HST: Zig-Zagging!

[cmdubs]

This is the only problem I have with an HST program.

I just finished the 15 rep block and will be starting 10's today. For the first week of the 10's I'll be using pretty much the same weights I used in the last week of 15's but less reps. For example on my last 15 workout I used the 85 db's on flat press. My 10 rep max is 95, so today I'll be using the 70's.

Since there is no deconditioning period between rep blocks it seems like the first week of the 10s and 5s is useless.

Will I actually stimulate growth in the first week of the different rep blocks?

 

[Carl Carlson]

This is the only problem I have with an HST program.

I just finished the 15 rep block and will be starting 10's today. For the first week of the 10's I'll be using pretty much the same weights I used in the last week of 15's but less reps. For example on my last 15 workout I used the 85 db's on flat press. My 10 rep max is 95, so today I'll be using the 70's.

Since there is no deconditioning period between rep blocks it seems like the first week of the 10s and 5s is useless.

Will I actually stimulate growth in the first week of the different rep blocks?

If you don't want to zig-zag, I've read you could also double up on weights...

So instead of going:
70 75 80 85 90 95

You could try:
85 85 90 90 95 95


I'm not sure which is recommended though. Try checking out the forums and FAQs at www.hypertrophy-specific.com for more info.

 

[Tom Treutlein]

I'd double-up. It worked very well for me.

Some overlap is alright, usually by about one or two workouts. Your maxes criss-cross a bit much, cmd, so doubling up is recommended.

Hey, I doubled up when I did my first HST cycle and came out of it with something like 13 lbs. gained. Some fat, obviously, but it was odd because the mirror showed I looked leaner. Vacuums probably helped there.

 

[cmdubs]

thanks bros..I'll probably double up. I don't know why I didn't think of that. I actually do this with db curls, especially in the 15's. I didn't want to start out curling the pink db's.

My increments for most bb movements on the 15's was 10. For the 10-rep block I'm using increments of 5 to cut out some of the overlap.

 

[casualbb]

I second what tom said. Strangely the cycles where I had more overlap I also gained the most. Others where I structured it specifically to avoid overlap I ended up burning out