all posts post new thread

Kettlebell "Giant 1.0"

I was able to keep my form a few months ago getting up into the 112 rep range, but I found I was starting to feel some little aches and pains creep back into my life from past injuries. Just pushing that hard takes a toll. I think I plan to try and keep progressing to where once I can hit 80-90 reps of a weight I’ll repeat 1.0 with heavier bells. That’s seems like a good top range for me.
Dumb question, is that 80-90 per week or per session? Haha
 
Have you tried it with doubles yet? If not that’s a great route to go if you can get two bells. Not sure what your bell collection is like. Its a muscle building monster with 2 bells if you ask me. My shoulders, chest, core, back, and quads have all shown improvement… my shirts fit tighter in the arms and shoulders for sure.
Yep, double jerk is my favorite exercise on the planet. My goal is a higher RM with 2x25kg (the heaviest doubles I own) by the end of the year (8-10RM, currently 5RM). I took a break to do single jerk with the heavier bell in the hopes that it would help me improve on the doubles. One bell is also less stressing, and I feel like I needed that the past 4 weeks.

I'll test RMs with a whole host of bells next week.
 
I was able to keep my form a few months ago getting up into the 112 rep range, but I found I was starting to feel some little aches and pains creep back into my life from past injuries. Just pushing that hard takes a toll. I think I plan to try and keep progressing to where once I can hit 80-90 reps of a weight I’ll repeat 1.0 with heavier bells. That’s seems like a good top range for me.
Dude, that's still more reps than I ever got.....I think my max was in the 70s?? But it was a challenge for me.

This cycle saw week 1's total 114 (20 minutes each session).....this week with 25 minute sessions saw 150........It was an effort for me!
 
Just finished Week#3 of 1.0

I was aiming at 75/72/80, 227 reps
I got 80/60/84, 224 reps.

I have pushed a little too hard on Monday. I probably should not have gone for that last set. I also had poor sleep and was bot fully recovered by Wed. I did the reverse on Wednesday. I ended the training when I still felt somewhat fresh to improve recovery.

I’ll try to maintain the same density next week with 20 minutes sessions, should feel great.

Then 1.1 it will be !
 
Hello, long time lurker here. Just started my first run of the Giant 1.0 with double 24s. Been considering the Giant for quite some time, and now I've finally taken the leap. Got positive experience with DFW, Burn Extreme and the Wolf, so I know I respond well to Geoff's programming. Wish me luck!
 
Hello, long time lurker here. Just started my first run of the Giant 1.0 with double 24s. Been considering the Giant for quite some time, and now I've finally taken the leap. Got positive experience with DFW, Burn Extreme and the Wolf, so I know I respond well to Geoff's programming. Wish me luck!

You might get hooked lol. I was super skeptical but here I am 6 months later still on the program.
 
I finished giant 1.0 mid august with 16kg x 2 and after that tried some programs to get the feel of the dynamics, but mainly did S&S alternated with a day similar to the giant but with swings and inverted rows (Like 10 swings and immediately 3 pull ups or 6 inverted rows for 10 sets)
now I’m back on the giant 1.1, finished the first week. I wanted to start maybe upper body blast or total body blast but the weeks I did something else I felt like I was losing the giant gains.
before the giant the 16kg was actually my 8 rmax, couldn’t press the 24kg and after completing the 1st month I can now press the 24kg 3 times, the 16kg 12 times. So I’m prioritizing upper body strength.
Still in the off days I’m doing pull ups or inverted rows plus I try to do the S&S warm up with goblet squats and halos (or macbell 360s)
 
I'm not sure if it's the lack of sleep or the early morning trek into the bush hunting, but the next size up bells felt heavy for my light day. I did a few sets then decided to drop down to the next size down from my work set bells. They just exploded up as if they were nothing. (In context I left my matching size work bells at my work week location and all my other bells are at home for the weekend. Hence the different size bells)
 
Just finished Week#3 of 1.0

I was aiming at 75/72/80, 227 reps
I got 80/60/84, 224 reps.

I have pushed a little too hard on Monday. I probably should not have gone for that last set. I also had poor sleep and was bot fully recovered by Wed. I did the reverse on Wednesday. I ended the training when I still felt somewhat fresh to improve recovery.

I’ll try to maintain the same density next week with 20 minutes sessions, should feel great.

Then 1.1 it will be !
I didn't have the volume today you did, but I finished my last Ladder of 3/4/5 in 28:40 and was fatigued. (This week was 30 minute sessions) ..... about 45 seconds later I decided to push out at least a few more reps to finish up......I could feel I was about to tweak something in my lower back...... hence why I take "longer" rests now and don't go crazy anymore.....when you're fatigued you can injure yourself. Still managed 63 reps.
 
Last edited:
Another long-time lurker and fan of Geoff's programs here. Honestly, they are the only ones I end up sticking with since with others I often get the shiny object syndrome, a personal shortcoming, not any of the program's fault! I finished the 1.0 with a 16 & 24 since those are all I had. I decided to do the 2 and then go back to 1.1 to get a little more comfortable with higher reps on the 24. I had to take a break for about 3 weeks to travel. Now I am confused if I should just continue and start with 2 or repeat the 1.0 and then flow onto 2 and 1.1 and so on. Any recommendations?
 
Do people think you can run the Giant more or less indefinitely?
I don't know. I've run it several times each time with something a bit different, either a heavier set of bells, once as an experiment for Geoff at the start of the summer where I alternated pull ups with c+p's and currently trying another of Geoff's suggestions regarding the length of each session each week (20/25/30/25).....it's going nicely and seems to be good for managing the density and volume without beating myself up too much!

I also suppose you could run it "better" than you did it before. By this I don't necessarily mean more volume. It could be that you do each segment with better form...what I'm also trying to do now.
 
I don't know. I've run it several times each time with something a bit different, either a heavier set of bells, once as an experiment for Geoff at the start of the summer where I alternated pull ups with c+p's and currently trying another of Geoff's suggestions regarding the length of each session each week (20/25/30/25).....it's going nicely and seems to be good for managing the density and volume without beating myself up too much!

I also suppose you could run it "better" than you did it before. By this I don't necessarily mean more volume. It could be that you do each segment with better form...what I'm also trying to do now.
I'm doing the 20/25/30/25 time frame also
 
once as an experiment for Geoff at the start of the summer where I alternated pull ups with c+p's
Did you do that within each session or did you alternate to where you did the Giant one day and then did pull-ups the next day?

My only reservation with the Giant is that it's one exercise with a hinge and a push. (And, no, I haven't run it. So I'm not criticizing. I just find myself concerned about becoming so laser-focused on one thing (hinge and press) without an identifiable squat and pull for months on end. I guess the only way to know would be to actually run it.) But I do have KB Express and I've run others of Geoff's programs that I've found to have more variety.
 
Back
Top Bottom