Anyone feel strange when they first started their 15 Rep phase of the cycle?

R

Rozzy1

New Member
Hey everyone --

I am now currently in the 15 rep phase of my first cycle of HST Training (loving it by the way...don't feel so exhausted these days!)

Wondering if anyone felt the same way as me when they first started the HST training (mainly in the 15 rep phase)...

Before I started the HST training, I was doing Bill Starr's 5X5 program and was lifting fairly heavily, then all of a sudden I'm down to doing 75-85% of my 15 rep max, which seems awfully light...

My friends at the gym were pretty much ribbing me, "What's with the light weights?"

It almost feels like it's my first time in the gym again. I guess it's purely psychological when it comes to lifting weights hey?

Mark
 
I'm sure everyone felt that way. But the reason behind the 15s is for joint preparation, "healing" tissue and setting the stage for HST. You also have to remember this isn't a strength cycle it is for hypertrophy, you will notice strength gains as it follows many strength principles but don't expect as much as you did from 5x5.

At first I wasn't to tired off of the 15s as I always held myself to be more of a conditioned person but wait till the last couple days of the 15s and a tip- try focusing on the eccentric phase of the lift, but not as much as a negative because you don't to tax your CNS early in the cycle you should feel a better burn and a little more "tired".
 
Hey Mark, with 15s you pretty much have to leave your ego at the door and just focus on getting the job done. Forumlurker is dead right about the second week of 15s; they start to feel not-so-light and the workouts get to be pretty tough going, especially if you are doing more than one set of each exercise.

Maybe when you're doing 15s with 300lb for squats and your mates are still doing 300lb for sets of 5 maybe they won't rib you so much; they might even ask if they can join in the fun. :)
 
Nah, the 15s are okay. It's the 23s you've got to fear -- although young Tom seems to be somewhat enjoying them.

 
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Rozzy1 said:
Before I started the HST training, I was doing Bill Starr's 5X5 program and was lifting fairly heavily, then all of a sudden I'm down to doing 75-85% of my 15 rep max, which seems awfully light...
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Well, if you came straight from doing low reps the 15s are going to feel pretty like because the are light relative to the weight you were using previously. The idea behind making 15RM weight loads effective is strategic deconditioning. You need a period of time in which you can allow the muscle to un-adapt to soem extent to the heavier loads. Then it will be more likely to respond in a positive way to the lighter loads.
 
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