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[John Grahill]

I did all 3 phases in 2022 with a pair of 24s.

That's a beastly achievement!! I've never really done phase 3 after 1 and 2. I did however use a pair of 28s and did phase 3 by itself for like the month of January 2014 or 15. It was rough towards the end! I can't imagine using 79s for it now!

Strong is a Wonderfull program. Simple and effective. However, I had to be intelligent with rest as the weights went up.

I concur. As the weights get heavier, phase two may need more rest between sets and occasionally I may drop to twice a week one week and three times the next week.

 

[blad51]

@mvikred Phase 3 was challenging but not impossible. I was ready for it when I got there.

Three things helped me successfully complete the 3 Phases:

(1) I followed GN's recommendation for choosing my bells for the program.

(2) For Phase 2, I picked the Slow and Steady Option.

(3) I trusted the process.

I posted in detail about my progress with Strong! in the original (super long) Strong! thread. (If you're interested)

 

[blad51]

@John Grahill
Thanks! You were one of the people who inspired me to give Strong! a try.

 

[Halfakneecap]

Have anyone done the third was which aims at developing strength endurance ?

I tried but failed. But, I never timed my rest periods strictly in phase 1 and 2. I needed the rest.

Phase 3 is brutal

 

[John Grahill]

Very excited today. 9 rounds of heavy day in phase 1 week 7 and I was able to recover between sets extremely quickly! I always allow a half hour for phase 1 training and including warm ups I was done in less than 23 minutes! In fact I held myself back from doing a 10th set which is slated for Monday! Feeling quite strong again in the 2 bell C+P again!

In my mind, this is Geoff's best program for sure and I've tried numerous of his!

Not quite where I want to be, but on the comeback! I'm curious as to what I'll be able to do in the rep max test next week! Then I'll pick a course of action, either another Giant run or Phase 2 of Strong.

 

[Kettlebellguy]

Very excited today. 9 rounds of heavy day in phase 1 week 7 and I was able to recover between sets extremely quickly! I always allow a half hour for phase 1 training and including warm ups I was done in less than 23 minutes! In fact I held myself back from doing a 10th set which is slated for Monday! Feeling quite strong again in the 2 bell C+P again!

In my mind, this is Geoff's best program for sure and I've tried numerous of his!

Not quite where I want to be, but on the comeback! I'm curious as to what I'll be able to do in the rep max test next week! Then I'll pick a course of action, either another Giant run or Phase 2 of Strong.

Great work! I think I read somewhere that you enjoyed Giant 2.0 the most because it has ladders. If you haven’t Done Giant X I think you will love it because the rep schemes are ladders and change weekly.

 

[John Grahill]

Great work! I think I read somewhere that you enjoyed Giant 2.0 the most because it has ladders. If you haven’t Done Giant X I think you will love it because the rep schemes are ladders and change weekly.

I actually did Giant X as a guineau pig. Yes I enjoyed them. Yes, the 2.0 is what I started my "Giant Journey" with. Prior to that I was not used to going above 6 reps maximum in the clean and press. The 2.0 primed me for it.

 

[MikeTheBear]

Is the Strong program significantly different from the Giant?

 

[Halfakneecap]

Is the Strong program significantly different from the Giant?

It’s a long haul program. It’s awesome. I’ve done Giant 3.0 and Strong. With Strong, you just build volume over the weeks. You look ahead and think there’s no way you’ll get the reps, but you surprise yourself .Highly complimentary. Strong phase 1 and 2 took me months. I had to drop to twice a week but I got there. My 24’s felt light after that

I’m sure John has done them both a lot more than I have and will have more to say

 

[John K]

Is the Strong program significantly different from the Giant?

Yes and no.

Both are clean and press programs. Both (can) start with a ~5RM bell. Both (can) end with doing lots of higher rep sets.

Giant will ultimately spit you out with HIGHER rep sets, but it doesn't prescribe volume - the sets are autoregulated.

Strong is a slower, more methodical progression from a 5RM bell, and would set you up very well to run that bell in the 10RM Giant Series. It is most like Giant 3.0 that progressively builds, but it uses prescribed set progression.

The Giant is a "fixed" amount of time per session.

Strong! will have more variable, and you can make sessions quite long if you stretch the rest out, particularly in the early stages. But you have a volume cap too, so on easy days - you can't just go ham and really rack up the sets.

 

[John Grahill]

Is the Strong program significantly different from the Giant?

@MikeTheBear yeah a little bit. The biggest thing to me is that there's a fixed amount of work per session with "Strong" as opposed to the Giant. It does have an element of density but it doesn't come until phase 2 and even with that, it still has a fixed amount of work required per workout.

As I'm writing this without my morning coffee I notice that @John K has done a nice job explaining it! Oh well.

A final "difference" for me, in the Giant 3.0 it calls for a 5RM and Strong is a 4 to 5 RM. If the weight is a "comfortable" 5 RM I'd go ahead and hit up the Giant 3.0 because of the density aspect of the program. If the pair are a "semi tough" 4 to 5 RM, I go with "Strong" phase 1.

 

[MikeTheBear]

Thanks for the responses everyone.

 

[corkoz]

I'm back to "enjoying" my kettlebell training again. Had a good workout this a.m. and am having some coffee before I go to work.

Strength and strength endurance both seem to be going in the right direction. When I started 5 weeks ago I took a full 3 minutes between sets on heavy days. Today I noticed I felt somewhat ready to go after a minute and like 45 seconds but I forced myself to wait a bit so my cleans were strong. No rushing prematurely at my age now!

It's a great program structure that has always delivered for me. I think its safe to say I've always been a fan of Geoff's programming having tried most of them, but "Strong" is in my opinion his best.

As you have done both wich one do you prefer; Giant 3.0 Vs Strong?

 

[Chris Mills]

As you have done both wich one do you prefer; Giant 3.0 Vs Strong?

I've done both and my take (not that you asked ME ) is that....it depends. I'd say Strong is better if you're more on the "intermediate" or even "advanced" end of the spectrum with whatever lift you're using it (I infer that the Strong program can be applied to just about anything; though the example in the materials is double-kettlebell C&P) for, so your progression will, by definition, be...measured, if not outright slow.

If you lean more to the "novice" end (i.e., just haven't done "that lift" in a long time and will likely progress quickly), I'd use Giant 3.0 because it's only 4-weeks, and every session is "appropriately challenging", by definition. Though, at extreme end of that, the rests get so short by the last week that the light day turns into (at least the last time I did it) a cardio session.

As I recall, Strong actually has some specific prerequisites (though I can't remember what they are), which maybe is to address this very issue.

 

[Halfakneecap]

I did Giant 3.0 then Strong. Best progress I’ve made strength wise with KB’s. I plan to redo Strong with my 28’s. I can use my 28’s now because I did 3.0 and Strong with my 24’s.

 

[John Grahill]

As you have done both wich one do you prefer; Giant 3.0 Vs Strong?

Kind of like comparing a red Cadillac with a blue one, they're both great!

At this stage I'm preferring "Strong" but if I divert next week after and go with the Giant, I just might change my mind!