additions to hst

M

mindstar

New Member
So I've been having great success with HST but for two exceptions:

One, my calves are still puny as I'm not doing any direct calf work and;

Two, I've developed 'forearm splints' from heavy benching (and comparitively weak forearms)

So, I was wondering how might these two bodyparts be worked into hst, given that traditionally, they require more reps and frequency than other muscles to grow. Would I hit them 4x a week each? M/T/R/F? What sort of rep pattern would folks here reccommend? Any specifics for exercises?

Also, I was considering switching my alternating squat/DL workouts to squats M/W/F and doing deads on M/F, essentially doubling my squat volume and adding one extra DL session per 2 week block. Is this silly and/or are the gaps between DL workouts too long to be maximally effective?

Right now I'm doing:
squat/DL
Bench/dip
chins/tbar rows
Shoulder press

with Skull crushers and curls thrown in during the 5's.

Any and all help would be much appreciated folks! Thanks!
 
Add calf work with your normal routine 3/week. Some people don't need to do calves, but some do, I am one who has to. I haven't been and it shows! My calves respond best to heavy, heavy loads and high reps, I have to push them to the limit.
I have big forearms, and I feel forearms get almost ovetrained with all the work they do, deadlifts, rows, chins, as well as pressing, etc. all work the forearms. I would never dream of adding direct forearm work. After pulling exercises, especially deadlifts, my forearms are as tired as my back and thighs! I don't use straps for dead-lifts. Do you? If so try doing deadlifts raw with only your grip to hold the load, this should be plenty of forearm work.
 
i don't use straps for anything, only chalk.  

The reason I'm aasking about direct forearm work is specifically to treat this injury that has come from an imbalance in strength (from what I have been able to learn elsewhere).  It is so painfull that it stops me from benchpressing at all (think shin splints in your arm) and the remedy seems to be greater forearm strength.

I pull decent weight, but my forearms are never as tired as when I used to work them directly.


What about my idea for squats and deads and the new frequency plan?
 
Try it and see. Some have no problem doing both squats and deads three/week. Others only do each lift once/week...there is no advice better than going to the lab...err, gym
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, and trying something yourself to see the results.
 
so when you train calves, do you use HST principles or do you just go balls to the wall every workout, hoping to up the weight as you can (failure style)? I'd asume the same would apply to forearms...
 
I think experimentation for odd muscles is best, since different people respond to different systems. (calves, legs in general, traps)

I don't do calves because I skate once a week and it seems to be enough. I also can't skate/dance with them sore.
I see a lot of big calves at the rinks. Have you ever noticed the quads on the olympic speed skaters? YUGE! Isn't that odd?
 
HST principles for the whole workout.

Calves - add direct calf work - standing calf raises are great.

Forearms - either direct forearm work - or to save time do standing alternating dumbell curls using the HST principles for your bicep work - this hits the forerams quite well - the first part of the movement is a hammer curl - nice forarm movement.
 
do calves DC style. it might do the trick. as for forearm splints i have no clue. i thought u only get shin splints.
 
i tend to experiment like quad said.some days i hit them for 30 reps,then other days i use slow deliberate movements with lots of weight.ive managed some growth from those suckers but its hard.i often go from legpress straight into calvepress.
 
After my calf injury a few months ago I have only just started adding in calf raises again. I am going to treat them with a bit more respect than previously now that I know it is possible to snap stuff down there.

I'm going to take it nice and easy for a while but eventually I will use the same loading as before but I will slow the rep speed down to ensure that I'm not firing off the golgi tendon reflex. I'm also going to avoid failure as that's when my form dropped off and I started to bounce a bit.

I do one-legged calf raises on a block at home holding a db and calf raises in a leg press at the gym. My favourite is donkey calf raises but there's no machine for that where I train now. I am skipping seated calf raises as that's how I had my pull. Never liked them anyway and I think my soleus muscles get plenty from squats and deads.

