Slapshotz' SST journal

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(quadancer @ Feb. 17 2008,19:27)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">45 seconds? Man, I keep mine under 15 or so. But I haven't been doing a lot of MS and gotten heavy with it yet.</div>
I think the way you're doing it is the way it's actually supposed to be done, keeping the M time as low as possible while still being able to complete the required reps, but I've tweaked it and added more M time b/c I'm focussed on strength v. hypertrophy.
 
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(Slapshotz @ Feb. 17 2008,14:44)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">And yeah, I'm freezing my ass off over here.....is it summer yet?
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Jersey has the same four seasons as Ohio:
1) Almost Winter
2) Winter
3) Still Winter
4) Road Construction

BTW, if you take much more than a 30-second M-time on your Max-Stim lifts, Dan Moore will don his labcoat and come to haunt you...
 
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(TunnelRat @ Feb. 18 2008,11:28)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><div>
(Slapshotz @ Feb. 17 2008,14:44)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">And yeah, I'm freezing my ass off over here.....is it summer yet?
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Jersey has the same four seasons as Ohio:
1) Almost Winter
2) Winter
3) Still Winter
4) Road Construction

BTW, if you take much more than a 30-second M-time on your Max-Stim lifts, Dan Moore will don his labcoat and come to haunt you...</div>
Yup...that about sums 'er up. 20 more years til I can retire to Hawaii (ya, RIGHT!)

Dan Moore will definitely kick my a$$ for having such a high M time, but heck, it works for me.
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MaxStim - Workout 21

Barbbell Military Press: 152.5 - 18 (Previous 151.25 - 20)
Barbbell Shrugs - 445 - 12
Dumbbell Laterals
20 Mins. running

NOTES: Blah! PO'd that I couldn't do 20, but I was pretty weak today. Whatever &quot;it&quot; is, I didn't have nearly enough of it in the tank. Even my run was lumbering....time for a few days off
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That low frequency you are doing is interesting.
All the science says 2x/week is superior to lower frequency but I can't help but notice all the strong guys who make progress doing a heavy lift once/week or less.
I don't know if age is maybe a factor, or the fact that my strength is getting into the upper-intermediate range, but lately it takes me damn near a week to recover from heavy squats!
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I feel guilty only doing back squats once/week but when I finally get under the bar again, I find I am stronger!
Even benching and upper body work doesn't seem to suffer taking a week between heavy sessions.
Maybe I should stop feeling guilty about it and just let myself recover and hit each lift once/week instead of dragging into the gym at a higher frequency.
I think Bryan Haycock posted someting about the main difference between HST and SST is that SST should be higher intensity and lower frequency.
But from my experince I only keep size gains when steadily adding weight to teh bar.
Something to think about....
 
Sci, is higher frequency better for hypertrophy or strength? Strength is a whole different ball game when it is the primary focus.

BTW, Pennsylvania definitely has the weather than Ohio and New Jersey get except it is even colder. I woke up to go start my car this morning and it was 5 degrees (F) outside!
 
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(scientific muscle @ Feb. 20 2008,22:01)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">That low frequency you are doing is interesting.
All the science says 2x/week is superior to lower frequency but I can't help but notice all the strong guys who make progress doing a heavy lift once/week or less.
I don't know if age is maybe a factor, or the fact that my strength is getting into the upper-intermediate range, but lately it takes me damn near a week to recover from heavy squats!
wow.gif

I feel guilty only doing back squats once/week but when I finally get under the bar again, I find I am stronger!
Even benching and upper body work doesn't seem to suffer taking a week between heavy sessions.
Maybe I should stop feeling guilty about it and just let myself recover and hit each lift once/week instead of dragging into the gym at a higher frequency.
I think Bryan Haycock posted someting about the main difference between HST and SST is that SST should be higher intensity and lower frequency.
But from my experince I only keep size gains when steadily adding weight to teh bar.
Something to think about....</div>
You're on the right track.  You'll find as you get nearer and nearer your genetic strength limit (whatever that might be for your current weight), you'll need longer &amp; longer timeframes n between efforts to increase the load.  At least, that was the case for me.

It's very hard to train heavy, frequently.  Can't say it's impossible, because there are folks that seem to do it all the time, but when I try to lift heavy and often, the results are always crappy.  

This is what I like about MS training.  It's heavy, but not ME heavy, and allows for a slightly higher frequency than would otherwise be tolerable.  Plus, I don't have the added threat of injury hanging over my head
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I also think you'll find that when you switch back &amp; forth between strength &amp; hypertrophy programs, each one will be highly effective b/c you'll  never stagnate.  Some of the most successful lifters I know are constantly alternating between strength &amp; hypertrophy programs, about 3 months on each.  

