SCI's HST cycle

S

scientific muscle

New Member
I will start my HST cycle next monday, recently coming off 8-9 weeks of powerlifting type training and looking for some more mass.

Here are my pictures "before".  Will post pictures after 10 weeks of logging my training.

pictures deleted...new ones coming.
 
sci

i hate posting in others "logs" but.....

i think you need better pics.
perhaps these are just for "show" on the forums and you have better ones for your own eval. im not saying this b/c i want to see better pics (dont mind 1 way or the other) but these are too dark, harsh (bad) lighting with almost all the detail washed out or covered in shadow.

try your back porch or something outside. sunlight may not be the most flattering (depending) but its usually relatively consistent and honest (compared to indoors). a pose or 2 front and back relaxed, good posture but no flexing. throw in a couple of your favorite poses and try to take full body shots with as little clothing as your home owners assoc will allow (who cares what the neighbors think). now just make some notes about date, time of day, measurements and your set for a spot on honest eval. in 10 weeks.

with the pics you have, all but the most signif. improvements could easily be missed or blurred out. you would have to try and stand at exactly the same spot under that light again in a few months to get even the roughest of comparisons.

again, if your already doing this, completely disregard everything i just wrote.

good luck with the new program.
 
I am not much of a photographer and I am trying to take these myself.  That and trying to get them onto the forum without distortion is difficult.

I think they give a general idea of mass/definition.

-sorry, maybe I can get my wife to take some pictures outside, will have to bribe her somehow.....
biggrin.gif
 
most cameras have a timer setting. just set it up on something thats roughly head height (and stable) and far enough away to get the whole body in. seriously, you wont be sorry you took the time. you put so much time an effort into your training and tracking your progress you deserve better photos of your accomplishments.

btw, if your camera (digital?) has a black and white feature i would try a couple pics that way as well. i good b/w photo of a nice physique will look 20% better then a color photo of the same physique most times.
 
I agree about the pictures, I know it´s hard to take pictures in good lighting indoors. Anyhow I think you look definately bigger than the last pictures I saw of you!
 
Thanks! Yeah, though the pictures are crappy quality in my poor gym lighting, I was shocked when I saw them and saw how much bigger I look! I thought my progress was pathetic, but I guess I just didn't notice the slow and steady gains. Growing a little bit each week it is easy to overlook the long-term progress and think you aren't gaining.
 
Darn Sci, your back is looking really thick and rugged now. Blue's right about the pics - even if you don't post them here you will have a better frame of reference for spotting progress.
 
Alright, this cycle will be "on", but not 'till next weekend.  I will be starting Monday my routine.

Here it is:

Overview of my HST plan.

Duration: 10 weeks regular HST.

Load: start at 65% of 1rm, progress 1% each workout for 30 workouts to end up at  94% of 1rm.

Frequency: Fullbody 3 times/week.

Volume(sets/reps): Cluster reps to 30 total per exercise.

Exercises
A
Olympic Squat
Barbell Rows
Bench Press
Curls
B
Deadlifts
Chinups
Standing Press
Dips

A few alterations.

Week one will simply be light weights and getting back into the routine.
Week 2 will start 'on'.  By week 10 the progression of load will be done, and weeks 11+ will be PCT just keeping the loads at 94% and maintaining strength.  The PCT portion of the cycle will be as long as needed, so in total this HST training cycle may even go up to 20 weeks.
At the end I will post better 'before' pictures and stats, pictures and stats at Week 10, and pictures and stats at the end of the PCT portion of training.
By this time 4-5 months will have gone by and I will be looking forward to a nice SD!
cool.gif


Nutrition will be obviously insane amounts of eating supplemented with loads of Protein shakes.  Eating enough will likely be the most challenging portion of this program.

I will do 30 minutes of cardio on offdays since weight gain will likely be huge.
 
4/7/07: weighed in at 197 lb.s and took much more detailed pictures (in embarassingly honest lighting this time).  I will wait untill the 'after' pictures and post them side by side for comparison.

