Kettlebell "Giant 1.0"

[Gary W]

I'd absolutely use the 10kg for several Clean & Press. Remember it's a warmup, not the workout. That said, a few (and I mean no more than 4) single Clean & Press per side with the 16kg would be an effective way to gently bridge the gap between the 10kg and your work sets. I'd Clean & Press the 16kg both right and left side, then take ~2 minutes rest and repeat 'til ready. Off the top of my nugget, no more than 4 total.

Thanks!
I do feel like it takes me a few rounds into giant before im feeling it with my current warmup
I will keep the os resets as i work out as soon as i roll out of bed and feel that these help to wake me up
Then i try what you suggested, halos and presses with the 10kg
Clean and press with one 16kg, singles x4

 

[Ronzi]

I tried this style of warm-out today with training that included MPs. It worked great!

 

[Sean M]

My warmup is mace 360s (15lbs) 10/10 with squats x 3 series. Gets the hips lubricated and the shoulders opened.

My 1.0 week 1 volume (2x20kg): 65, 54, 72

 

[Rumsmike]

My warmup is mace 360s (15lbs) 10/10 with squats x 3 series. Gets the hips lubricated and the shoulders opened.

This is pretty much exactly what I've settled on as warm-up as well.

 

[karol]

How do you guys differentiate between needed autoregulation vs giving in to mental weakness?

That is a great question.
I tend to do more than I should so I prefer the set numbers of reps per session keeping week to week progress.
When I do feel really tired I take the day off. But only occasionally. I was once following another Geoff's program and took 4 days off because my fatigue started to build up around week 5 or 6 and I started feeling weak and feeling many of my joints. After 4 days I repeated the last week and continued program. It worked ok.
But it happened to me before than I took some extra days and never came back to finish program. I lost motivation.
When I was around 20 I would never give up. Had to finish even with pain. I have some pains here and there till now because of that.
Now I try to remember that one injury can kick us back a few months or even make a further trainings impossible. Sometimes I step back.
Also talking about mental weakness sometimes the day off is good for me. It is like staying in my pyjama till midday some cold Sunday mornings. Maybe for some people it is wasting of a day but it recharge my batteries.

 

[Gary W]

My warmup is mace 360s (15lbs) 10/10 with squats x 3 series. Gets the hips lubricated and the shoulders opened.

My 1.0 week 1 volume (2x20kg): 65, 54, 72

Im using 2x20s too but because i jump out of bed and start warm up i feel like i need a little more to get me moving better, the OS resets i dont do crawling just rocking and rolling, some commando rocking too, at the moment that along with S&S warm up with a 16kg has been fine but i have been feeing that once the bells start to get heavier or i start doing more reps i might need more of a direct pressing warm up

Love the simplicity of your warm up though and if i worked out later in the day this is probably how i would like to do it

 

[guardian7]

My warmup is mace 360s (15lbs) 10/10 with squats x 3 series. Gets the hips lubricated and the shoulders opened.

My 1.0 week 1 volume (2x20kg): 65, 54, 72

I find mace work gets a better ROM than halos. I agree with your choice.

 

[Gary W]

So im going into my 3rd week tomorrow and thinking about the 4th deload week, i plan to do 20min sessions taking it easy, i want to do a RM test to see if im ready for 1.0 or if im going to repeat 3.0
Whens a good time to test?
im thinking the friday, 4th week, last 20min session not doing the 20mins and just testing, then 2 days off before starting the next cycle?

 

[Steve Freides]

I am in no way doubting the validity of the Giant, but what I am saying essentially is that a sometimes it is useful to adjust a program to your condition.

Or, perhaps better for most people most of the time, choose a program you can follow.

For example. Instead of "as many sets in good form in 20 minutes" you can start with N sets in 20 minutes, then progress to N+1, N+2 etc. That's what I would do if I decided to follow this program, because I know that my shoulders will flare up if I do too much early (yes, with good form). You can wave the weight of the bells inside the workout. You can drag the microcycle. And so on and so forth.

It is still a density progression, still uses the same rep scheme, but some parameters are adjusted for your particular situation. I think you can still safely call it the Giant.

No, I don’t agree. @Geoff Neupert is an experienced, wonderful program designer, but that fact doesn’t mean everyone must follow his program, nor does it mean we should change them in significant ways and say that our changes aren’t significant.

-S-

 

[6was9]

So I shouldn't call the program the Giant if I change something in it?

The funniest thing is, if I post modified version of this program and call it 6W9 I am guaranteed to get "this is just the Giant with longer microcycles and slightly different rep waving!"