My situation is a little unique, in that I no longer care to get &quot;bigger&quot;....just &quot;stronger&quot;...so the threat of stagnation and plateau is something I fight all the time.  Luckily, when my football regime kicks into gear in a few months, that will provide a nice change.

Colby wrote:
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Sci, is higher frequency better for hypertrophy or strength? Strength is a whole different ball game when it is the primary focus.</div>

Definitely higher frequency for hypertrophy, I would think
 
Yeah I just hit the bench after a week off from doing heavies, and am way stronger. I have to admit that the original HST system is something I no longer agree with. I don't want to argue about it though, as guys like Lol are good examples that HST can work well. I like the way slapshotz and other powerlifters train though. And most of the time they are way bigger too, so I don't think that HST is superior AT ALL for hypertrophy. I think its just another system that can work.
Over and out.
 
Sci wrote:
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Yeah I just hit the bench after a week off from doing heavies, and am way stronger.  I have to admit that the original HST system is something I no longer agree with.    I don't want to argue about it though, as guys like Lol are good examples that HST can work well.    I like the way slapshotz and other powerlifters train though.  And most of the time they are way bigger too, so I don't think that HST is superior AT ALL for hypertrophy.  I think its just another system that can work.
Over and out.</div>

Actually, as Q-dood points out with alarming frequency,  
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, I am not a big dood!  For the past couple of years, my personal choice has been to stay lean &amp; strong.  My leanness gives me the illusion of more size than I actually have.

Every bulking routine I've tried has been a miserable failure.  It's not that I never gained size, but I just couldn't avoid getting overly fat.  I'm approaching 40 now, and the added size no longer seems as important as my overall health.  There are precious few I've seen bulk clean, but those that can do it I have found to have a pretty good set of genetics.   Enjoy your SST time, Sci...I think you'll find it to be the most rewarding &amp; enjoyable program you've had in your lifting career...and when you switch back up to hypertrophy, the mass will most likely come with ease (unfortunately, so might the fat, but such are the perils of bulking!
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Now, for some current business...

This will seem like a great contradiction to what I just said above, but after two years, I have decided to abandon my strength training.

In keeping with my goal of playing football next fall, I've spent the last couple of workouts doing 10-15 rep work, and ramping up the volume.  Mentally, this change came easier than I thought it would.  I thought I would need more time to wean myself off of strength training, but just like that, I've moved on with no real regrets.

It's high time to focus on what are and have been my most glaring weaknesses from a strength-based routine...both of which I need to improve upon.
-cardiovascular stamina / endurance
-pathetic weakness when it comes to higher volume / higher rep work

I'm proud to say that the cardio part is coming along nicely.  I now devote about 40 to 45 minutes per session, consisting of 30 minutes of running/warm-up/cool down, and 15 or so minutes of wind sprints &amp; other football-oriented activities.

The volume / higher rep stuff is really pathetic, though
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I'm going to have to make the switch to machines for this, for the most part, b/c I'll be going to failure.  Take yesterday, for example.

Flat Bench machine - #7, 3 sets of 10-12
Incline Bench machine - #4, 3 sets of 10-12
Cable X-overs - #3 - 3 sets of 10-12

I have no idea what the actual weights were, but I know they were low.  It felt ridiculously light at the beginning, but it might as well have been a Mack truck by the 10th to 12th rep, b/c my arms just stopped moving.  This brings me to an important point.

Most likely, I have an abundance of unused &amp; severely atrophied slow twitch fibers, that have never been taxed on a regular basis...probably ever.  Scary thought.  It seems completely illogical that I could gain even a smidge of size (unintentionally) by training with lower weight &amp; higher volume, but I have no doubt these fibers have been as unused as Bill Gates' weight set.

My goal is to do 12 to 20 sets for the major muscle groups, and 6 to 8 sets for the minor muscle groups, per workout.   Rest times will be low, obviously.

Even with the increased frequency and volume, I don't expect overtraining to be a factor.  12 sets of lighter weights still can't compare to even one set with maximal weight, at least in terms of CNS fatigue, which has been my great nemisis over the last couple of years.

As far as diet? No changes there. Carbs may go up a *tad* around workout time, but for my overall health they have to stay low. I don't want my reflux coming back!

Anyhoo, that's where things stand, and we'll see if bringing those slow twitchers into play makes any difference
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<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Most likely, I have an abundance of unused &amp; severely atrophied slow twitch fibers, that have never been taxed on a regular basis...probably ever. Scary thought. It seems completely illogical that I could gain even a smidge of size (unintentionally) by training with lower weight &amp; higher volume, but I have no doubt these fibers have been as unused as Bill Gates' weight set.</div>
Your slow twitch fibres have been taking a hammering just as much as your fast twitch fibres with all the heavy lifting you have been doing.

