HST with dumbbells

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imported_davidwillis

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Hi, this is my first post here. I have been reading up on HST for the last couple of weeks, and posted this in another forum, but didn't get a response.
I am going to give it a try. But I would like some suggestions on my program. First of all, I am going to be doing this at home, with nothing but a bench, and dumbbells. Secondly, I have had lower back broblems this summer, and don't want to hurt it again, and I also have tennis/golfers elbow, and wrist problems (this is one reason I want to go with HST, I hope to get some tenden, and joint strength). Thirdly, I am just starting out with lifting, I lifted a little in hi-school, but that was 15 years ago. I just started a couple of weeks ago, but have just been trying out different lifts to see what I like. I havn't lifted anything for a week, so it seems like a good time to try out HST. I will probably start out next week.

Here is what I am planning on.


sit ups (not HST, probably like 30-40 without any added weight)

db squats
inc. db press
db shoulder press
one arm bent db row
curls
calf raise
lateral raises

some others that I am considering

strait leg db dead lift (I am worried about my back though)
shrugs
lunges

I would like to work my legs good since they need it the most, but am not sure how to do it with only dumbbells, and a bad back.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks
David
 
Dumbells will be okay.

Just make sure its compounds lifts.

Use barbell when you can.

If you the heavy weight is agrivating your old injury just switch to a little high rep scheme with progression.

Maybe 15-12-8 rep scheme.
 
Thanks guys. I am going to start out with the 15,10,5 and see how it goes. The lifts I have on my list does not seem to give me any problems so far. If I start noticeing any problems, I will switch to a higher rep one.

The single leg plit squat looks interesting. Would it replace the normal dumbbell squat, or would I do it in addition? Or should I do it with something else to work the legs?

Thanks again.
 
If injuries become a problem...and increasing weights and pounds b/c a problem.

You could always switch to a upper/lower 4 day routine with higher volume.

Increasing load is the best way...according to hst.

However you can do more work each session (within reason) and also make gains.

IMO
 
Dude, your my internet twin  
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Hope your PR skills are better than mine, cause I think Im about to piss everyone off here askin questions.

I do all the exercises you listed (except calf raises and stiff legged deads), have back issues and only have access to db's.  
biggrin.gif
 

I can't say HST has done jack crap for my muscle volumization but Im sure gaining strength each cycle,  which is fine with me.

You can do step ups and one legged DB squats, simillar to lunges, without the lunge. Many options, I actually asked the same thing not a couple weeks ago, search under my name, just read others posts, not mine or you might get confused.

Good luck!
 
Joe.Muscle,
Thanks, I will keep that in mind. Hopefully I will be fine. My back is feeling good right now, and I think it will be fine as long as I don't do something stupid. That is why I am posting here, I just want to see what would be the best lifts to do to reduce the chance of an injury, with what I have to work with. Also, what is the best thing to do to strenghen my back? Are SLDL ok to do, maybe with extra light weight? I have not tried any of them yet.

need2eat,
I read through those threads. They are interesting. My situation is a little different. It sounds like you have lifted a lot more than me, and have had problems with squats. I have only done one set of squats so far, and my set only goes up to 50lb each. I used the the 50 lbs, and was only able to get out 12 reps (I know it is sad, I used to do over 200 lbs in high school with a bb), and it did a number on my legs. I could not go up or down stairs for days. I did not feel any pain in my back, so that is good. I think if I work up slowly, and do something to work out my back along the way, it will be fine.

I do have a question though. when reading through your posts you said you did db squats, and db deadlifts. I can not see how there would be any difference between them. Can you explain what the difference is?
 
Theres not much difference at all.

If I do the one leg squat, it really targets the quads no lower back.

Doing two DB's, your right, not much difference...best I can change it up is DB placement. Im doing deadlifts with the DB and using a short bar to do front squats. Although, DB stepups aren't bad IMO.

Good luck
 
I just tried the single leg plit squat without any weight, and it hurts my lower back. I think I need to stretch out something (I am not very flexible). It makes my back arch bad, and I can't keep it strait. I think I will stick with squats for now. I know it will only last so long with the dumbbells, then I will have to find something else, like the step up.

On another note, I was looking through the FAQ pages writen by Blade, and noticed a way to possibly fix my bad elbows. I am excited to try it, I sure hope it works.
 
check out this article. I just found it, and it look very interesting.

here
 
I started with my first session of HST today. I started out with 30 sit ups, and 30 reverse extentions (I think that is what they are called, I used my wifes exercise ball and layed on my belly, and lifted my feet up). Doing both of those seemed to get me warmed up good. Then I started my lifting. here is what I did (all dumbbell).

Squat
Bench
shoulder press
triceps extentions 2 sets of 40 with 10lbs (this is to fix my bad elbows, and boy did it burn, even though I could probably do 100 at that weight.)
One-arm bent over row
Seated curls
Lateral raises
Calf raises

I did two sets of 15 with a 60 sec. rest between on all but the tricept extentions. It took me about 35 minutes to complete.

The only problem I am having right now is that I can't really increase weight every session with the dumbbells, because my smallest plates are 2.5 lbs. So I would have to start out at 0 to be able to increase each day and not go past my max. For example, my 15rm for curls is only 25 lbs. and I didn't want to start out less than 70% of that. So this is what my 6 days look like. 20 20 20 25 25 25 25. Then my 10rm is 30, so it looks like 25 25 25 30 30 30. And finaly my 5rm is 35, so it look like 25 25 30 30 35 35. My lateral raises are even worse. Really to get anything to look right, I need to have my maxes up around 80 lbs, and I don't have any maxes that high other than squats, and calf raises.

Do you think it would be beter to drop down my first ones even lower? 20lbs was not too hard even doing two sets of 15 with a 60 sec. rest between.
 
So next cycle do you think I should drop my starting weight down even more? With my example, what would you start with? 15,10,or 5? Even with 5 it would look like 5 10 15 15 20 25. Do you think that would be a better choice for next cycle?

Thanks
 
Don't be surprised if your repmaxes increase to beyond what you thought they would be before you get to them. If you're nearing the end of a mesocycle and you feel froggy: jump. Just don't jump too far at once.
The problem you have here as I see it is that staying at one weight for so long a time will not produce hypertrophy. The point is to progress in weight (load) to produce microtrauma in the muscle. Two workouts in a row aren't a problem, but 3-4 is pushing it IMO. You might find some platemates to increment the d/b's with. Or a couple of large speaker magnets; same thing.
 
That is what I was afraid of. I just found a bunch of 1" washers that fit on my dumbbells fine. They take 6 of them to add up to a pound, so if I put three at a time on each side would increment it at 1 lb increments. Do you think that will really make a difference if I go something like 20 20 21 22 23 24 25? or should I go 20 20 22 23 25 25?
 
With curls & lateral raises why not just only put one plate on each side at a time, that way you have an increase of only 2.5lbs and keep a small progression going.
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So you go 20 x2 22.5 x2 25x2
Could just do hammer curls if having a tiny bit more weight on one side of the dumbell is a problem, i dont see why it would be.
 
Thinking about it, you could probably do that with just about any dumbbell lift I do. I don't know why I didn't think about that. Thanks
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I use a lot of odd weights with my spin-ons and kinda hate it when I have to be unbalanced. I'm talking about 5 lbs or so, but less wouldn't be noticed much. I just need to buy more plates, especially 25's.
 
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