No of Sets

I

imported_daxie

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Please also explain why it is your preferred method and why other's aren't.
I personally see this as one of the most variating thing in hst schemes, which makes it often unclear for newbies I think.
Thank you,
daxie
 
Daxie

I feel that as we start on 15's and it can be pretty hard if done properly one set and little rest does the trick, plus one can use a rudimentary, mostly compounds type of program, at 10's one can add some variation plus a few isolation exercises, this is where we may differ, here I use two sets but not of the same exercise, (except for the main compounds - bench/squat/deads).

I start adding variation and will perform a second type of exercise usually a isolation one as a post-exhaust in a superset, rest is 30 - 60 seconds.

At the 5's and negs, I use even more variation, but for the big one's I like to build up (squat for example I'll do 50/15 - 70/10 - 90/8 - 100/5 x 2), I feel that it gives me the built in safety I need and this is very personal others may feel the same or quite contrary
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, I only consider the last set the working set then I will still jump to leg extensions for the extra pump!
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Daxie - I suggest you download the HST tweaking e-book that Vicious set up, as it explains all these variations well, then it is a matter of personal choice
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By the way, I saw the pics, looks good just a little beefing up and you will look awsome.
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Fausto
 
Because HST is based on the principle that load is the primary determinant of size, I like to keep as many other variables constant and focus on increasing the load over time. With this I prefer keeping the total number of reps as constant as I can while decreasing the number of reps per set. I just increase the number of sets to keep total reps constant.

I voted for increasing the number of sets as reps decrease. As sets increase, I also don't force myself to always complete a specific number of reps. If my strength is dropping yet I want to complete more reps I'll simply do as many as I am able regardless of what rep range I am supposed to hit. I stop just short of failure most of the time but not always.
 
I voted for Clustering the Reps. Pretty much for the same reasons Bryan cites, it simply removes the variables of sets and keeps the number of reps consistent throughout the cycle, but I always start my first set with the prescribed number of reps or more.
 
I started my first cycle and I am doing two sets for every exercise. Why? Because it was the basic program Bryan laid out on the front page lol.

I am just testing this and then Ill see if I want to adjust it or not. For my next cycle I am considering just 1 set for 15's, 2 sets for compounds/1 set for isolations for the 10's, and 3 sets for compounds and 2 sets for isolations on the 5's....

But I dont know.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Bryan Haycock @ June 29 2005,2:48)]Because HST is based on the principle that load is the primary determinant of size, I like to keep as many other variables constant and focus on increasing the load over time. With this I prefer keeping the total number of reps as constant as I can while decreasing the number of reps per set. I just increase the number of sets to keep total reps constant.
I voted for increasing the number of sets as reps decrease. As sets increase, I also don't force myself to always complete a specific number of reps. If my strength is dropping yet I want to complete more reps I'll simply do as many as I am able regardless of what rep range I am supposed to hit. I stop just short of failure  most of the time but not always.
do you have a specific # of reps you like to hit???

like for example supposing for squats you'd want to hit 30 reps..

so during the 15s you might only need to do 2 sets, while during the 10s and 5s you may need as many as 6-8

how do you go about keeping them # of reps total constant??
 
Bryan i was thinking it could be really helpful if you could make a complete and detailed journal of one FULL HST cycle you complete. like sets, reps etc i think it'd be really handy to look over.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (OneMoreRep @ June 29 2005,11:14)]
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Bryan Haycock @ June 29 2005,2:48)]Because HST is based on the principle that load is the primary determinant of size, I like to keep as many other variables constant and focus on increasing the load over time. With this I prefer keeping the total number of reps as constant as I can while decreasing the number of reps per set. I just increase the number of sets to keep total reps constant.
I voted for increasing the number of sets as reps decrease. As sets increase, I also don't force myself to always complete a specific number of reps. If my strength is dropping yet I want to complete more reps I'll simply do as many as I am able regardless of what rep range I am supposed to hit. I stop just short of failure most of the time but not always.
do you have a specific # of reps you like to hit???
like for example supposing for squats you'd want to hit 30 reps..
so during the 15s you might only need to do 2 sets, while during the 10s and 5s you may need as many as 6-8
how do you go about keeping them # of reps total constant??
Agree, while doing 2 sets of 15 3 times a week seems very easy to do, 6 sets of 5s doing 3 times a weeks seems to be a lot harder to do...

Plus the time it might take?

Or is that the intention?
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (BigL @ June 29 2005,5:47)]What exactly is clustering? Can you give me an example?
Let us say you go for 2 sets of 10 reps with a certain weight..

First set goes ok, 10 reps ok

Second set... You start, everything goes well until the 6th rep, and you feel you won't get to 10.

In HST, where you don't go to failure, you would stop, pause for let us say 30s, and then do another 4. Or if you can't get to 4 but only to 2, you'd do 2, wait, and do the final 2.

Basically you take a small pause and continue until your reach a desired no of reps.
so your total would be 20reps, but it would be divided into 10/6/2/2 or 10/6/4...

In classic failure training, you'd do the second set to failure, eg 8 reps, pause, and do the other 2.

Daxie
 
I voted 1 set of 15's, 2 sets of 10's and 3 sets of 5's. I ended up with this after a few cycles of 2 sets for each rep range.
I found that 2 sets of 15's drained my energy level and I really saw very little results during 15's anyway - so I do 1 set
My body has always responded well to 2 sets of 10's especially during the second week - so I left 10's alone.
I found that I wasn't making gains when I did 2 sets of 5's, so I upped it to three sets and my growth continued throughout the cycle.
The problem I ended up with was by the time I get to 5's my volume is off the charts. I tried clustering and heavier weights on my last cycle and the volume was even worse. :confused:
I am looking over some past workouts from O & G and plan to try some different stuff on my next cycle. He swears to me that I won't lose size if I cut down on my volume per workout -
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Firm
 
Firm, you do 2 sets for both compounds and isolations during the 10's, and 3 sets for both durin ghte 5's?

Thanks
 
So experts I guess I have been doing it wrong or have i ?

I start with 2 sets for 15's then go to 3 sets for 10

and 3 sets for 5 also.

I have increased by chest and back workouts to 4 sets to bring up my lagging pecs but also to keep my posture in check.

So since I increased the sets for pecs to bring up the lagging bodypart which is what the forum recommend than means during the 10s I am getting in 40 reps...so does this mean if I keep that up for the 5's I should do 8 sets....to keep it at a total of 40 reps???

Sure doesn't sound right?

What do you guys think
 
What you are doing is fine.

There is no wrong or right, this poll was just a question, as long as you progressivley load and workout each muscle group every two or three days and can handle the volume you are using without losing strength then that's what counts.
 
If I'm reading this correctly, than what really matters is keeping total number of reps constant per exercise. So instead of thinking of it in terms of strictly sets, is it better to think of it in terms of target reps? For example, 15 reps per exercise for 15s, 20 reps per exercise for 10s and then 15 reps per exercise for 5s (with some metabolic sets thrown in). In this example, in all probability, the 15 reps of 5s would be done in more than 3 sets (with the proviso that you do no more than 5 reps on any set).

That seems to make sense to me. Am I on the right track?
 
That would make things clearer, especially from a newbie point of view!

If the more experienced ones can confirm that this would be a good way to start (maybe not the optimal, general rules never are- when putting a scheme together for the first time?

daxie
 
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