VQ35DE first cycle

V

VQ35DE

New Member
Starting my first cycle tomorrow. Currently bulking and have been since July 2012. Starting weight was 145 lbs.

15 Rep Maxes

Back Squat (barbell) - 185
Lunge (barbell) - 95
Leg Curl (machine) - 115
Standing Calf Raise (plate) - 100
Incline Bench (barbell) - 145
Chest Dip (dumbell) - 15
Pendlay Row (barbell) - 145
Pullup (dumbell) - BW
Military Press (barbell) - 85
Face Pull (scr, rope)- 60
Situp (bar) - 6
Twist (ball) - 10
Side Bend (dumbell) - 70

10 Rep Maxes

Back Squat (barbell) - 205
Lunge (barbell) - 115
Leg Curl (machine) - 140
Standing Calf Raise (plate) - 140
Incline Bench (barbell) - 180
Chest Dip (dumbell) - 35
Pendlay Row (barbell) - 170
Pullup (dumbell) - 20
Military Press (barbell) - 105
Face Pull (scr, rope)- 80
Situp (bar) - 15
Twist (ball) - 20
Side Bend (dumbell) - 85

5 Rep Maxes

Back Squat (barbell) - 235
Lunge (barbell) - 155
Lying Leg Curl (machine) - 170
Standing Calf Raise (plate) - 210
Incline Bench (barbell) - 205
Chest Dip (dumbell) - 60
Pendlay Row (barbell) - 205
Pullup (dumbell) - 45
Military Press (barbell) - 125
Face Pull (scr, rope)- 100
Situp (bar) - 24
Twist (ball) - 30
Side Bend (dumbell) - 100

ROUTINE

Back Squat - 2 sets
Lunge - 1 set
Lying Leg Curl - 1 set
Standing Calf Raise - 3 sets
Incline Bench - 2 sets
Chest Dip - 1 set
Pendlay Row - 2 sets
Pullup - 1 set
Military Press - 2 sets
Face Pull - 2 sets
Sit-up - 2 sets
(Alternating week to week)
Twist - 2 sets
Side Bend - 2 sets

2x15 - 1st block
2x10 - 2nd block
2x5 - 3rd block
 
Last edited:
10/23/12

EXERCISE

Back Squat - 2x15x135
Lunge - 1x15x70
Lying Leg Curl - 1x15x90
Standing Calf Raise - 3x15x75
Incline Bench - 2x15x120
Chest Dip - 1x15x-16
Pendlay Row - 2x15x120
Pullup - 1x15x-34
Military Press - 2x15x60
Sit-up - 2x11x1
Side Bend - 1x15x60
Face Pull - 2x15x35
 
10/23/12

EXERCISE

Back Squat - 2x15x155
Lunge - 1x15x75
Lying Leg Curl - 1x15x95
Incline Bench - 2x15x125
Chest Dip - 1x15x-10
Standing Calf Raise - 3x15x80
Pendlay Row - 2x15x125
Pullup - 1x15x-28
Face Pull - 2x15x40
Military Press - 2x15x65
Sit-up - 2x11x6
Twist - 2x30x6
 
Last edited:
Jesus that's a lot of exercises, have you taken a look at the simplify and win thread by any chance?
 
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Read it and took it into consideration. The sample HST routine from the site has 14 exercises, mine has 12. The sample HST routine from the site has 22 total sets, mine has 21. Where's the problem? I'm in and out of the gym in a little over an hour including the warm-up. I also got rid of any bi and tri isolation exercises and focused on compounds.

Sets
Legs-4
Calves-3
Chest-3
Back-3
Shoulders-4
Abs-4

If I feel like I'm gonna burn out I'll reduce, but I'm young and see no problem in this amount of volume.
 
There's no problem in your routine at all and I didn't mean to give that impression.

I guess I'm just impressed you can sustain that amount of volume, I guess you must have your diet nailed. I'm 29 and I think after a few weeks (doing your work load) and progressing into the last week or 10's and 5's I'd struggle to complete full sets.

I'll be interested to follow your progress..
 
I track my macros and cals daily and have been since April. Do I have the perfect diet, no probably not, but I've been steadily gaining weight (18 lbs in 4 months) and am still happy with my appearance. I consider myself a noob, and the reason for the volume is because I want to take full advantage of noob gains while i still can. I'm 21 by the way and really wish I would have gotten serious about lifting earlier. I'm pretty interested too see the progress myself as this is my first cycle. Can't wait to get into the 10s and 5s.
 
10/27/12

EXERCISE

Back Squat - 2x15x160
Lunge - 1x15x80
Standing Calf Raise - 3x15x85
Lying Leg Curl - 1x15x100
Incline Bench - 2x15x130
Chest Dip - 1x15xBW
Pendlay Row - 2x15x130
Pullup - 1x15x-22
Military Press - 2x15x70
Sit-up - 2x15x1
Face Pull - 2x15x45
Side Bend - 2x15x65
 
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I would drop the ab exercises beyond your 15RM. They're going to get worked extremely thoroughly via squats, bench, even pull ups and 'big' abs aren't particularly aesthetic, nor easy to shed. Same goes for side bends. A 'thicker' mid-section creates a perception of less wide upper-torso.
 
