Simplify and Win!

<div>
(Fausto @ Mar. 12 2007,09:03)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">full squats - Power cage, but a squat rack does the job, a good solid Bar and weights.

deadlifts - A good bar and weights/ Trapbar is nice but very few gyms offer them.

bench press - A good bar, a sturdy adjustable bench, just high enough for feet to be planted solidly!

standing press - Barbell + Weights.

A lifting belt can help and a good pair of leather lifting gloves.

Patience + Quality Food + Sweat + Determination = Nicely Overall Muscled Body.

Hope this is what you're after, if not forgive my ignorance
wink.gif
</div>
You forgot the curl machine...
biggrin.gif
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">You forgot the curl machine...</div>

ah, ah, ah...that is for those cartoon characters, what are they called again gino and ? ? ?
laugh.gif
 
Wow thanks Fausto for a great tread. After 7 months of Rippetoe's program, I really like this simplified HST program and can't wait to start after my SD. Thanks
 
<div>
(scientific muscle @ Mar. 11 2007,17:21)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Make the meat of your workout barbell movements:

full squats-entire lower body
deadlifts-calves, thighs, traps, erectors, forearms
bench press-chest,deltoids,triceps
standing press-deltoids, triceps, abs, traps
bent rows-entire back, hamstrings, forearms, biceps
...
In my opinion stay away from fancy machines. Cable machines are ok, hammer strength are ok, but mainly use barbells and dumbells.</div>
For my first HST cycle, I was doing 16 exercises. I'd do 8 in the morning and another 8 in the evening, three days a week. It worked okay for me -- I didn't really have to spend a lot of time in the gym and I made some significant gains in my chest and arms.

But I do read here and try to pay attention to what you guys have to say. I know enough to know I don't know enough...

So this cycle I have pared things back a bit:

A:

Squat
Lying Dumbbell Row
OH Dumbbell Press
Flat Bench Dumbbell Press

B:

Deadlift
Chins
Dips
Incline Bench Dumbbell Press

I originally started out doing A in the morning and B in the evening M,W,F. I'd do two sets of 15 for each exercise except the squats and the deads. I figured one set of 15 on each of those would probably let me survive a bit longer.

But I kept finishing up in hardly more than a half hour or so -- even with a fairly good warm up. I finally began doing all 8 in one session. I suspect that when things begin to get heavy in the 10's and 5's, I may have to go back to two sessions per day.

I plan to do 3 sets in the 10's. Though I'll likely trade off just two sets and one set between squats and deads.
 
TunnelRat

It will be better for you to keep the A/B as you had Morning/evening as it was, specially since you cjasing a higher volume.

Don't get anxious with a workout getting done in 1/2 hour, instead be grateful, get the rest you deserve, because your gains will follow.

You workout set up is great, and with the highish volume you set up (don't know what you want to do for 5's) you in for some surprise gains....but only if you include the rest.

Hope you follow this as it will benefit you greatly.
wink.gif
 
I don't want to get this off topic.

But I wanted to ask.

Fausto

When you do simply and win What is your target reps 20, 25, 30, 40
rock.gif


I am just thinking with just you Squat Bench Press and Row...you maybe doing higher volume?

I know you were thinking about it at one time fausto?

Thanks
 
Joe

I tried 30, i.o.w. 5 x 6, but it got too much...so I dropped to 20....much better.
biggrin.gif


Yes, slightly higher volume is a good way to go, but may not be for everyone, we're all different.
cool.gif
 
I agree...I just remember you were considering trying it out.

You are looking good....there is no way in hell you are 17% neither!!!

Im looking forward to seeing your bulk cycle!
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Im looking forward to seeing your bulk cycle!</div>

Not quite sure I want to bulk up just yet, once I get to see my abs, then I'll give it some serious thought!

Siometimes I get &quot;stuck&quot; thinking about Berardi's G-flux theory, could it be? Should I try?
wink.gif
 
<div>
(Fausto @ Apr. 30 2007,07:22)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Siometimes I get &quot;stuck&quot; thinking about Berardi's G-flux theory, could it be? Should I try?
wink.gif
</div>
I wouldn't. Look at most endurance athletes - they eat thousands of calories a day, burn off thousands of calories a day.

Oh, and they are stick thin. Arguably, but in comparison to your most bodybuilders, endurance athletes are twigs.

G-flux sounds great if you want to be a very, very lean endurance type. Doesn't sound so great for a bodybuilder.
 
<div>
(Totentanz @ May 10 2007,04:25)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Oh, and they are stick thin.  Arguably, but in comparison to your most bodybuilders, endurance athletes are twigs.

G-flux sounds great if you want to be a very, very lean endurance type.  Doesn't sound so great for a bodybuilder.</div>
Ok, but the &quot;good Dr.&quot; is not stick thin now is he? You mean to say he does not practice what he preaches?

Anyway, my finances are certainly not going to allow force feeding, so I'll stick to the original and normal diet.

And we could argue that the sprinters don't look that bad, I never look at the endurance types, they are out of my examples just because they are just too damn thin to mention.

We're moving off track here though.
wink.gif
 
I believe in the g-flux principle, Dr. Berardi didn't invent it he just discovered it, anyone's personal feelings for or against the good Dr. shouldn't affect their judgement of the principle.

