Sci's HST Log

Discussion in 'Training Logs' started by Sci, Nov 9, 2012.

  1. Sci

    Sci Well-Known Member

    Ok, so I have decided to start a log, even though I am using old school linear progression right now. I am regaining muscle and this is the fastest way until I stall out and reach my previous mass/strength.

    I was doing an abbreviated fullbody workout to keep it under an hour, but decided to keep some direct shoulder and tricep work, since I bench with a wide-grip primarily for pectorals, and need a little extra stimulation for the deltoids and triceps.

    Frequency is every 72 hours generally, or roughly 2-3 times/week.

    Volume is 3 sets of 8 reps of working load.

    Progressive Load is old-school for now, upping the weight every time I get all three sets of 8 reps for a given load.

    Friday, November 9, 2012

    (Chest) Bench Press: 195 lb.s for 8/8/8

    (Back) Barbell Rows (pendlay style): 170 lb.s for 8/8/6 (failed on rep 7)

    (Thighs) Leg Press: 330 lb.s for 8/8/8 (yeah, my quadriceps are puny right now, hence the weak load)

    (Shoulders) Overhead Press: 110 lb.s for 8/8/8

    (Biceps/Lats) Close-grip Pulldowns: 190 lb.s for 8/8/8 followed by a super-slow negative at 220 lb.s

    (Triceps) Overhead rope extensions: 72.5 for 8/8/8 this -> http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/CBBentoverTriExtRope.html

    (calves) Standing Calf Press: 280 lb.s for 8/8/8

    Good workout, bodyweight is 198 lb.s. I need to find a tape measure to get some measurements, don't have one handy right now.
     
  2. Sci

    Sci Well-Known Member

    Tuesday, November 13th, 2012
    I missed yesterday's schedules workout, worked late, very tired, felt like crap.

    warmed up shoulder and hips with some scap pushups, laterals, external rotations, deep knee bends, etc.

    In an effort to keep my full-body workout around an hour or less, yet still keep all my favorite exercises, I tried a workout using cluster-reps, via Myo-reps. The usual 3 sets of 8 reps was having me rest about 3 minutes between sets, and was dragging. I have always been a fan of Daniel Moore and his max-stim method, and more recently I have been researching Borge Fagerli's similarly inspired method of "myo-reps". It sounds like a prefect way for me to get in all my reps, for all my exercises in a full-body session, without dragging the workout out too long.

    Bench Press: 200x8 (activation set), then 200x3/4/4/4/3 with about 30 seconds as rest-pause between sets, or "m-time" as Dan Moore would call it. This felt great, after the "activation set" of 8 reps, I did a quick cluster of 3 reps, but after that I felt like I could push it, and did clusters of 4. Total reps=26.

    Leg Press: 350x8+4/4/4/4. 24 total reps. This was intense. I definitely felt the "accumulated fatigue" and extra tension in my quadriceps as the myo-reps set progressed. The last cluster of 4 reps was really hard, and I decided to move on to the next exercise. The myo-reps style of managing reps definitely seemed to be saving time, and the other part I liked was the workout took on a definite aerobic quality as the short rest between exercises kept my heart and breathing rate elevated.

    WG Cable Row: 160x8+4/4/4/4 Fast, intense, 24 total reps.

    CG Pulldown: 195x8+4/4/3..I pooped out early on this, only 19 total reps. I decided to finish with a negative @ 245. Nice bicep pump.

    Seated Press: 115x9+5/4/3/3 24 total reps. Definitely felt the deltoids and triceps getting fatigued, was able to keep the "m-time" down to about 20 seconds.

    Standing Calf Machine: 300x10+7/6/5. 28 total reps, noticed that calves recover much faster from fatigue, and only needed about 15 seconds between myo-rep cluster sets. My calves are normally really puny, but last night my wife made a comment that they looked muscular, so I guess the calf machine is working! :)

    Dips: Bodyweight x10+5/4/4/3. 26 total reps. Last exercise, triceps swole.

    The workout took a little over an hour, which was great, normally doing 7-8 exercises for 3x8 takes me around 1 1/2 hours. I had a little gas left in the tank so I decided to do some work on my suprasinitus.

    Strict DB Laterals, (palms down): 12.5s
    x13/7/5/4. 29 total reps.


    Overall, definitely liked clustering my reps with myo-reps, mainly because it saved time. But also, I did notice more of a aching tension in the muscles as the myo-reps cluster sets went on. And prehaps best of all, the surprise effect of getting in a simultaneous 1 hour aerobic workout was great. Heart rate and breathing rate stayed elevated for the whole hour, nothing like jogging or anything, but still a nice effect.
    Will be keeping my reps clustered from now on. :)

    Oh, and on a side-note, I have been really short on gym shirts, so I decided to go full-on HST geek and order some HST tank-tops...came in today. Please excuse the fact that I don't quite fill it out yet, hopefully after a year of logging HST workouts, I will be bulging out of them and better representing the HST training. ;)
     

    Attached Files:

  3. Sci

    Sci Well-Known Member

    Thursday, November 15th.

