Changing program

G

gfd

New Member
Ok hey I've just hit 1.5xBW squat for 5x5 (I'm only 5 foot 8 @ 145 lbs so the weight isn't surprising) and I'm now thinking of changing a program once I hit my last goal - 2x BW deadlift for 5 reps. Now here's the problem, there's no way I can go to failure when training with big weights because I think that the floor might break if I let the bar go down from my back when doing squats (and there's no power rack or anything like that in my gym). Is HST training to failure later when the weight gets heavy?

By the way, I've been strength training for the whole time (not long, this is actually my first time training legs and I haven't stalled yet but I'm not gonna go much further anymore tho) because I want to get a strength base first. I'm 16 and I suppose I don't have the testosterone to build a lot of muscle right now? Should I just continue strength training because of that reason? Or is the difference minimal?

In short:

Should I change to HST if I'm 16 and probably (this is just what I've read) don't have as much testosterone as I'd have in later years and get better results?

Is HST training to failure when the weight gets heavy?
 
In HST you will rarely train to failure.

I don't know where you get the idea that you have less testosterone now than you will in later years. Testoterone declines later on in life so you are pretty much in the ideal time frame to train for muscular size.
 
Thanks for the reply man. ****, I'm so exceited about this program lol by the way, the nutrition guide says to eat BWx16. Well I was eating 3k daily and I'm only 145 lbs. I gained quite fast (muscle memory + newbie gains. Didn't up my body fat %, well maximum 1%) then the gains stopped, maybe I was just losing water weight because I didn't drink as much anymore. I don't know but BWx16 doesn't seem like enough. I may be wrong tho? Has anyone tried this?
 
I maintain on 16 x bw, and I'm guessing at your age your metabolism is pretty high, so I would definitely increase that to at least 18 x bw for now and see how that goes. Remember to refigure that number as your bodyweight increases. How much of that is protein? If I were you, I would be getting at least 150 grams of protein per day. You could probably up that to 180-200 if you can eat that much.
 
well i was eating 145 grams minimum of complete protein (not counting grains and nuts) so I was most likely hitting the somewhere around 190 value total. But i have stomach problems currently so I won't be able to do that until they are gone.

So look, Let's say I do 5x5 for like 1 month more (I should then be sure I hit my goals with good form and reached the weights I wanted). Then I'll probably have to do a SD because I was working with heavy weight, right? I'll read more about this because I can't remember anything, but can you cut while on SD?
 
Never cut on SD. Never cut when you aren't lifting, ever. Lifting is what makes your body hold on to muscle when you are cutting so any time you are not lifting is the worst possible time to cut.

You will need to figure out what lifts you are going to use and figure out your maxes prior to taking an SD as well.
 
OK, I didn't really know that there's absolutely no lifting during the SD.
Right, so once I reach my goals, I should do the 15 10 8 rep maxes on all lifts? (I'll know my 5RM already so no need for that) and then take the SD? How long should it be? By the way, could I just use 12 10 8 5 rep ranges (well since according to lyle, 15 isn't that good for hypertrophy, I don't really want to do it) and will I only lift at 100% maximum during the cycle? Or will the weight go heavier, to like 105% or something at some time? Do you re-test your maxes after every cycle?
 
I think it would be too narrow of increments if you go 12 10 8 5. I would do 12 8 5 if you want to go that route, don't bother with 10s in the middle of that. And then after 5s do negatives for what you can and go down to 3s for lifts you can't do negatives for.

Have you read the HST articles or anything?
 
Alright, I've read th book. didn't really bother with the articles too much. But that was quite a while ago lol by the way how am I supposed to do squat and deadlift negatives without a power rack? Or is there no way?
 
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