Kitavan's HST Program: Muscle memory, 25-year layoff, photographs and logs

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Kitavan

New Member
Here I am at the beginning. I'm 48-years-old and have not looked like a bodybuilder for 25 years. I have researched HST on the internet and it looks the way to go. I have completed my first two 15's workouts. I have greatly enjoyed the full-body workouts which took about 1 hour.

At the advice of Totentanz my first cycle from this state of complete uncondition is going to be two back-to-back 6-week cycles of 15's,10's and 5's with a two week SD at Christmas.

I am 6' 1 tall and weigh 183 lb. According to my handheld monitor my body fat is around 22%! I think I look quite bony in my photo with <13" arms so am going for a bulk to regain lost size, I expect to drop a little body fat if I respond well to the program. My dietary intake will be around 3,300 kcals and approach 1 g/lb protein. I don't want to go higher than that to start as I am "middle-aged" and slightly fatter than the optimum. This is a lot of food for me; I may increase the macro's later.


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Before pictures taken late September 2012. Along with my weight and body fat readings I have taken full tape measurements so as to fully chart the efficacy of my first HST cycle. I also have a back double bicep, bicep shot and a recent poolside photo that I will publish later alongside my transformation pics!

Diet plan to follow.
 
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First bump in the road today. I have been nauseous the last couple of days. My son vomited this morning and didn't get to school. I missed my Friday morning workout but heroically, lol, went in at 8.30 pm and still did the program.

Workout was tough today, mainly because the weights are going up not because I'm feeling ill. I haven't eaten enough today because of my stomach. Throughout the workout tonight I was whacked, most everything was heavy. I understand I have the option to split the second week on the 15's into 1 set workouts morning and afternoon.

Tonight stomach is iffy but I will eat a little before bed; I can hear my 12-year-old son puking in the bathroom!

I did have a post-workout shake. I will be using Maximuscle Cyclone before and after my three weekly workouts. Cyclone is an 'all-in-one': my two shakes together providing 50 g whey protein, 33 g Dextrose, 8+ g creatine monohydrate, 8+ g Glutamine and 2.5 g HMB.

My nutrition plan is to aim for a mean daily intake of 3,300 calories [18 x body weight in lb], ascending with weight gain, spread over thrice weekly pre- and post-workout shakes and 6 daily meals. I will be consuming 150 g protein from meals and an additional 50 g a day from these protein drinks on workout days. I was once a lardy 220 lb before dieting down; taking age and experience into consideration I know am suited to a low-moderate carb intake. I will consume roughly 30% carbs: in the range of 20-35%. My highish fat intake will include tri-weekly salmon for EPA+DHA, coconut oil for short-chain fats, and plenty of olive oil along with butter and animal fats!

Tonight's workout was amazingly tough and impressive. I wouldn't be surprised if I get some growth by the end of the 15's or the 10's. However, it's not a free lunch. HST is a serious workout and full body training is challenging.
 
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Like you, I am middle-aged (55 this month) and am just completing the last 3 workouts of my first cycle. I did the 2 weeks of 15's, 2x10's, 2x5's, and am finishing up with 2 weeks of just 5-rep maxes. After the SD, I will begin again. A few thoughts so far. Before this I did about 7 months of a normal workout of 6-10 reps with heavy weights (for me) every workout, 3-4 times per week. I felt near burnout at times and was getting a few nagging pains. With HST, there has been no burnout, old pains are gone and no new ones have cropped up. Best of all, I am seeing noticeable growth in my weakest body parts: lats and chest.
Stick with it and I think you will be pleased with the results and look forward to each workout. I know I am going to be very anxious to get through the SD so I can begin my second HST cycle.
 
Thanks for the encouragement pokermik. I can't wait to get the next few weeks under my belt, my arms are up 1/4" after just three workouts. I will be delighted if I can regain another 1.5" over my first two cycles. I really like the idea of cycling through the various reps schemes and the planned SD. It seems a recipe for training longevity and keeping fresh.

Do the 10's and 5's workouts last a lot longer due to all the warm-up sets and the greater rests between sets? How long are the later sessions taking?
 
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Hi Kitavan, I'm 47.5 years-old so we can compare notes! I made really good progress when I started with HST. It will always be a program I would recommend to others and I look forward to seeing how you get on. All the best. :)

Re workout time: in my case, I tend to take about around an hour during 15s and around an hour-and-a-half during 5s. 15s could be over more quickly but I might add in an extra set here and there depending on how I feel. I also try to add in a higher-rep, metabolic burn set after my heavy sets are done during 5s (or if I'm doing doubles or triples).

