setting up my HST routine

[cookieman9000]

Im soon going to start my HST routine and ive got four more questions:
1. I read about the possibility of doing metabolic fatigue high rep sets, in the weeks you do 5reps.
It said in the ebook its for more advanced trainees. The problem is what's considered advanced? I have been training before and already have acheived intermidiete strength levels. Is it a good idea in my case to do them in weeks where I do 5 rep sets? Do they even make a big difference result wise?

2. In the original routine, does the 15 rep week build muscle, or is it only used for onjury preventation?

3. If I choose to do 12,8,5 instead of 15,10,5 should I still use 2 weeks for each rep?

4. Are you supposed to do 5 reps in the 5 rep week on isolation exercises like curls too?


Thanks in advance...

 

[gbglifter]

1. If you´ve been training for a couple of years then you can consider yourself intermediate. I guess being able to dead twice your weight is a decent indicator. Or perhaps benchingh your BW x 1.5, something like that. There are many that skip the metabolic work while on the 5´s. I tend to do the higher rep work, when Im doing the 5´s, where I can. If I dont feel I can then I skip it too. It only really helps for sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and wont increase the skeletal muscle. The sarcoplasmic muscle will be gained first but will also be the first to go, ie if you dont continue to do the higher rep work.

2. I think Im right in saying that you need to use a load that is at LEAST 60% of your 1RM to induce hypertrophy and the 15 rep-range is ca 62% of the 1RM so technically yes the 15RM loads will build muscle.

3. Yes, if you want. Its really up to you how you choose to do it. The two weeks/3times per week model is just easy for people to process and understand.

4. you can do but many cheat when getting down to the 5RM´s for example, doing bicep curls. I do legextensions and curls on the 5´s regardless. Depending on how tired I am I´ll do a higher rep set afterwards, not always. If you feel that your form, whilst doing 5´s on a particular exercise, will be comprimised you can continue doing 8´s,10´s whatever really.

 

[cookieman9000]

Hey guys I'm still not sure whether I should do 12,8,5 or 15,10,5 what do you suggest?

 

[manimal]

Im soon going to start my HST routine and ive got four more questions:
1. I read about the possibility of doing metabolic fatigue high rep sets, in the weeks you do 5reps.
It said in the ebook its for more advanced trainees. The problem is what's considered advanced? I have been training before and already have acheived intermidiete strength levels. Is it a good idea in my case to do them in weeks where I do 5 rep sets? Do they even make a big difference result wise?

I won't concern yourself too much whether you're advanced or not. If you've been training and achieved "intermediate" results you'll do fine with anything. When I'm cranking out the 5's I rest for 1 minute sometimes 1.5. I believe the less you rest the more fibers will be recruited.

2. In the original routine, does the 15 rep week build muscle, or is it only used for onjury preventation?

It's a precursor for progressive load. Don't think because you're lifting lighter with higher reps that you're not going to build muscle. You'll engage your red twitch fibers.

3. If I choose to do 12,8,5 instead of 15,10,5 should I still use 2 weeks for each rep?

It's really up to you. When I train with hst I do 15,8, 6. Though I only do 1x week of 15 reps, 2x 8, 2 x 6 then either go a) 2 x 8, 2x 6 then SD or b) 2 x6 then sd

4. Are you supposed to do 5 reps in the 5 rep week on isolation exercises like curls too?

Yes, of course. People frown upon isolation exercises, but if you want defined and shaped muscles I believe you need to do them also; otherwise you'll just get a slab of meat. I personally rather be jacked and cut up at 185lb with 16 inch arms than look like a big block of 190lb whatever with 17 unaesthetically pleasing arms. Personal preference really.

Hey guys I'm still not sure whether I should do 12,8,5 or 15,10,5 what do you suggest?

Why don't you try a cycle of one and a cycle of the other and see which one you like/get better results in.

 

[cookieman9000]

I won't concern yourself too much whether you're advanced or not. If you've been training and achieved "intermediate" results you'll do fine with anything. When I'm cranking out the 5's I rest for 1 minute sometimes 1.5. I believe the less you rest the more fibers will be recruited.



It's a precursor for progressive load. Don't think because you're lifting lighter with higher reps that you're not going to build muscle. You'll engage your red twitch fibers.

It's really up to you. When I train with hst I do 15,8, 6. Though I only do 1x week of 15 reps, 2x 8, 2 x 6 then either go a) 2 x 8, 2x 6 then SD or b) 2 x6 then sd

Yes, of course. People frown upon isolation exercises, but if you want defined and shaped muscles I believe you need to do them also; otherwise you'll just get a slab of meat. I personally rather be jacked and cut up at 185lb with 16 inch arms than look like a big block of 190lb whatever with 17 unaesthetically pleasing arms. Personal preference really.


Why don't you try a cycle of one and a cycle of the other and see which one you like/get better results in.

Thanks for the answer, but in my last question I meant whether you're supposed to do 5 reps on the isolation exercises too. I'm in no way against isolation exercises.

 

[manimal]

Thanks for the answer, but in my last question I meant whether you're supposed to do 5 reps on the isolation exercises too. I'm in no way against isolation exercises.

I do them - Though be sure not to have more than 7 exercises per training day. Once you get to weeks 5 & 6, you'll get up to 21 sets total for a training session. Rather tasking on the body and the CNS. Check through the training logs and see what others are doing.