Did I blow out my CNS???

Lol, you're definately right...I don't want to stop, but I think it will be beneficial in the long run.

Yeah, it is my first HST cycle and in all my years of training I've never really pushed my self like HST is getting me to do.

I think the mistake I made was during the 15's, I did two sets and my joints were pretty sore by the time I finished my first week of 10's.

In switching to a 2x week schedule, everything else would remain the same except each stage (15's, 10's and 5's) would be one week longer. So you are doing six workouts over 3 weeks as opposed to 6 workouts over a 2 week span. Am I correct in that assumption?

Would I be able to do more cadrio if I switched to the 2x a week? Or is doing more cardio compromising the HST cycle?

I'm curious about this 2x a week thing for my next cycle because my joints, especially my lower body ones, are pretty sore.

Thanks again guys. I think I've learned more in the last month and a half by being on this site than I did in my previous 6 years of working out.
 
I alternate a couple of exercises per workout, would that be okay to do if I was only going 2x a week? Or should I do the same exercises every workout?

As for the layout of the week I was thinking:
Monday - HST
Tuesday - Cardio
Wednesday - Cardio
Thursday - HST
Friday - Cardio
Sat. - Cardio
Sun - off

I found it hard to do cardio in my first cycle as my joints were sore quite often, so I didn't do as much cardio as I would have liked...needless to say, my pants are a bit tighter around the waist
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As for exercises I was planning on:

A
Squats + SLDL
Incline Press
Pull Ups + Rows
Standing Shoulder Press

B
Deadlift
Dips
Chin ups + Rows
Upright row

I was thinking of adding some arm isos and maybe some for my rear delts as my front ones got quite the workout from my current HST cycle and I would like to develop my rear ones better.

Any comments/suggestions??
 
if you are only doing 2x a wk you could do more exercises because you have more recovery time.
but what you have looks
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that should give you 3wk cycles instead of 2wk
 
Actually, my suggestion was a tad different...I recommended a 2x per week regimen plus cardio for a few weeks to work mainly on strength. In those two sessions, I wouldn't do more than one or two big exercises, one or two work sets. You need deconditioning, and intermittent strength training may just allow you to do that, and help you get the most out of your next cycle in the process.

If your joints are such that you feel you need to switch to 2x per week for your whole next HST cycle, maybe you need a good week off of the iron, totally....I know the prospect of a week off is scary, but it may be needed if you feel that burned out? Just a suggestion
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<div>
(Slapshotz @ Mar. 21 2007,20:40)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Actually, my suggestion was a tad different...I recommended a 2x per week regimen plus cardio for a few weeks to work mainly on strength.  In those two sessions, I wouldn't do more than one or two big exercises, one or two work sets.  You need deconditioning, and intermittent strength training may just allow you to do that, and help you get the most out of your next cycle in the process.

If your joints are such that you feel you need to switch to 2x per week for your whole next HST cycle, maybe you need a good week off of the iron, totally....I know the prospect of a week off is scary, but it may be needed if you feel that burned out?  Just a suggestion
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HST is already intermitant (zigzaging) and taking a wk of is called SD
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I will definately take everything you guys have said when I set up my next cycle. I really appreciate the help!!!
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Slapshotz - would you do cardio on the same day as weight training...or on different days?

Faz - I'll probably add some isos if I'm only training 2x a week just so I can pay a little more attention to some of my weaker parts.
 
Personally, I wouldn't switch to twice a week training for a whole cycle. I would only go this route if I couldn't get the time to train or if I was feeling burnt out at the end of a cycle and wanted to get some strength back for some max lift attempts (which is how I understood your situation).

After you have SDed you will find the 15s fine 3 x weekly, especially if you only do 1 set of each exercise, although, if you are dropping down to only 4 exercises each w/o, 2 sets would be fine. Just don't push too hard on the second set if you are getting near to failure early on in the mesocycle. You could always stop at 10 reps for the second set.
 
DITTO TO WHAT LOL SAID

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">After you have SDed you will find the 15s fine 3 x weekly, especially if you only do 1 set of each exercise, although, if you are dropping down to only 4 exercises each w/o, 2 sets would be fine. Just don't push too hard on the second set if you are getting near to failure early on in the mesocycle. You could always stop at 10 reps for the second set. </div>

15's can burn real bad. For example, I was doing deadlifts today at 190 lbs. The second set I stopped short at 12 reps. If you can't get the first set done for some given reason, then cluster your reps up to at least 15.
 
Dr said, &quot;in all my years of training I've never really pushed my self like HST is getting me to do.&quot;
I came in here from MuscleNow and had to almost do 3 sets of 15 the first time around to get a workout. It's all relative to conditioning. Scientific Muscle just came off the Korte's program and his conditioning is way up: making everything else easier. To me, HST is the easiest program I've ever done, bar none. There IS a possibility that your increments are wrong for you. Consider that? As I'd said earlier, you shouldn't have been burning out before ending a cycle; it's not normal, but not impossible either.
However many workouts you decide on per week, I think that when you get back into it, you could do arm iso's once a week along with rear delt flyes or high pulls as long as your main workouts are mostly compounds. That should bring up your weak points, IMO.
 
Quad - I think you might be right on the increment thing...I will re-evaluate for my 2nd cycle. What are high pulls?

Lol - is there a big disadvantage to 2x a week? I would just prefer to do more cardio, which I found really hard to do with the 3x a week.

In my 2nd cycle I was planning on doing

1 set of 15s
2 sets of 10s
2 or 3 sets of 15s

Should I add any amount of reps to keep it consistently around 20 per exercise per workout? I cant remember who but they mentioned during 15s they do a set of five as well to bump up to 20 reps. And somebody else mentioned that during 5s they add a set of 10reps at their 15 rm to make sure the volume is increasing.

Would it make sense to try and get 20 reps during the 15s and 10s and between 10 and 15 reps during 5s and add a set at either 10rm or 15rm to reach 20 reps?
 
if you are going to be happy doing 2x a wk then do it, whatever keeps you in the gym
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yes add a drop set to the 5s,i would just keep the 15s as they are.
 
Here's one of them:
http://www.deepsquatter.com/strength/archives/korte.htm

But a primer before going to a place like that is:
http://www.deepsquatter.com/strength/archives/manrodt4.htm

And if you're a fanatic for reading, the madcow 5x5 has been fun for us:
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=375215

All in all, since you're new to BB'ing, I'd suggest vanilla HST. It works for advanced lifters and is dang sure good for new guys. I'd do about 7-8 cycles before worrying about strength, since your strength will soar on HST anyway.
If it was the Korte's 5x5 you wanted, I don't have that link for you, since I went with the madcow version and was happy with it.
 
Maxing out with heavy weight is definitely more CNS draining than volume work.

I have done heavy volume/lightish loads and been fine CNS wise, but recently I got into powerlifting and I am drained to the max.

I deadlifted 365/ deep-squatted 255 /benched 215 and overhead pressed 140. I also made other attempts for 1rm on bench/squat and press, Basically I did a 1rm attempt 7 times in two weeks, I got some kickass PRs but I slept all weekend and today I still feel drained. I hope taking all week off will allow recovery before I start my next HST cycle.
I just can't seem to rest enough and energy levels are very low. Probably will do some Zen meditation this week to unwind and recover my nervous system.
 
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