Confusion Regarding Set Number

[Turnitupto11]

Hi guys,

I've been reading about HST for the past 2 weeks, trying to get to grips with the ideas. I've also started doing my first cycle.

There's a few questions I have that I can't seem to find a definitive answer to on the forum, so I wonder if someone can help.

The first question is about the number of sets/frequency. I understand the idea that we need to exercise the same muscle group every 48 hours so that we stay in the sweet spot where our muscle is growing (rather than exercising a muscle group once per week). My confusion stems from what seems to me to be two conflicting ideas.

One idea is that in each workout we only need a single set for hypertrophy (this is the Montclair State University study where 1RM increased equally from performing single sets versus multiple sets)....The other idea seems to be that we want to do as much volume as possible without stressing out the CNS (and getting into overtraining).

To me these seem like two entirely different ideas and so I'm wondering what the answer is. Is it the case that there are no benefits in terms of hypertrophy in doing multiple sets per bodypart? Or is the Montclair study wrong...are multiple sets beneficial providing that they don't put too much stress on the CNS??


My second question is probably one for the future, but I've heard from people like Pavel this idea of 'greasing the groove' and I'm wondering if this would also increase hypertrophy. So let's say we have two different people. One of them follows the standard HST workout to the letter. The second follows HST to the letter but ALSO does a few sets of pullups throughout the day. Would the second guy get more hypertophy as there is more volume (providing he didn't overtax the CNS)??


The final question regards failing. Let's say that we are doing 2 sets on the 5 cycle. If you are able to complete the first set but then fail on the second set what does this mean when training under HST? Under 'normal' training it would mean keep the weight at the same level, but because we want to keep progressively loading the muscle what would the solution be? Are you supposed to increase the rest period, drop down to a single set for that bodypart during the rest of the cycle or something else? I'm not sure whether it is more important to keep volume high or keep the load increasing. Obviously you want to do both, but when you can't which one gets priority?



Thanks for any help

 

[Old and Grey]

Welcome Turn.

I am late for an appointment but let me just point out that you appear to be mixing up the results of studies that focus on muscle strengthening while the focus of this forum is primarily hypertrophy. Two different goals requiring two different training techniques. Almost all research is devoted to strength so be careful how you interpret those studies.

As to your second question, the quick answer is that all of your suggestions work. Also, you may also consider adding sets so that it may actually take you two sets rather than one to complete your 5 reps on the second set ( e.g., 3 reps then 2 reps). On your next seesion, try to get 4 reps supplemented with one more but decrease the time between lifts. In other words, keep the intensity high. Stick to one protocol per cycle. You can always change it up the next cycle.

 

[Turnitupto11]

Hi Old and Grey,

Thanks for responding. Yeah I got confused because in one of Bryan's articles on HST he mentions:

"Low Volume Per Exercise (average volume per week)
HST suggests that you limit the number of sets per exercise per workout to 1 or 2. This is based on “some” evidence that sets beyond the first “effective” set do little more than burn calories. There is nothing wrong with burning calories, but when you get to be my age you just don’t have the exercise tolerance that you once did. Using hormone replacement (HRT) therapy would of course, increase the number of sets you could do without undue stress.
"

The source for this is:

5) Curto MA., Fisher MM. The effect of single vs. Multiple sets of resistance exercise on strength in trained males. Med. Sci. Sports Exrc. 31(5 Supp) pp.S114, 1999

</SPAN>
The study, as you say, talks about strength and not specifically hypertrophy. So really I was trying to work out why Bryan referenced this study when it is about strength and not hypertrophy. My best guess is because it suggests that the lion's share of benefits (in strength) comes from the first set and because of this it suggests that doing whole body workouts multiple times each week is valid as lower number of sets are still effective for strength and potentially hypertrophy??

There's so much information on this site that getting to grips with it all is a bit intense </SPAN>