Kettlebell Giant + King-sized Killer Review

[Hrungnir]

Doesn’t “escalating RPE” just mean that the first week is the deload? Like you ramp up the intensity throughout and then start the next block with the low RPE again to deload?

It’s not a deload if it’s the start of the new phase. You’re using different rep schemes, it’s not the same workout.

There is no in-phase deload, which is what these week 4 deload like I was responding to are. If you follow that Easy Muscle philosophy, you don’t deload week 4. You move to 1.1, take a lower RPE to start the phase and then escalate intensity the entire phase.

 

[SUOMI-PUKU]

It’s not a deload if it’s the start of the new phase. You’re using different rep schemes, it’s not the same workout.

There is no in-phase deload, which is what these week 4 deload like I was responding to are. If you follow that Easy Muscle philosophy, you don’t deload week 4. You move to 1.1, take a lower RPE to start the phase and then escalate intensity the entire phase.

Okay probably depends how you define a deload. For me, an easier week = deload week. Doesn’t have to be the same reps, even the same movements etc.

 

[Andrew H]

It’s not a deload if it’s the start of the new phase. You’re using different rep schemes, it’s not the same workout.

There is no in-phase deload, which is what these week 4 deload like I was responding to are. If you follow that Easy Muscle philosophy, you don’t deload week 4. You move to 1.1, take a lower RPE to start the phase and then escalate intensity the entire phase.

Geoff does suggest/recommend week 4 of the giant be a deload in a supplemental email sent to giant customers. However I get the impression that it is written for individuals going directly into another giant block to keep their bodies fresh and recovered. My question is if this is still necessary since I will be jumping training blocks to KSK? Does the change in program/exercise eliminate the need for a deload? Or would the body respond better to the training with the deload?

I am fairly new to kettlebells with about a year and a half of single bell only training under my belt. I am just looking to educate myself and learn. Thanks to everyone chiming in!

 

[Bauer]

Good Morning All,

Quick question for anyone who has run the GIANT and KSK in alternating blocks. I have been following the 20-25-30-25 minute per session per week set up and it has worked beautifully. I am wrapping up the 30 minute week (week 3) tomorrow. My question is if I am switching to KSK after week 4, should the week 4 deload still be honored if I am switching movement patterns the following week with KSK? Or would it be best to continue to try to improve in week 4? Any guidance or tips would be appreciated. Thanks everyone!

I think you should be fine with 25 minutes.

Geoff does suggest/recommend week 4 of the giant be a deload in a supplemental email sent to giant customers. However I get the impression that it is written for individuals going directly into another giant block to keep their bodies fresh and recovered. My question is if this is still necessary since I will be jumping training blocks to KSK? Does the change in program/exercise eliminate the need for a deload? Or would the body respond better to the training with the deload?

I am fairly new to kettlebells with about a year and a half of single bell only training under my belt. I am just looking to educate myself and learn. Thanks to everyone chiming in!

Maybe just try it and don't be afraid to keep it easy when your body tells you to. This way you'll know what works for you.

So, either you do 4 medium intense weeks (S&S style), or vary the intensity and plan an easy week for every heavy week you do. You can arrange the order of the weeks in any way you like.

Personally, I have started my first week of a new block rather easy and finished each block heavyish.

 

[Sam Goldner]

Geoff does suggest/recommend week 4 of the giant be a deload in a supplemental email sent to giant customers. However I get the impression that it is written for individuals going directly into another giant block to keep their bodies fresh and recovered. My question is if this is still necessary since I will be jumping training blocks to KSK? Does the change in program/exercise eliminate the need for a deload? Or would the body respond better to the training with the deload?

I am fairly new to kettlebells with about a year and a half of single bell only training under my belt. I am just looking to educate myself and learn. Thanks to everyone chiming in!

With my block training, I used the first week of each block as a deload and looked forward to it tremendously. I didn’t think about it too much until I started, and then I naturally started doing it because that’s what my body told me it needed.

To deload, I just didn’t pay any attention to the clock and took my sweet sweet time between sets. I let myself be lazy that first week but still got enough work done and got a baseline for each workout’s set/rep scheme and what I can expect for total volume for that scheme.
Week 1 didn’t pay attention to the clock or go for a total volume goal beyond completing the rep ladder once
Week 2 payed loose attention and had a loose total volume goal that was beyond the first week’s matching workout
Week 3 I had a more definitive volume goal and kept a pretty tight eye on the clock to make sure my pace was appropriate for my volume goal.

I think you should be fine with 25 minutes.

Maybe just try it and don't be afraid to keep it easy when your body tells you to. This way you'll know what works for you.

Personally, I have started my first week of a new block rather easy and finished each block heavyish.

In short, I concur with what @Bauer wrote.

 

[Sam Goldner]

Which Geoff doesn’t do in Easy Muscle, it’s escalating RPE every week of every phase.

That is true; see below for my response to the general point.

It’s not a deload if it’s the start of the new phase. You’re using different rep schemes, it’s not the same workout.

There is no in-phase deload, which is what these week 4 deload like I was responding to are. If you follow that Easy Muscle philosophy, you don’t deload week 4. You move to 1.1, take a lower RPE to start the phase and then escalate intensity the entire phase.

