1st HST Cycle

M

markobenin

New Member
So I just decided to start a workout log on here. I'm already 3 workouts into my 1st HST cycle EVER and hopefully it's progressively getting more and more challenging, which is good because the first couple of workouts were rather quick and painless. This is a bulk cycle for me as I'm looking to gain at least a solid 10lbs, and if I'm lucky, a few more.

In previous threads, I stated that I will be consuming 3800-4000cal to meet the bulking requirements I have calculated, so hopefully this diet treats me well. I'm eating all good clean food, no junk/fast food for me. Diet mostly consists of 3 protein shakes (all made w/ soy milk and protein powder), this organic grain/oat type cereal, tuna, pasta, honey, fruits/veggies. As far as supplements go, I'm only taking a multivitamin/mineral pill a day, and 3 fish oil capsules.

As far as the workout goes...here is what I did today for the 3rd day of Week 1 of the 15s (1 set of each exercise for 15s):

A routine:

Squat - 155lbs
Flat Bench - 105lbs
Chin ups - 12th plate on assistance machine
Dips - 13th plate on assistance machine
Pullups (Wide grip) - 12th plate on assistance machine
Military Press - 60lbs
1 legged Calf Raises - 50lbs
Triceps pushdown (rope) - 63lbs
Biceps BB curl - 45lbs

Still breezed through the workout in under 30mins as the previous two workouts. Only struggled a little bit on the pullups, as my next workout I will hit my 15RM (they are alternated with BB row, hence why I will hit my RM next Wed for pullups). Other than that, all the other exercises were performed well with good form.

Normally I do a core workout afterwards MWF on a swiss ball, which is about 20mins, but I felt kinda tired today so I'll post pone it till later today or perhaps tomorrow.

I couldn't say if I gained any weight this first week because the scale at my gym was broken so I couldn't weigh myself, so if it gets fixed by next workout, I will update that info.

I'm open to any suggestions or comments!

-Marko
 
Hello , the way you've presented it as "A routine:" leads me to ask - is there a B as in an A/B alternated scheme? If so listing it would help fill in the picture.
Also your movement selection ( always a personal and sometimes touchy subject - so please don't be offended) , seems redundant in several aspects esp. for bulking. You've got :


Squat - 155lbs
Flat Bench - 105lbs
Chin ups - 12th plate on assistance machine
Dips - 13th plate on assistance machine
Pullups (Wide grip) - 12th plate on assistance machine
Military Press - 60lbs
1 legged Calf Raises - 50lbs
Triceps pushdown (rope) - 63lbs
Biceps BB curl - 45lbs


dips+bench ?
chins+pullups?
tricep pushdown +military,bench,dips= 5's will be fun for you to say the least( I say that tongue in cheek).
BB curls - but no rows?
BB curls + chins+pullups = you've set yourself up for (IMHO) severe fatigue accumulation issues later in your cycle .

Bi's and tri's are going to be the weakest link in several compounds you're listing hitting them to such a degree will compromise larger groups Resulting in significantly less than optimal "bang for buck".

You've stated that your goals are to bulk , you're body weight in proportion to your load numbers assuming no handicaps or injurys indicate that you're either relatively new to lifting or new to lifting effectively.What I see listed above MIGHT make sense for a much more advanced lifter who has already built his foundation - even then there would be some redundancy that might minimize CNS bang for buck.

For where you're at I would recommend:

Bench / Dips
chins/rows OR pullups/rows
military press/upright rows
squat/deadlift

(if you use an A/B split routine)

OR


Bench or dips
military
Rows or chins
deads
squats

done 3xwk


-Again if there is a "B" to this please post it.
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My B routine is as follows:

Deadlift
Incline Bench
Chin ups
Dips
Bent Over BB Row
Military Press
1 legged Calf raises
Triceps pushdown
Biceps BB Curl

I've been lifting consecutively for a year (my whole 1st year in college) but also my Sr year in HS here and there.

I feel like if I cut down to only 4-5 exercises per workout as you suggest, my workout would be even easier than it is now, and would be over in a breeze, I really cannot come to grasp how I would add any mass whatsoever with only 4-5 exercises that I would do in like 30-45mins.

