An HST Question

[Tom Treutlein]

Found my maxes this week, along with my partner. Now, I was wondering...is it okay if the 15 and 10 RMs are relatively close to one another? For example. a 65 lb. military press 10 RM then an 80 lb. military press 5 RM? Just figures, but basically, is being 15 lbs. apart only going to be okay for the program? That would leave a lot of overlapping with the weights.

 

[majutsu]

They say it's ok . . . pissed me off though

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Haha, why did it piss you off man?

 

[majutsu]

If I maxed 10 reps at 225 bench, then Monday to go in and do 185 for 5 made me feel like a tool.

 

[wend]

There's a piece of the puzzle you're missing about Maj's attitude...

There's this guy at our gym that I've ranted to him about, because he just bugs me. He's middle-aged, with a receding hairline, but what he's got left is past shoulder length and shot with grey, and he wears it in a scraggly ponytail. He's skinny and flacid and wears a muscle-T whenever he works out. But the worst is his workout.

He barely lifts any weight (I'm sure I lift more), and he just goes through the motions. I saw him doing lower-back extensions on the roman chair (with just bodyweight, of course), and he was just a-swingin' that torso up and down, sometimes coming up slightly off center, sometimes off to the other side, no control in either the ascent or descent, no EFFORT, beyond what it took to be considered to have technically raised up so he could count "one...two...three...four..."

I do not understand what this guy expects to get out of his workout with so little intensity.

And Maj has had to listen to me go on about this. Once or twice.

So I'm sure M. doesn't want to feel like he looks like this guy, even in the remotest sense, despite the fact that HE would use proper form etc., and that soon enough he'd be lifting weights that actually challenged him.

Don't let our issues dissuade you from HST.

 

[majutsu]

ha ha ha ponytail guy -- I"ve seen him

Anyway, I found it hard to believe I could grow muscle by lifting 185 for 5 when I just did 225 for 10 three days ago. I mean weekends are rough, but I don't "decondition" that much The HST guys call overlap "zigzag" I think I've heard on the HST forum. And I believe Bryan responded to someone over that they could do a stable weight for a few of the early workouts if they wanted to avoid "zigzag". But I'm sure CasualBB or others will know the latest thoughts on the overlap thing.

 

[casualbb]

I'd say try to keep the overlap to at most three workouts.

If you feel like you're not doing much and that bothers you, you can do more reps on the overlapped days. For your example maj, you could do 185 for 10, or even a few sets of 8.

Reps per set isn't really an important element of a bodybuilding program. The only things that matter are the weight you're using and the total number of reps you do.

So, keeping that in mind, if I have a day where I feel crappy and weak, I'll just do more sets of fewer reps so that I have more rest. Feel free to play around with volume. Many people find they need to up the number of sets when they go into the 5's to make up for halved volume.

 

[Tom Treutlein]

So, should I count my rep totals for each workout, and in the 10's and 5's compensate by adding enough sets so it's equal or greater to that of the 15's? Don't just say yes haha, should I make it equal OR greater, if I should do this.

Should this only be done if you feel that way? Perhaps, going from 10's to 5's, let's say, and having done 3 sets for incline bench (a total of 30 reps) where 3 sets with 5's is only 15, I should double the sets to make the volume equal? That's 6 sets, and sounds like a bit much to me. Should this only be done when the weights overlap, and then normal numbers of sets should be used?

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Also, should I use SLDLs or Good Morning (2nd exercise, after squats) to get my hamstrings/lower back?

 

[Tom Treutlein]

I'm thinking I'll use 10 lb. incretments during the 15's and 10's, and then only 5 lbs. on the 5's (with certain exercises) so there's not so much overlap. Will this be okay?

 

[majutsu]

I'm thinking I'll use 10 lb. incretments during the 15's and 10's, and then only 5 lbs. on the 5's (with certain exercises) so there's not so much overlap. Will this be okay?

That's interesting, never thought of that oddly . . .

 

[Tom Treutlein]

Do you think there will be a problem with that? It seems fine to me, and it definitely makes the numbers work better. I guess I'd better increase the sets for the 5's. I'm thinking +1 set once I get to the 5's for the volume loss. Even though though the 10's will have more volume still that way, that's apparently not key to gaining, because the website doesn't recommend you even bother doing that. I'm sure the progressive load is still the biggest key. The site has a good guide as to whether or not you should tamper with the volume, anyway. If you're injured or in severe pain, drop it. If you're noticably 'fuller', tight, satisfied, sore (to a good degree) maintain it, and if you're never sore or something, up it a bit. Sorry, just rambling aloud.

I'll let you all know how my cycle goes. Sadly, I can't start for another 9 days! I hate the beginning - I have to wait to get back in the gym. Oh, I'm going to tear shit up.

 

[casualbb]

Hmm you can probably do that during the 5's.

SLDL vs. GM's? Whatever, both work similar stuff.

Tom -- I go a lot by how I feel that particular day. With a program this frequent, managing fatigue is one of the more important concerns. Feel free to add and subtract volume or reps as you feel like it, as long as you maintain some base level of volume.