Very deconditioned: Extended 1st HST cycle?

[Kitavan]

I've started my first HST cycle and implemented a proper bodybuilding diet. I've done my first 15's full body and it went great despite the, wait for it, 25 year lay off. I'm really deconditioned with sub 13" arms etc.

I would have done the standard 8-week cycle with the 2-week SD but I have to work round a trip abroad.

Should I run a long 12-week cycle because I am so deconditioned and I could really stretch it out followed by 2 weeks SD? Or better to do a couple of six weekers with a week of SD after the first? Also, what would 12-week and 6-week cycles look like in terms of 15's, 10's, 5's, negs.

Thank you

 

[Totentanz]

You could extend your cycle...

However, I wouldn't. Since you are so deconditioned, it's likely that your work capacity is not as great as it would be if you were still lifting regularly. So... I would recommend a six week cycle, then at the end of that cycle, skip SD - you are so deconditioned that you won't really need it yet at this point - and go right back into 15s with your new maxes. The back cycle to the 15s will give you time to recover from the 5s and will also still be effective since you won't be conditioned at this point. In addition, it is likely that your maxes will increase significantly for the first few cycles so the 15s the second time will be a different beast than the first time.

Six weeks is pretty straight forward. 2 weeks each of 15s, 10s and 5s. Since you are pressed for time, on the last day of 5s you will be using your previous 5 RM - instead of stopping at 5 reps, do a single working set for each and push for as many reps as you can on each exercise, record how many reps you get and then we can use those numbers to plan out your maxes for the next cycle. Yes, they will be estimations but that's ok, you will gain strength quickly enough that this won't matter. Doing it this way means that on the following monday after your last day of 5s, you can go right back into the 15s without taking a week to test maxes. This way you get a full 12 weeks without any lost time before you go on your trip.

Does this make sense? Sometimes my instructions can be a bit convoluted.

 

[Kitavan]

Thank you for this, I like the look of that. And I will do a 7-week program after Christmas before a trip to Israel in Feb. I'm glad it's adjustable.

To be honest I don't yet understand how to calculate the max's for my second half of the twelve weeks but I'll be studying the whole HST methology over the next few weeks so I'll suss it all out. At the moment I'm just building up some very puny weights to what I expect will double or treble over this first cycle. I'm deconditioned as far as bodybuilding is concerned but actually fit and healthy and have done plenty of other sport down the years.

Is it normal to follow the bodybuilding diet during SD to keep the gains? That will probably be quite hard to do in another country but I will eat loads.

I have started my forum 'Training Log' today along with Before photograph; I'm in fairly decent shape for a 48-year-old but have a long way to go to get back into the muscular form of my twenties. With what I've heard about muscle memory I think it's possible. The workout today was again rather good, my work capacity seems good and I don't feel too exhausted afterward.

 

[faz]

Thank you for this, I like the look of that. And I will do a 7-week program after Christmas before a trip to Israel in Feb. I'm glad it's adjustable.

To be honest I don't yet understand how to calculate the max's for my second half of the twelve weeks but I'll be studying the whole HST methology over the next few weeks so I'll suss it all out. At the moment I'm just building up some very puny weights to what I expect will double or treble over this first cycle. I'm deconditioned as far as bodybuilding is concerned but actually fit and healthy and have done plenty of other sport down the years.

Is it normal to follow the bodybuilding diet during SD to keep the gains? That will probably be quite hard to do in another country but I will eat loads.

I have started my forum 'Training Log' today along with Before photograph; I'm in fairly decent shape for a 48-year-old but have a long way to go to get back into the muscular form of my twenties. With what I've heard about muscle memory I think it's possible. The workout today was again rather good, my work capacity seems good and I don't feel too exhausted afterward.

good advice fom TOT as usual.
if you find the first 6wk cycle maxes to easy just up them on the last day and use that as your next 12wk cycle maxes.