I am just not getting sore... Should I?

C

corvettecris

New Member
I am about to enter the second week of 10's, and I still have not experienced any sorness.  Here is my workout:
(A)
Leg Press
Incl. Press
Mil. Press
Pull Ups
Curls DB
Shrugs
Lying Tri Extentions
(B)
Dead Lift
Dips
DB Sh Press
Seated Row
Curls BB
Rev Tri Pull
I workout 2-a-days T-TH-S, (A) in the AM, (B) in the PM.  I am sure the weights and RMs are pretty much right, as I find it the lifts to not be overly easy.  For the 15's, I started out doing 1 set, as prescribed, but quickly ramped it up to 3 when I discovered it was very easy (and in HST, you do the max volume possible without burning out on your next workout, right?)  
Now I am in the 10's, doing 3 sets for most of the movements, 2 for just a few like shoulder press and dips.  The workouts feel fairly intense, as by the 3rd set, I am usually pumped, but I feel fully recovered the next day?  From the FAQ, I understand it as:
If i am not sore at all, up the volume
If I am a little sore, and tired, then just right
If I am really sore, decrease volume
I feel like I have upped the volume as much as I can without going to failure or clustering.  I even use the strictest form I can possibly muster, but all I get is very minor stiffness, mostly in my legs & shoulders.
Is it still too soon to be sore, or is it a possibility that my body just recovers well?  Am I doing something wrong? Glutamine and creatine are the only supplements I really use.
 
Soreness is not always the sign of a good workout. Have you gained any weight? Have you noticed any size gains?

I know you are doing an am/pm split but that really seems like a lot to be doing. Stick to fewer excersises (compounds) and up the weight and intensity a bit. Just seems to me that you are doing too much for a guy who is not on AAS.
 
No Need to get sore mate! You say you are feeling a little stiffness but it goes away.

I think you are on the right track, can't say you should up the volume, the best you can do is on the 5's if it stays like this, to introduce metabolic stress inducers and maybe Loaded stretches!

If you are not gaining then there maybe something wrong but otherwise soreness tells you jack s..t!

I think in HST if your conditioning is good, then you don't really get sore but rather a full feeling in the muscles.
thumbs-up.gif
 
Sorry for the double post. Maybe a mod can combine the two somehow?

Well, I have been lifting for quite some time, so maybe my conditioning is up to par with the damage I'm causing. I guess I will stick to it and see what happens.

My SD was only 10 days, so maybe that had something with not 'fully' deconditioning before starting again. I am in the military, so unfortunatly for me, SD is hard to come by with mandatory PT and the such. I was lucky to get 10 days.
 
BTW, I'm not really sure if I am gaining yet.  I feel 'bigger', but I have yet to weigh or measure anything (my bad).  I will check this Sunday and see.
 
Cris

In the army? :D

That explains everything.
butbut.gif


No wonder you are not feeling sore! Your conditioning is causing that! A very good thing IMO/. So there, not to worry.

You have a magic opportunity to try oput HST to the max, eat well and get superfit, all at the expense of the tax payer what a pleasure!
thumbs-up.gif


Make the best of it. I certainly would if I were you! :D
 
Thanks for the warm wishes. It isn't much fun being here, but at least I have enough down time to really work on gaining some mass!
 
First Corvette thanks for all you do over there for our country!!!

Second take full advantage of your free weight time.

I think twice a day is great if you can get it in.

If I were you I would just eat like a horse and workout like crazy...I wouldnt worry about gaining fat b/c I am guessing you dont have much food choices over there so go for a good bulk and hit the food and weights.

Let us know how it goes!!!

I have always wanted to eat everything in sight and workout twice a day for say 6 days...just dont have the time!!!
 
Ok, here is an update for you. Today, I completed my first week of 5's. Still no real gains. I reviewed my caloric intake again, and I am getting about 3500-4000 calories a day, which is easily 500 over maintenance a day. It is about 30% Protein, 40% Carbs, and 30% Fats. I guess that is a little on the low side if I want any real gains, as I have gained a little fat, nearly zero muscle, and very little overall weight, scale-wise. The good thing is that I feel like I have not lost any muscle mass, so I think I am sort of on the right track. I am wishing I had stuck to my old split, though. I think there just isnt enough good food (and time to eat it) here in Iraq to gain well on 2x a day HST. I think starting tomorrow, I will just abandon my attemt at keeping the percentages in mind, and just start eating like a mad man, everything goes style (with the exception of sweets). Maybe the last week of 5's and the negs will be the turning point!