There's no need to do that many warm-up sets unless you are dealing with injury. If I was squatting 3 x 5 x 140kg, then, after a general warmup on my rower, I might do 10 x 60kg, 5 x 100kg, 3 x 120kg. It always helps to 'grease the groove' a bit prior to worksets, so a few extra warmup sets would be fine, as long as they don't compromise your work sets. My shoulders always seem to benefit from extra higher-rep warmup sets, mainly due to old injuries. I'm also thinking that warmups become more important as we get older.
 
Hi there Lol, I'm pleased with the first week, can't wait to get into the gym tomorrow. I've been taking an hour to do the 15's, it's encouraging to know that the latter part of the program won't take too much longer. It remains to be seen how I'll gain at 48 and whether it will be the same as training as a 20-year-old. I'm thinking in terms of hormones, recovery, etc. Some days I feel my age, some days I feel in my twenties. We'll see.:)
 
My diet was really messed up by my stomach illness that lingered for over a week, motivation was never an issue and I am back on track. Just did a late evening workout followed by a 1 lb of steak with a Newcastle Brown to keep me topped up with protein throughout the night. I thought an overnight steak would be better than an overnight shake.

After some thought I slightly readjusted my workout, I felt it was a bit long and I wanted a compound exercise for triceps after reading Renky's informative thread. Great workout tonight, arms are definitely growing: 9-year-old daughter thinks they are massive, lol.

My routine, which I will stay with for this cycle looks like this:


[TD="bgcolor: #FFFFFF"] 20 sets [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #94BD5E"] Pecs: [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #94BD5E"] Bench press m/c [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #94BD5E"] 2 [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #94BD5E"] D/b flye [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #94BD5E"] 2 [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #FF3366"] Thighs: [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #FF8080"] Leg curl [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FF8080"] 2 [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #FF3366"] Leg extension [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FF3366"] 1 [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #FF3366"] Leg press [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FF3366"] 2 [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #99CCFF"] Back: [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #99CCFF"] Row m/c [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #99CCFF"] 2 [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #99CCFF"] Lat pulldown [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #99CCFF"] 2 [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #3DEB3D"] Delts: [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #3DEB3D"] Seated alt d/b press [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #3DEB3D"] 1 [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #3DEB3D"] Lateral raise [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #3DEB3D"] 1 [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #FF950E"] Arms: [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #FF950E"] Incline d/b curl [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FF950E"] 1 [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #FF420E"] C/g bench press [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FF420E"] 2 [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #9999FF"] Calves: [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #9999FF"] Seated calf raise [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #9999FF"] 1 [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #9999FF"] Calf press [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #9999FF"] 1 [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #FFFF00"] Waist: [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #FFFF00"] Curl-up [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FFFF00"] opt. [/TD]

[TD="bgcolor: #FFFF66"] Back extension [/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FFFF66"] opt. [/TD]

C/g bench press felt good, I've never done those before: way better than Triceps pressdowns. My arms were really trembling during the sets probably because it was near the end of the workout. I took about a 10" wide grip and brought it to my lower sternum, is that correct?
 
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Re: CG BP grip - that's essentially correct. YouTube it if you want a visual but it sounds like you're on track.

One note I'd like to make is that DB Flyes aren't going to do a lot. The load is v.small and it's a 'high-stress/intensity' exercise for your pecs.

I would make sure quads and hamstrings are receiving the same # of sets - balance out the Leg Curls and Leg Press.
 
I'm upping my protein to 240 g a day. My appetite is seriously growing. I trained late last night and had my supposed sixth and final scheduled meal. I then got really hungry and ate a pan of sausages, bread, two beers and several tablespoons of liquid aminos before retiring.

My body weight gain is 183 to 189+: over 6 lb since commencement on Oct 1. I'd guess I'm 20 lb of muscle down from 1986 and need another 2" of arm size.

But my arms have certainly grown, it's as much a novelty at 48 as it was at 18. I changed into my normal Fred Perry shirt before my workout and could hardly get my arms in. Ongoing results suggest testosterone levels or other hormonal factors are not going to be a problem.

