:
Just my unimportant opinion......Although I agree that doubles provide a big systemic hit and for me I prefer doing them......one shouldn't look down on single bell work. I find it "tougher" in many ways such as longer overall time under tension which leads in my case to a bit more fatigue ..... often times for singles I'm able to use a heavier bell than I could using doubles. In other words if I'm using 2 24s for doubles, I'd most likely be using a single 28 which hits each individual side heavier........again this is just my experience. You'd most likely gain more muscle using doubles but that certainly doesn't mean you won't gain any using singles. Single bell training can certainly be effective too. Remember, the Giant started as a single bell program! If all you have is one kettlebell you can make some great progress!
Click to expand...
My experience pretty much matches everything John said above.

A few additional considerations:
--I'm a big fan of double cleans. Using doubles gives you lots of "bonus" double clean reps with a total weight higher than you would normally use for single bell ballistics. Using singles gives you twice as many ballistic hinge reps, but they're all easier than you would normally use for single bell ballistics.
--The technique, mobility demand, and loading pattern of single and double presses is different. So rotating between them (not necessarily strictly alternating) provides some nice specialized variety/"same but different" effect, and can be a nice mental change of pace. If you have mobility restrictions that make the double overhead lockout problematic, singles are more accessible.
--Singles not only give you more time under tension each set, as John mentioned above, but that time gives you less overall recovery time in a timed session. So to do the same number of reps, you would have higher time under tension AND less rest time (AND you may be using a heavier bell).
--If you just enjoy singles or doubles more, that's a good reason to do more of the variation you enjoy more.
--I personally find that when my doubles go up, my singles go up too. When my singles go up, my doubles may go up but to a lesser degree.
 
MikeMoran said:
Well Giant 2.0 is still pretty brutal. Good times. I was sweating like a mad man today with 3 full ladders and 2/3 of the last ladder in 20 minutes.
Click to expand...
2.0 is the best way to prepare for 1.1 and 1.2. You get to experience how wonderful, but also how tiring long 7 and 8 rep sets are. But then you get to back off.

1.0, 3.0 and 2.0 were 30 minutes for me. 1.1 and 1.2 were 20. You only have so many reps in the tank. Any reps over 50 in a workout are pure gravy. 40-50 is the sweetspot. Heavy, sweaty, tiring, but not to failure.

@John Grahill Your opinions are all important. You're the godfather of the Giant.

I agree with @Steve W. as well. Everyone should run single bells as well. The time under tension and being able to work on weaker arm are game changers. Kind of like golf or soccer drills. Sometimes tedious, but important in big picture.

I have Patriots going 7-10 this year. Are the Jets and Giants combined going to reach that total?
 
Steve W. said:
My experience pretty much matches everything John said above.

A few additional considerations:
--I'm a big fan of double cleans. Using doubles gives you lots of "bonus" double clean reps with a total weight higher than you would normally use for single bell ballistics. Using singles gives you twice as many ballistic hinge reps, but they're all easier than you would normally use for single bell ballistics.
--The technique, mobility demand, and loading pattern of single and double presses is different. So rotating between them (not necessarily strictly alternating) provides some nice specialized variety/"same but different" effect, and can be a nice mental change of pace. If you have mobility restrictions that make the double overhead lockout problematic, singles are more accessible.
--Singles not only give you more time under tension each set, as John mentioned above, but that time gives you less overall recovery time in a timed session. So to do the same number of reps, you would have higher time under tension AND less rest time (AND you may be using a heavier bell).
--If you just enjoy singles or doubles more, that's a good reason to do more of the variation you enjoy more.
--I personally find that when my doubles go up, my singles go up too. When my singles go up, my doubles may go up but to a lesser degree.
Click to expand...
I meant to say that too.....I had carry over from single bell work to double bell work even though it has been suggested that there is little correlation. When I went through the ROP with a 40 in 2015, I got stronger at pressing double 40s.

No I'm not trying that again anytime soon at my age!
 
