Another HST spreadsheet, only better

Discussion in 'Hypertrophy-Specific Training (HST)' started by spillaert, Apr 7, 2011.

  1. spillaert

    spillaert New Member

    Hello fellow HSTers. I have joined the forum to tell you a new HST cycle calculation spreadsheet which allows every variable of a cycle to be modified and automatically calculated is now available to download. It is the most configurable and descriptive HST spreadsheet currently available. Here is what it can do

    [1] Calculates all the required rep max figures automatically for every exercise given the rep max figures for a lighter and heavier weight, or allows the user to enter the exact weights for the fixed mesocycle reps.
    [2] Allows the weight increment percentage over a mesocycle for every exercise to be entered. This can also be done per week if desired.
    [3] Permits either 3 or 4 sessions per week.
    [4] Allows up to 18 exercises. Any exercise to be alternated across sessions.
    [5] Allows the user to define up to 3 warm-ups per exercise for a complete mesocycle or per-week if required. The values for the reps and also the percentage of the workset weight are entered and the warm-up weights are automatically calculated based on the percentage figure. Warm-up weights are rounded to a user defined figure.
    [6] Allows the workset reps and sets for each week to be entered.
    [7] Displays the session dates given a macrocycle start date.
    [8] Based on the workset weights for each exercise will automatically calculate the weight disk combination to add to each side of the barbell or dumbbell to achieve the desired workset weight. Especially useful after the cranium has shut off after a blood-glucose depleting set of heavy squats! The user can modify the weight combinations based upon the disk set they have available to them.
    [9] Prints each mesocycle to one sheet of A4.
    [10] As of version 2 can be configured to use pound or kilo weights.

    The spreadsheet is currently configured to run the basic HST cycle ( 15, 10, 5, 5 reps 5% weight increment) using the exercise template provided by Bryan here http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_notes.html though as you can see every aspect of the cycle can be configured if necessary.

    You can download a zipped version of the spreadsheet from here :

    http://www.pro-technix.com/information/downloads/pages/HST-spreadsheet.zip

    or the raw version here :

    http://www.pro-technix.com/information/downloads/pages/HST-spreadsheet.xls

    If you download the unzipped version using your browser a personal copy can be made by selecting File->Save As

    If you do not have Excel installed on your computer or are not using a Windows-based OS then the spreadsheet may also be opened with the free Open Office software suite of which there are both Windows and Linux versions available. Open Office can be downloaded from here:

    http://download.openoffice.org/index.html

    Please let other forum members know about the spreadsheet if possible.

    Enjoy.
     
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2011
    whistledixie likes this.
  2. jvroig

    jvroig Super Moderator

    I moved this thread from FYI to this forum where it is more appropriate.

    If this is similar to your other thread, tell me which one to lock so we won't have two threads discussing the same thing.

    Regards,
    -JV
     
  3. Totentanz

    Totentanz Super Moderator Staff Member

    This looks like a very thorough spreadsheet. Nice.
     
  4. grunt11

    grunt11 New Member

    Thanks for taking the time to make this up and post it, including your follow-through.
     
  5. Bulldog

    Bulldog Active Member

    Looks pretty good. How do you change it from Kg to pounds?
     
  6. spillaert

    spillaert New Member

    The only aspects of the spreadsheet configured to use Kg are the side weight figures in the sessions tables because those calculations are dependent on the listing in the Weights worksheet, which is in Kg. If you enter weights in lbs. for your exercises all the weight increments will be correctly calculated for both worksets and warm-ups, as will your rep max figures. It is possible to manually change the Weights table to use the pound disks available to you. When I have time I will either create another spreadsheet with lbs. in the Weights worksheet or include a switch to toggle between kgs and lbs. It will probably ready by the end of this week. To help me do this could someone please post the standard weights for the pound disks members will typically have available to them so I can modify the Weights worksheet appropriately.

    Any further suggestions for improvements or changes are welcome. The spreadsheet has already been through a number of versions based on suggestions from people I know who are running HST cycles, so the more feedback I get the better.
     
  7. Totentanz

    Totentanz Super Moderator Staff Member

    2.5, 5, 10, 25, 35, 45 are the standard plate sizes for olympic weights. The bar is usually 45 lbs itself as well. Depending on what is available to the lifter, there are also 100 lb plates but these aren't generally use except on leg press.
     
  8. spillaert

    spillaert New Member

    The spreadsheet has been updated to use either using kg or lbs weights. There are now two weights tables, one using kilos and one configured to use a generic pound weight set. Both can be manually modified if you have a different set available or if you use microdisks. Setting the weight type is done on the Exercises worksheet. There have been some other minor improvements made also. Note that when entering weights please do not include the weight of the bar as the spreadsheet presently cannot determine if an exercise is performed with a bar, dumbbell or single weights as is the case with dips or pull-ups. The spreadsheet will probably be modified to account for this at some point. Not including the bar weight does not effect any of the calculations or the session workset loading charts anyway.
     
