aloe's quest for buffness

A

aloe

New Member
Hi everybody :)

This is my first ever attempt at HST and I'm looking to get buff :] I've got 1 session of 15's left.

Just a quick bit of history on myself. I've been 'lifting' for about a year. For that year I've basically been training at my max weight and not seen much in terms of gains. I've seen great strength gains but not the mass gains I am looking for. I want the buffness more than the strength. :] The lure of hypertrophy has brought me to hypertrophy specific training.

I made my first mistake by estimating my 15 RM based upon my 5 RM. I've only just read that above 10-12 reps these online calculators begin to lose their accuracy but I found out far quicker in the gym I had over-reached on some exercises. I've done my best to alter the weights as quickly as possible but thankfully I've never gone to failure so I'm not overly concerned.

Here are my sessions so far

OHP=over head press,BoR=Bentover Row, Chins/Dips are all weight assisted

28th June - Wk1 - Session 1

Squats :: 50kg 15,15
OHP :: 22.5kg 15,12
Deadlift :: 52.5kg 15,15
Flat BP :: 32.5kg 15,15
BoR :: 30kg 15,12
Chinups :: 41kg 6,5
Dips :: 41kg 14,9

30th June - Wk1 - Session 2

Squat :: 52.5kg 16,15
OHP :: 25kg 15,13
Flat BP :: 32.5kg 15,15
BoR :: 30kg 15,15
Dips :: 41kg 12,13
Chins :: 55kg 15,11

2nd July - Wk1 - Session 3

Squat :: 55kg 15,15
OHP :: 25kg 15,11
Flat BP :: 35kg 12,10
BoR :: 32.5kg 15,13
Dips :: 55kg 15,15
Chins :: 55kg 15,13

5th July - Wk2 - Session 4

Squat :: 60kg 15,15
OHP :: 25kg 15,10
Flat BP :: 37.5kg 13,11
BoR :: 35kg 10,10
Dips :: 50kg 15,15
Chins :: 50kg 11,7
Tri Ext. :: 18kg 15 23kg 15
Cable Curl :: 14kg 15,15
Pec Dec :: 23kg 15,15

7th July - Wk2 - Session 5

Squat :: 62.5kg 15,15
OHP :: 27.5kg 13,9
Flat BP :: 40kg 12,10
BoR :: 37.5kg 15,13
Dips :: 46kg 15,13
Chins :: 46kg 12,8
Tri Ext :: 27kg 15 32kg 10
Cable Curl :: 18kg 15,15
Decline DB BP :: 14kg 11

As you can see my workout has evolved a little over the 2 weeks. Firstly, I dropped the deadlifts after re-reading that it wasnt advised to both Squat and Deadlift. Needless to say, my forearms were so blitzed after 2 sets of 15 I had to drop them for a practical reason. Deadlifts WILL be back for the 5's. I also noticed I wasnt really getting as much feel in my arms and chest as I would like. I added Tricep Extensions and Cable Curls, these have been fantastic, but the Pec Dec and Decline DB BP havent hit the chest as I would like. I think I will switch from the flat BB bench to an inclined DB press on my 2nd cycle but it depends on the results of my first cycle.

I'm eating big and I'm hoping to get big. I am currently floating around 178-180lb, I'm 6ft 1" with 13.5" Arms, 23" Thighs, 37.5" Chest and a 32" waist. I look forward to completing my first HST cycle and hopefully seeing some good mass gains as well as pushing past some of my 5 RM's. 100kg Squat (I'm 5kg away), 130kg Deadlift, 70kg Bench and a 50kg OHP would be nice plus doing a set of 5 reps on the chinup with weight added.

Oh well enough talking!

Thanks for reading and all input / criticism extremely welcome :]
 
Last session of the 15's today

Week 2 - Session 6

Squat :: 65kg 15,15
OHP :: 30kg 9,8
Flat BP :: 42.5kg 13,9
BoR :: 40kg 12,10
Dips :: 41kg 13,10
Chins :: 41kg 12,9
Tricep Ext :: 36kg 13 (didnt log other set doh!)
Cable Curl :: 23kg 10,8

I've over-reached my weight limits on most of my exercises for the 15's. A day or so after the end of my 5's I will find out my 15's before I start my strategic decondition.
 