BrianCF said:
2.0 is the best way to prepare for 1.1 and 1.2. You get to experience how wonderful, but also how tiring long 7 and 8 rep sets are. But then you get to back off.

1.0, 3.0 and 2.0 were 30 minutes for me. 1.1 and 1.2 were 20. You only have so many reps in the tank. Any reps over 50 in a workout are pure gravy. 40-50 is the sweetspot. Heavy, sweaty, tiring, but not to failure.

@John Grahill Your opinions are all important. You're the godfather of the Giant.

I agree with @Steve W. as well. Everyone should run single bells as well. The time under tension and being able to work on weaker arm are game changers. Kind of like golf or soccer drills. Sometimes tedious, but important in big picture.

I have Patriots going 7-10 this year. Are the Jets and Giants combined going to reach that total?
Click to expand...
Ha ha.....I'm no godfather, I'm an Irish American! We can't become made men!

The Jets??? Well let's just say I'm focusing solely on the Mets right now......
 
HUNTER1313 said:
I'm just wondering how many have run the Giant with a single bell as opposed to two? Was your progress slower? Did you switch to two and found it better?
Click to expand...
I have done Strong phases 1&2 with doubles and just last week finished up a 4-week block of 3.0 with a single. I loved it. Currently doing a three week block of KSK but mosk likely will repeat 3.0 with the same bell again and then maybe 3.0 with doubles or Strong phase 1 doubles with the same.
It’s a win/win situation.
 
HUNTER1313 said:
I'm just wondering how many have run the Giant with a single bell as opposed to two? Was your progress slower? Did you switch to two and found it better?
Click to expand...
It’s better with 2, but one bell was still good for me. They’re different for sure but even though the single bell version is more time under tension, moving the double bells took more overall effort for me.
 
Steve W. said:
My experience pretty much matches everything John said above.

A few additional considerations:
--I'm a big fan of double cleans. Using doubles gives you lots of "bonus" double clean reps with a total weight higher than you would normally use for single bell ballistics. Using singles gives you twice as many ballistic hinge reps, but they're all easier than you would normally use for single bell ballistics.
--The technique, mobility demand, and loading pattern of single and double presses is different. So rotating between them (not necessarily strictly alternating) provides some nice specialized variety/"same but different" effect, and can be a nice mental change of pace. If you have mobility restrictions that make the double overhead lockout problematic, singles are more accessible.
--Singles not only give you more time under tension each set, as John mentioned above, but that time gives you less overall recovery time in a timed session. So to do the same number of reps, you would have higher time under tension AND less rest time (AND you may be using a heavier bell).
--If you just enjoy singles or doubles more, that's a good reason to do more of the variation you enjoy more.
--I personally find that when my doubles go up, my singles go up too. When my singles go up, my doubles may go up but to a lesser degree.
Click to expand...
That is true too I was able to use the 36 when I ran singles, but my max doubles was 32s.
 
If the single bell is more time under tension, wouldn't that lead to more hypertrophy? I know it's relative to load as per two bells. Also, wouldn't a single bell lend itself to a little more conditioning as it's twice as much cleans?
 
HUNTER1313 said:
If the single bell is more time under tension, wouldn't that lead to more hypertrophy? I know it's relative to load as per two bells. Also, wouldn't a single bell lend itself to a little more conditioning as it's twice as much cleans?
Click to expand...
I dunno but I always gained muscle doing single bell clean and presses. As I said I prefer using doubles but if you're in doubt that a single bell clean and press program can add beef to your shoulder girdle then try Pavel's "Beyond Bodybuilding" RKC Ladder program with an appropriately sized kettlebell.
 
John Grahill said:
I dunno but I always gained muscle doing single bell clean and presses. As I said I prefer using doubles but if you're in doubt that a single bell clean and press program can add beef to your shoulder girdle then try Pavel's "Beyond Bodybuilding" RKC Ladder program with an appropriately sized kettlebell.
Click to expand...
I'll take a look at that program
 
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