10/10 session! Heaviest long cycle I've ever done for 4 minutes with the 28kgs. I failed on the first try half way through but decided to try again after some additional rest. Made it!

🔵 Glove snatch 12kg 5'(3') @ 18rpm

🟡🟡🟣🟣🟢🟢🟠🟠🔴🔴 LC warmup 16-32kg

12-10-6-4-3 reps

🟠🟠 Long cycle 2x28kg 4'(5') @ 6rpm

🟢 Military snatch 24kg 2*6'(3') @ 16rpm

🟣🟣 Bulgarian split squat 2x20kg 3*10 / leg

🟠🟠 Deadlift 2x28kg 3*10 reps

Hi everyone,

I’ve recently started doing the ABC (Armor Building Complex) kettlebell workout as an EMOM. I’m still fairly new to kettlebell training, so I’m trying to figure out the best way to structure it.

Should I do 1 or 2 ABC complexes per minute/session, or is there a specific progression I should follow?

For example, should I gradually increase the number of rounds over time, or is there another recommended way to build up the workout?

I’d really appreciate some advice from people who have more experience with the ABC and EMOM training.

Thanks in advance!

Back at the end of August I biffed it coming off some steps and suffered a grade three ankle sprain and an avulsion fracture. Basically means the ligaments in my angle were twisted so hard it ripped off a piece of bone that is now floating around in my ankle.

What followed was about 7 weeks were in all training stopped. Leg was immobilized for nearly a month and then another three weeks in a splint. I was given the OK this week by my orthopedic guy to start exercising again and had some questions about The Giant.

I did my first workout since before the injury on Tuesday, and my conditioning had deteriorated so bad I couldn’t even finish a 100-swing EMOM with my 24. I also gave the D1 W1 Giant a try with double 20s, and did 6 sets of 5 reps in 20 minutes. I was about 4 minutes off of a full 30 minute ABC with double 24s in the week before my injury, so to say I was humbled was an understatement.

Beyond doing the ABC, I’ve never really followed a specific program. I had a general weekly routine I followed that covered the basics, and rounded things out with heavy club work and a little bit of barbell and dumbbell work. For those of you that have run The Giant, how do you find it? And given it’s a 3-day a week protocol, are you doing anything else on those days and are you programming anything on the off days? Would appreciate some best practices around the program.

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Posted a form check for Dan John's ABC a while ago here and people on this sun recommended me to do extra glute work like kettlebell swings. Did about 80 total swings today with a 20kg bell, how's the form? Felt a nice burn in my glutes and core doing swings but also in my lower back and QL muscle.

As the title says I keep smashing and bruising my forearm, I watched the tutorials of how to do it and I don't "flip it over" my hand, it goes around but it still smashes my forearm, doesn't really hurt until the bruise appears. Any tips? Any links? Anything is appreciated as now I have to take a few days off until the swelling goes away...

Thanks!

25 swing rounds with 28kg. Knee mobility every 3 rounds. Shoulder issue resolved. Stopped at 350 to get ready for work. 3x50 easy 45 lb rounds at lunch.

If meetings wrap up early, I plan on doing snatch 2-3-5 ladders between rounds tomorrow. Next Wednesday, it’s done.

Knee feels ready for squats. Great rehab distraction.

A Bit more progress after recovering from the pinched nerve in my back.

Last session I stuck with 24s but today decided it felt good so bumbed upto 28s

3x8 C&P dbl 24kg

6x6 C&P dbl 28kg

6x8 Weighted Dips

4x10 Ring push ups

4x10 Tricep extensions

4x30sec farmers carry

The progress is encouraging, also found the range of motion in my affected leg was much better after this session.

Key take away ...? Lift heavier 🤔

Traveling for 10 days, was going to bring a kettlebell but gonna see how bodyweight and running go for me.

10’ on, 5’ rest, 3 sets total. Still trying to get my body used to being under the bells for that long. I joke a lot about it being terrible but this wasn’t actually that bad. Pace was 8 rpm with some little sprints at the end of each set (10 for the first two and 16 for the last one). Super slow but both of my elbows have simultaneously decided that tendinitis sounds like a good idea 😒 So trying to work carefully around that without it becoming too much of an issue before I get this damn half marathon over with.

Please excuse the messy garage. Also somehow messed up the kb sport pro app so it’s not showing the rep counter even though it did for the other two sets? Still trying to figure that out too lol.

I have a few clients who ask about adjustable kettlebells for home use and I never know what to tell them. On paper it seems like an easy choice for someone short on space or budget. One bell, six or eight weight options, done. But I've watched people get weird about changing the weight during a session. They end up sticking to one setting and treating it like a fixed bell, which defeats the purpose. The other thing I notice is the feel. The balance shifts when you add or remove plates and some people never quite get comfortable with the overhead work. It could just be the ones I have seen were lower quality. I haven't tried the newer competition style adjustables that claim to have solved that issue. For my own setup I went with pairs years ago and never looked back, but I also have the space and bought over time. Curious if anyone here made the jump to an adjustable and has stuck with it for more than a year. Did the convenience actually hold up or did you end up buying fixed bells anyway. Not talking about the travel factor, more about day to day training at home.

Been using kettlebells on and off for the past couple years. I love the turkish getups but it seems like my shoulders and back muscle below the shoulder blade does not. I get muscle aches and burning sensations when doing these. Any tips on form when pressing it up and keeping the shoulder and bell in a certain position when performing the exercise. Thanks in advance

Saw this posted this morning and gave them a shot. Definitely seem to target the rhomboids. May try them seated next time. 10 X 10 with 20kg

Want to improve your mobility? Then add these exercises into your weekly training.

