Should 15s be kicking my butt this hard?

[Datoyminaytah]

When I measured my 15 rep maxes, they were my absolute, no-reps-in-the-tank, MAX. I'm using 5 lb increments, so I started at 25 lb less than my maxes.

Even the first workout was challenging! With each subsequent workout, I always feel like I'm near failure at the 15th rep on at least one or two exercises. It makes me wonder how I'm going to finish the next workout, but so far, I have.

Should it be like this? I expected 15s to be easy up to the last one or two workouts.

 

[Peak_Power]

Well, first of all, as is explained in many posts and the faqs, HST-style failure is not HIT failure (which is what you did, can't physically lift the weight again).

HST-style failure is when you can no longer perform the exercise with perfect form.

So I assume this would be a fair bit lighter than you are doing now. The general rule with HST is that the 1st week of a minicycle (rep range) is easy, and the 2nd week is proggressively harder as you approah your RM. Also as a general rule the first weight of each minicycle should be around 70% of your RM. If you're doing 2 sets of 15 with little rest, the 2nd set will be hard.

 

[imported_etothepii]

I found that my first workout in the 15s is very butt-kicking, due to deconditioning. I almost puked after my first set of squats!!

It got pretty easy, though, until my last two workouts. Then it was hard again.

 

[leegee38]

Sounds like you are doing fine to me, Dato. I read so many folks talk about skipping the 15s because they don't grow from them, but I find them really challenging and do notice some growth. What you will probably find is that you are thrilled when you get to back off to the first week of 10s! Ideally you should just about reach failure on your last day of the 15s, which it sounds like you are on course to do. Good luck!

 

[liegelord]

Yeah, don't worry about it. The SD does that to you, especially if you do nothing during the SD. Some kind of light cardio may help that.

I found that the weight was not the real problem, it was my lungs trying to keep up. I did nothing during this last 2 week SD and the 15's almost killed me. I also used the 15's to finish a cut, so that may have had something to do with it as I was still eating below maintenance. It was also the first time I did 15 rep olympic squats.

 

[Fausto]

Not unusual to get "puky" from 15's specially the first few, to me they are always challenging even to the last.

Exercises that come to mind as "difficult to finish" are: Squats, Deadlifts and Chins.

Peak could be onto something, however I find that the first time ever that you do 15's you'll get your butt kicked, you eventually master the art!

 

[Lol]

The first few cycles that I did, 15s were the toughest part of the whole cycle as I had not been accustomed to doing such high reps. As you have discovered, after SD even the first few workouts feel tough but you will find that by the second week you will still be able to get the reps. The 15RM w/o is a real tough one. As Fausto says, if you have squats and/or deads to do you will feel pretty much wasted at the end of the session.

 

[faz]

like all the boys said they are harder than you think

so when you get to the10s and 5s mentaly you are better prepared wow i only have to do 5 reps

 

[Old and Grey]

I am obviously deranged but I love the 15's and the 5's but hate the 10's. They don't seem to do much for me but I keep doing them anyway.    

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I built my foundation early on using the standard of the day of 3 sets of 10 reps. Therefore, doing more 15's and 5's now may be causing my muscles to respond to something different (even though I have been doing them for 4-5 years now)? Uh oh. That sounds kind of "Joe Weiderish" doesn't it...ala muscle confusion, et al?