Im missing the big picture

[Arkias^Pak]

Wow, I just typed a post and got an error so here I go again, sorry if it dbl posts. I'm missing the big picture of HST. I understand the concepts behind the volume and SD and progressively getting heavier after each workout. Here are my questions, assume I'm using the sample routine posted in the article on the site for these:
1. A cycle is 2 weeks long? SD after that or not?
2. If not, do you change up exercises?
3. At the end of 2 weeks the goal is to be heavier than your starting max right? Is that your 1RM or 15 RM?
4. If I understand what I think is supposed to happen is this:
Lift 3 times a week, using reps of 15 for full body workouts @ 1-2 sets to failure, at the end of those 2 weeks go down to 10 reps, then 5 reps, then what is the negative period about?

 

[Bryan Haycock]

Quote[/b] (Arkias^Pak @ April 15 2004,2:23)]

Hi Arkias^Pak,

Maybe I can help.

Quote[/b] ]1. A cycle is 2 weeks long? SD after that or not?

No. You don't SD until you have worked with your 5RM for 2-4 weeks, or in some cases done negatives for 2 weeks.

A typical HST cycle usually lasts between 6-8 weeks, then you SD.

Quote[/b] ]2. If not, do you change up exercises?

No. It is much mroe difficult to progresively increase the load if you are always changing exercises. Use the same exercises from beginning to end under most circumstances.

Quote[/b] ]3. At the end of 2 weeks the goal is to be heavier than your starting max right? Is that your 1RM or 15 RM?

You won't actually be using your RM except on the last workout of each 2 week block. If you did, you couldn't increase the weight each workout...

Quote[/b] ]4. If I understand what I think is supposed to happen is this:
Lift 3 times a week, using reps of 15 for full body workouts @ 1-2 sets to failure, at the end of those 2 weeks go down to 10 reps, then 5 reps, then what is the negative period about?

Once again, you will only be training to failure when using your RMs. You won't be using your RMs until the last workout of each 2 week block. Here is an example of how your weights should go.

Let's say your 10RM is 200 lbs.
workout\weight in lbs.
1st\150
2nd\160
3rd\170
4th\180
5th\190
6th\200

Because muscle growth is dependant upon icnreasing weight loads when trianing naturally, the goal of using negatives, or eccentric only sets, is simply to increase the load you are using for reps beyond your 5RM.

 

[Arkias^Pak]

Thanks Bryan that does help out a lot. Raises a few more questions though. If my 10RM on Bench is 200, the my first workout (monday) of my first 2week period, I'm going to do 1-2 sets of 150? Then perhaps wed I do dips or incline, then friday back to bench and use 160, repeating until I get to 200? I didn't calculate increments there so sorry if that math is off. What if a set of 10 @ 150 is really easy, how will that fatigue my muscle?

 

[Techo]

If you want to switch exercises every other workout like you mentioned here (dips and bench) then that's perfectly fine... I was doing that last cycle w/my lats -

Sun - lat pull down
Tues - cable rows
Thurs - lat pull down
Sun - cable rows
...and so on

I'm not sure what others have done here, but I used an independant loading phase for each exercise. For example, lets say my lat pull max is 180 and my row max is 170. First find the increments:

180x5% = ~10 lbs
170x5% = ~10 lbs

So this would be your tens
Mon - cable row @ 160
Wed - lat pull @ 150
Fri - cable row @ 170
Mon - lat pull @ 160
Wed - cable row @ 180
Fri - lat pull @ 170

Each exercise progresses on it's own scale as you see... Maybe others can add as to what they do....

As far as worrying about the weight being to easy, it's okay. It's a common concern that can be addressed by two factors:

1) SD - after your muscles are deconditioned, the weight will seem a bit different...

2) Rep speed - if after SD you're still finding the weight to easy, slow it down to a 5 second lift....


Hope that helps and answers some questions!!