HST Tampering

[The Long Run]

I was wondering. Since I've noticed some of my tendons can tend to suffer during my max 5 rep range, I got the idea that since we continue into the 5s for two more weeks (and then either go into 3s, negs, or stay with max 5s for 2 more weeks), why not do this with 15s and 10s?

I mean, we stop dead end at our max 15 reps, and go right into 10s, and then ditto into the 5s.

Why not continue the max 15s for a couple of weeks, and/or the 10s for a couple of weeks. Even for the 10s where some still see some growth, progressively load weight in that rep range when the max weight gets light.

Do that until you're ready to hit the heavy 5s, and perhaps beyond.

Also I'm wondering what would be the issue with not even going into 5s but stopping at around 6-8 reps as your lowest. I know from personal experience that the 5 range is awesome for hypertrophy AND strength building at the same time. But couldn't you get strength building with 6-8 as well?

While this may not give you as FAST results as the standard cycle, I would think it would do wonders for those of us with weaker CNS and tendon issues.

What do you guys think?

 

[Lol]

With HST we are concerned with load progression not reps per se; wherever you start and wherever you finish that progression and how you mess with it in between is up to you. However, there are a few other factors involved too that will have a bearing on how effective or not those adjustments are. As you know, by incrementing loads over a cycle and by training the same muscles frequently we are attempting to create a chronic environment for growth AND to remain ahead of RBE for as long as possible to. RBE is most likely to catch up with us when the loads are lighter and strain on the muscle tissue is lower (ie. lighter loads are effective for a shorter time than are heavy loads). It is also likely that this 'catch up' time is a bit longer than we might think. Still, it doesn't make sense to hang around at the lighter end of the cycle where RBE 'catch up' is most likely to occur. We are primarily focussing on hypertrophy, after all, not adaptation to CNS fatigue and/or strength gains.

If you were to do a vanilla HST routine with some zig-zag you would in fact be using your 10RM loads for more than one session. If for your 10RM workout you did a set of 10 reps with 100kg for a particular exercise and then the following week you use the same 100kg load but for sets of 5 reps, you are still putting the same amount of strain on the muscle tissue but you are not stressing your body's metabolic systems and your CNS so heavily. This helps with recovery from the all-out 10RM session and allows you to regain some strength which will be beneficial as the loads continue to increment through to the end of the cycle.

If you don't go as far as 5s, that's okay but obviously the strain from the loading is going to be less than it could be with the 5s. Stopping at your 8RM loads will mean that the effective length of your cycle is reduced, as RBE will catch up to you quicker than it would if you were using your 5RM loads. Also, at loads lighter than the 5s not all muscle fibres will be firing from the start of a set. Once you are in the 5s (particularly in the second week and beyond) most of your fibres will be firing from the start of each set because the loads are heavy enough. This is a good place to be if you want to trigger a PS response.

If your tendons are bugging you then just maybe you are not used to working in the 5 rep range yet? I had never trained at such low rep levels before I did HST so the first few cycles were really tough on my joints and tendons. SD and the 15s helped and after a few more cycles my body adapted to the higher loads and I was able to extend the 5s for longer before I would need to end a cycle.

If you are quite used to the 5s, then maybe you are pushing the loads up too quickly each cycle and your form is beginning to suffer during the heavy reps? It's good to always try to add more weight to the bar but not at the expense of good form. That's often why we start to hurt more.

Pain during the 5s could also point to not having had good form in an exercise throughout the cycle but it only becoming apparent when you get to the heavy loads and the stresses are higher. Does that make sense?

Blimey! I've blathered on a bit more than I should have. Hope it all makes some sense.  

 

[The Long Run]

That was a perfect explanation and exactly the kind of info I needed. I understand perfectly now.

This is I think my 5th cycle and I never had tendon problems like I'm having now. There's only one difference between those cycles and this one. I increased the 5 rep load more than "usual".

I have consistantly gone up 5-10 lbs during every cycle but this one I pushed it up to 10-20. Ego got the best of me, obviously. It being summer and all and me being a beach bum, I guess I got in a rush.

And although most of my muscles managed to adapt to this 20 lb increase in load for the 5s (esp legs), some tendons connecting the smaller muscles did not.

I have decided to stop this cycle and just SD after only a week into my max 5s. But since I read what you said about not using nearly ALL fibres until after 2 weeks into the max 5s, I'm wondering maybe should I just reduce the weight back to what it "should" be for me, and carry on.

The only issue really is my forearms and ONLY during biceps curls. I had already reduced the weight I was using for that after the pain came on.

 

[TunnelRat]

<div>
(The Long Run @ Jul. 13 2008,10:02)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">That was a perfect explanation and exactly the kind of info I needed. I understand perfectly now.</div>
That's why it says &quot;Expert&quot; under his name...

 

[Fausto]

Hi...long run

Just to add a little here, not that Lol missed anything but...I know thia happens to me too.

On the nutrition side, are you taking flax seed oil or fish oil at least? This can help, it helps me quite a bit.

Also, if you follow Lol's advice you will see quite a bit of improvement, just allow a good zigzag, something like two workouts into the next rep range at least! For you specially I'll suggest no skipping 15's, also check the exercises (stuff like skull crushers hurts me elbows during 5's so I use someting else!) Use your intuition and...listen to your body..then learn to adapt!

Make sense?

Cheers

 

[imported_electric]

<div>
(The Long Run @ Jul. 13 2008,11:02)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">And although most of my muscles managed to adapt to this 20 lb increase in load for the 5s (esp legs), some tendons connecting the smaller muscles did not.  </div>
You know, tendons take longer to adept to heavy work then muscles.
What I do on my cycles is that I always put my RM weight on the workout before the last for each mesocycle and try for a new RM during the last workout.