I like to do around 30 reps total for calves. I don't bother with 15s so I start with 3 sets of 10s and go from there ending with 6 sets of 5s.
 
How do you hold the bar when benching? I always keep my fingers and thumb on the same side of the bar, and rest the bar on the balls of my hands, I found this puts much less stress on my forearms and wrists. A small change in grip when benching can make a huge difference in wrist pain!
 
Thanks guys...

What is DC style training?

I hold the bar with my thumbs arround, squeezing hard. I use chalk too and it actually helps my bench to some degree, believe it or not.
 
Don't wrap your thumbs around the bar, that puts more stress on the wrists, just grip the bar with your fingers wrapping around on the top of the bar, this way the bar can sit on the balls of your palms, right on top of the forearm bones, if you wrap your thumbs opposite your fingers, then the bar has to be higher on your plam and stress the heck out of your wrists, it is no wonder you have forearm splints. If you bench the way I am recommending you will have no pain at all in your wrist or forearms, because basically all you are doing is balancing the bar on the heels of your palms, very little pressure on your wrists this way. To illustrate better, imagine benching with only the tips of your fingers wrapping around the bar, and its resting in your fingers with your wrist's bent backwards, OUCH!- extreme I know, but this is purely for illustration. Now imagine the bar is built into your wrists and requires no grip at all, just sits supported on your bones. This illustrates how important grips can be.
 
Sci: I used to do what you say but tried a 'Jules tip' and it worked for me. It seems that you can induce a greater pec contraction if you squeeze the bar whilst bench pressing. You have to consciously try to grip the bar really hard as you are pressing. It's a bit like a reflex action. I won't go back to thumbs on the same side as fingers for work sets now but then I don't get wrist pain from benching. If a change in grip helps reduce pain I'd be all for it.
 
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(mindstar @ Oct. 13 2006,20:09)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Thanks guys...

What is DC style training?  

I hold the bar with my thumbs arround, squeezing hard.  I use chalk too and it actually helps my bench to some degree, believe it or not.</div>
This is how DC (dante bautista, founder of um...doggcrapp training (lol), recommends doing calves:

Calves: (all calves are done with an enhanced negative, meaning up on big toe, 5 seconds lowering down to full stretch and then a brutal 10-15 seconds in the stretched position and then back up on the big toe again. It really separates the mice and the men--this is an all straight set)
leg press toe press, or
hack squat toe press/sled

Squeezing the bar hard during benching does active the triceps more, so it's not surprising that it helps your bench.
 
For more forearm work hold on to your dead lift or pullups for 20 seconds after your last rep. If you want something other than a static hold then hold on to the bar with just fingertips then squeeze to a fist during the 20 seconds. Of course I would recommend that you do not do that with deadlifts.

But yeah the grip may just be there issue there.
 
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(mindstar @ Oct. 13 2006,20:09)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">What is DC style training?  </div>
DC stands for DogCrapp training. Yeah, that's really it's name.

Never done it, but it's apparently one very heavy set to complete and total failure.
 
I'd be damn careful about doing benches with a thumbless grip. I won't do that at all. Easy for me to say, as I can do heavy benches with no wrist problems.

However, one heavy barbell falling several feet onto your chest or neck could ruin your whole day...and all the other days that you might not have after that.
 
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(Lifting N Tx @ Oct. 14 2006,00:46)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I'd be damn careful about doing benches with a thumbless grip.  I won't do that at all.  Easy for me to say, as I can do heavy benches with no wrist problems.

However, one heavy barbell falling several feet onto your chest or neck could ruin your whole day...and all the other days that you might not have after that.</div>
It is actually quite comfortable AND secure!
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The bar is not going anywhere as my fingers are on one side, thumb is along the bar, and the heel of my hand is on the other side. I have long fingers and grip the bar well without thumb. The reason I am suggesting this to mindstar, is that I had the same problem with wrist pain, until I started the thumbless grip.
 
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