In addition, I'd say my back and chest are my weakest points, which is why I added 2 exercises for both of these body parts (dips + flat/incline bench for chest and chins + pullups/BB row for back). And by doing the iso exercises for the arms at the end of the workout assures I won't be fatigued for the bigger compound exercises.

The way I listed my exercises in my first post is the exact order in which I perform them, as you can see going from compound --> isolation, and alternating b/w chest and back as to give more rest and not get fatigued if I were to do the 2 exercises consecutively.

So far I'm handling the volume just fine if that's your main concern (ie having too many exercises) and I suppose if I find it gets too difficult in the 5s, I can cut out the isos at the end and still have 6 solid exercises.

And I think you must think I'm some sort of weakling looking at those poundages...but keep in mind this is the week of 15s, and I've seen other members use even lighter loads in their logs.

Open to further comments though if you think I can improve this routine...
 
Also, I guess your shortened routine WOULD work if I were to increase the volume to 2 set for the 15s, 3 sets for the 10s, and 5 sets for the 5s. Right now with my original exercise scheme, I plan on doing 1 set for the 15s, 2 sets for the 10s and 4 sets for the 5s.

Oh and if you could please clarify why my current routine would not work for bulking purposes please do so, as the only thing I've understood so far is that I may get fatigued, but I would think this can always be altered if I begin to feel exhausted in the later stages of the cycle. As I said, the iso's can always be cut out in the 5s (now that I think of it, I probably will cut them out because 9 exercises at 4sets a piece would take at least 1.5hr), and I'd be left with:

Squats/Deadlifts
Flat Bench/Incline Bench
Chins
Dips
Pull ups/BB row
Military Press

1 leg, 2 chest, 2 back and 1 shoulder exercises. I think that shouldn't be TOO bad for the 5's, what do you think?

For the 15s and 10s, unless I begin to feel the toll of 9 exercises, I think I might keep em the way they are, unless you think that would interfere with bulking, in which case if you can please elaborate that'd be great!
 
A must read-

http://www.hypertrophy-specific.info/cgi-bin....t=12541



A cut and paste from where I addressed an extremely similar situation recently (too recently to write it again - hence the cut and paste).


"IMHO(and experience) the more mass oriented you are the LESS exersizes (fluff volume) you're going to want to do am/pm and alternate routines have thier positives- but for pure mass nothing beats simple. Allowing the neural adaptations to really kick in by focusing intensely on around four of the most basic compounds will result in the strength and mass gains if enough is eaten.
If you do bench (flat), military press, rows and deads/squats you will far surpass the guy doing what you've proposed above. And while he's advancing slowly due to expending energy/recovery on what MIGHT be applicable for a guy whose looking to specialize and bring up parts of an already built mass foundation - you will be miles ahead of him and 90% of the "bodybuilders" who are cutting and bringing up parts that they never built the mass foundation for first.


Flat Bench (some prefer dips)
military press
BB rows
deads (monday)/ squat (wednesday+friday)

you can't beat it. Give it two cycles- you'll be amazed by the first and religiously converted by the second . regardless of what you choose welcome to HST and goodluck! "



The thread it is excerpted from:


http://www.hypertrophy-specific.info/cgi-bin....hl=russ



And no I don't think you're a weakling , you're a beginner according to your own words"I've been lifting consecutively for a year (my whole 1st year in college) but also my Sr year in HS here and there." couple that with your numbers ,and the fact that you're 6 ft. 5 and 190 lbs.(definitely in the foundation building stage for that height- again no offense meant) and I think almost any HST veteran would offer advice similar to mine - I just answered you first. I just want to see you succeed , and progress optimally , when you succeed , we all (HST) succeed as this is something most of us care very much about/for. Good luck , and again I didn't mean to make you feel insulted or offended in any way - sorry if I did...
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Do you think I should simplify right away, or wait till I get to the 5s? In addition, if I am to simplify to 4-5 exercises right away, should I up the volume to a total of 30 reps (so 2 sets during 15s, 3 sets in 10s, and 6 sets in 5s)?

It'll be hard cutting out all the iso's for arms and calves, I'd hate to lose size/definition in em. But I have heard that size in the arms does come from compound lifts...but is yet to be tested by me.

