2 year layoff

Bulldog

Bulldog

Active Member
Hello....First a little bit of background.  I have weight trained on and off for about 15 years.  And I will be turning 36 in June (so I'm no spring chicken ;) ).  I started reading about HST about 2 years ago and right before I was about to start a HST workout I suffered a shoulder injury that put me out for a few months.  Then I got busy with other things and now it has been about 2 years since I have done any weight training.

I will be starting to work out again here in a couple of weeks and I really want to give HST a try.  So I'm wondering how long I should lift before I start up with HST?  Obviously if I don't wait at least a couple of months then most of my initial gain in strength will be from my CNS getting more efficent and I wouldn't be able to get accurate rep maxes.  But from what I have read that may not really matter?  Any tips on starting back up and getting into an HST workout as soon as possible would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!
 
I don't think you need to start lifting again before starting HST. Just take a week or so to find your maxes (once you've figured out your routine, of course) then take two weeks or so off for SD, then get started. Since you haven't lifted in two years, that could actually help you make some decent gains.
 
Well maybe hitting SD just after starting weight lifting after two years is not the thing you want to do :D

Being that long without training you will get plenty of results with "normal" training like 4-split. Train with that and see what happens. Then when you think you`re about to hit the RBE then do HST.

But if you want to be big and beautiful as we all HST`ers are, then do like Totentanz said
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Bulldog,

You are a spring chicken! I started with HST in my mid 40ies after a ten year layoff. It went great. Actually with the 15s, not going to your max, and SD -- I think HST is a great way to get back into lifting. Worked for me. But you are right -- your maxes will jump up on you here and there -- but hey that is like manna from heaven. No complaints here.


Bob
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Thanks for the input. Hopefully I will be starting with HST by May 1st. I just went to a local BB comp. last saturday and it has really sparked a fire in me to get lifting again.

I have a very good understanding of diet and training in general. But if anyone has any tips for beginners with HST please feel free to share them here. I'm always interested in what others have to offer on a new system (new to me).

Thanks!
 
I wouldn't bother with finding your maxes. You've had a 2 year SD, so you'll get results with almost anything. I would just estimate your 15 rm, on the low side, use that to calculate your 2 weeks of 15s, and then adjust your 10's depending on how you're doing when you finish your 15's. Do the same when you finish your 10's.
If you found your maxes now you'd probably blow them away when you actually got to them at the end of your 2 week cycles.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Dood @ April 04 2005,2:22)]I wouldn't bother with finding your maxes.  You've had a 2 year SD, so you'll get results with almost anything.  I would just estimate your 15 rm, on the low side, use that to calculate your 2 weeks of 15s, and then adjust your 10's depending on how you're doing when you finish your 15's.  Do the same when you finish your 10's.
If you found your maxes now you'd probably blow them away when you actually got to them at the end of your 2 week cycles.
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That's pretty much what I thought.  So I'm glad someone else mentioned it....It gives me a little reasurance that it should be ok to start out that way.
 
I'm working on setting up my first HST cycle and I was wondering if some of you guys could post some samples of your cycles so that I can see some different ways to handle the zig zag that will occur. If you can post a filled in calculator spreadsheet that would help me visualize it the best.

Thanks.
 
I avoid zig zagging by repeating weights if I can't make large enough increments. I think zig zagging is a waste. We increase weights to stay ahead of RBE, so if you can't increase the weight you are more likely to get some stimulation from repeating a weight than using less weight.
 
Could you please post an example?  I'm not sure I fully understand how you are saying to repeat weights.  But since repeating weights is still less than your RM, wouldn't it essentially produce the same progressive load as zig zagging would?  I just don't see how it would produce different results.

I guess what I'm getting at is this....Say my 15 RM is 100lb.  Even if I repeat that weight for the first week of 10's I'm still technically zig zagging because I just did that weight for 15 reps and now I'm only doing it for 10.  Does that make sense?  But you are saying that if my 15 RM is 100lb. then it would be ideal to at least start with 105lb. for my first day of 10's.  Correct?

And if keeping a constant progressive load is truly the better way to go couldn't you just calculate your 5 RM and work down from there?  Or does that just not work?

Also, what is RBE? (never heard that term before)

Sorry if all this has been covered somewhere else on the forum.   But to be honest, for whatever reason, this is a very slow loading forum and doing searches and loading a bunch of different threads is very, very painful.
 
Sorry I didn't see your question before, but just to make sure, I was saying that you can use your last 15 workout, your 15RM, to start your 10s with, and if need be, you can repeat a certain weight throughout your cycle if you can't make large enough increments. RBE is the repeated bout effect, where your muscle gets accustomed to a certain weight. This takes longer as the weight gets heavier, which is why you can use your 5RM for 2 weeks instead of doing negatives. But you've probably already found this out in the FAQs by now. ;)
And yes, this board is really slow for some reason.
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