Starting HST

AlexAustralia said:
Other than diet (inadequacies etc.), I would say that mismanagement of the CNS is the singular biggest prohibitive factor that the majority of people experience when trying to put on muscle.

And excessive volume would be the prime contributing factor to CNS mismanagement.
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I think diet is in check, but obviously I'll monitor it over the course of the cycle and adjust as necessary.

With the exercise selection as above, would you recommend 1-2 x 15, 2 x 10 and then 3 x 5 as the best way to start? I think what I was more alluding to above was that with BORs and pullups, obviously they're both for back... so would the 3 x 5 be for each exercise or total for the muscle group?
 
AlexAustralia said:
What is your most recent proposed program?
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At last coutnt, I was looking at the below -

Squats / Deadlifts (rotated every other day)
RDLs / Leg Press (as above)
Pullups
Bench press
Bent over rows
Military Press
Dips

My only concern was the carryover from the pressing / dips being done 3 x per week, particularly when things get heavier in the later stages of the cycle.
 
Frankly, flat bench, dips and military press is going to significantly your development, compared to running just one of those - in my opinion.

They're using the same muscles, though obviously military has minimal/next to zero pectoral involvement, and dips don't (or shouldn't have) significant deltoid involvement. But frankly, your triceps aren't going to manage 6-9 sets per session during the 5s and post-5s. In turn, that effects the load you can progress with for the three exercises.

Drop Military Press or Flat Bench IMO.
 
I may be an old mutation of some sort but I have found my triceps can take an awful lot of work. I regularly hit them, in one form or another, 9 times each workout and they are by far and away my best developed muscle. For me, other muscles, such as biceps or quads cannot take that type of volume.

Old and Grey and Mutated :cool:
 
Old and Grey said:
I may be an old mutation of some sort but I have found my triceps can take an awful lot of work. I regularly hit them, in one form or another, 9 times each workout and they are by far and away my best developed muscle. For me, other muscles, such as biceps or quads cannot take that type of volume.

Old and Grey and Mutated :cool:
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I'm half with you, I was/am doing 2 exercises that hit my triceps as a primary mover and another as a secondary/stabiliser and the growth in my dips after a few cycles in great. My biceps on the other hand can't take half the total volume. :/
 
I was doing db bench, military and dips three times a week previously. Like O&G my triceps are by far my strongest muscle. Personally, I would do the workout exactly as you wrote. Once you get onto the heavies you can drop a set if its getting too much for you. ie final week 2x5 for each, or at least for the later exercises.

The way I see it bench primary muscles: pecs, military:delts and dips:triceps(narrow dips)
 
I'm starting my HST routine on Saturday so I'm going through at the moment to work out my weights for the upcoming cycle. My lifts are relatively low which means that the differences between the respective RMs are small as well, resulting in zig-zagging occuring on almost all of my exercises in all rep ranges. I've read a fair bit on the topic across the forums and also in the HST ebook but wanted to get some thoughts on the below.

As I see it, my options are -

1) Leave it as is, which would mean that as I enter each new 2-week block, the first 1-2 workouts would have me lifting less or equal weight for less reps than the last workouts from the previous 2 week block on certain exercises.
2) Have an A and a B workout, doing each one 3 x per 2 week block. This would enable a bigger % increment per workout (say 85-92.5-100% over the two weeks), which would likely eliminate any zig-zagging.
3) Manipulate the starting number for each block in line with the ending weight of the previous block. For example, if my 10RM was 100lbs, the 5RM two week block would have to start at or above 100lbs. The only issue here is that this would mean very small increments up to my 5RM if I did them evenly. The only thing I can think to do (which I've seen suggested) would be to do 100lbs, 100lbs, 105lbs, 105lbs, 110lbs, 110lbs whereby you're repeating each weight for two sessions. (Note these are just example numbers)

I'm thinking the above may be simply overcomplicating things, but would be keen to hear any opinions all the same.
 
Quick answer is A.

What concerns me though is that you do not seem to be planning on taking an SD between the time you determine your maxes and when you actually begin your cycle. That is OK if you are a rank beginner but you really need a week of SD if you have been previously training. Or, perhaps, I misinterpreted what you were saying.
 
Old and Grey said:
Quick answer is A.

What concerns me though is that you do not seem to be planning on taking an SD between the time you determine your maxes and when you actually begin your cycle. That is OK if you are a rank beginner but you really need a week of SD if you have been previously training. Or, perhaps, I misinterpreted what you were saying.
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Sorry O and G, I may not have been very clear there. I found my RMs for the 15s, 10s and 5s last week finishing Wednesday, so my SD will be 10 days. What I meant was I'm now going through and working out what weight that will mean for each workout, i.e the increments towards the respective RMs in the two week blocks.
 
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