Thanks alot for the advice, you're the only one providing it so far ;)

P.S. No offense was taken whatsoever, constructive criticism is what I asked for
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<div>
(markobenin @ Aug. 24 2007,18:25)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Do you think I should simplify right away, or wait till I get to the 5s? In addition, if I am to simplify to 4-5 exercises right away, should I up the volume to a total of 30 reps (so 2 sets during 15s, 3 sets in 10s, and 6 sets in 5s)?

It'll be hard cutting out all the iso's for arms and calves, I'd hate to lose size/definition in em. But I have heard that size in the arms does come from compound lifts...but is yet to be tested by me.

Thanks alot for the advice, you're the only one providing it so far ;)

P.S. No offense was taken whatsoever, constructive criticism is what I asked for  
tounge.gif
</div>
As I understand it you've just completed the first week of 15's? It would be a convenient time to bring in the simplifications starting with w/o #4 (monday I'm assuming) - this way you can make the most of the cycle. 15's and the first week of 10's feeling too easy is a common observation of first timers , but an HST cycle works because of the sum of it's parts , from the zigzagging to the comparitive &quot;ease&quot; of the first week of each rep range each element serves a purpose that all comes together to create an effective cycle.
You're first cycle is when you &quot;get&quot; what can be read about over and over but not really understood completely until learned experiencially , so sticking with a more &quot;vanilla&quot; or &quot;simple&quot; template not only is more productive gain wise for beginning and intermediate lifters but speeds the &quot;getting it&quot; factor - enabling more efficient and educated &quot;tweaking&quot; a cycle or two down the road (if you wish).
I understand your volume concerns but that becomes more of an issue down the road - for now you could go with the vanilla 20 - 30(per w/o per major compound) and make great progress. I know how counter- intuitive this can feel at first especially if you are coming to HST from a lesser frequency/higher volume per w/o routine or H.I.T. or really just about anything else! By the end of your first cycle you'll understand in a way that surpasses me telling you why the &quot;ease&quot; of some of the submax loads , the zigzags , how 5 out of the 6 w/o's per rep range feel so short of failure (if used to failure training - this can be un settling at first) is all going to work for you even though it may seem too easy at first.
You could do 1x15,2x10,3x5 and be just fine for now. Later it might become advisable to increase it . As for cutting iso's it's all about doing the right things at the right time ...Hopefully others will jump in at some point to re-assure you - but if not I promise I'm not crazy and what I'm suggesting will work just fine!
smile.gif

Good luck and keep us updated with how it's going for you!
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<div>
(markobenin @ Aug. 24 2007,19:25)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">It'll be hard cutting out all the iso's for arms and calves, I'd hate to lose size/definition in em. But I have heard that size in the arms does come from compound lifts...but is yet to be tested by me.</div>
You don't need to worry about losing size or definition in your arms and calves. You're not going to get big arms until you've got a strong back and shoulders. You're not going to get big calves until you've developed your trunk and upper legs. The human body functions as a corporate whole. It is much more than the sum of its many parts.

Contemporary modern bodybuilding likes to focus on isolation exercises for the many parts (and that's not bad for final tweaking once a solid foundation has been laid). However, compound exercises tap into the unitary function of the whole body, and result in the accumulation of much more mass. First labor to get the mass; then tweak with iso's once there is something to tweak. Compare the size of the men at a Power Lifting meet with the guys who spend their time doing curls in the squat rack...

Ask yourself if this young man needs to spend more time doing isolation exercises: Deadlift -- 405 lb. X 30 (Turn your sound down first!).
 
Ok, if I were to simplify my routine into an A/B split, how does does look:

A:

Squat
Bench
Chins
Military Press

B:

Deadlift
Dips
BB Row
Upright row

And for volume, do you think 2x15, 3x10 and 6x5 would be acceptable? Doing an increased volume such as this is the only way I can put my mind around the idea of only 4 exercises in one session being effective, even though you assure me you're not crazy! And as stated in the FAQ regarding volume, I suppose I can always judge by the way my body reacts whether it's too much or too little volume.

