Am I really to start with such light weights?

[imported_gtwr]

Hi!

I have read quite much about HST, but I haven't found an answer to this :

If I start after an SD period, and want to do 15 - 10 - 5 each for 6 sessions/2 weeks, AND I am to constantly add weight on the bar, for a 100kg 1RM movement I come up with a starting weight of 42,5 kg!!! Is this correct? For curl-grip pulldown, I know my 1RM is very close to 100kgs, 5RM 85kgs, 10RM 75kgs and 15RM 70kgs or so. If I count from the last of the 18 sessions, which requires me to do a 5RM set with 85, that is the number I come back to in 18 steps of 2,5kgs.

Also, there is this contradiction : If I come down in 2,5kg steps from my last 5 rep session, I end up with 72,5kgs for the first 5 rep session, which is less than I would be able to do 10s on my last 10s workout (75kgs is my 10RM more or less).

SO : maybe I am getting this wrong - I am allowed to go up and then back down when switching the rep range every 2 weeks?? This wouldn't be very productive at least intuitively?

I guess you could say I'm a bit confused

 

[colby2152]

Quote[/b] ]Also, there is this contradiction : If I come down in 2,5kg steps from my last 5 rep session, I end up with 72,5kgs for the first 5 rep session, which is less than I would be able to do 10s on my last 10s workout (75kgs is my 10RM more or less).

It's called zig-zagging, there's not too much you can do about it, and it hasn't been shown to hinder hypertrophy since the drop in load only lasts for a couple WO's at most.

As for the starting weights - stick to starting around 70% of your RM. EX:

70 80 90 90 100 100 - you progress (repeating only twice for different loads, don't start too light, and it is backloaded progression)

-Colby

 

[jvroig]

Zigzag or not, it doesn't matter at all.

RBE starts setting in right from the inital bout, true - but the amount of adaptation is a slow process, so working out religiously using the same load for a couple of days or workouts is no problem, or even undulating progressive loading, or habitual zigzagging.

Bottom line: yes, you are supposed to start at that light weight as long as you got your maxes correctly and you chose an appropriate increment scheme.

Good luck!

-JV

 

[imported_gtwr]

Thanks guys!

So even though you are working for 6 weeks and 18 workouts in a row UNDER your capabilities, except for the last workout of every 2 week block at 100% of your capabilities, you're going to gain strength? I've been wondering how can people report strength gains in the middle of their first cycle since they should be working within the scheduled parameters of loading? If I understand correctly, you should ONLY deviate from the poundages for your next cycle, by perhaps checking your new maxes and then going at it again with heavier weights. This seems slow strength progress (I realize this IS Hst not Sst), but is it really so that tension imposed upon type IIa and IIb fibers grows the cross-sectional area despite NOT lifting "close to limits", thereby increasing also strength?

If negative calorie balance is brought into the picture wouldn't the strength gains completely go out of the window since there is no calories for growing the CSAs of the muscles, only to halt the catabolism (at best)?

I wonder would it be more helpful for someone dieting to do a more SST type of training IF he wants to maintain (or perhaps even increase) strength, since there isn't gonna be hypertrophy in the first place, just the 0-catabolism pipedream.

Uh, sorry this topic tends to move in many directions at the same time...

 

[jvroig]

Quote[/b] ]6 weeks and 18 workouts in a row UNDER your capabilities

Submaximal load, yes, but not exactly under your capabilities. This is where the confusion lies a lot of times. You should be doing as much volume as you can in a given load - whether that is 1 set, 2 sets, 3 sets or even more - as long as you can still train as frequently. So you really aren't training under your capabilities. The guidelines of 2 sets each is a good starting point (or the other guideline of 15x1, 10x2 and 5x3) - from there, you should be able to gauge how much you can really do. Again, it boils down to being able to manage your own training, which comes from experience and vigilantly monitoring your workout.

 

[lcars]

Quote[/b] (gtwr @ Dec. 29 2005,12:13)]Hi!
steps from my last 5 rep session, I end up with 72,5kgs for the first 5 rep session, which is less than I would be able to do 10s on my last 10s workout (75kgs is my 10RM more or less).

i personally,when in the fives would never start from below my maxs with 10s,to me you are either doing progressive load or you are not,i now just keep adding a little weight to the bar no matter how small it is(usually 5kgs min),more weight is more weight right?
i know bigger increments(which i use as often as i can) are better but i believe its better to add weight than lift less or  the same.But having said all that after completing a couple of cycles i think you will have your own ideas about what to do next,good luck.

 

[liegelord]

That's the way I do it, except for my first cycle last year, I never zig-zag. I think it may help with strength gains.