Is one set of Squats enough?

[Julesx]

I know I'm new to HST (but not to BB)

I did my 15's the other day and it got me thinking......................

Is one set of squats enough? I see that the front page of Bryan's HST instructions suggest 1 set for squats but 2 for SLDL and 4 in total for shoulders ( Shrug, Shoulder Press, Lat raise, Rear Lat raise).

I know that I am used to more volume but is the 3 sets per week on squats going to give the results.

Also...............

am I correct in following the suggested schedule on the HST page. I see that there are many tweaks on this forum but I think I need to get the basics right first.

or

should I just go for the basic compound lifts with a couple of isolation movements for bicep and tricep (say 1x15, 2x10 & 3x5).

Sorry for the dumb questions but I don't want to loose my hard earned muscle by doing HST all wrong!

Thanks

Jules

 

[Lol]

Jules, whether or not one set of squats is enough during 15s will depend on several factors: your conditioning as a lifter (ie. how many years you've been in the game) and your present level of deconditioning, and also the number or exercises you are doing in a session and, specifically, for the same muscle group - in this case, your legs.

If all you are doing for your legs is squatting and you are on a simplified routine then I would suggest a couple of sets of squats during 15s would be fine OR you could just do the one set and keep pumping out the reps past 15 if you fancy (what's the chance of that?!  

). Don't forget that the 15s are to flush the muscles with lactic acid. Bryan's advice for 15s was to start out with a slower rep speed and then to speed up when you feel a burn coming on. Then as the loads progressed each session you would increase rep speed (always retaining good form) so you would always manage to get your reps in.

Getting a burn is easy for isos but not so obvious for compounds like squats because, depending on your level of cardio fitness, you might start to feel your lungs burning before your quads, hams and glutes! I have experimented with one set, two sets and 3 sets during 15s while on an abbreviated program. For me, two sets is the sweet spot for where I am right now. Sometimes I do 15 reps for the first set and then a following set with 10 reps. That might be the case for the second week of 15s. I'm trying to avoid failure on the second set but, due to some fatigue build up from the first set, I still get a really good burn without hammering my CNS too hard so early in the cycle.

You might find that one set during 15s is fine but if you are finding them to be really easy, I would suggest that, at least during the first week of 15s when the load is relatively light, you pump out a few more reps to really go for that burn. I used to do 20+ reps for my first few workouts.

One other thing to check if the first week of 15s feel really light is that you are not starting with a weight that is too sub-max. Aim to start with around 75% of your 15RM. That coupled with SD should make for a reasonably demanding first workout.

 

[TunnelRat]

Q: How many telephone poles does it take to reach the moon?

A: One, if it's long enough.

Q: Is one set of squats enough during the 15s?

A: Yes, if you're using the right amount of weight to meet your level of conditioning.

However, I tend to concur with Lol when it comes to squats. Especially during the 15s, an extra set can be a great help (even if it is not great fun...).