My Training Log

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DwayneJohnson

New Member
Hi everyone, I am pretty much a newbie here as you'll probably figure out right away based on my initial pics. I haven't really exercised consistently and seriously for about 8 years - mostly on and off, to somewhat maintain a decent physical condition and avoid gaining weight. In March of this year I undertook a 4-5 month diet which I just finished now and after which I lost about 10 lbs. After reading the HST e-books and asking a few questions here and there on the forums here, I have now just begun my first HST cycle and am pretty excited. My goal is to build 30 lbs of lean mass in the next 5 years. I am 6'1, 177 lbs with what I believe are likely below average genetics. I've posted some pics in the attachments. My 8 rep maxes are 135 lbs bench press, 185 lbs squats and 185 lbs deadlift. I just measured myself to keep track of my progress: hips 35 inches, navel-level waist 33.7 inches, chest 40 inches relaxed, mid-quads 21.7 inches relaxed, and arms 13.25 inches flexed. I am going to target 2500 calories per day, with 3 weight lifting sessions per week (HST style) and 2 cardio sessions per week on the off days (a 20-min HIIT session and a 40 min slow run), and 2 days of rest. My main enemy is going to be alcohol; I usually consume about 1,000 calories per week of alcohol (10 drinks with no soda mixed in, just raw booze) - hopefully the cardio will help mitigate any harm from that, though I realize the alcohol is not ideal; it's a lifestyle choice I've made and will be my only unhealthy consumptions - no sweets, no cakes, no desserts, no pizza, no burgers, only healthy foods otherwise. If anyone has any advice or comments I'd love to hear them! Dwayne.Abs flexed 2.jpgAbs flexed 1.jpgRelaxed front 1.jpgRelaxed back.jpgRelaxed sideways 1.jpg
 
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You are fairly lean, so you are in good shape to start a proper HST bulk. Try to increase your strength levels and simultaneously increase your calories until you are gaining 1-2 pounds/week. You should put on a decent amount of muscle.
What are your exercises? Program? You have good potential. Good luck.
 
Hey Sci thanks for your post. I'm trying to follow HST as best as I can (hopefully I'm doing it right since its my first time). Tomorrow I will be doing my 6th and final session with the 15's. At each session I've been doing:
- 2 sets leg press
- 1 set stiff leg deadlift
- 2 sets pulldown
- 2 sets barbell bench press
- 2 sets shoulder dumbbell press
- 1 set triceps pressdown
- 1 set bicep dumbbell curls
- 1 set ab crunches on decline bench while holding weights against my chest

I will try and incorporate squats and deadlifts but have to be careful due to an upper back injury I recently had

How does that sound?

Calorie wise I was thinking of shooting for 1 pound every 3 weeks.
Isnt 1-2 lbs per week a bit much? That would be 50-100 lbs per year...even if half of that was muscle that would be 75/2=37 lbs of muscle in 1 year. Is that even feasible fr a genetically superior lifter (which I'm not)?
 
Your plan looks pretty good, though I'd probably add cable or machine rows to the list (to keep the push/pull balanced).

1-2 lbs a week is definitely on the ambitious side, though from a partitioning standpoint, .5 - 1 lb a week is probably a little safer. The problem with gaining weight too slowly is that it's very easy to wind up gaining very little/no weight, which obviously isn't conducive to gaining much muscle. The problem with gaining weight too fast is exactly what you said, you'll wind up putting on a lot of fat. A goal of 500 kcals over maintenance per day is a good starting point.
 
DwayneJohnson said:
- 2 sets leg press
- 1 set stiff leg deadlift
- 2 sets pulldown
- 2 sets barbell bench press
- 2 sets shoulder dumbbell press
- 1 set triceps pressdown
- 1 set bicep dumbbell curls
- 1 set ab crunches on decline bench while holding weights against my chest
Click to expand...


Correct me if I'm wrong, because I usually am - but isn't the volume going to be too much in weeks 5 & 6? My understanding is increasing the set range per two weeks ie 1,1, 2,2, 3,3. With this routine the chest,legs, lats, shoulders would have a total of 18 sets per week in weeks 5 & 6.I don't believe there is enough rest time for this amount of volume and will lead to over training and possible injury.

- 2 sets leg press
- 1 set stiff leg deadlift
- 2 sets pulldown
- 2 sets barbell bench press
- 2 sets shoulder dumbbell press
- 1 set triceps pressdown
- 1 set bicep dumbbell curls
- 1 set ab crunches on decline bench while holding weights against my chest

week 3 - 4
- 4 sets leg press
- 2 set stiff leg deadlift
- 4 sets pulldown
- 4 sets barbell bench press
- 4 sets shoulder dumbbell press
- 2 set triceps pressdown
- 2 set bicep dumbbell curls
- 2 set ab crunches on decline bench while holding weights against my chest

week 5 - 6
- 6 sets leg press
- 3 set stiff leg deadlift
- 6 sets pulldown
- 6 sets barbell bench press
- 6 sets shoulder dumbbell press
- 3 set triceps pressdown
- 3 set bicep dumbbell curls
- 3 set ab crunches on decline bench while holding weights against my chest
 
manimal said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, because I usually am - but isn't the volume going to be too much in weeks 5 & 6? My understanding is increasing the set range per two weeks ie 1,1, 2,2, 3,3. With this routine the chest,legs, lats, shoulders would have a total of 18 sets per week in weeks 5 & 6.I don't believe there is enough rest time for this amount of volume and will lead to over training and possible injury.

