Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below I have hit a wall in my training. I am 19yrs old and stuck at 175 with about 8-9 % bf. I have not been gaining weight at all during spring. So i switched to a powerlifting routine which isn't helping much either. The routine is 3 days a week with a core exercise such as deadlifts squats and bench on each day. For my core exercise i do about 8 sets while while going up in weight as i go down in reps. One isolation exercise for bicepts, no direct caft, tri, or shoulder work. After the core exercise i do about 2-3 more exercises 4 sets of each. I am not responding too well to this type of training. So i decided to switch to HST traing because i think i will respond very well to this training. I read up on it but i am not sure how i decrease the reps, is it every week or every 2 weeks? I just need someone to help break it down for me. Or if anyone has any input for me i would appreciate it. I have been training for about 4 years. Even though i weight 175 i look like i weight 185. I have a good diet, and the main reason why i decided to try something different is that i cannot get my arms to grow, and my muscle's feel flat alot of the time. If i felt my training was not lacking i would be entering in a local BB show in the teen division because the promoter wants me to, but i feel and i think i look like shit so i could use some help. Thanks
Rep's for HST training
- Thread starter Doch910
- Start date
coolcolj
New member
I'm gonna try a modified 8 week cycle of HST in a weeks time. Modified for my own requirements. Currently on a 2 week layoff dieting my ass off to get my bodyfat down to 8%. Not too worried about any muscle I lose, if I do which won't be much since I'm doing it the right way, I'll regain it fast when i resume training.
Its already pretty similar to my own previous training except I went to failure before. Now that I'm over my 1st 6 months of training, its time to grow big time.
I'll be doing detailed before and afters, photos, stats etc.
Since I'm an athlete, my performance has to improve as well.
I'll be adding 200 grams of extra protein to my daily diet as suggested by Chris Thibaudeau - he did this with 3 hockey players and they stayed lean while packing on mass. See below
Off course they could have been on the juice
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"I recommend increasing protein intake by 100g each day while keeping carbs and fat intake the same. I would space the 100g in three 30g whey shakes or three 750ml glasses of milk (preferably one when waking up, one after training and one before going to bed).
With several of the athletes I train I was even more drastic, increasing their protein intake by 200g / day, but these were hockey players desperately needing an additional 15-20lbs of mass with no loss in agility. One went from 195 to 210 in 6 weeks, another one from 218 to 235 and a last one from 175 to 195, the last two were in 8 weeks.
>>Chris did they gain fat?
Well one is razor sharp (around 6% bodyfat) and the other one lost a bit of fat (but he had a lot of baby fat to start with). The last one stayed at 8.8%.
However understand that I started training them after their season ended, so they did not weight train for 3-4 months, understandably they gained muscle faster. But their "new" bodyweights were significantly higher than their previous heaviest.
Its already pretty similar to my own previous training except I went to failure before. Now that I'm over my 1st 6 months of training, its time to grow big time.
I'll be doing detailed before and afters, photos, stats etc.
Since I'm an athlete, my performance has to improve as well.
I'll be adding 200 grams of extra protein to my daily diet as suggested by Chris Thibaudeau - he did this with 3 hockey players and they stayed lean while packing on mass. See below
Off course they could have been on the juice
------------------------------
"I recommend increasing protein intake by 100g each day while keeping carbs and fat intake the same. I would space the 100g in three 30g whey shakes or three 750ml glasses of milk (preferably one when waking up, one after training and one before going to bed).
With several of the athletes I train I was even more drastic, increasing their protein intake by 200g / day, but these were hockey players desperately needing an additional 15-20lbs of mass with no loss in agility. One went from 195 to 210 in 6 weeks, another one from 218 to 235 and a last one from 175 to 195, the last two were in 8 weeks.
>>Chris did they gain fat?
Well one is razor sharp (around 6% bodyfat) and the other one lost a bit of fat (but he had a lot of baby fat to start with). The last one stayed at 8.8%.
However understand that I started training them after their season ended, so they did not weight train for 3-4 months, understandably they gained muscle faster. But their "new" bodyweights were significantly higher than their previous heaviest.
coolcolj
New member
I suggest you don't go to failure!
Its the main principal of HST. Working your whole body 3 times a week will drain you out. Your meant to increase the weight every workout. If you go to failure you may not be able to do that, and you will have to push your CNS hard to get the reps done.
Can you say overtraining?
Read the HST articles again. I'm not going to failure this time, because I burned out doing that. If you do the 9-12 day detraining layoff, you won't need to train to failure until the very last week or so, by then you should blow away all your personal 5 rep max lifts.
Its the main principal of HST. Working your whole body 3 times a week will drain you out. Your meant to increase the weight every workout. If you go to failure you may not be able to do that, and you will have to push your CNS hard to get the reps done.
Can you say overtraining?
Read the HST articles again. I'm not going to failure this time, because I burned out doing that. If you do the 9-12 day detraining layoff, you won't need to train to failure until the very last week or so, by then you should blow away all your personal 5 rep max lifts.
