Starting a 2nd  8 week cycle and dropping the 15's

E

Enigma66

New Member
I've already done two 8 week cycles where I included the 15's.  From the HST program description it says you can drop the 15's at some point.  If you do that, what is the sequence for the 8 week cycle?

Two weeks of 10 reps
Two weeks of 5 reps
Two weeks of 10 reps (or 10 rep maxes)
Two weeks of 5 rep maxes (or negatives)

OR

Two weeks of 10 reps
Two weeks of 5 reps
Two weeks of 5 rep maxes
Two weeks of negatives

OR......?

I couldn't find a definitive answer.  What's the concensus?
 
Enigma

Don't over complicate things.

Either you do a 6 week cycle and SD, or a 8 week cycle whereby you extend the 5's and/or the negatives
 
I need to say that I've become a real big fan of the 15s. It seems like they're such an easy load that they're a "waste of time" and you spend 2 whole weeks doing nothing productive for your gains, but I've found them to be such a wonderful rehab for sore joints and assorted aches and pains that they're well worth it.

Prior to starting HST 4 years ago my joints were screaming at me and I was seriously consider retiring from serious iron. Now, they feel like I'm 20 years old again and not 45. I terminate my cycles when the extended 5s/negs get too hard and in addition to my strength starting to decline my joints are usually pretty beat up by then too. The joints don't really recover much during the SD but the 15s do the trick.
 
If Enigma wants to skip the 15s that is ok. I have done that before. But I have to agree with deadlifter, the 15s have value... so why skip them. Deadlifter is taking the long term view, and that is how you have to look at training... things don't happen overnight. But the accumulation of months and years of training is dramatic. One thing Enigma might want to do is simply extend the post 5s. It is tricky though cuz I tend to hit a wall in the 3 week of post 5s.

Bob
 
I think I'm going to be the opposite. I just completed my first week of 15's and I loved it. I've worked out with heavy weights in lower rep ranges for years and I think I'm going to dread the 5's, too much like my old routine. I've never really worked out with anything above 12 reps before unless it was calves. The 15's have me at least feeling pumped. I'm going to follow the program exactly this time and do the 15,10, 5.....Depending on results I might look into 15,10,8 next time. Has anyone done this with good results?
Thanks.
 
You should still keep the 5s and post5s in your routine. That's when you'll use the highest load and therefore have the most potential for growth.
 
I hate the 15s, feels like a friggn cardio workout. I do include 12 reps from time to time, but I generally do a 10/8/5 rep scheme. During the 5s, I drop the isos and morph into a 5x5 routine.
 
Jec,

i feel the same as you. i really like the 15's - i spent a long time training at low rep ranges. 15's leave me feeling more pumped than 5's. i have altered my workout to 15, 11, 7 rep ranges. i have just started my 2nd cycle this way and like it alot. i have had better gains that with the traditional hst approach. if you do change your workout, pls keep us posted on how it goes.
 
The only joint pain I've ever experienced has been with doing Max-OT. Personally, I don't think it was b/c of the high weights and low reps, it was b/c of the 'loose form' they suggest that you use. Said another way, the joint pain was a result of too much force, not too much weight.

Since Force = Mass x Acceleration, you could potentially do more damage to joints by lifting lighter weights with 'loose' or explosive form than you could by lifting heavier weights under complete control.

Unfortunately - and this is totally my fault - I kept using that 'loose' form when I did my first 2 cycles of HST. I'm off this week from lifting (SD), but during the 2 week block of negatives from the cycle I just finished, I mixed up negatives with finding out what my maxes were using a much more controlled form and slower cadence, and that's what I'll be using when I start back up next week.

As far as the 15's go, I didn't dislike them, I guess I just wasn't completely sure of their value. I'm not new to training, and was already used to heavy loads from doing Max-OT for almost a year, so to me all they did was provide the expected 'pump' that high reps sets produce. I'm going to drop them for this next cycle and see how it goes.

I'm still not sure what kind of rep sequence I should do though. I'm not sure I'd want to do a 6 week cycle and then SD. The 2 cycles I've done so far I still felt ok after 6 weeks. It's been at the end of the 8th week where it starts to feel like it's time for a break. But who knows - since I'm going to lift in a more controlled manner with less momentum this time, maybe my body will feel differently after 6 weeks. Guess I won't know until then.
 
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