 

[John Grahill]

So I shouldn't call the program the Giant if I change something in it?

The funniest thing is, if I post modified version of this program and call it 6W9 I am guaranteed to get "this is just the Giant with longer microcycles and slightly different rep waving!"

I think the contention is that many alter the original design which occurs in many forms, be it adding exercises and volume, or changing the exercises and volume often because a trainee can't do the prescribed exercise or doesn't like doing it. They then get mediocre results and say the program didn't work.

 

[Geoff Neupert]

So im going into my 3rd week tomorrow and thinking about the 4th deload week, i plan to do 20min sessions taking it easy, i want to do a RM test to see if im ready for 1.0 or if im going to repeat 3.0
Whens a good time to test?
im thinking the friday, 4th week, last 20min session not doing the 20mins and just testing, then 2 days off before starting the next cycle?

Do it the 1st day of the week after your de-load week. So Week 5, Day 1.

Then proceed from there.

Hope that helps.

 

[Geoff Neupert]

So I shouldn't call the program the Giant if I change something in it?

@6was9 - You are correct.

It would be something else - perhaps THE GIANT+?

But only if you said, "I'm doing THE GIANT with _________."

But then again, maybe not.

The funniest thing is, if I post modified version of this program and call it 6W9 I am guaranteed to get "this is just the Giant with longer microcycles and slightly different rep waving!"

And maybe, but I don't think so. But that's just my opinion.

 

[Geoff Neupert]

I think the contention is that many alter the original design which occurs in many forms, be it adding exercises and volume, or changing the exercises and volume often because a trainee can't do the prescribed exercise or doesn't like doing it. They then get mediocre results and say the program didn't work.

Exactly.

Similar to the conversation -

"Hey, nice shirt!

"I have one just like that, only it's blue, long-sleeve, with a collar, and it fits like a tent!"

 

[Gary W]

Do it the 1st day of the week after your de-load week. So Week 5, Day 1.

Then proceed from there.

Hope that helps.

Brilliant thanks

 

[6was9]

@6was9 - You are correct.

It would be something else - perhaps THE GIANT+?

But only if you said, "I'm doing THE GIANT with _________."

But then again, maybe not.

"It would perhaps... But only if... But then again..." A real dilemma, isn't it? ?
I won't call it The Giant. Or maybe... ?

 

[Dayz]

I'm officially starting the Giant 3.0 with double Clean and Push Press. I did a test day today and got 4 super clean reps with my double 24s. Plan is to run through the whole series, then, if I'm strong enough, go again with the strict press.

 

[John Grahill]

I'm officially starting the Giant 3.0 with double Clean and Push Press. I did a test day today and got 4 super clean reps with my double 24s. Plan is to run through the whole series, then, if I'm strong enough, go again with the strict press.

Dayz, I have always been one of those whose strict press increases after a steady diet of push presses. I think you have a solid plan there.

 

[Nightfly]

Just a query I have about the Giant programs overall (which I have) - long term niggling injuries, are they a problem? I am the wrong side of 50 so its more of a concern to me. Apologies I haven't read all of the thread as its enormous!

• Earlier this year, I did a month EDT training (20 mins 3/week) using 20kgs DC+P, so *similar* type of work to the programs but NOT the Giant. Thats about my 10RM.
• However, the numbers per session start to jump way above 50 reps so the totals get rather large each week, and thats only using 20 minute periods not 30!
• is this volume sustainable? I started to feel sore/fatigue, with lots of weekly reps of a single movement.

Not at all a criticism, maybe the Giant in practise has designed these problems away but I'm interested in experience of users.

 

[John Grahill]

@Nightfly It sounds like you were doing the 50/20 from Bryce Lane?? Or something similar..... 50 reps in 20 is a lot of work and I believe if memory serves you do it for 3 weeks then back off a week.

With the Giant, the emphasis is to add volume at a pace you can sustain as opposed to going" all out " each day.

As an example, I did 30 minute sessions and added "comfortably" to the volume each workout. The exception was week 3 in each protocol as that was my hard effort week. Autoregulation at its best.

I have done the 50/20 style in the past and burned out quickly. I used the Giant for 7 months and made great progress without crashing severely at all.

Also, some post their numbers per session and the numbers were really high. In my case I really couldn't post the high numbers that so many could. It's fine, the reps per session is an individual thing...don't worry about what the others put up. This was especially true for me during my last run through with heavier kettlebells! Doing the 20s in the Giant now for you may be too light if you've already gone through a density protocol with them.

Hope that helps.