weigt increment help

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chickenmonkey05

New Member
Here's my maxes
Squat:170lbsx15, 190x10, 215x5
Sldl: 95lbsx15, 110x10, 125x5
Bench Press:110lbsx15, 125x10, 145x5
DB Military Press:30lbsx15, 37.5x10, 40x5
Lat Pulldowns:105lbsx15, 120x10, 150x5
Preacher curls: 32lbsx15, 42x10, 47x5
DB Calf raises: left 37.5lbs right 37.5lbs x15, 45x10, 75x5


what should be my increment for each exercise? I read the FAQ's article about increments but i'm not sure what increment to use since my maxes are so low.
 
Don't worry about how low your maxes are. Just do the increments the normal way. The important thing to remember is that it is the progressive load that helps to stimulate hypertrophy. Most people increment 10 lbs for compound lifts and 5lbs for isolation movements. Try this and see what happens. It will seem light at first but don't worry, if you have figured out your rep maxes properly it will all come into order and you will see the gains by the end of the cycle. Stick with the calculations you make at the beginning and if you find they are too light or heavy make the adjustments in you next cycle.

Mike
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]what should be my increment for each exercise? I read the FAQ's article about increments but i'm not sure what increment to use since my maxes are so low.
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If you encounter an "impossible" increment (i.e., you are supposed to increment something 6 times, but the maximum is so low that you'll theoretically be starting with 0 or negative weight, or almost weightless weight), you may opt to increment only three times in every 2 week cycle instead of 6 times.

For example, if you have trouble figuring out how to increment your 15RM for military press because of a max of only 30 pounds, you may come up with something like this:
(20,20,25,25,30,30)
instead of incrementing every workout day, which will give you:
(5,10,15,20,25,30)

Hope this helps. Good luck :)
- JV
 
Starting out with 5lbs dumbells does seem too light. Has anyone done the (20,20,25,25,30,30) and got results? which one should i do? i'm so new to this that i can't decide on my own.
 
Hello chickenmonkey05 :)

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Starting out with 5lbs dumbells does seem too light. Has anyone done the (20,20,25,25,30,30) and got results? which one should i do? i'm so new to this that i can't decide on my own.
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Either way won't make much of a difference really. It's not really the starting weight alone that is important. You also have to take into account the conditioning of your muscles and the increment range from your very first workout of 15's to the very last workout of negs (or 5's if you can't do negs).

Simply put: do what you prefer! If you think 5lbs is too light and you hardly feel anything, then go ahead and start with a heavier weight, just increment a bit less.

Is repeating a weight ok? Yes, perfectly. This is just general advice for beginners with low starting weights, especially for smaller muscle groups.

Don't worry, just keep doing the routine, mind your diet, and get enough rest. You're on the way to a better physique. :)

-JV
 
Hi chickenmonkey05

Both JV and Cap'n are correct.

You can choose to use %'s instead of pound increments, I see with your bench you'd start with 60 Lb if you were using, 5% increments, that is almost half your max.

You have 2 choices:
1 - Really slow rep speed like 10-2-10, this should make it feel rather heavier and then follow the increments as prescribed, decrease rep speed on your second week to half of that (5-1-5).

2 - Repeat some weights up to three times in a row, so start off heavier but repeat this weight 3 x then progress.

Slowing the rep speed works best I feel.

Hope this helps.

Fausto
 
As a general rule of thumb, I usually start compounds at about 70% of my rep max and isolations at about 60% of my RM. Anything below that I find to be pretty ineffective. There is nothing wrong with repeating weights either.
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ZMT, no. I am referring to whatever my max is for that rep range within which I am working. For example, If I am doing 10 reps of dips and my 10 rep max is 70 pounds, I will start out with my first set being about 50 pounds or 70% of 70 pounds. I will then increment 5 pounds or so every workout until I reach my max of 70 pounds.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]As a general rule of thumb, I usually start compounds at about 70% of my rep max and isolations at about 60% of my RM. Anything below that I find to be pretty ineffective.
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There you go, chickenmonkey05, another useful O&G tip, something you'd never see written on the FAQs here, but given he's been on bodybuilding for far longer than most of us (err, I forgot what you said O&G, was it a few decades?! Are you really that... umm, err... 'advanced in years'? ) it would be in our best interest to follow it.