You are 8-9 percent bodyfat and 19 and can't figure out why you aren't getting bigger? You are TOO lean!!!!! You need to eat to grow!!!!
B True
B True
Eat a lot more.
B True
B True
FitnessFrk
New member
there is no training routine that will add mass. increasing your body weight (adding muscle mass) comes from increasing your caloric intake.
check your diet !
check your diet !
MarshallPenniford
New member
You don't need to raise your bodyfat to gain muscle.
MarshallPenniford said:
Really? Interesting...explain in detail.
B True
MarshallPenniford
New member
b fold the truth said:
What do you mean? The storage of fat and the building of muscle are two separate processes in the body. Not sure what you're asking me here.
marshall, you are either in a caloric deficit or a caloric surplus. in order to gain weight, you have to be in a surplus. This weight will probably be mostly fat and some muscle. There is no real way around this. I thought this was common knowledge around here. You DO need to raise your bodyfat to gain muscle, at least for a little while.
MarshallPenniford
New member
You don't need to have consumed a surplus of calories in any given day in order for a muslce to repair itself.
When was the last time a cut on your finger didn't heal because you weren't eating enough? You're body knows how to create new tissue even if you consume below maintenance calories.
And, you left out one option, you can stay constantly at the correct amount of calories, so that no excess calories are ever stored at fat. This is tough, but possible, as a friend of mine built a killer physique, drug-free, this way.
When was the last time a cut on your finger didn't heal because you weren't eating enough? You're body knows how to create new tissue even if you consume below maintenance calories.
And, you left out one option, you can stay constantly at the correct amount of calories, so that no excess calories are ever stored at fat. This is tough, but possible, as a friend of mine built a killer physique, drug-free, this way.
MarshallPenniford: As long as you employ the training principles of the small...you will remain small.
B True
B True
gettinlarger
New member
b fold the truth said:
listen to him, marshall ...
MarshallPenniford
New member
b fold the truth said:
What does this mean? Also, can you explain, in detail of course ;-), why you need to get fat to build muscle?
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MarshallPenniford
New member
ZZuluZ said:
Really, how so?
While it is theoretically correct that you can gain muscle without eating fat it is very very difficult (impossible) to do. You would have to be able to predict precisely your caloric requirements and eat exactly that everyday. Of course this is impossible to do so most of us give ourselves a surplus of calories to gaurantee we gain muscle, so technically you are both right.
You can definately minimise fat gain when bulking by watching your diet carefully but you would have to be pretty anal to work out your diet to the single calorie
<<<< i just wanted to use that cause it looks cool 
You can definately minimise fat gain when bulking by watching your diet carefully but you would have to be pretty anal to work out your diet to the single calorie
<<<< i just wanted to use that cause it looks cool 
MonStar1023
New member
I dont believe that you have to consistently eat in a surplus calorie diet to gain muscle.
However, that's where calorie cycling comes into play. Eating under your maintenance calories and then overeating. Not only will this kind of cycling optimize leptin, it will also help you realistically gain some muscle will gradually dropping some bodyfat.
MS
However, that's where calorie cycling comes into play. Eating under your maintenance calories and then overeating. Not only will this kind of cycling optimize leptin, it will also help you realistically gain some muscle will gradually dropping some bodyfat.
MS
Yea i could tell i was overtrainig when i realized i had lost 3 pounds since i started, while i had increased my cals. When i took 4 days off to go back to a regualr 4 day split i gained like 5 pounds. Probaly from loosing 3 pounds, and that i put my body through such a harse workout.
L
Lumbuss
Guest
good luck marshall building a killer physique while remaining at the same bodyfat!!!!!!!!! i will be awaiting the pics.
coolcolj
New member
I got before and afters coming up in a months time where I will actually be leaner, and with possibly 15 lbs more muscle if I keep gaining at the current rate.
I'm using HST principles but targeted towards athletic goals. So far my standing Long jump has increased by 6 inches and I've gained 2 kg of extra muscle all over, and arms are up 1/2 inch in just 2 weeks!
I'm also a lifetime natural trainer as well
I'm using HST principles but targeted towards athletic goals. So far my standing Long jump has increased by 6 inches and I've gained 2 kg of extra muscle all over, and arms are up 1/2 inch in just 2 weeks!
I'm also a lifetime natural trainer as well
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SteelWeaver
New member
MarshallPenniford said:
Actually, this happened to me during my comp-prep. Body hair and nail growth slowed to a crawl, and small cuts and bruises that would normally take a few days to heal took weeks and weeks to get better.
After trying HST and doing it wrong i found a new way to break through those training barrier's that everyone expirences. Do HST but go to failure for those 2 weeks. Shocks the hell out of your body then take 5 days off and go back to your normall training split. I gained about 2 pounds in those 2 weeks, and now on my regular routine im growing fantastically. try it