(BTW, I will be out of this $HI*&hole by the end of this month, so then the REAL training can begin!)
 
Chris
I wanted to point you out to this:
Go download the essential Berardi e-book on the link I provide below and open up page 29, then do the math and see what is you real caloric requirement, you'll be surprised.
butbut.gif

Yeah, that was also my reaction  
laugh.gif

Essential Berardi
 
Hmm, I came up with about 3800 kcal a day for maintenance. That is a LOT. I usually eat about 4000, so I would need to get a few more for some real growth.

I have onemore question: I am about to hit the negatives. As a newcomer to HST, what kind of intensity techniques should I use on the final 2 weeks? I already do LS, so should I use both negs, PS, partials, and etc? I looked at the Pimp My HST book, but it was a little too much at this time for me, so I was curious if someone could just give me a down-and-dirty top 5 or 10 list.
 
Chris

Down and dirty, hunn?
sneaky2.gif


Man, lets get real, the best part of negatives is tha fact that you in real heavy territory, get the "partner from hell" who can really motivate you and help as well (shouldn't be too difficult in the army)
laugh.gif
.

Don't go overboard with exercises, keep things simple use some isolations only where necessary and here yeah, hit those PS's and LS's big-time.

I'd even suggest J-reps but that is a bit of a swear word at the moment, I'll came back to that real soon with more "meat".

That is it! Oh, yeah, I nearly forgot - 4000 cals. you say? And you are not getting fat from that? 4300 would be 500 on top of that but stay on the 4000.

Word of advice, once you get off the army situation, which normally has the PT part and all that (and that could be eatin' up the other calories), then watch and maintain the caloric intake at a level that works but does not make you gain too much fat!

Cheers, mate!
thumbs-up.gif
 
Thanks for the tips! More questions:
1. On negatives, how many sets should you perform of each exercise?
2. Also, should I do a burn set with each exercise I do?
3. What weight on the burn set?
4. When do partials and etc. come in? After the first set of negs, or are those a replacement for negatives?
5. I am doing 2-a-days 3 times a week. For the neg weeks should I just hit the gym once a day instead of twice?

Yeah, I am eating about 4000 cals on a daily basis. I guess the 2-a-days coupled with PT on the off days is burning up a lot of my calories.
 
Geewiz, that is one lot of questions dude
laugh.gif


[b said:
Quote[/b] ]1.  On negatives, how many sets should you perform of each exercise?  
Click to expand...
Most of us do 3 first week, and 2 on second, but this is up to you, how you feel.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]2.  Also, should I do a burn set with each exercise I do?
Click to expand...
Burnsets IMO are mostly used for lagging parts, but if you really want to yes, it can be done, it will get a bit much though!
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]3.  What weight on the burn set?
Click to expand...
A weight that allows 10 to 15 reps at a fastish pace I'd say.

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]4.  When do partials and etc. come in?  After the first set of negs, or are those a replacement for negatives?
Click to expand...
If you want to do partials, they should really be used as a replacement when the load gets too heavy, not too many people would agree with this but my opinion is to replace - for instance, you don't have a partner to do the negs but want to still push a heavy load, however you cannot complete a rep properly, then use partials.
wow.gif


[b said:
Quote[/b] ]5.  I am doing 2-a-days 3 times a week.  For the neg weeks should I just hit the gym once a day instead of twice?
Click to expand...
Use your intuition, split the exercises so that you have some left for the 2nd cycle, or alternatively use the 2nd part to do burn work or isolations with stretch pulses or loaded streches, you can use your time to your advantage, just don't overdo it!

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Yeah, I am eating about 4000 cals on a daily basis.  I guess the 2-a-days coupled with PT on the off days is burning up a lot of my calories.
Click to expand...

That is the only answer as to why you are not gaining much, you should however feel very tight and full (muscle wise).
I suspect you could get a grwth spurt when you SD, be carefull with the eating though, you don't want to spoil gains with fat gain as well!
thumbs-up.gif


Happy trails mate! Let us know how you progressing!
thumbs-up.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top