Another Routine157.

newpers

New Member
I just completed my first HST cycle and had very good results. I gained about 10 pounds in muscle (eating much more and drinking protein shakes).

I have an inguinal hernia and a sensitive right shoulder. Both were fine for the first cycle, though the shoulder gave me some problems when finding my RM for incline bench -- after watching some videos I believe I was doing them wrong.

I want to know what I should change in my routine, if anything:

Leg Press
Leg Curls
Dumbbell Bent-over Row
Cable Front Pull-down
Dumbbell Flies
Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension
Dumbbell Overhead Shoulder Press
Dumbbell Raise

I was doing 1 set of each with a 50-70% warm-up set.

I was thinking about adding incline bicep curls and incline bench and removing the overhead shoulder press.

p.s. I am weak, which is why I chose the exercises above (for example, my 15RM on dumbbell flies was 20lbs, so I had to start out with 7.5lbs)
 
I assume the hernia prevents you from deadlifts? You can train your hamstrings with the leg press machine by putting your heels on the very top of the foot plate and pressing. This is hip extension which is the same function as a Romanian or Stiff-Legged deadlift. This can add variety and potentially some growth to your hamstrings.

You can actually get the best of the incline press and shoulder press by doing Push Presses. This lift will get the front delts, upper pec, and triceps, in addition to other goodies in the back like traps and the coracobrachialis in the arm. I am trying it as an upper pec builder presently. If doing it standing with a barbell is out of the question then you can try it with dumbells and possibly seated. If you go with the push press you can drop dumbell raises to the front and do them to the side or bent over. Frank Zane built his deltoids once using only raises to the front, rear, and sides - no overhead pressing or jerking. These can be easily done.

Add calf work. There's muscularity and bodyweight in the calves that your current routine leaves untapped.

Add forearm work as well. If your lift selection is limited by the hernia as I suspect then turn this weakness into a strength and grow some good forearms HST style. You can use a triceps rope for supination/pronation by holding at the bottom of the end pieces and rotating your wrists from a high or low pulley. Wrist curls, wrist extensions, grip work, there's so much to do and its very easy on the total body.

Might as well add neck work too. You can purchase a neck harness for as low as 10 dollars from everlast.com.

If you can do a Bentover Barbell Row or a Chest-supported Row this would save time over a Dumbell Bent-over Row.

If you can do a Dumbell Pullover without inflaming your injuries or risking them further then do a Dumbell Pullover with your elbows bent at 90 degrees. At the end of the pullover, when your humerus is pointing at the ceiling do your triceps extension. Some people at the Max-Stim forum shared this and I've tried it. It really works the long head of the triceps which is the biggest section of the muscle. I am doubting this lift is compatible with your hernia but for future reference...

Bicep curls would be a good addition. Do them seated upright. The incline variety stresses a particular head and at this point focusing on both heads is more desireable. Seated upright will achieve this.

No barbell pressing movements? If you can do them without hurting the shoulder then do them. Presses on a decline bench are legendary for mid to lower pec building. EMG studies confirm it. If flies are all your shoulder will tolerate then try flies on a decline. Dips are another good chest builder and good for the triceps too, among other muscles. But, there again, is the issue of the shoulder. I am not sure what to mention when I don't know what you've already had to throw out because of the injuries.

If you can do an incline press then you can build your serratus anterior. It pulls the shoulder blades forward. Go to exrx.net and look at the serratus anterior exercises in the Muscle and Exercise Directory. It is a muscle not being worked in your current routine. Another source of untapped muscularity.

Shrugs. But there again, you are loading the torso and the shoulder.

Rotator cuff lifts can strengthen shoulders and help prevent injuries. If your shoulder problem is rotator cuff related then doing these lifts could be really good...or maybe really bad.

There's plenty to add.
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QP has made some good suggestions.

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I have an inguinal hernia and a sensitive right shoulder.</div>

How bad is your hernia (what's the prognosis)? What kind of shoulder trouble do you get?

If you are 'weak' then why not do at least some barbell exercises (like bent-over rows and standing presses) as you have more freedom to adjust the loads in smaller increments? Your example of having to start with 7.5lb dbs for flyes is not a good idea. You should be starting each mesocycle with around 75% of your RM load. So, if your 15RM is 20lbs then 15lbs would be your starting load. What you then have to do is repeat loads as you are unlikely to be able to add 5% or so to the load each session (six sessions would take you from 75% to 100% of your particular RM) because dbs don't usually come in such small increments. So you could do this:

2 weeks 15s
Session 1: 15lb
Session 2: 15
Session 3: 15 (maybe add a wrist weight)
Session 4: 15 &quot;&quot;
Session 5: 20lb
Session 6: 20

For 10s and 5s you would have to do a similar thing. As you get stronger you will be repeating loads less often but for db iso movements it's always going to be more likely. Even when you can use 40lb dbs for your 15RM you will still likely get just three increments: 30lb, 35lb, 40lb.

If you really don't like to repeat loads so often (although it won't hurt to do so), a way around this would be to get some wrist weights and add those in as increments every few sessions.

In your case though, I would just focus on the big compound lifts with barbells and eat a lot until you have some extra strength and size. If you haven't already done so, check out the link in my footer.
 
I would change to 10 degree bench press with dumbells instead of flys.

This will allow you to increase the load more frequently (given it doesn't hurt your shoulders).
 
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