Training legs only whit HST... results

[Atlas]

I've been reading this site for 7 months now and I remember some posts about guys who were wondering if it's worth training legs.... So I did a complete HST cycle training my legs only. I've been thinking about doing this for a year or so (always thought my legs were too small.....) but I was waiting to find THE WAY of training. HST gave me the guts to try it!
So here is what I did. My complete cycle looked like this:
2 weeks of 15s.
2 weeks of 10s.
2 weeks of 5s.
1 week of negs.
So, during 7 weeks, I trained my legs 3 times a week, and my upper body only 3 times DURING THE WHOLE CYCLE (once at the end of the 10s, end of the 5s and at the end of the negs). I guess I was afraid to lose too much of my upper body!
Now here are the results:
Weight: +10 pounds
Arms: + 1/4 (inch)
Forearms: +1/4 (inch)
Chest: +1 (inch)
Thighs: +1 (inch)
Calves: +1/2 (inch)

Just wanted to share with you guys 'cause I think those results are very interesting. So, do squats realy worth the price??!!!

.....guess so!

(by the way, I didn't post my results in "HST results" cause, to me, it was more like an experience than a stantard HST training)

 

[Spyke]

Someone once told me that the only way you will get to bench 350lbs is to be able to squat 350lbs.

Sounded pretty stupid to me at the time but now I see that I was the stupid one. Your post seem to confirm that!

 

[colby2152]

Those are great results especially with the upper body given that you only had 3 workouts (are you serious??)

How did your routine and diet go?

-Colby

 

[Atlas]

For legs, I was doing:
Squats, Leg presses
SLDL, Leg curl
Calves raise (on leg press machine, I train at home.....)

For upper body:
Incline (20 degrees) Dumbbell bench press: using these as a push movement for pecs, front delts and tris
Deadlifts: using them as a pull movement for back (general), traps, bis and forearms.
A little comment on how I deadlift: I never lock my elbows, so that my biceps are more involved, and I use to do "pulse shrugs" at the top of the movement for better results for the traps. And I don't use handstraps... forearms developpement!...
As for the squats, I like to keep my shoulders a little high, so that my traps hold the weight.

 

[Fausto]

Atlas

Good experiment, gives new insights to all of us!

You never included your leg gains, just for interest sake!

 

[Jester]

Quote[/b] ]Thighs: +1 (inch)
Calves: +1/2 (inch)

Bang...

When did you measure?

How long have you been training?

Strength gains?

 

[Fausto]

I seriously need glasses

LOL

 

[imported_gripstrength]

Cool experiment, Atlas, and nice results!

 

[Hardrock]

Quote[/b] (Atlas @ Nov. 02 2005,8:58)]So I did a complete HST cycle training my legs only.

Interesting. I'm currently doing a cycle with the complete opposite- training upper body primarily with a set of squats once per week. It will be interesting to compare results when I'm finished (in my 2nd week of 5's)

 

[faz]

when you used to walk into any gym years ago and ask how do i get big arms..you always got the same reply do heavy squats..maybe they were right or maybe jvroig is right about doing compounds only

 

[Atlas]

Jester, I always measure 3 days after my last workout.

I've been training for 4 years (in fact, it will be 4 years on march 2006). I'm 39 years old.
About strength, at the end of my first HST cycle, my 5reps max was 730lbs on leg press and 190 with squats. Now, at the end of my last (second) HST cycle, I ended up doing 850lbs on leg press and 25 for squats (5reps max).

Hardrock, can't wait to see the results.

By the way guys, feel free to give your opinion on my way of doing squats and deadlifts...

 

[Bob Evans]

do you mean 250lbs 5 rep max for squats??

Bob

 

[Atlas]

I mean 235lbs

Thanks Bob.
By the way, I know it's not very impressive. But I'm not a big guy either. (When I started training, my weight was 125lbs, with clothes on!!!&#33 But the important thing is: I keep growing!

 

[colby2152]

Did I see 850lbs for leg press? 5rm?? WOW

I am pressing 250-300 lbs less than you!

 

[Atlas]

Yes, it's 850lbs for 5rm... but hey, I'm just doing what I got to do. What I am proud of is comparing me to myself. Told you, I'm not a big guy but compared to what I looked like when I started....:
125lbs.... now I'm at 172lbs.
23" of thighs is not big, but I was 18" couple of years ago.
But thans for your post.

But the reason I started this thread is to generate a opinons on: "How do you explain these results". I'd like to hear some theories here! You train your legs and it makes your torso grow too...

Like to hear some experts (or others&#33 on that...

 

[Joe G]

Mike Mentzer wouldn't be very surprised from your gains

.

If you really wanted to see if it was simply the leg workouts that caused your results you should not have trained your upper body at all (which is very difficult).

We now have a few confounding variables in your experiment. There are a few question that can be asked:

1. Is frequency not as important as we thought it was?

You also trained your upper body at the end of the rep blocks so:

2. Does training with submaximal weights have any effect? or is it simply the progressive load of the last workout of each rep block?

3. Is it because of the squats and leg press that added overall mass not the 3 upper body workouts?



Joe G

 

[Jester]

Re: upper body

If you're doing deadlifts then you're def. training upper body to an extent.

Likewise I'd suggest doing squats or leg press without using your arms...it's still a strange result though.

A 5RM workout will def. cause some growth. Have your upper body gains been maintained? Thinking some sort of swelling perhaps...

 

[jvroig]

Obviously didn't train legs purely. Deadlifts and squats involve more than just the legs. These heavy compounds would add serious mass to your body.

Quote[/b] ]
1. Is frequency not as important as we thought it was?

You also trained your upper body at the end of the rep blocks so:

2. Does training with submaximal weights have any effect? or is it simply the progressive load of the last workout of each rep block?

3. Is it because of the squats and leg press that added overall mass not the 3 upper body workouts?

1. Hell no, that can't be true. Frequency is important. Otherwise we should just go back to HIT.

2. Arranged right, it's not just the last workout of each block that matters - because in fact, the 'blocks' are meaningless (hypertrophy-wise), merely a way to make the whole cycle look more manageable and easier to remember.

3. Yep. Not sure about the leg press though. But squats and deads, yes.

A better question here would be: is it actually worth doing anything else but heavy compounds? Would it actually be better just sticking with the heavy compounds like squats, deads, bench, chins and rows than incorporating anything else like other "fancy" exercises?

 

[Hardrock]

Quote[/b] (jvroig @ Nov. 06 2005,12:36)]A better question here would be: is it actually worth doing anything else but heavy compounds? Would it actually be better just sticking with the heavy compounds like squats, deads, bench, chins and rows than incorporating anything else like other "fancy" exercises?

I'm joining the bandwagon on "compounds only". I dropped all isolation on this cycle and am very happy with the way things are going looks-wise. Will report tape measure results at end of cycle.

 

[Joe G]

Quote[/b] ]1. Hell no, that can't be true. Frequency is important. Otherwise we should just go back to HIT.

2. Arranged right, it's not just the last workout of each block that matters - because in fact, the 'blocks' are meaningless (hypertrophy-wise), merely a way to make the whole cycle look more manageable and easier to remember.

3. Yep. Not sure about the leg press though. But squats and deads, yes.

JVROIG,

I certainly do not think the answers to my first two questions were yes!

I was simply trying to make a point that with the way Atlas did his "experiment" it did raise many other questions, especially for those who aren't sold on HST(not me). Please don't even mention going back to HIT

, I got the chills when I read that

While I agree with you that compounds are responsible for a lot of growth, I do beleive that isolations still have an important role in building a great physique.

Joe G