Lifting to failure

J

jishaq

New Member
Hey guys,

First, thanks for a fantastic and friendly resource for improving my gym results. I'm a recreational lifter and am starting to get more serious about bodybuilding. I set up a HST plan and am at my second week of 15's, and have reached my 15RM sets. I have a bunch of questions, but I'll start with the one that is most perplexing to me.

I understand that one of the principles of HST is NOT to perform a set to failure (except maybe during the negatives block, but let's keep it simple for now).

Ok. So let's say I've just done 15 dumbbell curls at my 15RM of 30 pounds, and then I rest for a couple of minutes, and I attempt a second set ... I would expect to experience failure midway into that second set. Because the load I'm using is what I determined to be my 15RM in a single set, not in two adjacent sets, and my muscles will be partially fatigued from the first set.

In practice, I can usually pull off the second set at 15RM, given enough optimism and focus. But theoretically, it drives me crazy! I don't understand how doing the second set at 15RM does not entail working a muscle out to fatigue, which goes against HST, as far as I know.

Am I missing something? Is a 1.5 to 2-minute between-sets rest period supposed to magically recharge my muscles 100% so that performing the second set at 15RM is exactly as hard, and no harder, than the first set? If not, and if I've correctly determined my single-set 15RM, then it should not be possible to complete an adjacent second set at 15RM without experiencing failure.

-Jeff
 
This just happened at my 15 Rm with military press. One set of 15, fine. Second set, I had to quit at 11. I rested and said to myself, "I'll do a four rep cluster." I could only get 2 more up. No big deal. I didn't even try another 2 rep cluster. I was fried. Military presses are at the end of my routine, so I'm pretty fatigued when I get to them anyway.
 
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(etothepii @ Jul. 05 2007,20:18)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">This just happened at my 15 Rm with military press. One set of 15, fine. Second set, I had to quit at 11. I rested and said to myself, &quot;I'll do a four rep cluster.&quot; I could only get 2 more up. No big deal. I didn't even try another 2 rep cluster. I was fried. Military presses are at the end of my routine, so I'm pretty fatigued when I get to them anyway.</div>
ditto.
 
Jeff

One of teh answers off the cuff is the fact that by the time you reach your RM, your strength has improved beyond what you had initially determined as the RM for that schedule.

I supppose if you really wanted to check you could see how many reps you'd manage in your first set, could be 18...or more, so...that will show you your true RM.

Secondly...reaching a second sets target is not an essential feature as you are simply completing total work for that schedule in fact many of us only do one set for 15's anyway. So..if you get only 10 , 12 or whatever the case may be that is fine.

HST's policy is not to hit total muscular failure, however on the last day of each mesocycle you can hit partial failure...what I mean by this is, your reps have slowed down tremendously or your form has dropped somewhat, that to me is &quot;failure&quot;, however in real terms it is not total muscle failure.

Hope I am making myself clear.

Tot is right though, you should read up stuff like the HST FAQ e-book (available here) or even Charles Ridgeley &quot;HST Minor Principles&quot; (don't seem to find it, e-mail me at faustos@aspenpharma.com and I'll send it to you)

Here's a link to start you off: http://www.thinkmuscle.com/ebooks/ridgely-hst-setup.htm
This one's for sale.

andCharles Ridgeley article

This article contains basically everything you need to start off.
 
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(Totentanz @ Jul. 05 2007,21:07)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Have you looked through the FAQs yet? They should explain a lot of your questions.</div>
Yes, sorry I didn't see the FAQ forum.

After studying some of the posts there, it all makes sense now. I think colby2152 summed it up best: &quot;Stop just short of failure.&quot; Very concise! Thanks!

-Jeff
 
yeah stopping just short of failure is what i would term &quot;the right interpretation&quot;.

personally i often train to the point of failure or just shy of failure without compromising my form.this seems to work for me.

although i have done assisted reps this cycle i dont like to train past the point of failure as this just wipes me out, i lift to a point where i can handle the volume and intensity no more.
 
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