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Kettlebell "Giant 1.0"

Anybody suffer any Rotator cuff issues whilst on a clean and press heavy plan? Definitely not a fault of the program, but 4 weeks into it I'm developing a bit of tenderness in the rear of my shoulders.
I haven’t had any issue, but I religiously stretch my shoulders. My personal struggle has been bicep DOMS and as of late lower back. I started stretching my biceps as well and that solved my biceps. For lower back idk if I need to stretch or do more core work like an rollouts.
 
I actually theorise that switching between single & double bell versions of the Giant would possibly be a good idea if running this programme long term for 4-6 months plus....
Different enough to help with pattern overload maybe
Yeah, thanks to @JamesPTA on this forum we know that the idea of 4 weeks of Double C+P (Giant) 3 weeks of Single bell snatch (KSK) is fine to do and the carryover allows you to still progress through the blocks as normal for each program.

So I assume if you alternate single and double C+P you could run two Giant programs simultaneously in that fashion too with no issues in progression through the blocks!
 
Yeah, thanks to @JamesPTA on this forum we know that the idea of 4 weeks of Double C+P (Giant) 3 weeks of Single bell snatch (KSK) is fine to do and the carryover allows you to still progress through the blocks as normal for each program.

So I assume if you alternate single and double C+P you could run two Giant programs simultaneously in that fashion too with no issues in progression through the blocks!
That'd be an interesting approach too, Giant 1.0 with doubles, Giant 1.0 with a single bell, then Giant 1.1 double, 1.1 single etc.

Or would you run single first and then doubles, I think singles allow you to press a slightly heavier weight than half your doubles loading, or would you do doubles first, and then singles for more of a conditioning effect?

Thoughts?
 
Just finished W1D2 of The Giant 1.1 with 16kg bells.
You know it's a good workout when rack position becomes like an oasis you longed for in a desert.
And it is hard to concentrate on the rep counts especially on the later sets.
Managed to do 4x8 and 1x7 on the last set for 20 minutes.
Just finished W4D2 today. Definitely feel stronger than Week 1. This program is awesome!
 
So when I progress to subsequent phases of the Giant, and I increase reps, I find that my triceps get a bit sore. Does anyone do assistance drills to help your press on days off?

On the one hand I would prefer not to do more drills at this time but on the other hand I would like to progress to full dips eventually and it seems my triceps are a weak link
 
Hitting your triceps on the off days because they are getting sore from the main work seems counter intuitive to me. If the triceps are getting hammered by the presses, I personally would just keep pressing and let them adjust.

If you were to add, I would do them on your workout day after your Giant session so you have the recovery.
 
Would you all say The Giant C & P plans yield similar results to the ROP C & P plan? Not including the ROP swings and snatches just the C & P ladders. For those who have run both, what specific results did you get from The Giant C & P as opposed to ROP C & P?
I am only doing The Giant 1 arm version now.
 
The main reason I ask is lower rep sets seem to work better for my body. So, the Giant 3.0 w my 28kg feels good. But I just tried 1.0 with my 24kg and after the 20 m mark my back started feeling a bit tight. ROP C & P seems would seem to potentially be less problematic since the up and down ladders 1-5 reps instead of straight sets. Just trying to put together a long term C & P plan that my body agrees with,
 
Would you all say The Giant C & P plans yield similar results to the ROP C & P plan? Not including the ROP swings and snatches just the C & P ladders. For those who have run both, what specific results did you get from The Giant C & P as opposed to ROP C & P?
I am only doing The Giant 1 arm version now.
Hard to say. In both cases my clean and press got stronger, my conditioning improved, and I saw some shoulder size. I think for size I see a lot more effect of reps, so those higher rep sets of 6+ really help me grow. Doing Giant with a single bell really hammers the conditioning - a set of 8 + 8 has me huffing and puffing and trying to find a little pigs house. But doing the lower reps of a ROP ladder really builds the volume, and by manipulating rest it can really get me huffing and puffing too ... Really its a toss up - whatever I want to do is going to produce some great results if I work hard and stick with it.
The main reason I ask is lower rep sets seem to work better for my body. So, the Giant 3.0 w my 28kg feels good. But I just tried 1.0 with my 24kg and after the 20 m mark my back started feeling a bit tight. ROP C & P seems would seem to potentially be less problematic since the up and down ladders 1-5 reps instead of straight sets. Just trying to put together a long term C & P plan that my body agrees with,
I would suggest filming your set and either reviewing it yourself or posting it here for review. The "problem" with reps is that there is more chance for fatigue to creep in and seduce us into poor technique, which might contribute to what you're describing.