    A bit early for the next workout, but I will be going out with the wife tomorrow evening.

    I was still pretty sore from Tuesday's workout, and I was sure I was going to be weak today, but actually was very strong, and even got a PR!


    Bench Press: 205x8 PR! +3+3+2 (16 total reps)
    I pooped out early on the myo-reps, but was still very psyched as this is probably a personal record for 8 reps!

    WG Cable Row: 160x8+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+2 (34 total reps)
    I will definitely go up next workout.

    Leg Press: 360X8/8/6 (22 total reps)
    couldn't do myo-reps, the gym was packed and I had to do sets in with another guy, who luckily also was using 360 lb.s Last set was really grindy, so I called it a day on leg press.

    Seated Press: 120x9+4+3+3+3+3+3+2 (30 total reps)
    Intense, but somehow just kept going...like the rows.

    CG Pulldown: 200x9+3+3+3+3+3+3+2 (29 total reps)
    This was awesome, much stronger than last workout.

    Standing Calf Machine: 320x8+5+5+5+5+2(30 total reps)
    Strangely, even keeping m-time to 10 seconds, I still kept going, calves just don;t get fatigued much!

    Dips: Bodyweightx10+4+3+3+3+3 (26 total)
    elbows were really fried by the end of the workout, my arms were just wrecked, triceps and biceps, even with no isolations. I may end up dropping dips.

    Strict DB Laterals, (palms down): 15sx9+5+5+5+5+3 (32 total)
    These were very hard, but again, just kept going even with very short m-time.

    The Entire workout only took an hour....awesome.
     
  4. Sci

    Sci Well-Known Member

    Saturday, November 17th.

    I decided to do some deadlifts 1/week to hit the glutes and lower back really hard.

    Deadlift: warmup, then 315x1, 335x1 (felt like my max),225x8. My current 5 rep max, should be around 285, so I'll go for that next week.

    Bench Press: 210x7+3+3+3+3 (19 total reps)
    I am done with muscle memory and at my peak with benching. Looking forward to 225x8 soon!

    WG Cable Row: 165x8+3+3+3+3+3+3+3 (29 total reps)

    Leg Press: 370X8+3+3+3+3+3 (23 total reps)
    Quadriceps really fried.

    Seated Press: 125x8+3+3+3+3+3+2 (25 total reps)
    Getting near my previous record strength on almost all exercises.

    CG Pulldown: 205x9+3+3+3+3+3+3 (27 total reps)
    This was awesome, much stronger than last workout.

    Standing Calf Machine: 340x8+6+4+4+4+4 (30 total reps)

    Weighed in at 200 lb.s Probably around 15% bodyfat. I am getting very close to my peak LBM from the past. Looking forward to new territory both in strength records and lean mass records.

    Here is a pic of me pumped up after the workout:
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Nov 17, 2012
  5. thegentleman1981

    thegentleman1981 New Member

    look good. Pose a bit more for us:
    Wanna see those GUNZ!
     
  6. thegentleman1981

    thegentleman1981 New Member

    hä? Wait...are you in the first and second pic the same person?
     
  7. Lol

    Lol Super Moderator Staff Member

    Looking good, Sci. You'll be blasting past your old PRs very soon; progress is really what this is all about. :cool:
     
  8. Totentanz

    Totentanz Super Moderator Staff Member

    Wow, you look bigger than I remember.
     
  9. Sci

    Sci Well-Known Member

    Yeah, I guess my physique is a little more impressive from a side-view with no shirt, not so impressive from a front-view, with a shirt on.
    Actually I have only been back into bodybuilding for a few months, so my physique is nowhere near impressive enough yet to take pictures of me posing. I am more serious than ever though about training, so I am hoping by next summer to have built a pose-worthy physique by then! :)

    I am really psyched that I found a way to do whole body workouts without going too long. Clustering my sets and reps via myo-reps, allows me to get a bunch of exercises in a reasonable timeframe. In light of this I have decided to further tweak my exercise selection. I really want to focus my training on my chest and shoulders for the next 6 months. So I am going to tweak my workout just a tad more to put the emphasis on chest and shoulders.

    I decided to change my standard rows to "rear delt rows" with elbows flared out, to put the stress on my rear deltoids and upper back muscles, instead of lats and lower back taking the brunt of it as per regular rows. Also gonna substitute Incline Press instead of overhead press to get more work in my upper pectorals while still hitting front deltoids and triceps hard.
    Lastly going to finish the shoulders off with some wide-grip, partial ROM upright rows, to bring put the side deltoids and rotator cuff muscles. (not close-grip, full ROM, which are bad on shoulders)
    This was basically my original plan, but before trying myo-reps, my workouts were taking too long.
    Worked late tonight, no energy, gonna lift tomorrow night instead.
    Routine will be as follows from now on:
    1)Rear Delt cable rows
    2)Bench Press (wide grip)
    3)Upright Rows
    4)Incline Press (standard grip)
    5)Chin-ups
    6)Leg Press
    7)Calf Machine
    8)Dead Lift (once/week)
     
    Last edited: Nov 20, 2012
  10. Jester

    Jester Well-Known Member

    Incline Press is the nut high. I've always experienced my best front delt development with that exercise, almost enough reason for me to want to buy an adjustable bench.
     
