Can 1x15 on its own be of any use?

[imported_groovemeister]

Well basically I've been unwell for many months and in all likelihood will continue to be. I have colitis.

So, my training has really taken a hit - I was jogging daily and had a non HST 3 day split. As I'm just lobbing a few weights around at home every 4-5 days and doing what I can at the moment, I wonder if HST could save me.

I don't have the consistent strength to do big compound lifts or very long sessions which is what my training was about.

There's also no way I can manage the 1x5 stuff due to the fatigue that I suffer that comes with colitis, plus as I'm at home the weight I have is rather limited.

However, could a constant 1x15 full body routine be of any use? OBVIOUSLY I wouldn't progress like a 1x15>1x10>1x5 routine but would I continue to make progress?

Could it have a place as a training regime?

Cheers for any help - Simon.

 

[RUSS]

If you were to progress just the load but use only one rep scheme because of your current affliction I'd consider using 12's, just lower enough to be more hypertrophy- less endurance . I'd also use many exersizes/angles as oppossed to multiple sets of any one movement to manage "right now" fatigue that you must surely have to deal with in your situation.
OR in your shoes I'd be taking a close look at max-stim and seeing if using it's fatigue management enabled me to work around my issues and still get somesemblance of a comparable total load for each movement. I'm sure others have great options/ideas also.

 

[Lol]

Hi Simon, sorry to hear about your troubles. Hope we can help.

I think the key issue here revolves around your question, "Will I continue to make progress?"

Here's the thing: as you may well know, HST is not about reps and sets per se. What it is about is progressive loading over time. The way we normally do this, for simplicity's sake, is to use loads that approach our 15RM for two weeks then loads that approach our 10RM for two weeks and finally loads that approach our 5RM for two weeks and then another two weeks at those 5RM loads whilst using fatigue management methods. Then we take a break for a week or so and start over, hopefully adding weight to the bar on each subsequent cycle.

In your case, the heavy loads obviously take a much greater toll on your recovery ability but it may also be that any extra CNS drain and fatigue will have a greater impact on you. (I have no experience with colitis but it sounds nasty.)

My feeling is that you should figure out what you think is the maximum load you can handle for each exercise that you intend to do. Let's say you reckon you can squat 200lb for 10 reps but would feel pretty tired afterwards (ie. 200lb is pretty close to your 10RM). What you want to do is avoid unnecessary fatigue as much as possible.

Starting with 75% of 200lb, you could try something like this (with three workouts a week):

3 x 7 x 150 (ie. 3 sets of 7 reps @ 150lb)
3 x 7 x 160
4 x 5 x 170

4 x 5 x 180
6 x 3 x 190
6 x 3 x 200

That's just two week's workouts. Notice that you are never lifting the loads for 10 consecutive reps (even though you could) because we are trying to keep fatigue levels low.

Once you arrive at 200lb you might feel that you can still progress the loading because you are not dealing with as much fatigue. If that's the case then fine. You can extend the cycle as much as you feel you are able to. Drop down to 2 reps per set or even singles if it helps keep fatigue low.

You might end up with this:

3 x 8 x 150
3 x 8 x 160
4 x 5 x 170

4 x 5 x 180
6 x 3 x 190
6 x 3 x 200

6 x 3 x 210
8 x 2 x 220
7 x 2 x 230

Then you could stick at 230 for another couple of weeks:

7 x 2 x 230
7 x 2 x 230
7 x 2 x 230


If you want a longer cycle it's always possible to repeat loads and also to use the heaviest loads for longer. So, over 8 weeks you could do this:

3 x 8 x 150
3 x 8 x 150
3 x 8 x 160

3 x 8 x 160
4 x 5 x 170
4 x 5 x 170

4 x 5 x 180
4 x 5 x 180
6 x 3 x 190

6 x 3 x 190
6 x 3 x 200
6 x 3 x 200

6 x 3 x 210
6 x 3 x 210
7 x 2 x 220

7 x 2 x 220
7 x 2 x 230
7 x 2 x 230

7 x 2 x 230
7 x 2 x 230
7 x 2 x 230

7 x 2 x 230
7 x 2 x 230
7 x 2 x 230

SD/deload (whatever you want to call it)

At any time you can drop or add sets depending on how you feel you are managing fatigue.

If you really want to do 15 rep sets that's fine but, as I see it, there's little point in doing so. One of the benefits of 15s is that they are great for joint health after you have been lifting heavy loads for a while and as a good reintroduction to training after a break. As you won't really be lifting heavy you may not need any benefits from high rep work. You will still be using lighter loads initially but just doing 8 reps a set or fewer.

Hopefully, doing something like this for all your exercises will allow you a load progression whilst keeping fatigue low. All the best.

 

[imported_groovemeister]

Thanks for the replies, so everything is actually geared towards the 1x5 then?

Well, I only have 30KG of weight at home. I have to get some more even to do 1x15 but it's not a stupidly big amount. There's also the issue of needing to be able to lift it over my had or over my chest to squat/bench as I have no rack.

I'm still none the wiser TBH.

 

[Lol]

<div>
(groovemeister @ Oct. 02 2007,13:00)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Thanks for the replies, so everything is actually geared towards the 1x5 then?</div>
Not really, it's geared towards load progression. The reps are only relevant in as much as you have to do enough with a given load at any one time to trigger a PS response. The loads have to increment in order to remain an effective stimulus for hypertrophy to occur. The heavier the load the longer the stimulus will be effective and vice versa.
<div>
(groovemeister @ Oct. 02 2007,13:00)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Well, I only have 30KG of weight at home. I have to get some more even to do 1x15 but it's not a stupidly big amount. There's also the issue of needing to be able to lift it over my had or over my chest to squat/bench as I have no rack.

I'm still none the wiser TBH.</div>
If you haven't got enough weight or the necessary equipment to do a full routine then your progress will be limited to the exercises where you do have enough load for a progression or at least where you are able to apply enough loading to a muscle to trigger a response.

I don't know your training history but if you are used to squatting with heavier loads than 30kg then progress (ie. hypertrophy) from deads and squats will be poor to limited at best.

With only 30kg to play with you are effectively limiting your progress to smaller muscle groups only. A progression for, say, upright rows that sees you ending up using 30kg will be much more likely to give you gains than deads with the same weight.

If you can get more weight then that will allow you to have a better progression for your larger muscle groups.

If you don't have a squat rack then you can still do front squats after cleaning the bar to the racked position (ie. up to your shoulders). Deads are the simplest way to load your body with plenty of weight as you don't need any other equipment other than the bar.

Any the wiser now?