12th July Week 3 - Session 7 - 10 reps

Squat :: 55kg 10,10
OHP :: 25kg 10,10
Flat BP :: 40kg 10,10
BoR :: 36kg 10,10
Dips :: 41kg 10,10
Chins :: 41kg 9,9
Tricep Ext :: 36kg 10,10
Cable Curl :: 23kg 10,10
 
Will do Fedor :)

14th July - Week 3 - Session 7 - 10 reps

Squat :: 60kg 10,10
OHP :: 25kg 10,10
Flat BP :: 42.5kg 10,10
BoR :: 38.5kg 10,10
Dips :: 36kg 10,8
Chins :: 41kg 9,6
Tricep Ext :: 41kg 10,10
Cable Curls :: 27kg 10,8

Ok I've radically changed the way I train this session. I started to incorporate a tempo scheme that I have seen others using in their logs. To keep the explanation brief, I make the 'eccentric' part of the lift take 4 seconds to complete and then pause before beginning the 'concentric' part. This puts the muscle under a lot more strain and resulted in a far more intense burning sensation and a more fuller feel after the workout in my muscles, a feeling I have previously not really achieved before. This has made the workouts a WHOLE lot harder. My arms and hands were shaking at work! :)

I've no idea how this will impact on my ability to up the weight as planned. I'll play it by ear and see how things go.

All the best :)
 
I love the approach - slower rep speed + pause. Are you then making the concentric part of the movements explosive? If so, you'd be hitting both slow and fast twitch fibers in your sets - and would almost assuredly explain why you had the response in yoiur arms that you did today; overall muscle recruitment was likely much, much higher than you've ever experienced with prior work.

Best of luck as you progresss, aloe. Make sure you're stretching post-workout. That will help.
 
Hi Tim thanks for the reply. :) In answer to your question yes I am lifting with explosiveness on the concentric. Towards the end of my set the explosiveness has diminished quite a bit but I suppose that is to be expected really.

A question on the stretching if you may oblige? Sadly, I am really pushed for time at the Gym (I train in the mornings). Do I NEED to stretch? If so, would having a stretching session on my off day be sufficient or should I really get it done after the workout?

Kind regards :)
 
I completely understand - I'm usually pressed for time as well. If you can't stretch after your workout, try stretching as you can through the day, or even in the evening. That will help; you don't necessarily NEED to stretch, but you SHOULD stretch. :) That will help you avoid injury and will help you recover much more quickly.
 
Thanks for the reply Tim. :)

16th July - Wk 3 - Session 3

Squats :: 65kg 10,10 (These were awesome!)
OHP :: 27.5kg 10,8
Flat BP :: 45kg 10,8
BoR :: 41.5kg 9,9 (This was not great it has to be said, perhaps getting too heavy)
Dips :: 32kg 9,7
Chins :: 36kg 7,5
Tri Ext :: 41kg 10,6
Single Cable Curls :: 14kg 10, (10,6)

I think I'm going to drop the Tricep Extensions and Cable Curls. I've got to a certain weight and it seems like anything above that form breaks down horrendously. To be honest the Dips are really blitzing my Triceps with this tempo scheme so it wont be a big loss I hope. I am not getting much bicep feel in the chins as I thought I might (hammer grip though) so I might switch the cable curls for DB curls. Not too worried though, I've still got a fair few compounds in there.

Hope everyone has a great weekend
 
19th July - Wk 4 - Session 4

Squats :: 70kg 10,10
OHP :: 30kg 10,8
Flat BP :: 47.5kg 9,8
BoR :: 43.5kg 10,9
Dips :: 32kg 10,8
Chins :: 36kg 7,5

I'm not gonna drop the chins weight any further since I've over-estimated my ability plus the changing of rep tempo they have become so much harder. For the last 2 sessions I will just stick at this weight and re-adjust for my next cycle accordingly. Perhaps I should even increase the assist on the chins so as to not burn out on the 5's? Just to save a little in the tank? I'm obviously already near my 5's on the chins due to the miscalculation.

Overall I thought it was a very solid workout. I was really feeling everything.
 
21st July - Wk 4 - Session 5 (of 6)

Squat :: 75kg 10,10
OHP :: 32.5kg 10,6
Flat BP :: 50kg 8,7
BoR :: 46kg 8,7
Dips :: 32kg 10,9
Chins :: 41kg 7,6

I'll be increasing my squat to 80kg for the last session of the 10's but I wont be going higher on anything else. A decent workout but I'm clearly at the max and over the max for many of the lifts.

