I'm on my 3rd HST cycle. On the previous two cycles I did straight HST- full body 3x weekly using mostly compound movements with some isolation on lagging body parts.. I was running into fatigue issues so I switched to an upper lower split on alternating days. This has helped but I am finding that my lower body takes longer to recover vs my upper body and this affects the whole. So I'm doing upper day 1, lower day 2, etc. but by the 2nd day after the lower body workout when I'm doing lower again I'm zonked. Need suggestions please on how to adjust split to better manage recovery from lower body workouts. Thanks.
Lower body vs upper body recovery
- Thread starter Hardrock
- Start date
Fatigue is a function of volume. How much volume (including how many different exercises) are you doing for lower body?
It's a privelege to get a reply from you Mr. Haycock, thanks. To answer your question my volume is like this: 15's x 1 set, 10's x 2 sets, and 5's x 3 sets. I am towards the end of my second week of 5's in this cycle. My routine for lower is front squats, stiff-legged deadlift, leg extensions, and seated leg curls. If I am not too fatigued I also try to work core at end of session- one set of seated crunches and 1 or two sets of roman chair hypers. The thing is that I've never been able to extend the 5's on any cycle due to fatigue. Splitting to upper /lower has helped but I am quickly running out of gas and getting sick (sinuses/cold) as the end of this micro-cycle draws near. I would really like to keep the cycle going so any input is much appreciated.
Since you mentioned it - where is this famous "Pimp my HST" e-book? I haven't been able to find it...
Sorry, I know this is off topic.
A comment on topic: If I were you I would cut down on the number of exercises for lower body. I would cut out either stiff-legged deadlift or seated leg curls, since they are quite similar (when it comes to effect). Would also cut out leg extensions since they really don't add much if you're already doing squats. If you like doing them, alternate.
Regards,
/ R
Sorry, I know this is off topic.
A comment on topic: If I were you I would cut down on the number of exercises for lower body. I would cut out either stiff-legged deadlift or seated leg curls, since they are quite similar (when it comes to effect). Would also cut out leg extensions since they really don't add much if you're already doing squats. If you like doing them, alternate.
Regards,
/ R
Yeah, I guess I'll have to look at cutting out the isolation exercises on lower body even though I'm reluctant to do so. I already have fairly good size legs but I was trying to bring up my quads with extensions to get that "teardrop" effect. I was doing SLDL as a stretch load exercise to go with the leg curls (contracted load) in a POF arrangement just to see how POF works for me, but I guess all that is too much volume on lower body (for me, anyway). Here is the link to the e-book http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/cgi-bin....3;p=243
I
imported_dkm1987
Guest
Being "zonked" could be several things and not necessarily muscle fatigue. Could be cardiovascular conditioning. You could just have a low tolerance. You could try to increase this by using the 15's to increase endurance and anaerobic threshold by doing 2 sets. Perhaps change the routine to something that has a high endurance in the front end of the cycle and not in the back.
2 sets 15s, 2 sets 10's and 5's in 1st week, 1 set in the 2nd. 1 set when extending the 5's.
Add in some cardio to get the cardio conditioning up, eat well with plenty of carbs.
Dan
2 sets 15s, 2 sets 10's and 5's in 1st week, 1 set in the 2nd. 1 set when extending the 5's.
Add in some cardio to get the cardio conditioning up, eat well with plenty of carbs.
Dan
I
imported_dkm1987
Guest
Also try taking some Creatine if you aren't already.
Thanks dkm- I appreciate the good advice. The reason I was doing 1 x 15, 2 x 10, and 3 x 5 is that I was trying to keep the workload constant per the e-book by Charles Ridgley. This was my first cycle to try this and I can see now that it won't work for me as I now have a bad sinus infection and have had to go ahead and SD. I will try the set scheme you suggested, work on conditioning, and rethink diet (i.e. carb intake). And yes I am using creatine but I think I may be a nonresponder.
My thanks to Dan for following up on Hardrock's question.
I just want to add that you must "manage" your training in order for it to be most effective. In other words, you must be able to make a few decisions on the fly when things aren't going as planned.
So, as you began to feel yourself not recovering your strength from workout to workout, you need to reduce your volume to the extent necessary to remedy the problem. Keep the loads increasing, but decrease the number of sets as necessary.
There are many variables in our lives that can effect our ability to recover our strength inbetween workouts. Stress, sleep, infection, nutrition all effect our ability to maintain a given workload.
I just want to add that you must "manage" your training in order for it to be most effective. In other words, you must be able to make a few decisions on the fly when things aren't going as planned.
So, as you began to feel yourself not recovering your strength from workout to workout, you need to reduce your volume to the extent necessary to remedy the problem. Keep the loads increasing, but decrease the number of sets as necessary.
There are many variables in our lives that can effect our ability to recover our strength inbetween workouts. Stress, sleep, infection, nutrition all effect our ability to maintain a given workload.
My thanks to all who responded. Unfortunately for me, I have just read about overtraining syndrome and I now have all the classic symptoms of a chronic case of it- sleep disturbance, loss of appetite, muscle aches,soreness, and fatigue which have not been resolved by rest, headaches, depression, lack of motivation to train, sinus infection, etc. All due to me trying to keep workload constant between the microcycles of this cycle. Live and learn.