@Alex, doesn't the Leg Press work both sides of the thigh, I do them nice and deep and would swear my hams are doing loads of work.
 
28 days in and my weight is up by 8 lb. I have a body fat monitor (and calipers); my body fat is still 22% so a lean gain I guess. My wife commented on how broad my back looked this morning.
 
8 weeks. I gained 13 lb and an appreciable amount of muscle, I haven't really had the diet as dialled in as I wanted nor did I use the creatine. Weighing in at 196 lb @ 6' 1. Body fat is identical according to my monitor.

I'll carry on doing 5's until my Christmas vacation. I'm going to utilise AlexAustralia's format for the next few weeks: a 5 x 5 opener for a big push and and pull exercise and a few exercises at 2 x 5, thrice weekly. And a 5 x 5 on one exercise leg workout perhaps once a week. I don't particularly want bigger legs. I'll do either full-depth front squats or trap bar deadlifts (a trap bar and pretty cool deadlift platform has appeared in the gym). I've tried the latter and it really seems to hit my legs and I think a deadlift might also thicken up my upper back.
 
13 lb.s in 8 weeks, that is awesome. Keep up the good work. Trap bar deadlifts are definitely great for legs.
 
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Kitavan said:
I'm upping my protein to 240 g a day. My appetite is seriously growing. I trained late last night and had my supposed sixth and final scheduled meal. I then got really hungry and ate a pan of sausages, bread, two beers and several tablespoons of liquid aminos before retiring.

My body weight gain is 183 to 189+: over 6 lb since commencement on Oct 1. I'd guess I'm 20 lb of muscle down from 1986 and need another 2" of arm size.

But my arms have certainly grown, it's as much a novelty at 48 as it was at 18. I changed into my normal Fred Perry shirt before my workout and could hardly get my arms in. Ongoing results suggest testosterone levels or other hormonal factors are not going to be a problem.

@Alex, doesn't the Leg Press work both sides of the thigh, I do them nice and deep and would swear my hams are doing loads of work.
Click to expand...

Hey mate, missed that question earlier. If you're doing a deep leg press then hamstring will be involved for sure. I'd probably argue that there's more glute work than hamstrings, and I think I would still balance out the leg curls and leg press work. The posterior pulling chain is really important to get balanced. Too much back work without the compensatory hamstring-glute work can create a slightly adjusted pelvis. It's not something we all need to worry about, but my take from what I've read and been told is that keeping everything balanced is what you want. I wouldn't have mentioned it if you were lifting regularly but it's good to keep these things balanced in the early going after your long layoff.

Kitavan said:
8 weeks. I gained 13 lb and an appreciable amount of muscle, I haven't really had the diet as dialled in as I wanted nor did I use the creatine. Weighing in at 196 lb @ 6' 1. Body fat is identical according to my monitor.

I'll carry on doing 5's until my Christmas vacation. I'm going to utilise AlexAustralia's format for the next few weeks: a 5 x 5 opener for a big push and and pull exercise and a few exercises at 2 x 5, thrice weekly. And a 5 x 5 on one exercise leg workout perhaps once a week. I don't particularly want bigger legs. I'll do either full-depth front squats or trap bar deadlifts (a trap bar and pretty cool deadlift platform has appeared in the gym). I've tried the latter and it really seems to hit my legs and I think a deadlift might also thicken up my upper back.
Click to expand...

Fantastic weight gain. 5x5, or hitting 20-25 reps via clustering is definitely something I support.

Atm I'm focusing on pulling chain strength, just increasing my chin up load when I get ~ 23-25 good reps. I'm going to try getting more like 25-28, add a few clusters on the end.

It's perfectly fine to leave legs where they are. I haven't trained them for size in years, it's just not something I want that much or am particularly invested in either.
 
Yeah, just leave the legs if you don't want them bigger. Who cares if all the bros will give you crap for not hitting them all the time. If you are someone who experiences growth in your legs easily or if you already have big enough legs, or if that just isn't your goal... then just don't. Your goals are your goals. Some people want 30 inch thighs, but having big legs is a huge pain in the ass and looks stupid if your upper body isn't proportionally sized to match up to them. Besides, if you notice your legs lagging, you can always specialize on them for a cycle or two. I've done upper body only cycles before. Your legs most likely will remain exactly the same, it's pretty unlikely they will shrink or something if you don't hit them much or at all, as long as you aren't starving yourself.
 
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