First time HST user

This one is for O & G

mate, have you any suggestions for an exercise to reduce lower back pain, for some reason I have been getting it quite a bit, although my squats are light at the moment so I di not bother with a belt or brace (got myself one the other day - works great when you are going heavy).

Just tought maybe someone out there can share maybe some special stretch that works well or something :confused:

Colby

Hit the deads and see what comes of it mate ;)

Ciao
 
I was testing my 5-rep maxes today, and it made me worry about squats. I tested out squats at 230, and I felt I could do more. I tried doing 270, and although they went smoothly, I felt a bad pain my lowerback. I wasn't using a weight belt at all.
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1) Is doing that much weight for squats just unhealthy? I've read and heard a lot about bodybuilders experiencing horrible backpain from squats.

2) How much does a weight belt/brace cost at the local sports store? My gym doesn't have them, so I am forced to go buy my own if I want to continue with this exercise.

3) I am not applying abs/obliques to my HST program.. I may start that Australian Abs Matrix program that O&G sent me.. looks like it will be fun.

-Colby
 
Hioh Colby

Be wise mate! Do not follow advice such as "I never use a belt" that is just a load of c.... :mad: it drives me mad that some people give such rotten advice.

In any case, if I can get a good belt here for R 150.00 you should be able to get one in the US for about USD 30 - 50 max and that would be a fairly good quality leather belt, get one that has a fairly wide back support and let that part be cushioned.

Back support is of outmost importance as far as I am concerned, specially when you go to a certain level of weight, everyone will have a "ceiling" of tiolerance which should differ, for me it is about 70 Kgs, then I start using the belt.

Now I actualy use a back support strap for my back is giving me some hassles, and when the weight is fairly heavy 100 Kgs and above I put the belt on top of that.
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Just my two cents worth, I am sure that 90% of the guys will agree with me, the others who don't do so at their own risk I think.
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Ciao
 
Hioh Colby

Be wise mate! Do not follow advice such as "I always use a belt" that is just a load of c.... it drives me mad that some people give such rotten advice.

QED
 
Although I am not going to forever debate the use or non-use of a support belt, I'd say use your intuition and if your back tells you to, then by all means support it, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing belts  :mad:

whatever people may say out there
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,I feel it is quite useless to debate such an issue on a forum such as this, it will be wasting everyone's time.  
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After all what we all interested in is in advice that get us what we want and that is more muscle, that is the bottom line. :mad:  

Those of you who feel so enthusiastic about such an issue by all means indulge in your practices...there is no one stopping you anyway.  
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Ciao (No hard feelings guys :confused: )
 
Right then, i've got 1 more trip to the gym before i've completed the 10 rep block. Then my understanding is that i've got 4 weeks of 5 reps coming up. Would I be better off doing 2 weeks of 8's followed by 2 weeks of 5's?? I thought hypertrophy worked better at 8 reps and 5 was more strength based??? WHat do you guys think?
 
Ed

It really depends on whether you are going to do negatives or not, personally I'd rather extend the 5's for 4 weeks and see how far I'd get to as close to the 100% 1 RM as possible, but that too dude is personal choice, nothing is mandatory here, only options.
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That is the beauty of this forum, you try whatever you feel is going to benefit you and if it does, then yes, it is mandatory to let us know what heppened so that we can also improve ourselves. ;)

Ciao
 
I'm not 100% sure what negatives are. How would the second 2 weeks look then once I'd done the first 2 of the 5 reps?
 
Ed

Negatives are basically done with a partner, for most exercises, some can be done alone.

The trainee will perform the eccentric part of th exercise whlist th eprtner helps to do the concentric.

Basically you hold the negative portion of the exercise, down if it is a pushing exercise, letting go if it is a pulling one, make sense :confused:

It does help in the sense that one can go to much higher poundages than normal, thus pushing the overall muscle system harder, theoretically causing more micro-damage and resulting ultimately in growth after the muscle re-builds itself.

(Vicious and DMK are good at explaining this in detail)
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If you do just fives, you carry on as planned until you cannot physically push more, then there are various tweeking techniques, I suggest you download Viciou's Pimp my HST e-book or the word doc.

If you cannot find it, e-mail me and I'll pass it on (faustos@aspenpharma.com), it is a bit larger than will fit on the site (there is a size restriction).
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Ciao, hope this helps
 
Fausto

Sorry but I just saw your post. I do a core back/abs rouinte twice weekly that has given me a lot of strength and stability in that are.

Basically it is just 4 exercises done with weights but not taken to failure:

Machine Crunch
Decline Leg Raises
Hyperextention Side Crunches
Hyperextentions.

As for a stretch to relieve minor back pain, hanging upside down is about the best way to decompress your disks.

