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(beingisbeing @ Jul. 24 2008,1:27)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I think I've seen the more massive of you strapping gentlemen basically say things get to a point with HST where you have to swap out the 3X frequency for higher volume (switching to a 2X a week push pull or upper lower split,something like that)
when does this become necessary?
when it does, how much volume do you actually end up using, how many exercises per body part?
Lcars, Tot,
I think you guys use a non standard HST split, for example.</div>
I believe it becomes necessary when recovery becomes a much more important factor. This happens when loads get high for a human being (as a high load is relative to each person's strength). Pushing and pulling loads beyond 200 lbs every other day for a multitude of exercises puts much strain on the body, whether or not the CNS gets "burned out". This stress can be too much and the muscle may be recovering beyond the 36-48 hour window that HST advocates. Likewise, the simple strain of high loads becomes stressful, this causes a hormonal reaction that can be devastating to the bodybuilder. When the body is stressed, the hormone cortisol is released by the adrenal glands as an inflammatory response. In the short term, it isn't a bad thing, but as these loads become consistent over a longer period of time, the effects of cortisol mount and can have negative effects such as:
Impaired brain performance
Suppressed thyroid function
Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia
Decreased bone density
Decrease in muscle tissue
Higher blood pressure
Lowered immunity and inflammatory responses in the body, slowed wound healing, and other health consequences
Increased abdominal fat, which is associated with a greater amount of health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body.
All of these effects are not wanted by anyone, and the bodybuilder is especially concerned with the effects on tissue. Higher stress raises cortisol levels beyond a "good" threshold and this increases adipose tissue and decreases the muscle tissue.
In practice, when some of the HST vets, now including myself, reduce the frequency of some or all of their lifts, you would think that the volume increases to keep constant with prior volume levels. Some people try to do this with Korte's program, 10 x 3 or 5 x 5 routines. IMO, keeping the volume constant is ludicrous as high volume + high load equals high stress. More recovery is then needed - maybe even more recovery than the reduced frequency already allocates. The limiting trend of this result is a strength based HIT program for certain lifts.