I myself sometimes end up with less than 70% (but never down to less than 55%), and yep, it feels pretty light, but it only happens for the 15's most of the time, so I just let it go. Starting on my next cycle, however, I'd give that 70% minimum limit a try.

Regards! :)
- JV
 
Thanks for all the great replies. This forum is unlike any other bodybuilding site where people post bs ansewers and are rude. You guys r a great bunch.
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So using OG's method, if use squat for example, i take 70% of 170 which is 119 so I round to 120 and my increments would be 10lbs so that i reach 170 on my 6th workout right? So i just do this for every exercise and i should be fine right?
 
Yeah, that would work great ChickenMonkey. Some people also like to use bigger increments by repeating a couple of weights each time. So, instead of 120, 130, 140, 150, 160 170, they would use 120, 130, 130, 150, 150, 170. Either method would work equally as well as it really the progression in a rationale way that counts.

JV, I have been working out for 47 years. I turned 60 in June. I thought I had reached my genetic limits years ago until I found out about Bryan's program 3 years ago. Since then I have gone from 170 at 18% bodyfat at 5'8" to 187 at 9% bodyweight. Sadly, I am still 5'8".
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I was once almost 5'10" but a couple of chopper crashes and a few too many bucks off horses and a back surgery have whittled me down somewhat.
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[b said:
Quote[/b] ]JV, I have been working out for 47 years. I turned 60 in June. I thought I had reached my genetic limits years ago until I found out about Bryan's program 3 years ago. Since then I have gone from 170 at 18% bodyfat at 5'8" to 187 at 9% bodyweight. Sadly, I am still 5'8".     I was once almost 5'10" but a couple of chopper crashes and a few too many bucks off horses and a back surgery have whittled me down somewhat.    
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Whoa... well, I hope when I become as old as you are now I'll also be in great shape (and what a coincidence, I'm also 5'8"). You are definitely one hell of a survivor, O&G. I think very few people could claim to have survived such accidents and walked away and still be fit enough to bodybuild!  
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LOL. Most people would be intelligent enough not to allow themselves to be put in a position to crash twice!
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I agree with O and G that I don't go below 70% of my rep max range for each two week cycle. I find that this really works for me. I also never repeat weights when going to the next cycle, I just continue to increase the weights from Day 1 of the 15's right through the end of my 5's. For post 5's I mix it up with negatives, increases in weight, drop-sets etc...

Mike
 
hey, there's someting magical about being 5'8" and weighing in the 180-190 range. it's supposed to make you sexier or something. ;)
we share very similar stats, old & grey, only i'm a little younger.

about the weight increments, i think bryan mentioned somewhere that the minimum effective starting weight for a cycle is something like 50-60% of you maximum load for that rep range. and the bigger the muscle you're training, the bigger the increments should be, except for calves, which you can never decondition sufficiently, so you should start with a little higher poundage, and do more volume for.
 
Chickenmonkey,
Don't worry, your maxes are very similar to mine! I'm only 5'6" and had never lifted prior to this HST cycle so as you can guess I'm not particularly strong. Everyone here has given you great recommendations but since I have a strength level almost identical to yours, I can say that for the small muscle groups that you use low weights on, it is great to repeat the weight twice.
I know in the FAQ Bryan argues that larger increments will stimulate a greater hypertrophic response and that smaller increments will increase strength. I'm assuming since you are utilizing HST your chief priority is hypertrophy, so you may try repeating a weight in order to have larger increments. I did this with tremendous results and while you may feel a little frustrated at how "easy" your start weights feel, just remind yourself that this is an incremental program and you will most definitely be challenged as you reach the final increments. Plus, you will know that when you hit your 5's you can stretch them for weeks at maximum effort or even progress to negatives. Anyway, since my maxes are so similar to yours I figured I'd share my experience since it has been so beneficial! Good luck!
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]LOL. Most people would be intelligent enough not to allow themselves to be put in a position to crash twice!
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Hahaha, yeah, I guess that kinda does suck a bit
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But wouldn't that make a great story for the ladies ;)
 
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