I use a belt for real heavy work but nothing else. I always used to use a belt but decided about 8 years ago to forego it in order to help build more back strength. It seems to have worked.
 
O & G

Thanks mate

That is what I wanted, except maybe with the hyperextensions I might have a slight problem, but the bench I have is not too bad so with a partner I will definitely give it a go
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I basically do the "dragon flag" Bruce Lee's favourite which is quite a core exercise, but I am willing to try other variants, such as the weighted crunch, thanks!

The stretch I use, and to some extent gives relief is the right leg over left part of body type and switch around after followed by a curling type of motion holding both legs close to the chest for a while, it does relieve a bit.

I'll try the upside down variant too, does it work well?

Thanks mate! Hey, about the belt thing, I too use some squating without it but the heavier work I am too scared to do it without support, I really get a pain which is not worth trying without the belt.

I find the brace quite "lekker", this is a local Afrikaans word which means nice.

Ciao
 
Fausto, I used to spend some time in South Africa. My company had a subsidiary in Johannesburg called Echlin Charger (auto parts) that reported to me so I was there at least twice per year for about 5 years. I also spent some real quality time in Kruger National Park in a rondaval owned by our general manager. It was quite an experience. It was built within an old west type stockade and they closed the giant wooden swinging doors at dusk. If you weren't inside by then, you spent the night outside in your van. They were afraid to open the gates because of the chance of wildlife getting in and eating the occupants. We even had to chase a mongoose out of the Rondaval once. Cute little bugger but fast. Some park ranger almost threw me in the clink for getting out of my van to take a picture of a lioness and her pride. They take things seriously there. My neighbor was riding in Kenya on a horse when the horse got attacked by a lion. It was quite a ride I guess! Your country has the best all around weather of all the many places I have visited. Someday I hope to get back with my wife for some touring.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Fausto @ June 17 2005,2:51)]In any case, if I can get a good belt here for R 150.00 you should be able to get one in the US for about USD 30 - 50 max and that would be a fairly good quality leather belt, get one that has a fairly wide back support and let that part be cushioned.
Click to expand...
Being the poor college student, I'll just stick to leg presses for this upcoming cycle, and then either alternate LP with squats or do squats for my 2nd cycle. Thanks for the feedback Fausto!
 
O & G

Thanks for the many compliments, South Africa is indeed a great place, specially weather wise. I am not actually South African although I have lived here for 20 years, but can simpathise with the place.

Unfortunately at this time I am looking forward to immigrate to New Zealand, no offence to South Africa, I just see more personal opportunities elsewhere, so before I get too old to change things I'll do it now.

Yah, at the Kruger the guys have to be careful, Lions and other predators are indeed unpredictable, so it is best to be rather careful, the last I heard incident wise, some chinese guy got too close to a lion and found himself in a precarious situation
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Hey, what happened, business went sour here or what? Opportunities seem to be quite good again, certainly business wise it is a good time.

Anyway thank again mate! By the way do you not use a belt at all now? Did the exercises you use help to get this right? I feel that the romanian deadlift got too heavy for my lower back, besides being a real @$$ kicker
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, when you doing 100 Kgs or so, man...really gets the ticker going pretty fast
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Ciao
 
I've done 1 cycle of HST so far and loved the results. Only thing different is I do 3 sets per exercize.
Squat, Bench-flat/incline alternating every other workout, Back, pulldowns/rows 3 sets each, shrugs, shoulder press s/s with side laterals, skull crushers s/s with hammer curls, calves, abs. With abs I do what I call jack knives. I lay on a bench with my legs over the edge and I bring my legs up and raise my arms touching my feet. I'm doing 3 sets of 25.
I loved the results I got from the first cycle of HST that I AM sold on it!
Sups; pre: protien powder/syntrax swole v2 n nitro+creatine
post: protien powder/creatine/L-glutamine :D
 
harleymon

It is good to hear that :D

You can do 3 sets, it really depends on you, some of us use 2 sets for 15's and 10's and 3 sets for 5's and negatives.

It really is a matter of choice and...resiliance...if you are feeding yourself properly and not getting too "vented"
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then why change.

Fausto
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Old and Grey @ June 14 2005,11:24)]Colby, I am not familiar with the machine you mention to work your obliques so I cannot say if it is effective or not. Try the side crunch hypers and see what works the obliques more directly and the hardest.
Personally I would recommend that you switch leg presses to deadlifts. However, if your lower back starts to complain, switch back to leg presses and then next cycle switch the squats to deads for a change of pace.
Click to expand...
is it ok to switch exercises from one cyce to another... ie ..at the moment i am doing leg presses and deadlifts..on my next cycle i was thinking of doing squats and good mornings, :D
 
Faz, I believe that it is an excellent idea to switch exercises between cycles as they hit all hit muscles a little bit differently.
 
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