I need to address my diet coming into the 5's. I'm eating as much as I can at present but it just isn't enough. Today is a typical day and I've had 1 lucoszade during my workout, 1 large yogurt, 1 protein shake, 2 cheese burgers, 2 pilchard baps, a few large almond and pistasio cookies, a few glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice, 2 or 3 cups of tea with sugar, some left over prawns, beetroot, salmon and egg and later on I will probably have another cheese burger. I would say it amounts to about 3000-3200 calories a day but it just isn't enough. I would have to say that eating big consistently has to be the hardest thing in bodybuilding.

I barely lift a finger all day, have a desk job, drive everywhere and do zero cardio apart from a few leisurely lengths in the pool after a session. Crazy.
 
23rd July - Wk4 - Session 6 of 6

OHP :: 30kg 10,10
BoR :: 45kg 10,8
Squat :: 80kg 10,7
Dips :: 32kg 10,9
Chins :: 41kg 8,6
Incline DB bench :: 20kg 7,5

Didnt go as planned today. Couldnt get on the equipment I wanted to at times and so had to switch the workout around. Had to do a incline bench instead of a flat barbell bench.

The squats were really hard. My heart was really racing at a million miles an hour and I felt physically sick after. Not nice.

Thats the 10's finished.
 
I've had to change to a 6 day split of my old routine due to further time constraints.

27th July

Deadlift :: 80kg 5,5
Flat BP :: 40kg 5,5
BoR :: 42.5kg 5,5

28th July

OHP :: 32.5kg 5,5
Chins :: 41kg 5,5
Dips :: 27kg 5,5

Great to be doing deadlifts again. I have a lovely soreness in my traps, lower back and lats today. I've added the drop sets in. Just strip down the weight and go until I get a nice burn, stop short of failure and I'm done. Very nice! Chins felt great today, could really feel the back working with slow eccentrics, pause and the squeeze at the bottom to start the concentric.
 
29th/30th July

Squat :: 75kg 5,5
Flat BP :: 45kg 5,5
BoR :: 45kg 5,5

OHP :: 35kg 5,5
Chins :: 36kg (Assisted) 5,5
Dips :: 27kg (Assisted) 5,5

Tim I love the drop set! Apart from the actual scientific benefits of doing it I find it also fills a psychological crave for the pump and burn, which I dont get as much from the 5's.

I'm definitely seeing some change in my physique. Its slowly changing. I dont think the scales will register much after this first cycle, maybe 2lb if I am lucky! but I can see a difference. I just hope I start to see some strength gains. Although we know that HST is not geared for strength logically it follows that if I am bigger I should be able to push past my old 5 rep maxes. Fingers crossed!
 
31st July/1st August

Deadlift :: 90kg 5,5
Flat BP :: 50kg 5,5
BoR :: 50kg 5,5

OHP :: 37.5kg 5,5
Chins :: 36kg (Assisted) 5,5
Dips :: 23kg (Assisted) 5,5

Mega doms in my lower back from the Deadlifts! Enough said! :)
 
3rd/4th Aug

Squat :: 85kg 5,5
Flat BP :: 55kg 5,5
BoR :: 55kg 5,5

OHP :: 40kg 5,5
Chins :: 36kg (Assisted) 5,5
Dips :: 23kg 5,5

5th Aug

Deadlift 100kg 5,5
Flat BP :: 60kg 5,4
Didn't have time to do my BoR's. :(

Extremely disappointed coming into the last few session of 5's. I was hoping that I'd push past my old weight PB's on my 5's but it looks like that I wont really be able to. That 85kg squat felt really heavy, I'm kind of dreading doing 95kg on Saturday! The 60kg bench was just as tough as it was 6-7 weeks ago. Very disappointing. Deadlift was nice, came up easier than last time but I was wearing straps for the first time which I feel made a huge difference. My grip sucks.

I suppose I need to bear in mind that I am lifting for size but I had hoped that I would see some strength gains purely because I foresaw myself having more muscle! Well I suppose we'll see, maybe I'll find some strength in the 3rd and 4th week of the 5's. Fingers crossed.
 
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