Quick muscle fibre 101 if you're interested:
Fiber Types, Training, and Hypertrophy

What I will be interested in seeing is how you find your strength changing when training at a lower intensity (by which I mean a lower %age of 1RM for any lift) for a reasonable length of time. I have a hunch that peak strength levels do not alter much over the course of a few weeks when training with loads around 75% of 1RM (say, in the region of 15RM). Any longer than this and that may not be true, so it will be interesting to see how things pan out in your case.
 
Lol wrote:
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Your slow twitch fibres have been taking a hammering just as much as your fast twitch fibres with all the heavy lifting you have been doing.

What I will be interested in seeing is how you find your strength changing when training at a lower intensity (by which I mean a lower %age of 1RM for any lift) for a reasonable length of time. I have a hunch that peak strength levels do not alter much over the course of a few weeks when training with loads around 75% of 1RM (say, in the region of 15RM). Any longer than this and that may not be true, so it will be interesting to see how things pan out in your case.</div>

I agree in principle with the first statement, except the variance between my raw strength and my &quot;rep&quot; strength is just unreal.  Is it possible that I could have certain fibers underdeveloped?
There is a real smart cookie on my MuscleNow board named Jeff. He had this to say, and it was kinda what I was trying to get at, albeit less effectively. As usual, I had the concept right, but the minuta wrong
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<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Doing sets of 10-15 reps is still a fast twitch activity, just as sprinting for 10-15 seconds is. It still uses Type IIB fibers, which resyntesize ATP through creatine phosphate. Creatine Phosphate is exuasted quickly, so at about the 20 second mark the body will dip into the Type IIA fibers, which use glycolytic metabolism (glucose) to resynthesize ATP. This will continue until about the 2 minute mark, at which point the body realizes this is a long duration activity and that oxygen can be supplied quickly enough to resynthesize ATP with the slower but more limitless (it's impossible to run out of fat) fatty acid oxidation system. This is where the slow twitch fibers kick in, and they'll stay unless you decide to start sprinting again and glycolytic metabolism has to take over again. Doing only singles and doubles will never get close to taxing the Type IIA fibers, leaving these fibers more or less untrained. Ironically, these fibers have the most growth potential, so don't be surprised if the scale moves up now that you've upped the reps.</div>

i.e., I did back &amp; biceps the other day, and after about 16 sets for back and 4 sets of seated machine curls, i couldn't even curl 20 pound dumbbells, my arms were that destroyed.

I'll be curious as well to see how my body responds.  I don't think I've ever done high rep work exclusively....ever.  The biggest guy at my gym trains exclusively in the 8 to 15 range.  Never goes below 8.  Pound for pound, I'm way stronger than he is, but he *looks like* he could lift a small car and toss it a few dozen feet just for shits &amp; giggles.  

As to your second point, I am most likely going to lose quite a bit of strength, b/c this routine will be with me for the next several months as I prepare to play football.  I'm sure when I go back to strength training, the muscle memory will kick in, and attaining my old levels won't be that hard.

In any event, I go for a BF analysis on 3/8, so we'll see where I stand, and see what tricks my trainer has for me to get my speed / stamina / endurance up.
 
It's gonna be pretty wild if your stamina, health, Vo2max all come up and you gain some beef as a byproduct! Good luck, cuz'!
 
Okay, this is one thing I have been confused about for a couple years. What exactly is this Vo2max? Is this the safe limit of 85% maximum heart rate?
 
VO2 max (also maximal oxygen consumption, maximal oxygen uptake or aerobic capacity) is the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and utilize oxygen during incremental exercise, which reflects the physical fitness of the individual. The name is derived from V - volume per time, O2 - oxygen, max - maximum.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"> The biggest guy at my gym trains exclusively in the 8 to 15 range.  Never goes below 8.  Pound for pound, I'm way stronger than he is, but he *looks like* he could lift a small car and toss it a few dozen feet just for shits &amp; giggles. </div>

I highly doubt the rep range has much to do with it.  It sounds like he's got 'help'.
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People get huge with all kind of rep ranges.  All that matters is using a decent intensity @ a decent volume.  A 1001 ways to skin that cat.
 
Sci said it best...a thousand ways to skin a cat. This guy does indeed have &quot;help&quot;
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but even if I got *help* I couldn't look like this dood!

And Q, I agree. Should be interesting to see what happens. Usually, beginners do the higer rep stuff, then move on to lower rep work...I'm doing just the oppisite. Perhaps my strength training will indeed lay the foundation for some extra beef, albeit an unintentional byproduct.