If doing lower rep sets means you avoid this problem, then rock on. Over time you'll build your technique to be more fatigue-resistant and you'll get use to more volume, and then you'll likely be able to handle the higher rep sets without issue.

An easy in between option is to keep running the Giant 3.0 until you can do 10 sets of 3 in 30 minutes, or after completing a month of 3.0, add a rep to each day (so month 1 is 1 - 2 - 3, month 2 is 2 - 3 - 4). If Giant 3.0 is working no need to make a big change - you can make a little change and keep killing it. This gradually adds reps to each set giving you time to control everything nicely under fatigue, as well as slowly growing the volume your body can handle.
 
So when I progress to subsequent phases of the Giant, and I increase reps, I find that my triceps get a bit sore. Does anyone do assistance drills to help your press on days off?

On the one hand I would prefer not to do more drills at this time but on the other hand I would like to progress to full dips eventually and it seems my triceps are a weak link
You might experiment with "postconditioning hormesis".

Here is a recent newsletter from Pavel, adressing this issue. I think the key is to stay light - and watch how your joints feel and how you recover.

Unexpected anabolic benefits of light training the day after heavy lifting (Oct 11, 2022)

One of the greatest strength minds in history, Prof. Arkady Vorobyev, concluded that, “The best conditions for anabolic processes are when small loads with low intensity follow large loads.”

This is a manifestation of postconditioning hormesis. In this biological phenomenon a small dose of a stressor accelerates the recovery from a recent large dose of the same. Alcoholics are experts at postconditioning hormesis; “a hair of the dog” helps them overcome a hangover.

For example, yesterday you had a hard training session, eight sets of five of military presses with a pair of 32kg kettlebells. Today you pick up a single 24kg kettlebell and knock off four sets of five. This ridiculously easy work will do a lot more for your shoulder size and strength than sitting on the couch. Plus, you will be less sore.
 
So when I progress to subsequent phases of the Giant, and I increase reps, I find that my triceps get a bit sore. Does anyone do assistance drills to help your press on days off?

On the one hand I would prefer not to do more drills at this time but on the other hand I would like to progress to full dips eventually and it seems my triceps are a weak link
I'm 6 weeks deep in Easy Muscle A, which is very similar to Giant 1.0, and this week is the first week where I've really felt it in the triceps, but it's also only the second week with sets of more than 6 reps.

I have noticed that my I'm getting less of a pump in my forearms each session this week and last, so I'm putting it down to technique changes and grip getting stronger allowing me to "focus on pressing" more perhaps.
 
An easy in between option is to keep running the Giant 3.0 until you can do 10 sets of 3 in 30 minutes, or after completing a month of 3.0, add a rep to each day (so month 1 is 1 - 2 - 3, month 2 is 2 - 3 - 4). If Giant 3.0 is working no need to make a big change - you can make a little change and keep killing it. This gradually adds reps to each set giving you time to control everything nicely under fatigue, as well as slowly growing the volume your body can handle.
Sounds like a good plan!
 
Would you all say The Giant C & P plans yield similar results to the ROP C & P plan? Not including the ROP swings and snatches just the C & P ladders. For those who have run both, what specific results did you get from The Giant C & P as opposed to ROP C & P?
I am only doing The Giant 1 arm version now.

The Giant being more of a density type program normally means more hypertrophy.
However ROP can also be done in a similar manner.

The autoregulation of the Giant normally means less overuse injuries IMHO
 
Started GIANT X this week. Some feedback though on GIANT 1-1.2-2 though. I have not worn a proper dress shirt in a good 6+ Months. Well it barley fits in the shoulders now. Thanks @Geoff Neupert . I will wait till I finish GIANT X and then maybe buy some new ones....
How did you find 2.0 after 1.2? I thought that 2.0 was an alternative to 1.1 and 1.2, but I have obviously been reading it wrong.
 
I decided to do 1.0 with my 24 instead of 3.0 w my 28. I stopped at 20 m and felt good afterwards. Got 70 total reps (35 on each side). Incorporating the P3 protocol with my Giant workouts. This really has been a game changer with basically no back pain since I started the P3. I am still just doing the stage 1 movements.
 
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