Here is my plan

T

ThatWasAForwardPass

New Member
I wanted to see what the experts here and others doing HST thought about my workout. I went w/full-body b/c 1) I cant stand splits, and 2) I need mass & need it soon. Here is what I have planned for first two weeks. I have a pretty good understanding of what my 1RM's are for all of these moves

First two weeks of cycle: Will go Monday workout 1, Wednesday workout 2, Friday workout 1
Workout 1, 3x12 for all to the point of failure on 12th rep. 45-60 seconds of rest between each set.
Warm up
1. Squat
2. T-bar Row
3. BB Bench press
4. Shoulder press
5. BB shrug
6. Bent Over row
7. Nosebreaker
8. Sitting calve raises
9. Kneeling cable crunch

Workout 2, 3x12 for all to the point of failure on 12th rep. 45-60 seconds of rest between each set.
Warm up
1. Leg press
2. Close-grip lat pull down
3. Inc hammer or FB DB press
4. Front plate raise
5. Wide-grip assisted pull up
6. Incline DB curl
7. Overhead DB raise
8. Standing calve raises
9. Good mornings

Rationale behind move ordering was to work the larger groups first & move down the line as well as trying to get the tougher ones in sooner to establish a higher heart rate. Also I tried to hit most muscles at least once.

thoughts?

Btw, Stoked I found this forum. Tired of getting 5 kinds of advice from another site we all know about. Anyways, most here seem polite and I am looking forward to becoming a member who can contribute in some way on this forum.

-mark
 
More experienced HSTers will chime in, but did you read the simplify and win sticky? For the first cycle, maybe concentrate on the big compounds (BP, OHP, Squats/deads, Pullups, Chins), eat at a reasonable surplus, get plenty of rest, and see how your body responds? It's only 8-9 weeks.
 
T-man said:
More experienced HSTers will chime in, but did you read the simplify and win sticky? For the first cycle, maybe concentrate on the big compounds (BP, OHP, Squats/deads, Pullups, Chins), eat at a reasonable surplus, get plenty of rest, and see how your body responds? It's only 8-9 weeks.
Click to expand...

I did not but I will. thank you
 
Why do you want to get a higher heart rate? This will not help gain muscle. If you are wanting to drop fat while gaining muscle, don't bother trying that, you will be disappointed. You need a clear focus - bulk or cut, not piddling around in the middle.

Why are you going to failure? You should be avoiding failure as much as possible in HST. You aren't working with your 12 rep max every workout the whole two weeks are you?
 
Try HST.

a week off to decondition your muscles from being resistant to heavy loads. After deconditioning, start with roughly 60% of your 1 rm, do 2 or 3 sets of 12-15 reps. Increase the load every workout, until you are doing a set or two with your 5 rep maximum. Stay heavy for a couple weeks, then take a week off again to decondition and start another cycle.
 
Totentanz said:
Why do you want to get a higher heart rate? This will not help gain muscle. If you are wanting to drop fat while gaining muscle, don't bother trying that, you will be disappointed. You need a clear focus - bulk or cut, not piddling around in the middle.

Why are you going to failure? You should be avoiding failure as much as possible in HST. You aren't working with your 12 rep max every workout the whole two weeks are you?
Click to expand...

In simple terms: skinny-fat. I'm recomping.
 
Totentanz said:
Why do you want to get a higher heart rate? This will not help gain muscle. If you are wanting to drop fat while gaining muscle, don't bother trying that, you will be disappointed. You need a clear focus - bulk or cut, not piddling around in the middle.

Why are you going to failure? You should be avoiding failure as much as possible in HST. You aren't working with your 12 rep max every workout the whole two weeks are you?
Click to expand...

To the best of my knowledge from what Ive read about HST so far, I'm using the weight that I would fail on if i were to do 15 reps with it. Its enough of a strain when doing 12. It's not like I can crank out another 10 if I wanted to, but I'm also not falling to the floor because of failure on the 12th rep. Is this wrong?
 
eh33 said:
In simple terms: skinny-fat. I'm recomping.
Click to expand...

I understand the desire to do that, but it is pretty difficult as a natural to do a recomp. It is much easier to either bulk or cut. If you have your mind made up, I'm not going to force you to change it, but I've tried recomps before and the results were always less than stellar and less than when I simply did a bulk and then a cut. What is your current bodyweight? height? Age?

As for your workout, in HST you start out at roughly 70% of your max the first workout, do only the prescribed number of reps, then add 5% or so each subsequent workout until you hit your rep max for that rep range. Example, since you are doing 12s instead of 15s, we will assume your 12 rep max for bench press is 200 lbs. You would do 140 lbs for 2 sets of 12 reps your first workout, next time you will do 150 for 2 sets of 12, etc, until the end of that rep range when you will do 200 lbs for 2 sets of 12.
Is that what you are doing? It wasn't totally clear in your post.
 
eh33 said:
In simple terms: skinny-fat. I'm recomping.
Click to expand...