Finally, are you SURE I can't do some calf and arm iso's at the END of the 4 compounds? It wouldn't affect my strength on the compounds...and for now it would put my mind at ease, for this transition from training to failure to what appears to be a very easy routine to me is MIND BOGGLING as I'm sure you understand.

If I do an A/B split as I just proposed, how do the weights progress? Do I just do the last three increments from the RMs since I'd only do each exercise 3x as opposed to 6x? For example, if I'm alternating squat and deadlift, squat would be done M &amp; F of week 1, and W of week 2, so would W be the RM, and F -5% increment (if that were to be my increment) and M -10% from the RM? And I would do this separately for every exercise...
 
Workout #4 - 2nd week of 15s:

So today is the first day I used the simplified version of my workout using a volume of 2x15 for each exercise, and I must say I got a pretty damn good workout out of it, broke a pretty good sweat.

Deadlifts - 155lbs @ 2x15
Dips - 11th plate on the assistance machine (not sure what weight this corresponds to) @ 2x15
Chins - 10th plate on the assistance machine (again, not sure what weight this corresponds to) @ 2x15
Military Press - 65lbs @ 2x15

The deadlifts went well although it got a little hard towards the end of the 2nd set. Dips were no problem. I completed the 1st set of the chins just fine, but struggled a bit and only went to 13 reps on the 2nd set. And completed both sets of the military press and felt a nice burn in my shoulders.

Finished the workout with a superset of some core exercises on the swiss ball.

I'll see how sore I am tomorrow and judge by my soreness whether I should keep the volume the same or reduce it. This is my 1st cycle, so I&quot;ll probably get growth from even 1x15...so again, I'll see depending on how my body feels tomorrow.

Weight: 193.8lbs
 
Workout #5 - 2nd week of 15s:

Today was the 15RM workout for my A routine. It wasn't too bad and went by pretty quick, so I must've gotten stronger as I did 2 sets of the exercises...

Squat: 175lbs - 1x15 (only did one set because I hate high repped squats)
Flat Bench: 115lbs - 2x15
BB Row: 75lbs - 2x15
Military press: 70lbs - 2x15

Weight: 194.2 lbs
 
You'll be getting stronger at a fairly rapid pace with the routine you're doing - I see the scale weights going up too , good work!
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Haha thanks brotha, I can't wait till the end of the cycle and see what kind of gains I make. I'm anxious to get into the heavier 10s and 5s
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Workout #6 - Last w/o for the 15s

Today was the 15RM day for my B routine. Didn't have too much trouble with the workout.

Deadlift: 175lbs - 1x15 (only did 1 set as I felt that was enough, struggled a bit on the last 2 reps but managed to complete a full 15 reps for that one set I did)
Dips: 10th plate on the assistance machine - 2x15
Chins: 9th plate on the assistance machine - 2x15 (struggled a bit on the last 2 reps of the 2nd set, other than that felt good)
Military Press: 75lbs - 2x15

I'm glad the 15s are over as I am now looking forward to starting up the 10s and hopefully see greater strength/mass gains. I will probably start my 10s this Sunday instead of Monday because the gym is closed for Labor Day (friggen labor day!). And then resume the 2nd workout of the 10s next Wednesday.

Weight: 194.8lbs
 
Workout #7 - 1st 10's workout

So I did my first 10's workout today instead of tomorrow, because as I previously mentioned, the gym is closed tomorrow for Labor Day. However, I'm sure doing today's workout one day in advance isn't too big a deal, I'll still get 2 days of rest after today.

Squat: 185lbs - 2x10
Flat Bench: 125lbs - 3x10
BB Row: 80lbs - 3x10
Military press: 75lbs - 3x10

Did all the exercises pretty easily, maybe struggled just a lil bit towards the end of the 2nd and 3rd set on the bench, but I still managed to hit the 10 reps each set.

*****Weight: 198.2lbs*******

When I stepped on the scale today it read 198.2lbs! Either the scale is messed up (on occasions it's not calibrated correctly) or I actually did gain 3.4lbs in 2 days...which is hard to believe. I wish I had access to an electronic scale which is generally more accurate so I can figure out whether or not I need to reduce my calories or not.