Put simply, a calorie balance of 6000cals (in and out) is going to have a majorly different affect on the body in terms of apparence and performance, than a calorie balance of 3000, even though they're both &quot;maintainance&quot; diets for the level of activity. They had that stick thin guy beef up pretty good on it. Another great principle of it is that overtraining only occurs when you overtrain a system of the body.

However, I don't think we should clog the &quot;Simplify and Win&quot; post with unnessessary discussions.

The simplify and win post is no longer so simple!
 
Here's what will most likely be my simplify and win routine this summer. It's an upper/lower body split, A/B style routine.

Upper A:
Inc. Bench
Pull ups
Upright Rows
Bicep Curls
Skull Crushers

Lower B:
Dead Lift
Leg Extension
Standing Calf Raises
Crunches

Upper B:
Dips
Pendlay Rows
Military Press
Biceps Curls
Skull Crushers

Lower B:
ATG Squat
SLDL
Standing Calf Raises
Crunches

15 phase: A,A,B,B,A,A,REST, B,B,A,A,B,B,REST one set each
10 phase: same, 2 sets each
5 phase: same, 4 sets each
Weeks 7 and 8: Combination of negs, clustering, 5x4, etc.


Seems complicated as I write it out, but it's 4 or 5 exercises per workout. Emphasis on compounds -- just some misc. isos because I like them.

Nutrition is where I make this plan complicated. I will SD for 2 weeks during which time I will eat maintenance. I will continue to eat that same amount during the 15s, and I will do HIIT cardio after each workout during the 15s in order to lose 1 - 2 pounds per week for those two weeks.

In the first week of the 10s, I will ramp up calories, and cut down on cardio so that by the second week of the 10s, I'm on pace to gain 1 - 2 pounds per week.

That should result in a gain of 3 to 6 pounds by the end of the cycle. The hope is that this scheme will beneficially effect body composition. After repeated cycles, there (hopefully) will be a cumulative effect of trimming fat and adding muscle in very favorable proportions.
 
<div>
(Fausto @ Apr. 26 2007,02:54)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">TunnelRat

It will be better for you to keep the A/B as you had Morning/evening as it was, specially since you cjasing a higher volume.

Don't get anxious with a workout getting done in 1/2 hour, instead be grateful, get the rest you deserve, because your gains will follow.

You workout set up is great, and with the highish volume you set up (don't know what you want to do for 5's) you in for some surprise gains....but only if you include the rest.

Hope you follow this as it will benefit you greatly.
wink.gif
</div>
I started with:

A:

Squat
Lying Dumbbell Row
OH Dumbbell Press
Flat Bench Dumbbell Press

B:

Deadlift
Chins
Dips
Incline Bench Dumbbell Press

But no routine seems to manage to last unchanged...

Very early on I eliminated the Incline Bench and substituted a couple of deltoid exercises in its place. Then I added in Shrugs (since after doing my deadlifts the bar was already loaded...).

Later, reading about Max-Stim here and on the MS board, I began to experiment with it. Instead of doing two or three sets during the weeks of fives, I began to do Max-Stim 20's. I increase the weight as planned each time, but I do 20 M-timed reps, instead of sets of fives.

I found it difficult to do Max-Stim with dumbbells on some of the exercises.. The racking and reracking took forever on the overhead press, and was virtually impossible on the bench press. Thus I switched to using barbells for my overhead press and bench press. I've even tried using the Smith Machine for bench presses as it allows me to rack the weight in the bottom position rather than at the top as the weight bench requires. Of course, the barbells and the Smith Machine make things a lot easier, so I've had to up the weights I've been using.

Recently, I've added the Pec-Deck, as I seem to have plenty of energy still available. So now my program looks like this:

A:

Squat
Lying Dumbbell Row
OH Barbell Press
Smith Machine Barbell Press
Pec-Deck

B:

Deadlift
Shrugs
Chins
Dips
Delts

So far fatigue doesn't seem to have caught up with me. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I do my A routine in the morning, including 20 ATG squats, and my B routine in the evening, including 20 deadlifts (deadlifts are made for Max-Stim!).

I've finished two weeks of fives and plan to continue for another couple of weeks, as I have long surpassed my original 5RM's. So far I am able to keep adding weight to each exercise, while maintaing the MS 20 rep total.

I have gained in total body weight and in upper body muscle mass. Though I am beginning to realize that I need to eat a whole lot more than what I have been.

Thanks for all the help I've received from this board!
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Thanks for all the help I've received from this board!</div>

You're welcome! It's what HST is all about!
biggrin.gif


Another happy customer,spread the word!
 
Ok y'all if I've got the premise of this trhead right, here's my simply and win workout:

Chins
Dips
Sit ups
Deadlifts

Bingo, I likes it real simple as you can see, I'll post updates!
wink.gif
 
How are you doing deadlifts? Can you not do squats? If it is dumbels at least will get you started.
 
<div>
(Fausto @ Jun. 01 2007,08:44)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">How are you doing deadlifts? Can you not do squats? If it is dumbels at least will get you started.</div>
I do the deadlifts with a barbell.

If I was to do squats I'd need a spotter/rack for sure but for now I'm enjoying the deadlifts.
 
Back
Top