i'm just about to finish my 4th cycle and am wondering what i can do to mix things up and improve my routine for next cycle. for the past 4 cycles, i have run the "vanilla" hst routine 1x15, 2x10, 3x5, etc, incorporating primarily compounds. i have had good success, but noticed during the 10s this cycle that i'm starting to plateau on some exercises. mostly, i just want to mix things up a little bit to keep it interesting and to further muscle gain. i have thought about incorporating myo-reps this next cycle, which i have experimented with a little bit, but dont know the best way to use them in an hst cycle. i also was thinking about switching the rep scheme to 12, 9, and 6 and clustering the reps to keep volume consistent. any ideas guys on how to mix things up? are the above ideas worth a shot?
mixing things up after 4th cycle
- Thread starter waray214
- Start date
IMO if you want to use Myo-reps in an HST cycle I would ditch the rep ranges 15, 10, 5 or 12, 9, 6 and just use straight progression starting at about 70% of your 1RM. The reason for this is that for the activation set and each following cluster you need to go just short of failure and there is no way of knowing how many reps that is for a specific weight on any given day. Just shoot for a number of target reps based on what’s below.
I’m assuming you’ve already read these posts but I’m linking it for reference.
http://www.clutchfitness.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9363
I love using Myo-reps. I feel they make my workouts much more efficient and each exercise takes much less time to complete.
I’m assuming you’ve already read these posts but I’m linking it for reference.
http://www.clutchfitness.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9363
I love using Myo-reps. I feel they make my workouts much more efficient and each exercise takes much less time to complete.
FistOfFury
Member
I think Borge's basic progression plan for myo-reps follows HST principles without much need to plan a cycle in advance.
Taken from his Myo-reps Part 3 - Progression article:
Week 4: 12.15 reps
Week 5: 12-15 reps
Week 6: 9-12 reps
Week 7: 9-12 reps
Week 8: 6-9 reps
Week 9: 6-9 reps if avlastnings-uke/deloading with lighter weights and fewer workouts
As Grunt mentioned, you need to take each set to 1-2 reps shy of failure and use auto-regulation so planning everything in advance is unnecessary.
So just spend a couple weeks in each rep range and try to increase as often as you can based on your performance.
Having said that you can still include the constant load progression that HST offers by setting up your cycle as normal but varying how many reps you do on any given day (which in itself is a use of auto-regulation).
So you get daily increase in load plus perform as many reps as possible (stopping 1-2 reps shy of failure + myo-rep clusters) on any given day.
Since your training at a much higher intensity of effort than standard HST it would also be smart to use Borge's 3 day a week routine too which covers all the bases with a minimal amount of exercise:
Day 1 Legs - Leg Press (one leg when you train light weights) or squat
Bench press or dips for breast (lean forward, elbows out slightly, not stretch out on top) - see my article on the best exercises for chest
Rowing - sitting or leaning forward with a rod, cable, hardware, or manuals
Biceps curl
Adds (sitting or standing, preferably in a year and a leg so you do not have to spend so much weight on the bar / machine)
Day 2
Deadlifts or straight deadlift
Shoulder Press with dumbbells (recommend that you stop just above head height and not extending all the way out on top), Børge pressure, and / or sidehev
Chins or pulldowns
Narrow bench press or dips for triceps (upper body straight up, elbows against your body, go halfway down and stretch out on top)
Stomach
Day 3
(Decline) bench press or dips for chest
Forward Curved or seated rows
Leg - Outcome Variations or frontbøy or squat
Biceps curl
Adds (standing)
Taken from his Myo-reps Part 3 - Progression article:
Week 4: 12.15 reps
Week 5: 12-15 reps
Week 6: 9-12 reps
Week 7: 9-12 reps
Week 8: 6-9 reps
Week 9: 6-9 reps if avlastnings-uke/deloading with lighter weights and fewer workouts
As Grunt mentioned, you need to take each set to 1-2 reps shy of failure and use auto-regulation so planning everything in advance is unnecessary.
So just spend a couple weeks in each rep range and try to increase as often as you can based on your performance.
Having said that you can still include the constant load progression that HST offers by setting up your cycle as normal but varying how many reps you do on any given day (which in itself is a use of auto-regulation).
So you get daily increase in load plus perform as many reps as possible (stopping 1-2 reps shy of failure + myo-rep clusters) on any given day.
Since your training at a much higher intensity of effort than standard HST it would also be smart to use Borge's 3 day a week routine too which covers all the bases with a minimal amount of exercise:
Day 1 Legs - Leg Press (one leg when you train light weights) or squat
Bench press or dips for breast (lean forward, elbows out slightly, not stretch out on top) - see my article on the best exercises for chest
Rowing - sitting or leaning forward with a rod, cable, hardware, or manuals
Biceps curl
Adds (sitting or standing, preferably in a year and a leg so you do not have to spend so much weight on the bar / machine)
Day 2
Deadlifts or straight deadlift
Shoulder Press with dumbbells (recommend that you stop just above head height and not extending all the way out on top), Børge pressure, and / or sidehev
Chins or pulldowns
Narrow bench press or dips for triceps (upper body straight up, elbows against your body, go halfway down and stretch out on top)
Stomach
Day 3
(Decline) bench press or dips for chest
Forward Curved or seated rows
Leg - Outcome Variations or frontbøy or squat
Biceps curl
Adds (standing)