New to HST, some questions

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Moshiach

New Member
Week 7 & 8, working off 5RM, do you basically re-do weeks 5 & 6 with the weight starting at 75% of your 5RM and moving up, or do you do every workout of the two weeks at 100% of your 5RM?

Does it have to be 15/10/5 reps? I ask because with isolation exercises like bicep curls I don't think I'd be comfortable doing five rep sets, especially around the end of week 6, is it ok to change it to something like 20/15/10, and same question for deadlifts, could they be 12/6/3?

I see routines where people alternate A and B workouts, is this necessary? Can you just pick 6-8 exercises and go with it for the whole cycle? Can you alternate just some, e.g. do Rows every workout but alternate Bench with Dumbbell Bench?

Going back to the deadlifts, if I did 12/6/3 could I alternate it with squats 15/10/5?

I'm really confused about sets and volume and clustering, do I need to increase the sets through the cycle? Can I just use a blanket 2 sets for everything?

I don't have a spotter to do negatives, can I do a week of 3RM for weeks 7 & 8?

Should there be an even increase in weight across the entire workout or can it drop when going into the next cycle, e.g. can the weight used on the last workout for 15 reps be higher than what's used on the first workout for 10 reps?
 
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Hi,

Firstly, I think you are getting too excited and complicated, especially as you are new to this... Keep it simple.

Read the simplify and win thread, and try a basic routine, ideally the one suggested by Fausto at the begining. 5 or so compound exercises.

I'll try and answer your questions - simply;
Weeks 7 & 8 - if you cant do negatives, just take your 5 rep max weight from week 6 and use that weight each workout. Increase it once or twice if you can, as you get stronger during those two weeks.
Personally, I would suggest, for weeks 7 & 8, cutting your routine down. Keep squats/deads, then do negative dips and chins - which are easy enough to do by yourself - and work the entire upper body. Then maybe finish off with a few sets of calves or abs, or something similar. Its only for 2 weeks, and if you are lifting your 5 rm for squats, neg chins and dips, that should easily be enough work. Keep the reps slow and good form.

15/10/5 is the suggested number of reps. Try it, before you go off varying your reps/sets... back to the simplify and win thread! You're making it too complicated.
I would also suggest scrapping the iso movements - especially bicep curls - at least at the start of this. Get the hang of full range of movement chin ups and see how they make your arms grow, before you end up overtraining with countless sets of curls aswell..
If you really do want to do curls AFTER a few simple HST cycles, then you will find that 3 heavy sets of 5 reps is plenty. You can always add pulsing or stretches immidiately afterwards - but, as I said, save that for the future!

Alternating isnt necessary, but a lot of people, who have done a lot of HST cycles, do like to do it for the variety. Bear in mind that you will do this routine 3 X a week, some people get bored doing the same thing that frequently. There's no harm in it, and no real additional benefit either. Its a matter of choice... I'm quite happy being boring.. so I just keep the same exercises!
Many people do like to alt squats and deads, due to the stress of these exercises, and doing squats 3 X week is hard going, again, a matter of choice and tolerance.

Forget clustering. Its for 'pimping' up your routine. You should only be looking at those sort of tweaks once you've got some good experience in of the basics.
The suggested start up for no of sets is 1 X 15 reps, 2 X 10, 3 X 5 - two weeks of each. The 'logic' behind this, rather than 2 sets of everything, is about keeping the total number of reps roughly constant. So (1X15) 15reps, (2X10) 20 reps, & (3X5) 15 reps.

Lastly, 'zig zagging' the weights is fine. Your 15 rep max will likely be heavier than the first weight for your 10's, etc...

Well, hope this helps.
Give the basics a go, and let us know how you get on...

Feel free to post any questions

Cheers

Brix
 
Very much appreciate the reply.

I will keep it 15/10/5 for the first time round.

I'm very familiar with chins and dips and every other compound movement. I'm coming out of several cycles of 5/3/1. Unfortunately my gym doesn't have any belts to hang weights off, my unweighted dips rep max is 25+, which is annoying because I'd very much like to include them in. I've made this up quickly.

View attachment 2031

How does it look? Like I said, I'd like to put in chins and dips but I couldn't change the weight over each day. It has compound movements covering all planes of motion. I'd like to put in db incline or flat bench maybe. I don't know if I want any more exercises though, because 7+ lifts done 3x5 for the last four weeks is going to have me in the gym for ages.
 
Moshiach said:
... Unfortunately my gym doesn't have any belts to hang weights off, my unweighted dips rep max is 25+, which is annoying because I'd very much like to include them in.
Click to expand...

Got a bit of rope? Tie it in a loop and treat it like a single piece of rope; thread the loop through the hole in your weight plate and pass the rope-loop back through itself so that you can hang the weight from it; thread the belt through the end of the loop; do the belt up and job done! No need to do the belt up tightly; loose is probably best. Or, you could just put a db between your feet. :) Use this for dips and chins. Get your 5RM dip up to bw+bw and you'll be sporting some fine peccadilloes and mahoosive tris!
 
I have another question in relation to the last two weeks of the cycle and just sets in general, I don't know how to split it up.

Should I split it up 3x15, 2x10, 3x5, 3x5, or as the FAQ suggest 2x15, 2x10-1x10, 2x5-1x5, and if I use the suggestion from the FAQ then what number of sets should I be doing for weeks 7 & 8 with 5's?
 
As you're new to HST, start with the basic 1 X 15, 2 X 10, 3 X 5, and 3 X 5 for the last 2 weeks (7 & 8)

Get a feel for that before you start experimenting.
 
After starting my routine, one set of 15s feels really like it's not enough, I'm out of the gym in 25mins. Is there any reason why I shouldn't do what's in the FAQ, (2x15, 2x10-1x10, 2x5-1x5)?

I still don't know what I should do for weeks 7 & 8, how many sets? Should I be still trying to increase the load through these weeks if I can, or should I sticking with the same weight and pushing for more reps?
 
Hi Moshiach
- You should not try and measure effectiveness by feel, at the very least until the completion of a full cycle.
Of course, when optimizing a rutine for maximum progression, you will start off with minimum effective load. (Around 75% RM) This will not feel effective (not for me, at least).

I would also suggest planing the 1st cycle out as simple as at all possible. Then, if you see the need later, adjust when you have a feel for, what it is you're adjusting.
In other words: Starting simple, makes it a lot easier to adjust as fits you. (And not as others has found to fit them)

personally I do not see the need, to cut back sets as the weights get heavier. (as you suggest)
Would you know if you did, by starting off doing it?

- For week 7/8 i'd suggest planning the samme number of sets as 5/6. Then if joints etc. start to complaint, cut back a little.
Do eccentrics where you can (with aprox. +15% RM) and where not possible, push for new 5 RMs
 
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