'before' measurements in inches.
upper arm, flexed cold:15.75
forearm, flexed cold:13.25
shoulders @ widest:50
chest @ widest:44
waist @ beltline:35
thigh:25
calf:14.75

I did a light workout to feel it out, did all my exercises with the starting weight @ 60% of 1rm for one set of 10.  Done in 25 minutes: Very easy, got a small pump.  At first I was thinking that the volume of 20 reps/exercise will be too easy, but I keep forgetting that all the weights will increase 50% from todays loads and I will have to maintain those loads for up to 10 weeks on end to keep gains!
wow.gif


See you monday!
 
Changed one more thing. Expecting strength gains to be good, so changed the rep progression to start at 65% of my current 1rm and end up at 94% of my current 1 rm, which in 10 weeks my 1 rm theoretically will be much higher, hence the adjustment.
 
I'm very excited to know, if u can handle that volume without splittin that plan up. Once I got into the real heavy weights I felt the need to do squats and deads seperately.
 
you might try measuring your mid-section (waist) at your navel. most men wear their pants at their hips, an inch or 2 below the navel and above youre ass. this of course does not apply if your under 18 (mid-ass) or over 60 (above navel).

all kidding aside, a navel measurement will take into account any belly fat gain as well as low back fat gain. belt line measurements are good as well but generally change much slower with fat gain or loss. when bulking my belt measure will go up 2-3 inches as time progresses but my navel measure many times goes up 3-5 inches over that same time span. i didnt always track the navel measure and felt i was doing well b/c my pants size was going up slowly. well im fatter then i want to be, or thought i was getting so i will measure it this way from now on.

good luck with the new plan. im looking forward to hear how things work out for you.
 
DAY ONE!

Olympic Squats- 165- 10/10
Neutral Chins- BW- 6/5/5/4
Bench- 140- 10/10
Pendlay Rows- 135- 10/10
Standing Press- 90- 5/5/5/5
Dips- BW- 9/8/3
Curls-65- 10/10

Pressing this much was hard, by the time I got to dips I was fatigued. My plan is to do the entire routine, and if things get too hard, then I can always alternate some exercises down the road.
First workout a Hard workout! A good sign that this cycle will kick my ass and make me grow!
 
<div>
(scientific muscle @ Apr. 09 2007,18:59)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">DAY ONE!

Standing Press- 90- 5/5/5/5</div>
If I remember correctly, your OH press is much higher than that, any reason you're starting so low?
 
My standing military (strict) press max is only 140, I can do about 170 seated on a high-incline bench. I am starting at 65% of my max and slowly progressing.
 
All exercises clustered to 20 total reps. (load in pounds)

Squat- 170
Deadlift- 240
Chins- BW (200)
Bench- 140
M. Press- 90
Dips- BW (200)
Curls- 65

I am going to have to do some more alternating. While squatting did not affect my deadlift, I am not sure I can squat 3 times/week with this volume and constant load. Also military press and dips were too much after benching. I am deciding tonight how to alternate exercises.

On a postive note, I am currently 199 lb.s and my long-time goal of being 200 lb.s is within close reach.
smile.gif
 
Well, only two workouts into the cycle and I have decided to go back to a basic, 'simplified and win' routine. Doing EVERY exercise each workout is killing me already. I will alternate exercises, doing only 4 each workout and up the total volume back to my original plan of 30 total reps.

HST clustered to 30 reps/exercise. fullbody, 3/week.

Workout A
Squat
Row
Bench
Curl

Workout B
Deadlift
Chins
Dips
Military Press

That looks much more doable for me to progress the loads and maintain throughout the cycle. The workouts will last less than an hour, but will still be very challenging with 30 reps for each exercise. And while the entire body gets worked 3 times/week, only doing each particular exercise once every 4-5 days will give me more exercise specific recovery and avoid burnout/injury.
 
Darnit...'vitamins' are on back order, won't be here until next thursday. Oh well, I can always extend the cycle by repeating the heavy loads for a few weeks. This is going to be a ridiculously long cycle. I will probably look like Cutler's little brother by the time it is done!
laugh.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top