Too many exercises in my current workout?

Y

Yomtlhc

New Member
I'm currently starting my 3rd HST cycle and based on my previous 2 cycles I am having the following question: as I hit the 5's my workouts start feeling too long and exhausting (a little over 1 hour) and my energy level decreases substantially as the workout progresses.
My question: Should I reduce the number of exercises included in my workout? Should I alternate some of these exercices between workouts? (for instance, alternate Incline Dbbell Press and Dips between workouts).
Initially I chose not to alternate exercises between workouts based on the idea that they weren't exactly hitting the same part of the muscle/muscle group and as a result I thought that alternating would defeat the purpose of HST.

Here is what my current workout has been for the first 2 HST cycles:
Squats / Stiff-legged Deadlifts (alternate between workouts)
Incline Dbell Press
Dips
Chin-Ups
Bent-over Rows
Shrugs
Shoulder Dbbell Press
Triceps Extensions
Calf Raises

Another option:
Squats / Stiff-legged Deadlifts (alternate between workouts)
Incline Dbell Press / Dips (alternate between workouts)
Chin-Ups / Bent-over Rows (alternate between workouts)
Shrugs / Shoulder Dbbell Press (alternate between workouts)
Triceps Extensions
Calf Raises

One last point: I feel that my biceps and also my deltoids are not getting hit enough with my current workout. I was wondering if I should / what would be the best way to include some isolation exercices to target those.

Thank you for your help and your suggestions!
 
"Squats / Stiff-legged Deadlifts (alternate between workouts)
Incline Dbell Press
Dips
Chin-Ups
Bent-over Rows
Shrugs
Shoulder Dbbell Press
Triceps Extensions
Calf Raises"
Click to expand...
IMO(in my opinion) - You need to cut the isos crap, unless you're already built like nobodys buisness and you're trying to make your body perfect.

I would lose the dumbbells and head to bars because that grows more muscle faster.

Flat bench instead of incline dbell press.
No more dips since the bench is already hitting triceps anyways.
Shoulder Press with a BAR.
No more tricep extension, they are getting hit with Shoulder Press/Bench.
You don't NEED calve raises, you could do deadlifts as they are a mass gainer exercise but that's up to you.
If you were going to swap with Squats, I would do a Squat/Deadlift type deal, not SL Deadlift. Normal deadlift uses more of compound movement.

That's my opinion. Also, are you work outs a/b split?
 
Thanks for the suggestions!
No I'm NOT on an a/b split workout. I do 3 identical workouts on Mon, Wed, Fri.


I am really surprised to read your comment in regards to using a barbell instead of dumbbells.... Everything that I've ever read on that subject seemed to agree that using dumbbells had some advantages over using a barbell, such as:
  • Dbells involve the recruitement of extra muscles in order to stabilize the weights
  • Dbbells provide more potential than a barbell for accommodating individual physical irregularities (grip can be anywhere between parallel and the barbell style grip. You can even change your wrist positioning during the course of each rep)
  • Also, I feel safe(r) using them without a spotter (as compared with barbell). The rack at my gym only has a few different positions for the pins, which are either too low or too high to use them for bench press safety guards.
I'm really surprised to read that you think barbell "grows more muscle faster", since I have definitely never read or heard anything in that sense before. I would be very interested to know if you have read anything about this and /or if it is something that you have noticed based on your personal experience?

Do you think using machines as a substitute to regular bench press could offer some compromise and present any advantage over dumbbell bench press?

As for the dips, I am using them for (lower) pecs more than for triceps. Combined with Incline dbell press I thought they were a very good and effective compound movement.​
 
Yomtlhc said:
Thanks for the suggestions!
No I'm NOT on an a/b split workout. I do 3 identical workouts on Mon, Wed, Fri.


I am really surprised to read your comment in regards to using a barbell instead of dumbbells.... Everything that I've ever read on that subject seemed to agree that using dumbbells had some advantages over using a barbell, such as:

  • Dbells involve the recruitement of extra muscles in order to stabilize the weights
  • Dbbells provide more potential than a barbell for accommodating individual physical irregularities (grip can be anywhere between parallel and the barbell style grip. You can even change your wrist positioning during the course of each rep)
  • Also, I feel safe(r) using them without a spotter (as compared with barbell). The rack at my gym only has a few different positions for the pins, which are either too low or too high to use them for bench press safety guards.
I'm really surprised to read that you think barbell "grows more muscle faster", since I have definitely never read or heard anything in that sense before. I would be very interested to know if you have read anything about this and /or if it is something that you have noticed based on your personal experience?

Do you think using machines as a substitute to regular bench press could offer some compromise and present any advantage over dumbbell bench press?

As for the dips, I am using them for (lower) pecs more than for triceps. Combined with Incline dbell press I thought they were a very good and effective compound movement.​
Click to expand...

I would strongly suggest an a/b split, I mean, that's all I ever see anyways. It works, at least with me.


Dumbbells are usually for people who have joint problems, they grow muscle but they are in no way a mass gainer compared to traditional barbell exercises. Another disadvantage to dumbbells is you can't use as much weight as barbells use.

If you have never heard/read that then you obviously don't use these forums too much, how do you think we grow muscle? Just dumbbells?! No! Lol.

I've also gained 20 pounds in just 1.5 cycles of HST....just using barbell, also, not much BF gained.

Machines don't grow muscle like Barbell and neither does dumbbells.

Well, you just don't want to work yourself out too much is the whole point.
 
I think the second option you wrote in your first post is fine. I would do the rows and squats on the same day. Otherwise, you would be doing rows and deadlifts on the same day. That could be too much for your back. If you feel too tired at the end of your workout, eliminate the isos. I can't really tell you what too tired is, but I think that if you become unmotivated to continue, you've done too much.

It's true that DBs force more stabilizer muscles to do work, so using DBs does involve more muscles. However, if your stabilizer muscles don't have to work very hard, the "main" muscles can work harder. This is why many people prefer BBs. I bench because I want a big chest. Even though bench pressing is a compound movement, I want to isolate my chest as much as possible and create as much resistance as possible. As far as accommodating physical irregularities and safety though, you can't argue with DBs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top