Training lagging body parts with HST

D

Driver

New Member
<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style> Hi everyone,

As this is my first post I will give a brief summary of my training experience. After years of clueless training I followed the Starting strength program and gained 26.4 pounds/12 kg; mostly on my legs and lower back. According to the max size calculator my thighs and calves are at 99% and 95% of their max size respectively, while my upper and forearms are at 83% and 88% respectively. Taking into account my potential weight (currently at 91% max), my arms would have to grow 0.4 inch/1 cm per 2.2 lbs/1 kg muscle mass I gain in order to reach their potential.


Therefore, my question is simple: How to train lagging body parts with HST?

My solutions are to:

  1. start doing more upper-body exercises instead of squats/deadlifts and their variants
  2. move weak bodypart up front
My HST sample workout would look like this:

(arms)
Dips
BB Curl
Tri extension
(upperbody)
Pull-ups/Bent over rows (alternate)
Bench press
Press
(lowerbody)
Squat/Deadlift (alternate)

What do you think of these solutions? Do any of you have additional ideas?

Thanks in advance!
 
You may well want to pay a bit of attention to your "Beach Muscles". Adding some work on your bis and tris may help. However, I have long been of the view that squats and deads have to be a significant part of any sort of successful body building regimen.
 
I know exactly the situation you are in. Just as a point of reference, my thighs are 27 inches and show no signs of stopping growth whereas my chest is only 45 inches and my biceps are only 16.5. So you can see I have the same problem as you.

I also tried essentially the exact same thing you did. I even dropped squats completely for a long time and only did deads and those only once a week. It didn't make a big difference in the long run. I'm leaning toward the opinion that it is genetics. Basically the opposite problem that the guys with chicken legs have.

But if you wish to try to persevere regardless, I would recommend you try adding more volume for chest and arms and dropping legs down to only being hit once a week by one movement, perhaps do alternate the squats and deads so one week you do squats one day out of the week, the next week you do deads. Try that for a cycle or two and see if your legs still continue to grow regardless or if you start getting growth in your upper body instead. I would not drop deads completely because they definitely hit the legs a little less than squats and hit the back (including the ever important upper traps) very well. Personally, I don't think anything looks better than a thick, wide back topped with huge bulging traps.

I would be interested to know what you decide and how it works for you.
 
Thanks for the replies!

TunnelRat said:
However, I have long been of the view that squats and deads have to be a significant part of any sort of successful body building regimen.
Click to expand...

I agree. This has been the case whenever I have gained weight. That's why I want to end each training with either deadlifts or squats.

Totentanz said:
I also tried essentially the exact same thing you did. I even dropped squats completely for a long time and only did deads and those only once a week. It didn't make a big difference in the long run. I'm leaning toward the opinion that it is genetics. Basically the opposite problem that the guys with chicken legs have.
Click to expand...

Big legs definitely run in my family, so maybe I am cursed as well :p Currently, I have 24.4" thighs and 14.8" arms at 6 ft 2 length. I think many people have this arm size without even working out :p I think I will start a log to track my progress, so I will let you know!
 
Driver said:
<style type="text/css">p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }</style> Hi everyone,

As this is my first post I will give a brief summary of my training experience. After years of clueless training I followed the Starting strength program and gained 26.4 pounds/12 kg; mostly on my legs and lower back. According to the max size calculator my thighs and calves are at 99% and 95% of their max size respectively, while my upper and forearms are at 83% and 88% respectively. Taking into account my potential weight (currently at 91% max), my arms would have to grow 0.4 inch/1 cm per 2.2 lbs/1 kg muscle mass I gain in order to reach their potential.


Therefore, my question is simple: How to train lagging body parts with HST?

My solutions are to:

  1. start doing more upper-body exercises instead of squats/deadlifts and their variants
  2. move weak bodypart up front
My HST sample workout would look like this:

(arms)
Dips
BB Curl
Tri extension
(upperbody)
Pull-ups/Bent over rows (alternate)
Bench press
Press
(lowerbody)
Squat/Deadlift (alternate)

What do you think of these solutions? Do any of you have additional ideas?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

The rest of these guys know way more than I do, but the thought occurred to me: Perhaps you could follow the progressive loading/HST programming principles on all upperbody lifts, but keep your DL and squat at a consistent load throughout the cycle to maintain strength (say 80 - 85% of RM for 3 - 5 reps the whole cycle, while the other lifts go through 15, 10, 5 rep phases). I have no source or expertise to validate this idea, but thought I'd offer it as 'food for thought'.
 
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