Minimum effective weight when starting HST

[Yomtlhc]

I'm just starting an HST cycle. I've read the FAQ document but i am still not 100% sure how I should deal with a few issues:

1. I'm doing Inclined Dumbbell Press and I determined that my 15RM would be 100lbs (2x50lbs dumbbells). However, the dumbbells at my gym only go in 5lb increments....which means a total minimum increment of 10lbs for 2 dumbbells.... As a result, if I want my weights to increase with each workout, it means that my minimum effective weight on my first 15s workout would have to be 50lbs (2x25lbs dumbbells)....Although I completely understand the idea behind progressive load, I definitely have the feeling that this minimum weight is not going to present enough challenge. Any recommandations?
2. My routine includes Dips and Chin-ups. Since both exercises are based on using body weight, how can I make sure that I will have progressive load for these two exercises? (example: if my 15RM for Dips and for Chin-ups is my own body weight, how can I possibly determine weights for workouts 1 through 5?) Does it mean that I should use the assisted pull-ups machine for those 2 exercises?

Thank you in advance for your feedback!

 

[Keystone]

You don't have to absolutey increase your poundage every workout. You can repat a weight if need be. You might consider buying some ankle wrist weights that come in 2lb increments or maybe consider switching to barbell pressess is you can.

For chin-up and dips, you can buy a weight belt and strap barbells to your waist or even use a dumbell held by your ankles.

Keystone

 

[LDU]

for DB bench you could try 40lb, 40lb, 45lb, 45lb, 50lb, 50lb. I do something similar with Dumbell exercises like shoulder press, bicep curl etc.
or as suggested go with barbell bench.
Im in my 3rd week overall and definiltey noticing gains, both visually and on the measuring tapes.

 

[Lol]

A good rule of thumb is to use 5% load increments.

So for each mesocycle, you would start with 75% of your RM load and work up form there.

Like the guys have said, with dbs this is often not practicable so you will probably need to repeat loads for a few workouts. That's no big deal. Think of load progression over the whole cycle.

For dips and chins, where you can't do more than 15 bw reps, just do that for the two weeks of 15s before adding weight for the 10s. You'll probably find that after a couple of cycles, your dipping and chinning strength will have improved enough to allow you to add weight during 15s. You could always substitute machine pull-downs and dips during 15s to allow you to really pump out the reps for a good burn, and then switch to weighted dips and chins during 10s.

 

[Bryan Haycock]

I'm just starting an HST cycle. I've read the FAQ document but i am still not 100% sure how I should deal with a few issues:
1. I'm doing Inclined Dumbbell Press and I determined that my 15RM would be 100lbs (2x50lbs dumbbells). However, the dumbbells at my gym only go in 5lb increments....which means a total minimum increment of 10lbs for 2 dumbbells.... As a result, if I want my weights to increase with each workout, it means that my minimum effective weight on my first 15s workout would have to be 50lbs (2x25lbs dumbbells)....Although I completely understand the idea behind progressive load, I definitely have the feeling that this minimum weight is not going to present enough challenge. Any recommendations?

Hi Yomtlhc, welcome to the forum.

We are always limited by equipment as well as our own abilities. In your situation, a compromise will not hurt your gains. If 50s are your 15RM, I would suggest using only 2 increments instead of 5. So, on your first and second session of 15s you would use 40s. Then you would use 45s for two workouts and finally 50s for the last two workouts (e.g. 40>40>45>45>50>50).
Don’t be afraid of zig-zagging when you start your 10s. You may end up using some of the same weight loads when you start your 10s as you did for 15s. This is fine as long as it’s only a couple workouts.

2.My routine includes Dips and Chin-ups. Since both exercises are based on using body weight, how can I make sure that I will have progressive load for these two exercises? (example: if my 15RM for Dips and for Chin-ups is my own body weight, how can I possibly determine weights for workouts 1 through 5?) Does it mean that I should use the assisted pull-ups machine for those 2 exercises?

You certainly can use an assisted chin/dip machine. There is nothing wrong with that. You can also use different exercises and switch to dips/chins on the last day of 15s. Then continue to use them through the rest of the cycle.

It is important to focus on the muscle rather than the exercises. It is the muscle we want to grow, caring little for the execution of the exercises themselves. That is one difference between hypertrophy-specific training and strength-specific training. While strength training, the successful completion of each rep is the important thing. Form and numbers are all important. With HST, all we care about is if we created the right kind of stress/trauma inside the tissue. If that means barely moving through a full range of motion, or even missing the rep count all together, that’s ok.