- 2 sets leg press
- 1 set stiff leg deadlift
- 2 sets pulldown
- 2 sets barbell bench press
- 2 sets shoulder dumbbell press
- 1 set triceps pressdown
- 1 set bicep dumbbell curls
- 1 set ab crunches on decline bench while holding weights against my chest

week 3 - 4
- 4 sets leg press
- 2 set stiff leg deadlift
- 4 sets pulldown
- 4 sets barbell bench press
- 4 sets shoulder dumbbell press
- 2 set triceps pressdown
- 2 set bicep dumbbell curls
- 2 set ab crunches on decline bench while holding weights against my chest

week 5 - 6
- 6 sets leg press
- 3 set stiff leg deadlift
- 6 sets pulldown
- 6 sets barbell bench press
- 6 sets shoulder dumbbell press
- 3 set triceps pressdown
- 3 set bicep dumbbell curls
- 3 set ab crunches on decline bench while holding weights against my chest
Click to expand...

The 1 set for block 1, 2 sets for block 2, 3 sets for block 3 is a good starting point, but certainly not a cure-all for everybody. As a trend, people will need more volume/workload as their training age increases to sponsor further growth.

As an aside, accidentally overtraining or hurting yourself is probably harder than you're imagining if A) you actually use good form in your exercises and B) simply pay attention to your recovery. I don't think the routine the OP offered is in any danger of hurting anyone tbh as long as the technique is sound.

edit: I reread this and I think you're saying he's going to multiply his # of sets in order to work-match between blocks. I didn't get the impression that's what he's doing.
 
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Thanks to all the contributors. Today I finished my 15's. I have a few questions for you guys: (1) So if I use my same exercises for the 10's, and add the row machine per Michael Novaks suggestion, how many sets of each exercise do you recommend I do? (2) On my 6th and last workout of the 15's, I was able to do just 14 reps on some sets since I had guessed my maxes - is it a bad idea to go to absolute muscle failure i.e. should I have stopped at 13 reps, or is the 6th session of a workout series meant to take you to failure? (3) Similarly on some sets I did 15 reps but felt I could have probably done 16 or 17 - should I have kept going till failure? (4) On exercises where I was doing more than 1 set, like the leg press, I was often able to do exactly 15 reps on the first set, but then only 11 or 12 reps on the second set since I had already given it my all on the first set. Is this the way things are supposed to be or am I doing something wrong? Thanks!
 
DwayneJohnson said:
Thanks to all the contributors. Today I finished my 15's. I have a few questions for you guys: (1) So if I use my same exercises for the 10's, and add the row machine per Michael Novaks suggestion, how many sets of each exercise do you recommend I do? (2) On my 6th and last workout of the 15's, I was able to do just 14 reps on some sets since I had guessed my maxes - is it a bad idea to go to absolute muscle failure i.e. should I have stopped at 13 reps, or is the 6th session of a workout series meant to take you to failure? (3) Similarly on some sets I did 15 reps but felt I could have probably done 16 or 17 - should I have kept going till failure? (4) On exercises where I was doing more than 1 set, like the leg press, I was often able to do exactly 15 reps on the first set, but then only 11 or 12 reps on the second set since I had already given it my all on the first set. Is this the way things are supposed to be or am I doing something wrong? Thanks!
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I'd just add a set or two of rows, that should be enough.

As to your other questions...

2) Going to failure really isn't a big deal assuming your form is fine. If you managed 14 reps I'd probably leave your 10 RM's the same for the time being, honestly, as you're in the right ballpark.

3) You certainly can push the last set on the final day of the blocks, if you want. I prefer doing it that way, my rule is to basically stop when I'm not sure if I can perform another rep in good form on those last days. I.e. if there's serious doubt about my ability to get another rep, or I feel my form might have to be off to do it, I stop.

4) Use your first set to aim for the rep prescription (e.g. 15, 10, 5), and subsequent sets can stop as soon as the speed of the rep starts to grind/noticeably slow down. So at the beginning of cycles, you might be doing 2 sets of 15 or 10 or whatever, but by the end it might be more like a set of 15 and a set of 10-12, or a set of 10 and a set of 6-8. This is normal. My rule of thumb is to use that first set to set strength records, and additional sets just to get more volume in while being very mindful of my form, really attempting to feel what I'm trying to work, without having to hit any particular # of reps, if that makes sense. Performance like this will vary from exercise to exercise.
 
Thanks. Just to be clear re: your reply to my 1st question: are you saying you would do the same number of sets for the 10's as I have been for the 15's (except for adding that extra exercise)? In other words, in terms of REPS, I would be doing about 30% fewer reps overall in any given workout session when doing the 10's compared to when I was doing the 15's. Is that right?
 
