The Main Principle

[Entomba]

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Hi.


If I understood right, the main idea is to give muscle increasing load over a certain period of time, right?
So, why can't you reach your RM every week, instead of doing it in 2 weeks cycle? Is it more stressing to the body instead of doing 6 training sessions, and two weeks, to reach your RM in given rep?

And is it based on science and Bryan's own experience that it has to be 6 training sessions to go to RM and then change load and decrease reps? Or it's just convenient to follow?


For example, is this still following HST's principle:
In first 4 (yes, instead of 3) training session (M/W/F/Sun) you reach your 15 RM then you do 3 or 4 or 5 training sessions to reach your 10 or 12 RM. Are those training day amounts in given rep only that people have some rules to follow when there is set some standars?
I mean, 2 weeks of 15s, 10s and then 5s + negatives.


The idea, if I understood right, is just give muscle a certain amount of load, which increases over a time, and then when you hit the plateau, in RM, or near it, and in overall (end of cycle), you get the hell out of training for 7 to 14 days, then hit the gym again and start again your cycle, but try to increase the progression ie. give the muscle a wider gap for progressive loading?

These numbers, weeks, training session etc., are only made to people to follow these principles easier, right?

So, I can accustome my sets how the hell I want, just to give a rest between every training session (36 - 48 h) and just increase the load over a period of time. Moving from one reo to another closer to 5s...


But what I want to know, Lyle McDonald said that more weeks (3 to 4) with same rep works just fine and it would work for guys like him and Bryan because it's more effective or did he mean, it's more heavier to do that way?
But how come 1 week isn't beneficial. Is it avoided, like I asked, only that you get joint injuries easily instead of doing more weeks in given rep?


Okay, for all you has been following HST, what's the difference between this?

Version #1:

WEEK 1.
Mon: 10 kg x 15
Wed: 15 kg x 15
Fri: 20 kg x 15

WEEK 2.
Mon: 25 kg x 15
Wed: 30 kg x 15
Fri: 35 kg x 15 RM



version #2:

WEEK 1.
Mon: 25 kg x 15
Wed: 30 kg x 15
Fri: 35 kg x 15

WEEK2.
Mon: 32,5 kg x 12
Wed: 35 kg x 12
Fri: 37,5 kg 12 RM


I mean, the difference is obvious but how the body and mucle tissues handle those two situations (version #1 and #2) and how they differ reagarding the muscle growth?

In version 1 the load is progressive constantly but in version 2 there's overlapping.
But when you move to 10 reps in version 1 (WEEK 3), you still may have overlapping...Hmmm.

Is that in version 1 the progression is longer and more steady and causes the muscle more growth but in version 2 you workout near your RM and it's not as hypertrophy but instead more damaging and you hit your RBE faster?


EDIT: Hancock wrote

An incorrect usage of reps is to only increase the weight when more reps can be performed at a given weight load. This might be sufficient for an average strenght-training system program, but it is not a good way to increase hypertrophy.

How come?
​

 

[faz]

bryan has worked the routine out like this to manage fatigue,if you hit your rm every week you would be working very close to faliure all the time.
also if you hit your rm every wk your cycle would only last 4wks at most.
bryan also recomends carrying on for another two wks of 5s if you cant do negs,so that would be 4wks of 5s because RBE last longer in the heavier rep range than it does in the light rep range.

 

[Entomba]

Allright, thanks faz

But cycle can last more than 4 weeks even if you reach your RM every week:
Week 1: 15 RM
Week 2: 12 RM (instead of doing one light week than at the end of your week 15 RM)
Week 3: 10 RM
Week 4: 8 RM (instead of doing one light week than at the end of your week 10 RM)
Week 5: 5 RM
Week 6: 5RM
Week 7: neg or 5RM
Week 8: neg or 5RM

Okay, I'm being a dumbass here but that's just an example and I am not questioning anything I've read about HST, just curious about all this and I get lots of unanswered questions in my mind a lot. So, I hope Bryan releases his book soon!

Any onfo about that one yet?


But thanks for the answer faz.

 

[Entomba]

bryan has worked the routine out like this to manage fatigue,if you hit your rm every week you would be working very close to faliure all the time.
also if you hit your rm every wk your cycle would only last 4wks at most.
bryan also recomends carrying on for another two wks of 5s if you cant do negs,so that would be 4wks of 5s because RBE last longer in the heavier rep range than it does in the light rep range.

But why is it bad for cycle to last only 4 weeks?
Why one can't do one cycle in 4 weeks by picking weights from the 6 trainings (of given rep amount) only from the 2nd, 4th and last training weights.
For example if usually you would take weights 10,15,20,25,30,35, now you'd shorten your two week two one and take weights 15,25 and 35.

This way you rach your RM every week (considering you can handle fatigue better than average trainer) and you still have stable increasement with the weights when moving from one week and rep count to another.
Then after one week of (reps just for example) 15s, 10s and 5s, you can do more 5s or negatives.

And you are still getting to near your failure just like doing it in more weeks but haveing always that one light week before one heavier week.


I know that 2 weeks of 15s and 2 weeks of 10s e4c. is just done everything to be compact and easy to follow, but would it be the same to do it as a shorten version?
Maybe the increasements between trainings doesn't last as long and the fear of getting failure is bigger but the principle is still the same, right?
Going towards bigger and bigger load, eh? To have those lighter weeks only serve a purpose to get muscle ready for heavier week...but what about longer cycles? Is is still the same reason: the fear of failure.

Okay, maybe I am asking too much, just shut up and hit the gym but it would be nice to another perspectives about these things so I don't have to analyze and guess by myself.


Has anyone tried to do different versions of the normal routine Bryan suggests?

 

[Playskull]

I'd look at it this way...

If the rate of muscle protein synthesis (MPS) is a constant for the individual, then you'd want a longer cycle rather than a shorter one. That is to say speeding up a cycle does not necessarily mean speeding up the rate of MPS. Of course, the take-away here is a quicker onset of fatigue.

 

[faz]

good point by playskull.
entumba there is nothing wrong with a short cycle,but why stop a cycle while you are still making gains,this also means less time in the gym.
you dont have to do 15,10,5, you can do 12,10,8,5, whatever you want,but the problem is there is less chance of progressing the weights from workout to woirkout,and again you are working closer to faliure most of the time.

 

[Entomba]

Yes faz...that's what I thought too.
And playskull, thanks for pointing out MPS. I had totally forgot the idea that you should keep protein syntesis goin' on as long as possible.

I am always asking so much questions 'cause I am still a bit unceratin, and want to know why and what, even though I think I know the whole concept behind HST, it's not that complicated but I am playing with different ideas and "what if" but it always seem that the best way to do it as it is on faq book.
(I stop questioning the authority ie. Big Bro Guys. )

But anyway, thanks to both of you taking time to answer.
Much appreciated.

 

[faz]

if you think to much about the small details you will end up doing to much,as long as you do a good routine,eat well,and rest well you will grow.
the good thing about HST is the fatgue management is factored into your training,so all you have to do is find your maxes and then get on with it,the rest is easy.
many routines out there are good,but you have to figure out,when to ease of or when to take a break,or when to go heavy/light,in HST thats all done for you.