Im aware of Starrs use of 5x5 but dont know specifics.
My one and only problem with HST is one that is from experience. One set per body part leaves me skeptical to say the least. You see I spent many years wasting my time, banging my head against the wall, usingArthur Jones protocol or that of Mentzer.
The problem with Jones ideas was going to failure on a regular basis. Yes, it did produce maximal stimulation but leaves out other factors such as overall CNS overstimulation leading to certain platues.
Mentzer sought to alleviate this issue by spacing out the workouts, which helped the problem but left another, that being too infrequent workouts produce excellent CNS strength gains but lacking gains in size. Mentzer always said the size follows, but for me and inummerable others, it never does.
I was introduces to more volume, kicking and screaming, by of all people Casey Viator, Jones star pupil. He had me on a four day a week program, working each part about twelve sets twice per week, using three excercises per part pyramiding weight up in each excercise and going to failure on the last.
This meant three failure sets per part per workout. This induced a great pump and I gained more size in 6 weeks than I had in perhaps years of HIT training. I had discovered volume works for size!
After 6 weeks I stopped gaining and went into deep overtraining. I had discovered the inherent problem with going to failure and also a dislike for training back to back days. Your bodies systems need time to recoup too, not just your muscles.
I discovered Vince Gironda while working a midnight shift at work. Unfortunately that shift was hard on me physically, never really felt awake except for 11pm - 4 am, and when off work, weights werent too apealling so I never got to test his ideas out too much, but I distinctly like what Vince taught, not only lifting wise but nutrition as well.
Vinces 6x6 can be worked in a 4 day split or 3 day whole body. Im going to use the whole body routine. Vince knew the peril of going to failure too often leading to what he called"overtonis" or overtraining as the rest of mankind calls it.
The idea of Girondas 6x6 is maximal work in the shortest amount of time, similar to German volume trainings founding principle. He would have you load the bar with a static weight you could handle for 6x6 without going to failure, taking only 15-30 seconds between sets. Can you say pump?
In addition to stimulating growth this methodology also built capillary beds around the muscles increasing vascularity and also allowing the musles to be fed nutreints more effeciently during recuperation.
My idea is a marriage of traditional HST and Vinces 6x6.
Essentailly I will be using the HST protocol but rather than single or double sets I will employ 6x6.
In order to alleviate overtraining and muscle adaptation I will run one group of excercises for two weeks, equaling 6 workouts. Then switch to a second set of excercises for two weeks. This should produce enough muscle confusion to avoid adaptation.
This will be a full cycle. SD will be employed here. Vince recommended taking a break after every third week no matter what your age,as we know HST calls for after eight. Im 44 so Ill err on the side of too often.
Other modifications to both Gironda and HST is excercise selection. Vince was big on isolation excecises and HST people often use many excercise, too many for 6x6 HST to work I think, at least for me. IfI recall HST as taught by Brian condones more abreviated routines, but I see many using more excercises than he prescibed. I believe this is a recipe for failure, so for me at least Im going to keep the isolation excercises down.
Since this is all groundbreaking Ill have to experiment.
As this idea comes to fruition Ill let you know specifics and perhaps post a training log.
Id love feedback.
RR