10/30/12

EXERCISE

Back Squat - 2x15x165
Lunge - 1x15x80
Lying Leg Curl - 1x15x105
Standing Calf Raise - 3x15x90
Incline Bench - 2x15x135
Chest Dip - 1x15x5
Pendlay Row - 2x15x135
Face Pull - 2x15x50
Pullup - 1x15x-16
Military Press - 2x15x75
Sit-up - 2x11x6
Twist - 2x30x8
 
VQ35DE said:
I doubt 6 weeks of this is gonna give me thick a power-lifter midsection.
Click to expand...

It all depends on your caloric intake and the work performed. While it may not be terribly likely to get big enough to have a "power lifter" belly, you may incur more growth than you realize.

I think most folks who start with their first HST cycle maintain an approach similar to the one you're using. That said, lessons will be learned throughout the progression that will help you form your next cycle. The thing you have to do is learn the part of HST that works for you the best. In the simplest way - if you perform work on muscle tissue, it reacts. It's then the balance of that work with rest and nutrition that creates the best possible outcome. It may be that many of your supporting muscle fibers in your core are going to be thrashed in the 10's and 5's during heavier compounds. In the same way, you may be fine. The key here is paying very close attention to what happens throughout the cycle and then being willing to adjust if necessary.
 
So I considered your guys advice, did some researching around forums and decided to throw out the direct oblique work. Still sounds a little bro-science derived to me but it can't hurt and makes sense when trying to develop a v-taper. I'm still gonna keep the direct rectus abdominis work though. Keeping the situps but replacing the twists and bends with ab rollouts and hanging leg raises. They'll still be alternated week to week. Might drop them during the 5's but I'm gonna go by how I trashed my core feels. The ab exercises are obviously less important to me than the compounds.
 
11/1/12

EXERCISE

Standing Calf Raise - 3x15x95
Back Squat - 2x15x175
Lunge - 1x15x90
Lying Leg Curl - 1x15x110
Incline Bench - 2x15x140
Chest Dip - 1x15x10
Pendlay Row - 2x15x140
Pullup - 1x15x-10
Face Pull - 2x15x55
Military Press - 2x15x80
Sit-up - 2x13x6
Ab rollout - 2x14xBW
 
Calorie Averages

June
WT : 145

July
W1-3109
W2-3058
W3-3301
W4-3051
Tot-3122
WT : 151

August
W1-3090
W2-3084
W3-3274
W4-3000
Tot-3101
WT : 157

September
W1-2904
W2-3047
W3-2838
W4-2900
Tot-2921
WT : 161

October
W1-2815
W2-2966
W3-3078
W4-2909
Tot-2939
WT : 163
 
VQ35DE said:
So I considered your guys advice, did some researching around forums and decided to throw out the direct oblique work. Still sounds a little bro-science derived to me but it can't hurt and makes sense when trying to develop a v-taper. I'm still gonna keep the direct rectus abdominis work though. Keeping the situps but replacing the twists and bends with ab rollouts and hanging leg raises. They'll still be alternated week to week. Might drop them during the 5's but I'm gonna go by how I trashed my core feels. The ab exercises are obviously less important to me than the compounds.
Click to expand...

What is your goal in working your core? Strength? Or are you looking to add size to the muscles in that region? You will add size if you are bulking and working them heavy. Just keep that in mind. It won't cause the distended gut ala Ronnie Coleman, but it does noticeably thicken your midsection if you keep doing it. This will vary depending on genetics, of course. And if you are predisposed to growth in that area, avoiding the direct ab work might not allow you to avoid a thickened midsection.
 
My main goal is to add size, strength in the core is just an added bonus. If my mid section thickens up so be it, i'll just rock the Maxick look. I plan to continue bulking til at least March (8 months) and then get nice and cut for beach season.
 
11/3/12

EXERCISE

Back Squat - 2x15x185
Lunge - 1x15x95
Lying Leg Curl - 1x15x115
Standing Calf Raise - 3x15x100
Incline Bench - 2x15x145
Chest Dip - 1x15x15
Pendlay Row - 2x15x145
Pullup - 1x15xBW
Military Press - 1x15x85
Face Pull - 2x15x60
Sit-up - 2x15x6
Leg Raise - 1x10x5, 1x15xBW
 
VQ35DE said:
My main goal is to add size, strength in the core is just an added bonus. If my mid section thickens up so be it, i'll just rock the Maxick look. I plan to continue bulking til at least March (8 months) and then get nice and cut for beach season.
Click to expand...

If you don't mind a thickening core then by all means, continue. For me, deadlifts alone were enough to thicken up my core. It ruined my v-taper but I don't really care much about that, so if you don't care either then cool.
 
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