It doesn't sound as if you are new to training as you "can't stand splits." Assuming that is the case, it will be tougher to add lean mass without going hypercaloric. Ideally, you want to start an HST cycle at <15% body fat, although that is by no means essential. What is your body fat %age right now? If you are >20% bf, eating at maintenance may allow you to gain muscle while losing some fat—ideally, ensure you get 1-2g protein per lb body weight and then split the remaining cals between carbs and fats.

The problem with this approach is that you won't be optimising anything so, like Totz said, you may well wind up disappointed. Maybe, it would be better to get shot of some fat until you are closer to 10% bf and then do a proper bulking cycle. Again, this all depends on where you are right now?
 
Totentanz said:
I understand the desire to do that, but it is pretty difficult as a natural to do a recomp. It is much easier to either bulk or cut. If you have your mind made up, I'm not going to force you to change it, but I've tried recomps before and the results were always less than stellar and less than when I simply did a bulk and then a cut. What is your current bodyweight? height? Age?

As for your workout, in HST you start out at roughly 70% of your max the first workout, do only the prescribed number of reps, then add 5% or so each subsequent workout until you hit your rep max for that rep range. Example, since you are doing 12s instead of 15s, we will assume your 12 rep max for bench press is 200 lbs. You would do 140 lbs for 2 sets of 12 reps your first workout, next time you will do 150 for 2 sets of 12, etc, until the end of that rep range when you will do 200 lbs for 2 sets of 12.
Is that what you are doing? It wasn't totally clear in your post.
Click to expand...

Current bodyweight is 147, 5'10'' and 27.5.

This is where the clarification you are giving is helping. Apparently I wasn't thorough enough in my research of HST before delving right into what I "thought" I was supposed to do. What you described is something I'm not doing.

I do understand what you mean, now. See, I am not doing that. Last week was a "trial" week, where I attempted to find my 1RM's using the weight it would take me to fail at doing 12 reps. For the Bench Press, it took 12 reps of 125ish to fail. based on that, it says my 1RM is 180. Based on your advice, I should start out at doing 2 sets of 125x12, say, this week, and then later on in the week, add 5% to the 125 which would equal 135, and do 2 sets of 135x12 for my second chest workout of the week. Is this correct? I am also interpreting what you are saying to possibly mean this:

Start out at 70% of my 12RM weight, which would be ~90lbs (70% of 125), then do 2 sets of 90x12, then next workout do 2 sets of 95(90+5%)x12

Can you tell me which of these you mean?
 
Lol said:
It doesn't sound as if you are new to training as you "can't stand splits." Assuming that is the case, it will be tougher to add lean mass without going hypercaloric. Ideally, you want to start an HST cycle at <15% body fat, although that is by no means essential. What is your body fat %age right now? If you are >20% bf, eating at maintenance may allow you to gain muscle while losing some fat—ideally, ensure you get 1-2g protein per lb body weight and then split the remaining cals between carbs and fats.

The problem with this approach is that you won't be optimising anything so, like Totz said, you may well wind up disappointed. Maybe, it would be better to get shot of some fat until you are closer to 10% bf and then do a proper bulking cycle. Again, this all depends on where you are right now?
Click to expand...

I am 27 1/2. Right now my bodyfat % is 5%, as measured by the caliper of 3 spots on the body & then using a "wheel" type thing to line up age with sum of skinfolds. However, and I dont know if it's just me being possibly "skinny fat (which to me is barely anything more than an excuse)," or if my lower-abdomen muscles NEED worked a lot more, or what, but any time I gain fat, I seriously look just pathetic around the abdomen... I mean, it's something I absolutely cannot stand. Why exactly others' fat seems to spread more evenly in their bodies & mine does not seem to, I do not know. But this is why I was trying a recomp. Fact of the matter is, I have never tried a bulk-cut.

I may sound like a whiny little "b," but aesthetically, man, I really cant stand it. But right now I'm 147, ~5%bf. is there anything else you would need to know to give guidance?

I do not have a ton of experience of trying to add mass while trying to lose fat. I was able to do it overseas. I did drop 38lbs in bodyweight, however, the only places I added muscle were the places I consistently worked, IE, my abs and calves (uphill climbing/walking) & shoulders, though I worked out everything 3x's per week. I worked my chest 2-3x per week but did not grow one bit. I highly, highly doubt it was even remotely possible to grow anything I wasn't seriously hitting hard in the 950 deficit I was on (-600 coming from cardio, -350 coming from food reduction per day). Though I went from ~24% bodyfat down to what I believe to be maybe 2-3% (as measured by above method - but almost too low of a number to really believe), I did lose every bit of hamstring, quadriceps, deltoid, trap, lat, & back muscle I had.
 