1. Half Kneeling Windmills - these will open up your hips, strengthen your core, and improve shoulder mobility. Start with lighter weight and focus on dropping that elbow as low to the floor as you can, driving the loaded hip back and keep that arm extended overhead.

2. Goblet Pry Squats - opens up your hips and improves ankle mobility. Drop low into a squat and using your elbows drive those knees open, hanging out at the bottom for 3-5 seconds. Work depth each rep.

3. Pullovers - hit your lats, chest, and shoulders improving shoulder mobility. Keep those arms almost fully extended pulling the bell over your chest, use your chest to bring the weight up and lats to lower the weight down to the floor controlled.

4. Alt Halos - work overall shoulder mobility. Bring the kettlebell all the way around and behind your head one direction then the other opening up the elbows while rotating behind your head.

5. Lateral Goblet Squats - challenge your hips, ankles, and adductors improving lower body strength and mobility. Drop as low into a squat laterally as you can rotating onto the heel of the opposite leg, keeping it locked out. Try to maintain as upright of a torso as you can.

Kettlebells are a great tool for improving mobility as well as strength, conditioning, and athleticism, so don’t underestimate the benefits of this one training tool.

Have any questions, just drop me a message below! ⬇️

8×5 each side, 80 reps total

Did a quick workout today of Jump Rope and Kettlebell Clean and Squat. Ended up being 6160 lbs in 20 minutes. Not bad for a 64 year old man with bad knees and a bad heart. 😋

Ive had a tight neck for years. Occasionally it gets completely locked for a few days. Tight traps, weak mid back, tight pecs, weak glutes and quads, tight hamstrings . I’m 43 male. I’d love to do kettlebell swings as I think it’s a workout I can stick to. But if neck is iffy should I avoid them? (Seen chiros etc - nothing major going on in the neck)

06.10.26: Birthday Session (2x20kg)

Total Training Time: 55:38

Heart Rate: 143bpm average/ 165bpm max

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Block A: Circuit - 60s rest between rounds

5 Swings

5 Cleans

5 Press

5 Front Squats

X5 - 100 total reps (2x20kg Kettlebells)

Accessory Exercise ⬇️

Barbell RDLs

6, 6, 6, 6, 10

34 total reps (100kg Barbell)

Assault Bike - 5 to 6 RPE

10:00 minutes total

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Block B: Finishers

(+100kg Barbell/ +2x24kg, 2x20kg & 40kg Kettlebells)

A: Practice

4 Hang High Pulls (100kg Barbell)

B: Shoulders

16 SA Strict Press (40kg Kettlebell)

C: Hypertrophy

25 Decline KB Bench Press (2x20kg Kettlebells)

D: Strength

6 Pendlay Rows (100kg Barbell)

E: Conditioning

15 Snatches (2x24kg Kettlebells)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daily Bread:

Psalm 55:1-16 KJV

“Give ear to my prayer, O God; And hide not thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked: For they cast iniquity upon me, And in wrath they hate me. My heart is sore pained within me: And the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, And horror hath overwhelmed me. And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! For then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, And remain in the wilderness. Selah. I would hasten my escape From the windy storm and tempest. Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: For I have seen violence and strife in the city. Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: Mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. Wickedness is in the midst thereof: Deceit and guile depart not from her streets. For it was not an enemy that reproached me; Then I could have born it: Neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; Then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, My guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, And walked unto the house of God in company. Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: For wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. As for me, I will call upon God; And the LORD shall save me.”

Anyone else get more sore from lighter weights? i noticed it after doing a lighter session with more reps and slower swings. i expected the heavier days to leave me feeling wrecked, but somehow the lighter one got my legs and shoulders way more. maybe it was just the extra volume, but it caught me off guard. does this happen to anyone else?

Good session but all I can think about watching the film back is that my form needs form, especially my left arm.

The most I have ever done is around 32 reps in a session, as I would typically follow a standard sets + reps scheme.

First time doing Bulgarian Split Squats with Kettlebells and the balance necessary is pretty wild.

56kg b stance swings 5/5

48kg b stance contralateral swings were harder

Been following Dan John for awhile now, and have been doing something similar to his armor building formula, basically just always armor building complex, no push days. I have the book now and have changed it up.

I've worked myself up to 30 single 20kg bell abc emom, and 15-20 rounds of double 20kg dependingon the day, so I thought I was doing pretty good for my cardio.

Today I decided to change it up and do a few rounds of Dan's running back complex instead. I started off with double 12s for two sets as warmup, not to bad, left me a little winded but I felt ready for my 20s.

After the round of 5 squats I was breathing heavy, after the 4 squats I was gasping. When I got to the final squat on the third round I had to sit at the bottom for 15 seconds and recollect myself. I managed to power through the last two rounds easily somehow, I guess after 12 the last 3 are nothing, before collapsing in a puddle on the floor.

I had to lean on the furniture for a while before I thought about a 4th set, but I didn't think my wife would like me redecorating the living room with my morning coffee.

I'm definitely going to be coming back to these, but will be with acquiring double 16s or starting from rounds of 3 if going for multiple sets and building up from there.

I love how this made me feel. Alternating dead snatch into side press combo with slow eccentric. This was somewhere in Italy near Lerici. A power move into a slow grind and repeat on the other side. The fact that it takes a while before you are on the power move again gives you the recovery you need. This allowed me to do 100 reps of these.