Today was shoulders and biceps...please curtail your laughter until the end. By golly, it's pathetic.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press - 35s x 12 x 4
Lateral Raises (elbows locked straight) 10s x 12 x 4
Barbbell Shrugs - 275 x 4 x 15
Preacher machine - #2 x 12 x 2
Seated incline dumbbell curls - 15s x 12 x 2 (and YES, it was heavy by the end. I'm so fukkin ashamed).

Rest times, 30 to 45 seconds

20 minutes running

Notes: Well, two workouts in, and this is flat out embarrassing. In all honesty, I had no clue that I would be this weak. I'm gonna cut myself some slack, though, because the rest times are short (another thing I'm unaccustomed to). It was really cool to get a pump, tho...which is something I never had with my strength training.

Nowhere to go but up.
 
I don't think it's a matter of you being weak,(your definitly not that) just a matter of building up your endurance for the higher rep range, and something your body is not used to. Good luck!
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The end of a long week...my work notebook crashed, and the stress levels were through the roof...

but on the good side, I got in several workouts (no time to post details), but I am extremely proud to report that my overall fitness level is climbing steadily. I can do wind sprints for about 15 mintues b/4 feeling exhausted, and when I run on the treadmill, it's a good 15 minutes b/4 I break a sweat, and I haven't been getting winded, either. All good stuff!

The lifting part has been pretty cool, too. I'm getting massive pumps, which make me actually look big!
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Anyhoo, tomorrow will be lots to report, as I'm meeting my trainer for a b/f analysis and some detailed planning for my football training. I would say I could step on the gridiron right now if I had to, and at least make it through one full quarter b/4 passing out. It's a start
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3/8/08 Meeting with trainer

Bodyfat analysis - my b/f numbers came in at .5% less than last summer!  I was quite shocked at this, as I thought for sure I was up at around 10% by now, but my abdominal skinfold showed nearly a full percentage point decline.  Unfortunately, I left my printout at the gym, so I don't remember what the exact total b/f number was, but I clearly remember him telling me it was .5 less than last year.  

Skills test - In keeping w/ my football goals, next week my trainer is going to test me in the 40-meter dash, 1 mile run, max bench, dead, &amp; push press.  I'm quite sure my 40 will be good, but my mile will probably be poor, and since my bench, dead &amp; push press will all be tested after the one mile run, I'm not sure what to expect there.  This will be the base at which my core training will eminate.

Mesocycle game plan - Of course, it's always pointless for me to &quot;guesstimate&quot; what program he will put me on, because my choices are always wrong.  This time was no different.  First of all, I was thoroughly chastised for switching to light weights so soon.  He is convinced that all I will get by lifting light weights for such a prolonged period will be muscular atrophy.   If I want to take a &quot;deconditioning&quot; week once every 4 or 5 weeks to go light, that's okay, but light weights cannot be the staple of my routine just yet.  Here's the three-part plan.

Cycle I - Offseason
March, April &amp; May will be my &quot;offseason&quot; in which the goal will be to gain &quot;functional&quot; strength (versus raw strength for the sake of being strong).  Rep speed will be explosive, especially on the concentric movements.  Since I can only commit to 2 to 3 weight workouts per week right now plus one or two cardio/ab days, he broke it down into an upper body day and a lower body day.  

Upper body days:
Flat bench
Weighted dips
Push press (after a few weeks switch to clean &amp; jerks)
Good mornings
Close grip bench press
-all exercises, 4 to 6 sets, 4 to 6 reps each, no failure.  Rest times @ 1 minute

Lower body:
Squats
Deads
Lunges or step-ups
Stiff-legged deads
Single-leg xtensions
Single-leg calf raises
Hammer curls (doing while standing on one leg)
All exercises 4 to 6 sets, 4 to 6 reps, no failure, except calves (20 to 30 reps).  Rest times @ 1 minute

Off days (Cardio / Abs)
15 to 20 minutes HIIT

For abs, he gave me about 10 different ab exercises to do, most of which I have no clue how to do.  He will show them to me next week.  In short, the ab exercises focus on creating resistence at odd angles (hanging leg raises to the side, for example, along with tons of work with medicine balls).  Since all I do now for abs is the roller, this is going to be quite a challenge.

The other big thing we're working on is creating more ankle strength, so there will be lots of work standing on that semi-circular ball (whatever it's called).  I need to vastly improve the strength in my ankles.

Cycle II - Preseason

Without goint into detail, this will mainly be the time when the weight work drops off, the cardio work picks up, and the functional football drills will become more of a focus.  Details will be provided when the time comes.

Cycle III - Season

Weight work and cardio down further, saving energy for game days.

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So, that's it.  Man, that's a long post!
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As an aside, I did the upper body workout today.
 
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