Rep block question

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warpigs2380

New Member
Hi guys,

I've just finished my 3rd cycle of HST with decent results. A problem I am coming across is that I only really see any weight gains during the 5's. I can usually count on 2-3 lbs every 5 block I do (I have 2 in my cycle now). During the 15s and 10s I never gain anything (I might lose a lb or two during this phase) and after SD, I will be down a couple of lbs, so by the time I start the next cycle I am only a couple of pounds bigger than last time. This is not a complaint really, I like the workout, but I would like to maximize my gains.

What I'm thinking is this:

1/2 block of 15s (3 workouts)
1/2 block of 10s (3 workouts)
3 blocks of 5s

I dont do negatives because I workout at home by myself. I will switch up the exercises in the 5s.

Is 3 5s too much? Obviously I'm going to give it a try, but I am wondering if this is starting to go outside of what HST is and if there is any scientific reasons that this wouldnt be effective.

Thanks
 
This is probably most likely not an issue with your workout, but an issue with your nutrition. You need to eat more during the 15's and 10's if you feel you aren't growing.
 
Yep, diet. You need to eat more. If you aren't gaining any weight at all, it is your diet. Otherwise you would at least be gaining fat, if not muscle. I've found in all the reading I've been doing the last six months or so that the biggest factor in gaining muscle is not your workout but your diet.

Read the article "Eating for Size" - it should help out.


As for your ideas about your workout - yes, you can do something like that. My next cycle I am only doing one week of 10s, then I'm going in to about four to six weeks of 5s and post 5s. You can see some great growth with cycles like that. Just remember that if your joints start complaining too much, you should go back to doing two weeks of 15s on your next cycle.
You could extend your 5s for longer than three weeks. Once you hit your 5 RM, hopefully will have grown stronger, so you can try incrementing further. Once the weights get too heavy, switch to negatives or dropsets. You could even switch to clustering and work with your 3 RM or heavier.

But as was stated, diet would be the key factor here. Eat big.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I'll reread "eating for size". I thought I was pretty secure in the nutrition department, but I'll reevaluate things from the bottom up. I will usually count calories for a couple of weeks until I get a feel for how much I should be eating and kind of go from there. I guess I should be counting all the way through.

Do you guys actually see gains in your 15s and 10s?

My SD should be over in another week and I will be back into the groove. If this bloody cold ever goes away :)
 
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