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2011
  9. whistledixie

    whistledixie New Member

    Extremely thorough sheet, thanks!
     
  10. Bulldog

    Bulldog Active Member

    Thanks.....!
     
  11. Anavation05

    Anavation05 New Member

    Great work, this is some of the best detail I've seen for an HST cycle thanks for your contribution
     
  12. spillaert

    spillaert New Member

    Thanks for all for the positive comments and I hope the spreadsheet is helping some of you set up your cycles.
     
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2011
  13. kanew

    kanew New Member

    Great Excel sheet, makes it so much easier to start working out again... I do have a question though, how many reps should my max's be? should I go with 2 and 1 or 10 and 5? quick answer would be appreciated by anyone.. since I'm looking to do my max's today and friday and start the routine monday
     
  14. spillaert

    spillaert New Member

    If the choice is between 1/2 or 10/5 I would definitely advise 10/5. 1/2 is too close together to accurately interpolate the other rep ranges and is working too close to your physical limits. You will see from the spreadsheet the lower weight rep max figures range from 23 to 10 and the upper from 11 to 5 across the exercises so the exact figures don't matter, but best to try for around 6 reps for the heavier weight. I would advise finding your rep maxes at about 60% RM which will be about 13 to 14 reps and 85% RM which should allow 6 reps.
     
  15. kanew

    kanew New Member

    I see, already went to the gym.. i ended up going with 10 and 5 reps... one more question on the dips and chin ups I just used the bar and don't have access to free weights (no belt there), should I just do the required amount of reps with no weights in the cycle or should i switch to another exercise? or do reps in the excel sheet change for those?
     
  16. spillaert

    spillaert New Member

    Hi kanew,

    Could you tell me how many body weight chins and dips you are currently able to do.
     
  17. kanew

    kanew New Member

    Dips 15, and only 5 chin ups... so I actually can't keep up with the reps for the chin ups lol.. but I can use the assisted pull up machine
     
  18. spillaert

    spillaert New Member

    The spreadsheet does not handle dips or chins any differently from any other exercise so this makes things more complex if you don't currently have access to a belt so here are your options:

    [1] Buy a dipping/chinning belt, they aren't expensive. If the gym complains about you using your own equipment ask them if they would let you use lifting hooks if you had carpal tunnel syndrome. If they would allow you to do this they have contradicted themselves. An alternative to dips is to do weighted bench dips with weights on your upper legs as shown here http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/WtBenchDip.html They are not as effective as weighted chest dips though and I find them hard on the shoulders.

    [2] To get the spreadsheet to estimate the reps using the assisted pull-up machine weights correctly deduct the weight the machine is set on from 100. For example if you can do 15 reps with the machine set on 70 use 30 in the 'lighter of the two weights' section of the Exercises worksheet and if you can do 5 reps with the machine set at 40 use 60 in the 'Heavier of the two weights' section of the Exercises worksheet. Then deduct the weight given for assisted pull-ups on the session tables from 100 to find the weight to set the machine at for a particular session. So if a session table says to use 24 for assisted pull-ups set the machine for 76. You have to do this because the heavier weights on assisted pull-up machines are easier.

    [3] If you have to do body weight dips and chins the only variable you can manipulate is the reps. Here is a rep scheme based on your initial body weight rep max figures :

    Chins

    3,3,2,2
    3,3,3,2
    3,3,3,3
    4,4,3,2
    4,4,3,3
    4,4,4,3
    5,4,3,3
    5,4,4,3
    5,5,4,3
    5,5,4,4
    5,5,5,4
    6,5,5,3
    6,5,5,4
    6,6,5,4
    7,6,5,4
    7,6,6,4
    7,7,6,4
    7,7,6,5
    8,7,6,4
    8,7,6,5
    8,7,6,6
    8,7,7,6
    9,8,7,5
    9,8,7,6

    Dips

    8,7,6,4
    8,7,6,5
    8,7,6,6
    8,7,7,6
    9,8,7,5
    9,8,7,6
    9,8,7,7
    10,9,7,6
    10,9,8,6
    10,9,8,7
    11,9,8,7
    11,10,8,7
    11,10,9,7
    12,10,9,7
    12,11,9,7
    12,11,10,7
    12,11,10,8
    13,11,10,8
    13,12,10,8
    13,12,10,9
    13,12,11,9
    14,12,11,9
    14,13,11,9
    15,13,11,9

    Keep trying for the next higher number of reps with each session. If you feel failure creeping up on the last set stop a couple of reps before reaching it but use the same scheme for the next session until the entire set is possible, then go to the next larger set of reps. With the chinning-bar I do the first set with pull-ups then switch to chins, with each set starting with a closer grip than the previous to work all the upper back. During the last 2 weeks of 5s do negatives by performing the pulling action quickly and the lowering much more slowly and with dips do the push up rapidly and the lowering slowly.
     
    Last edited: Apr 21, 2011
  19. spillaert

    spillaert New Member

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