There is no in-phase deload, but I don’t think that means you aren’t/can’t deload. 1.1’s first week is the deload coming out of 1.0’s week 4. However, I see room for both a week 4 deload and going easy in week 1 of 1.1. Just as an example, Week 1 would be an RPE of 7, 2 would be 8, 3 would be 9, 4 would be 6, then the next week 1 picks up again at RPE of 7.

Okay probably depends how you define a deload. For me, an easier week = deload week. Doesn’t have to be the same reps, even the same movements etc.

Agree with this.

Ultimately, it’s the type of thing you have to try to see what you respond well to, and it might change from block to block. For example, if I magically get 3 weeks of phenomenal sleep, I might not need to take an easy week and can just string along 6 hard weeks with switching exercises halfway through, but if I don’t get that magical sleep I need to take that easy week when I switch.

 

[Hrungnir]

@Sam Goldner, I agree that a deload in week 4 and then taking it easy in week 1 will be fine in the long term….if that’s what your body needs. If they haven’t even ran the program yet, pre building deloads is just silly IMO. They have no idea how their body will react, what if they need to deload in week 3? Or if the stars align week 4 and they’re able to shatter their PRs?

Run the program as written, then worry about such things. Why shackle yourself if you haven’t even attempted the program?

 

[Sam Goldner]

@Sam Goldner, I agree that a deload in week 4 and then taking it easy in week 1 will be fine in the long term….if that’s what your body needs. If they haven’t even ran the program yet, pre building deloads is just silly IMO. They have no idea how their body will react, what if they need to deload in week 3? Or if the stars align week 4 and they’re able to shatter their PRs?

Run the program as written, then worry about such things. Why shackle yourself if you haven’t even attempted the program?

Agreed.

The programs asked about were mixing KSK and The Giant; for The Giant, there are a few ways to “Run the program as written” based on what @Geoff Neupert has written. But yes, trying it and making a game time decision will probably be what makes the most sense instead of overthinking it right now. That’s hard to do sometimes, though. I’ve gotten hung up on a planning detail (and still do sometimes) and only over time have I gotten better at stopping the navel gazing and just taking imperfect action.

 

[Andrew H]

With my block training, I used the first week of each block as a deload and looked forward to it tremendously. I didn’t think about it too much until I started, and then I naturally started doing it because that’s what my body told me it needed.

To deload, I just didn’t pay any attention to the clock and took my sweet sweet time between sets. I let myself be lazy that first week but still got enough work done and got a baseline for each workout’s set/rep scheme and what I can expect for total volume for that scheme.
Week 1 didn’t pay attention to the clock or go for a total volume goal beyond completing the rep ladder once
Week 2 payed loose attention and had a loose total volume goal that was beyond the first week’s matching workout
Week 3 I had a more definitive volume goal and kept a pretty tight eye on the clock to make sure my pace was appropriate for my volume goal.

This is very helpful and makes a lot of sense. I am on week 4 of the GIANT 1.0 now and it has gone really well so far. I suspect I am experiencing newbie double kettlebell gains because my week to week improvement has been substantial. Either way, I am enjoying it a lot.

I like the strategy of taking it easier during week 1 of a new block. I will probably adopt this strategy next week when I switch to KSK phase 1. Thank you!

 

[Sam Goldner]

This is very helpful and makes a lot of sense. I am on week 4 of the GIANT 1.0 now and it has gone really well so far. I suspect I am experiencing newbie double kettlebell gains because my week to week improvement has been substantial. Either way, I am enjoying it a lot.

I like the strategy of taking it easier during week 1 of a new block. I will probably adopt this strategy next week when I switch to KSK phase 1. Thank you!

I realized I wasn’t as clear as I thought.

I did use the clock for every workout because it needs to only be a 20 minute session for KSK or a 20/25/30 min session for The Giant. I meant I didn’t check it during the workout to see my pace and how much time had passed/was left for the first week, but I still used a timer and stopped when it went off. Then I sort of payed attention to it for pacing during the second week, then for the the third week I checked it constantly. Again, I used the timer for all the workouts, I just adjusted how much I payed attention to it during the workout depending on which week I was in.

 

[Andrew H]

This is what I thought you meant. And its basically also how I have approached the GIANT. Week 1 I did not look at the clock and I had what seemed like a low amount of volume. I was easily able to top my volume in Week 2 without looking at the clock as well. But last week (week 3) and this week (week 4) I have payed more attention to the clock to keep my pace higher and beat the previous week. I have been practicing nasal breathing and kept solid technique even when trying to push the volume so I feel like my sessions are within the guidelines of the program.

I am a newbie and I suppose I needed some validation to my approach. Its nice to know if you are doing things correctly or not lol. I look forward to switching to KSK next week and I will most likely pay no attention to the clock and see how it goes. Thanks again!

 

[McSneaky]

You can also guess how you could ‘create your own’ bridge program between 3.0 and 1.0 quite easily.

I think this is the optimal route. I am almost done with 3.0 with 2x 24 and know that I will not be ready for 1.0 with strict C+P. Just made a bridge which will help spice up the next month versus running 3.0 back to back.