I assume if I am gaining more than 1lbs/week I should cut down yes? Or is it possible to gain more LBM than that?
 
1st off congrats on your progress so far.

1lb a week is a general rule of thumb in order to keep too much fat from being gained (over muscle) as you progress. this of course varies person to person, some have a better ratio of muscle gain/fat gain then others but still you can only gain so much muscle in a week regardless of your ratio so going way over 1lb a week will lead to excess fat.

all that being said, i wouldnt worry about that big jump. at least not right now. try and get on a decent eating plan that has enough protein and calories and has you gaining @ 1lb a week and try to stick with it (try fitday etc and remember to adjust cals periodically to account for wgt gained). 1-2lbs a week means you should barely see the scale move each time you weigh in (if you weigh in each w/o) but it also means that big jumps can average out if your sticking with you meal plan. personally i eat dinner @1-2hrs before working out. usually nothing heavy but occasionally ill really put some pasta away with a few big glasses of milk. even 3hrs later my wgt at the gym has jumped a couple lbs easy........but that doesnt mean its my new &quot;real'&quot; wgt. it all averages out over the weeks.

dont worry about getting too detailed with your diet etc. right away. tracking what you eat is a good idea (at least for a little while) so you know how many cals are needed to gain (and maint.) and make sure the protein (mostly food) is at least 1g per lb and you should be good. you can always add to your knowledge and adjust your diet as time goes on and you have the interest. just dont try to put together the &quot;perfect diet&quot; right out of the gate. its not needed right now and more likely to confuse you rather then enlighten. with a little time and exper. that will al definitly change.

btw. you can probably pick up a home scale pretty cheap (thrift store, goodwill etc) and get in a good routine of weighing in each AM upon waking. no more worrying about others equip. recalibration, clothes wgt. shoes, time of day, meals had or not had etc etc. personally ive found thats the best way to track if im really gaining/losing wgt rather then just having big meal or wearing an extra sweatshirt.

good luck
 
Thanks for the input and you're right, my weight jump was nothing to worry about, today when I weighed in before my w/o at the gym I was 196.5lbs which is a little more reasonable.

Now for my log...workout #8 (10's):

Deadlift: 185lbs - 2x10
Dips: 7th plate on assistance - 3x10
Chins: 8th plate on assistance - 3x10
Seated Military Press: 80lbs - 3x10

Deadlifts went well, as well as dips, struggled a bit towards the end of the 2nd and 3rd sets on the chins, but not too bad, and the military press was easy.

Workout took about 30mins and felt pretty good. Today I actually started taking creatine and I'm gonna load for 5 days and then go to the 5g a day recommendation. Hopefully i'm a RESPONDER to it and get some good results.

Weight: 196.5lbs - so far weight gain is consistent for the first time in my life which is nice, but this is probably due to my diet, and my calorie counting which is a first....and ofcourse HST
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Workout #9 - 10s :

Squat: 205lbs - 2x10
Flat bench: 135lbs - 3x10
BB Row: 90lbs - 3x10
Military Press: 85lbs - 3x10

I did the workout today without problem. Today is my 3rd day on creatine and I believe to be a responder, as I felt pretty energized during my workout today and I didn't even struggle too much on the 3rd sets of the exercises. I'm excited to continue my creatine use and see further results. I have noticed slight stomach cramps, but they are easily cured with drinking a little bit of water. I've been pissing like a horse though!

Weight: 197.5lbs

A 1 lbs jump in just 2 days, but that's probably a large part water weight due to the creatine I started taking.
 
Workout #10 - Week 4

Deadlift: 205lbs - 2x10
Dips: 6th plate - 3x10
Chins: 7th plate - 3x10
Military press: 90lbs - 3x10

Today's workout was real good, I'm really feeling the strength gains from the creatine. I'm finished with my loading phase and can finally start taking regular doses of 5g per day. My deadlifts felt stronger, I felt like I could do far more dips than 10, even on the 3rd set, my chins were OK, i usually struggle on them but today I only struggled towards the end of the 3rd set. Military press was also completed w/o a problem.

Weight: 198.2lbs (was 199lbs before the workout, guess I lost some water weight hence the 198.2lbs after the workout)
 
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