  11. Sci

    Sci Well-Known Member

    Rear Delt Cable Rows: 120x8+4+4+4+4+4+3
    31


    WG Bench Press: 205x8+3+3+3+3+3+3+3
    29


    Upright Rows: 95x9+4+4+4+4+4+4
    33


    Incline Press: 135x9+5+4+3+4+3+3
    31


    After these four exercises, my shoulders were on fire with hot blood pumping through, felt awesome, like Arnold describes in Pumping Iron.


    CG Chins: BWx7+3+3+3+3+3+2
    24

    I suck at these, but getting better.


    Leg Press: 410x8+4+4+3
    19

    my co-worker was at the gym tonight, doing legs. He's a typical balls to the wall bodybuilder, so I did leg press and calf raises with him. I ended up using heavier than normal loads, but managed to get some decent reps in. I realized that I am holding myself back with legs, because of an unwillingness to push through the pain. I was amazed how many I got with 410, and I probsbly could have gotten more, but it was becoming torture to contract my quadriceps so I stopped. I need to get more psyched up and berserk when I do legs.


    Calf Raises: 380x8+4+4+4+4+4+4
    32

    To make the log more interesting, here is pic of the "gunz" as requested. IMG_0730.jpg
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2012
  12. Jester

    Jester Well-Known Member

    Just a question - why does your first set comprise so many reps compared to subsequent sets/clusters? Is that purposeful, if so how? Haven't seen that before.
     
  13. Sci

    Sci Well-Known Member

    Myo-reps. Google it. It's a system developed by Blade, an HST expert.
     
  14. mikeynov

    mikeynov Super Moderator Staff Member

    Lookin' good, sci. Out of curiosity, where are your strength levels at now compared to back in the day?
     
  15. Jester

    Jester Well-Known Member

    Yeh, I know Blade.

    What % of your 1RM would you say you're working with, out of curiosity? Is it the RM approximate to your first set?
     
  16. Sci

    Sci Well-Known Member



    I am very close to my peak from the past. Soon, I will be in PR territory for everything. :D
     
  17. Sci

    Sci Well-Known Member

    I am going to about 1 or 2s rep shy of failure. So I am basically working around my 10 rep max, or about 75% of my 1 rep max.

    I will be doing an SD over christmas vacation, and then I will do the standard HST progression of 15s. 10s, 5, etc. except I will still cluster my reps using myo-reps. So Something like 15+5+5+5, 10+3+3+3+3+3+3, then for 5s, just do 5x5 normal sets, since the weight is so heavy.

    If anyone is wondering why I am doing the reps like this, the first set is done about 1 rep shy of failure, then the "+" represents about 10-30 seconds of rest, depending on the muscle I am working, then the +3+4+3, etc. shows how many reps I am doing clustered, with the "+" being the short rest period between rep clusters.

    All explained in great detail here:

    http://borgefagerli.com/myo-reps-in-english/
     
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2012
  18. Sci

    Sci Well-Known Member

    Was going to hit the whole body program again tonight, but I am too exhausted. Whole body is pretty sore from Wednesday's workout. It was hard and heavy, it was the best workout I can ever remember, maybe on equal par with the results I got in my thighs from Korte's program back in the day! I am loving myo-reps, fullbody workouts! I am however probably going to have to drop down to 2/week, that seems to be the needed time for recovery, since I am hitting near my limits now in rep maxes.

    I am going to try and get a personal record on every single lift tomorrow! I am at least going to give it a good shot.:cool:
     
  19. Sci

    Sci Well-Known Member

    I think it's time to move up the load to the 5s stage, then max out before strategic-Christmas-second child due-vacation-deconditioning.
    Gonna go to a linear 5x5 sets across, twice/ week and then max out around 2nd week in December.
     
  20. Sci

    Sci Well-Known Member

    So I have three more training weeks before the week where I will be retesting my maxes, and hitting SD.

    I need some advice, should I go to the 5s for the next three weeks? Or just keep doing the 8 rep max loads I have been working with?

    If and when I go to the 5s, should I reset the cycle with lower loads, and work up to my maxes, or just keep trying for maxes for the next three weeks?

    I am not sure how to program the last three weaks, but I want to make it good PEAK, and get some personal records off this cycle before I SD and start a whole new HST cycle.

    Any advice welcome for discussion.
     

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