The Giant

[kikelomo]

I want to progress my C&P from double 20s to 24. When I bought the 24s I thought they would be fine because I could do 8 reps with a single. Turns out I can only do 2-3 with doubles.

With double 20s I’m pretty much exactly at 10RM so I think it’s time to try the Giant. However, I’m not sure if I should go for 20 mins or 30. 20 does figure my schedule better, …

 

[hunter101]

@kikelomo 30 if you can. 20 if you must.

The Giant is excellent. I you run 1.0-1.2 you can run 3.0 with the 24s for sure, maybe even 1.0.

 

[snowlucario]

@hunter101 Maybe not a full 10RM but I would wager 8RM for sure which is good enough to start 1.0

Those early Giant gains from just hammering out sets and grooving technique are magic.

 

[hunter101]

@snowlucario It's wild. You get a couple of weeks into 1.0 and wonder how 1.1 and 1.2 will yield any reasonable amount of volume. Then you do it, and it's hard, but definitely doable.

I feel like the jump is actually a feature.

 

[snowlucario]

@hunter101 Oh definitely. I cheated and removed all those big jumps tho lol. I think spamming too low of reps for a high volume of sets is what gave me tendonitis in the end. I wouldn’t do that again running again.

Also that first time running it where you are increasing 15-20% total volume every week, then you increase the weight and run it again and discover you ain’t doing those increases anymore.

 

[josephhayes]

@snowlucario I switched from double 16s to a 16 and 20 on week 3 my first time thru. Crazy how that dropped my reps. Now on week 3 of 1.0 again with double 20s and doing more reps than I initially did with 16x2.

 

[snowlucario]

@josephhayes Nice man! It’s impressive you hit more reps with a higher weight, I dropped reps every weight jump.

 

[josephhayes]

@snowlucario The giant was my intro to kettlebells, so technique definitely played a part. My first giant with 16s week 2 total reps was 250, and my second giant attempt 5 weeks later with 20s was only 252. I tried a rep test with 24s in between the two, and got 0 doubles reps. I thought for sure I’d be able to bust out 5

 

[belovedsone]

@snowlucario hey, haven't seen you for a while, how's the tendonitis? mine comes and goes, but it's gotten a lot better.

 

[wina22]

@kikelomo I was you about one year ago.

I did over the last months:

Giant 1.0 with double 20s

Giant 3.0 with double 24s

Was not happy that I still could not 10 RM the 24s

Took a break and did DFW.

Giant 1.1 with double 20s --> 9RM with the 24s

Giant 1.2 with double 20s --> Done in a week, I think I'll manage the 10 RM

It's a long a journey when you ain't got much time (father of 3 here) but you'll get there.

 

[kikelomo]

@wina22 Did you do 20 or 30 minutes?

 

[wina22]

@kikelomo 30 minutes always.

 

[missingthemark]

@kikelomo Look in to Bells of Steel. I bought a pair of adjustable KBs. Both go up to 32kg. $500. If I chose, I’d never have to join a gym in my entire life. Also, I can progress in small increments as low as .5 kilos

 

[kikelomo]

@missingthemark If I started again I would consider an adjustable but I already own doubled of 16,20,34 and 28.

 

[lfedora]

@kikelomo I'm in a similar spot as you.

I have adjustables and ran DFW with the 21s. 21s become 10RM in the double press, and 24s became my 5RM in the double press (not my C+P, just press).

Ran the Giant 3.0 with 24s, only got to 7RM with the clean and press.

Now I don't know if I should run the Giant 3.1 with the 24s, or just dive into the Giant 1.0 with 22s, since that should be about my 10RM on the C+P.

I did 30mins on the Giant 3.0, and that's my plan for running the Giants except for week 4, when I'll probably run 20mins as a deload.

 

[josephhayes]

@lfedora I bought the giant program, but I have no idea what 3.1 is. I know 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 2.0 and 3.0. Did you make that up yourself?

 

[lfedora]

@josephhayes It’s discussed in the StrongFirst forums. It’s unofficial. Basically you add an additional rep for each day of
3.0. It acts as a bridge between 3.0 and 1.0 if needed.

 

[josephhayes]

@lfedora Damn I’ve only made it through like 60 pages of that thread. Do you go 1,2,3 then repeat weekly for your sets?

 

[lfedora]

@josephhayes You add one rep for each day and do it for the four weeks. So your 3 rep day becomes 4 reps, for example.

 

[josephhayes]

@lfedora Ok so just +1 everyday, but after you have complete 3.0. I was hoping you didn’t say +1 every session, so day 12 becomes 2+12. Whew