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Also, I would like to provide what I'm eating per day, calorie, carb & protein wise, to see what you guys, who are hleping me, think about my nutrition

Meal
1:
Oatmeal + whey isolate shake + fish oil/cla
375 cals, 30 carbs, 30 protein

2: Skinless boneless chicken breast + green bell peppers/onions, 3 slices of whole wheat bread
405 cals, 30 carbs, 70 protein

3: Myofusion protein shake + sugar-free chocolate syrup, + 3 slices whole wheat bread
280 cals, 50 carbs, 30 protein

4: Oatmeal
160 cals, 30 carbs, 5 protein

5. Skinless boness chicken breast _ green bell peppers/onions
330 cals, ? carbs, 70 protein

6. 2 cans of green beans, 1 casein protein shake (w/lil syrup added for flavor), + fish oil/cla
320cals, ? carbs, 30 protein

Totals:
1870 cals, 150+ g's carbs, 235 g's protein

My BMR is calculated to be 1560. Then with the m0difier of about .2, that sets it to be, actually, exactly at 1870. Wow. Well, this is what I have on a typical day.
 
Dude, you have a lot to learn, but we can help. I have to go to bed but I will.post more tomorrow. Just.fyi.... When I joined this site years ago, I was the same weight.as you, and.I'm actually.a few inches taller. So youre at the right place.
 
eh33 said:
Also, I would like to provide what I'm eating per day, calorie, carb & protein wise, to see what you guys, who are hleping me, think about my nutrition

Meal
1:
Oatmeal + whey isolate shake + fish oil/cla
375 cals, 30 carbs, 30 protein

2: Skinless boneless chicken breast + green bell peppers/onions, 3 slices of whole wheat bread
405 cals, 30 carbs, 70 protein

3: Myofusion protein shake + sugar-free chocolate syrup, + 3 slices whole wheat bread
280 cals, 50 carbs, 30 protein

4: Oatmeal
160 cals, 30 carbs, 5 protein

5. Skinless boness chicken breast _ green bell peppers/onions
330 cals, ? carbs, 70 protein

6. 2 cans of green beans, 1 casein protein shake (w/lil syrup added for flavor), + fish oil/cla
320cals, ? carbs, 30 protein

Totals:
1870 cals, 150+ g's carbs, 235 g's protein

My BMR is calculated to be 1560. Then with the m0difier of about .2, that sets it to be, actually, exactly at 1870. Wow. Well, this is what I have on a typical day.
Click to expand...


At 5'10" and 147 pounds, those are snacks. You need to start eating man. SIMPLIFLY and EAT!
5% BF is unhealthy. Your internal organs hate you, eh. Eat or Die! Don't even think about non-compound movements until you are at 180-190 pounds and 12-15% BF.
 
eh33 said:
Current bodyweight is 147, 5'10'' and 27.5.

This is where the clarification you are giving is helping. Apparently I wasn't thorough enough in my research of HST before delving right into what I "thought" I was supposed to do. What you described is something I'm not doing.

I do understand what you mean, now. See, I am not doing that. Last week was a "trial" week, where I attempted to find my 1RM's using the weight it would take me to fail at doing 12 reps. For the Bench Press, it took 12 reps of 125ish to fail. based on that, it says my 1RM is 180. Based on your advice, I should start out at doing 2 sets of 125x12, say, this week, and then later on in the week, add 5% to the 125 which would equal 135, and do 2 sets of 135x12 for my second chest workout of the week. Is this correct? I am also interpreting what you are saying to possibly mean this:

Start out at 70% of my 12RM weight, which would be ~90lbs (70% of 125), then do 2 sets of 90x12, then next workout do 2 sets of 95(90+5%)x12

Can you tell me which of these you mean?
Click to expand...


Based on 12RM @ 125lb, your mini cycle would be something like this:
Workout 1: 95 x 12 x 2 sets
Workout 2: 100 x 12 x 2
Workout 3: 105 x 12 x 2
Workout 4: 110 x 12 x 2
Workout 5: 120 x 12 x 2
Workout 6: 125 x 12 x 2

Then say for that lift, you can do 135 x 8. That mini cycle would be:

Workout 1: 100 x 8 x 2
Workout 2: 110 x 8 x 2
Workout 3: 115 x 8 x 2
Workout 4: 120 x 8 x 2
Workout 5: 130 x 8 x 2
Workout 6: 135 x 8 x 2

For the 3rd mini cycle, say its 155 x 4. So:

Workout 1: 115 x 4 x 3
Workout 2: 125 x 4 x 3
Workout 3: 130 x 4 x 3
Workout 4: 140 x 4 x 3
Workout 5: 150 x 4 x 3
Workout 6: 155 x 4 x 3
 
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