Think I overestimated my maxes, what now?

G

GreatScott

New Member
So I've finally been able to start up my HST cycle and I've went with the following exercises 3x per week:

Squat/(Alternating with Deadlift in 5s only)
SLDL (Only in 15s and 10s)
Bench
Dips
Row
Chins
Military press
Curls
Close-Grip Bench


The thing is, I think I've overestimated my maxes. All the exercises were actually quite tough to get 15 reps, especially the bench and squat, is this something I should be experiencing on my first workout of the cycle? Some of the second sets I had to pause for a second or two multiple times to get to 15.

Should I lower the weights for the sessions going forward or stick to the weights I've calculated? (Smallest increment is .25kg)
 
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You are supposed to test your maxes, not estimate them. So if you can't get 15 reps, obviously your 15 rep max is lower than that.

It's possible that you are just quitting the set prematurely, due to the fatigue and pain of pushing through a high rep set. Personally, I am quite strong in the 4-8 rep range, but my strength endurance sucks and I tend to have trouble doing the 15s, especially for squat and bench and other heavy compounds. I don't even do the 15s any more. I just stick to the 4-12 rep range.

It takes guts and grit to push 15 straight reps with a decently heavy load.
 
I would just keep doing the same loads and try to get 15 reps for the rest of your workouts. Or you could just start over and do a real test of your maxes, like you are supposed to.
 
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If its a true 15rm then you should hit the first set but the second set will be tough/tougher/too tough. Otherwise its not a true RM. I usually have to cluster 2nd and 3rd sets When Im doing final rm workout.
 
I got all the reps, just both sets were taxing and I had to pause often during the second. I did test my maxes but using 5-8 reps depending on the exercise then used the spreadsheet to estimate 15 and 10 maxes.

Which is preferred: lower the weight/ keep it the same or struggle to get reps and having to pause?
 
Are you having difficuilty during the sub max workouts or just the final workout?

Where are you in your cycle?
 
gbglifter said:
Are you having difficuilty during the sub max workouts or just the final workout?

Where are you in your cycle?
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This was my first workout of my first HST cycle. I wasn't sure if the first workout should've been quite as taxing as it was! Don't get me wrong it was a great workout, but I fear going forward I won't be able to manage 15 reps quite as easily as the weight increases.
 
GreatScott said:
This was my first workout of my first HST cycle. I wasn't sure if the first workout should've been quite as taxing as it was! Don't get me wrong it was a great workout, but I fear going forward I won't be able to manage 15 reps quite as easily as the weight increases.
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My first workout after the SD is always taxing. It feels heavy etc but you will get stronger during the cycle. But as OnG stated: skip the second set, if its the 15´s. Rememeber you can always utilise clustering after the first set to hit your rep total. Ie 1st set=15 reps, 2nd=9 and 3rd set=6 reps. Total 30 reps for example. Perhaps more useful when you get to the 10´s and 5´s though.
 
gbglifter said:
My first workout after the SD is always taxing. It feels heavy etc but you will get stronger during the cycle. But as OnG stated: skip the second set, if its the 15´s. Rememeber you can always utilise clustering after the first set to hit your rep total. Ie 1st set=15 reps, 2nd=9 and 3rd set=6 reps. Total 30 reps for example. Perhaps more useful when you get to the 10´s and 5´s though.
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I'll give skipping the second set a go. So I can compound sets like that? So the actual rep range is meaningless?
 
No, the rep range isnt meaningless. Its what allows us to accurately gauge load progression. However, the first set is the one used to gauge your strength progression. The subsequent sets/reps are there to allow sufficient volume. If youre not hitting rep target on first set youre either increasing too quickly or have made a mistake calculating RM´s.

Make sure you always hit your rep total on the first set then if you cant hit the rep target on the next set, dont fret about it, just get in the total reps. ie 20 for 10RM and between 10 and 15 on the 5RM´s.
 
The 'rep ranges' are actually load ranges, they're just described according to the number of reps performed when broken down into structured sets. Total reps/work done is what matters, not how many independent bouts the accumulated exposure is broken into (sets).
 
AlexAustralia said:
The 'rep ranges' are actually load ranges, they're just described according to the number of reps performed when broken down into structured sets. Total reps/work done is what matters, not how many independent bouts the accumulated exposure is broken into (sets).
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I think I have a problem with that Alex. Consider the extreme example of doing 15 continuous reps at your 15 RM. Then consider doing 15 sets of your 1 RM. Total reps done is the same but work done is vastly different. In fact, even different types of muscle fibers are recruited.

However, I may have misunderstood your intent as to what you were directing your reply to.
 
Old and Grey said:
I think I have a problem with that Alex. Consider the extreme example of doing 15 continuous reps at your 15 RM. Then consider doing 15 sets of your 1 RM. Total reps done is the same but work done is vastly different. In fact, even different types of muscle fibers are recruited.

However, I may have misunderstood your intent as to what you were directing your reply to.
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Yeh, I think there's a misunderstanding there.

We decscribe the micro-cycles within vanilla HST according to the reps we can perform with a given load (15RM, 10RM, 5RM and negatives). However, the ranges are really self-defined by the load, and we merely identify them according the number of reps we can perform at those loads. Each micro-cycle is still differentiated according to the load used, not according to the number of the reps you can perform with that rep-range's max. It's a minor difference in perception, but an important one. IMO, a properly created HST program would identify it's micro-cycles based on %-1RM, it's just that the 15-10-5-neg's way to do it is faster and easier.

Regardless, GreatScott can easily adjust his cycle and doesn't need to restart.
 
Ill agree that its the total reps done at a given load thats important but one should be able to complete one full set at the given rep range, or theres something wrong.
 
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