DwayneJohnson said:
Thanks. Just to be clear re: your reply to my 1st question: are you saying you would do the same number of sets for the 10's as I have been for the 15's (except for adding that extra exercise)? In other words, in terms of REPS, I would be doing about 30% fewer reps overall in any given workout session when doing the 10's compared to when I was doing the 15's. Is that right?
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That's one way to do it, and the most conservative. If you want to just keep the # of sets the same your first time through HST, that's absolutely fine, and might be easier.

The "other way" is to basically try to get in a similar number of total reps per exercise between blocks (15s, 10s, 5s). The old rule of thumb manimal was alluding to above was to increase the number of sets over the different blocks.

E.g. 1-2 work sets during the 15's, 2-3 work sets during the 10's, 3-4 work sets during the 5's. I think the key to making an approach like that work is to only do that first set to the target # of reps, with additional sets being cut off as soon as the rep speed starts to noticeably slow down (probably 2-3 reps left before you risk failure). This allows volume to be reasonable without actually risking failure.
 
Understood. Is the 2nd approach (i.e. increasing sets as reps drop) better for muscle growth? I feel like it would make a big difference when you get to the 5's: I would be doing twice as many sets as in the 15's under the second approach (whereas I'd be doing the same number of sets under the first approach). I'm not afraid of adding complexity so let me know what you think is the optimal approach and I will follow that one.
 
DwayneJohnson said:
Understood. Is the 2nd approach (i.e. increasing sets as reps drop) better for muscle growth? I feel like it would make a big difference when you get to the 5's: I would be doing twice as many sets as in the 15's under the second approach (whereas I'd be doing the same number of sets under the first approach). I'm not afraid of adding complexity so let me know what you think is the optimal approach and I will follow that one.
Click to expand...

I'd go with the simplest approach for now, i.e. just keep the sets the same throughout this first time through, which allows you to make changes over time as you get comfortable with the routine. If you feel like an exercise is becoming too easy or not achieving enough of an effect in the muscles it's working, you could always add another set (just use that rule of cutting off the set before risking failure / when rep speed slows down).
 
Just writing a quick entry to mark the beginning of my second HST cycle. My first cycle was cut short at the end of the 5th week due to a nose fracture that kept me away from exercising. After a 2-week interruption I am now likely deconditioned and will therefore start over, beginning with the 15's this week. Hopefully I will be able to do this full cycle without an interruption this time. It was really frustrating to have to stop with 1 week left to go.

Dwayne
 
Am about half way through my second cycle. I took some measurements tonight and compared them to what they were 2 months ago before I started HST. Waist: 33.7 -> 34.6 inches. Chest: 40 -> 41.5 inches. Biceps: 13.25 -> 13.75. Quads 21 -> 21. I have been eating a surplus of about 2,500 to 3,000 calories a week. Do you guys think I should eat a little less or am I at a reasonable pace? I realize some fat will have to be put on but wanted your point of view on whether I am gaining too much fat too quickly. Thanks
 
That sounds good, but you might want to bump up calories if you want to see better gains you should definitely be eating a lot of calories after each workout.. If you are worried about fat gain, then keep doing what you are doing, slow and steady. If you just want rapid hypertrophy, then bump up calories a little.
 
Thanks for the reply...I do focus on eating a lot after every workout. For example, yesterday I had about 300 calories pre-workout and 900 calories post workout, with a total of 2,800 calories that day. I guess what I'm struggling with, is if I follow the HST official guideline of eating 500 calories above maintenance every day, that 3,500 calories over maintenance per week, which is 1 lb. That's therefore 50 lbs a year. Assuming 2/3 of it is muscle (give or take), that would be 33 lbs of muscle in a year. Doesn't sound like a humanly possible figure. So I struggle to see how the 500 calories excess per day is the right number. Because of this I've been trying to overeat by only about 2,500 to 3,000 calories per week, and still I put on an inch on my waist in 2 months. Curious if anyone else can share their experience on this. I don't want to unnecessarily freak out about fat gain since I do understand it comes with the territory, but I think there's also a point where you overeat so much that its unnecessary. Thoughts?
 
You don't bulk for the whole year. You bulk until you are getting too fat, then you cut down to a lean state, and then you bulk again. If you bulked all year, you'd be a fat fuck at the end. Lol
 
3500 calories does not equal one pound of muscle. That figure is often touted but actually refers to how many calories are supposedly stored in a pound of fat. Even then, those numbers aren't necessarily true. Truth is, there aren't any hard answers on how many calories it takes to build muscle. Clearly more than it takes to build fat.

Regarding the size gain in the waist - keep in mind that some of that is increased water weight, etc which comes as a result of eating over your maintenance. Take a week and eat under maintenance slightly and you'll see an immediate drop in weight with a slight reduction in waist size when you lose that extra fluid. Regardless, an inch in two months is nothing. You can strip that back off in a month easily if you need to.
 
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