HST Routine

Hi,
 
Currently on the first week of 10s and current routine as follows:
 
Squat  3x10
Deadlifts 2x10
incline Press 3x10
Dips 2x10
Military press 3x10
upright row 1x10
wg pull ups 1x10
narrow grip chins 1x10
ez bar curls 1x10
db row 1x10
calve raises 3x10
 
Takes over an hour to complete and feels like too much 3 times per week. Any ideas of how to shorten this and cover all bases.
 
Any input appreciated
Cheers
 

yes, drop the nuber of sets to one, or possibly two on a few of the big exercises definately not 3. each set is ment to be as heavy as possible for the given rep range!


 change deadlift for SLDL as well imo

Hi,  i had the same problem with my first HST cycle; for my second cycle (about to start), i've cut back to mostly compounds, covering all body parts as follows:

Squats
SLDL
Deadlifts
Barbell bench press (alternated with DB incline press)
DB military press
Chins (supinated)
Parallel bar dips
Calf raise

Like pjeffreyt said stick to the compounds and u need to rearrange your rep range.

Try something like:

week 1-3 - 1x15 ( max rep % gradually creeping up till u max out on your last session)
week 4-5 - 2x10 (same as above)
week 6-8 - 3x5 (same as above)
week 9 - 4x5
week 10 - 5x5

imo, you dont need to increase your sets as the rep ranges drop.  They should stay at 1 or 2 sets.  the progress comes from the increased stimulation of working with a weight closer to the rep max.

5x5 3 times a week for whole body would be way too much. And there is no way you can do 5 sets with a weight that is your absoloute maximum for 5 reps, for 5 sets without a large amount of CNS fatigue.  which is what HST is specifically about avoiding.  hence the low number of sets.

dazc


imo, you dont need to increase your sets as the rep ranges drop.  They should stay at 1 or 2 sets.  the progress comes from the increased stimulation of working with a weight closer to the rep max.

But the total load lifted is the way u make sure your progressing throughout the entire routine, that's how it's been designed.

5x5 3 times a week for whole body would be way too much. And there is no way you can do 5 sets with a weight that is your absoloute maximum for 5 reps, for 5 sets without a large amount of CNS fatigue.  which is what HST is specifically about avoiding.  hence the low number of sets.

As for the 5x5 week that is very tough and is meant to be as it comes right at the end of the program, after this week according to HST experts u take about 10 days off (can't remember exactly how many days!)

Also u could drop the odd exercise this week just keep the main one's in like squats, bench, deads, etc, they can even be split up if it's too much in one session, it doesn't have to be a FBR every other day just as long your stimulating each bodypart approx every 48 hrs.

IMO the final weeks are 5 reps 1 or 2 sets, the last week is 5 reps negatives.  Seta always stay at 1 or 2.  Maybe someone has written a program as per what you suggest but IMO its not HST.  5x5 3 times a week will just totally burn out the CNS.  which is one of the main things the programme wants to avoid!!

here is an extract from Brian Haycocks HST program

Repetitions will decrease every 2 weeks in the following order: 15 reps for 2 weeks Þ 10 reps for 2 weeks Þ 5 reps for 2 weeks Þ then continue with your 5 rep max for 2 weeks or begin 2 weeks of negatives. 15¹s can be skipped when you are about to start over after the first 8 week cycle. If you are feeling strain-type injuries coming on don't skip the 15s. • The decrease in reps accommodates the increasing load. However, the high rep workouts serve an important purpose. Higher volume anaerobic work benefits the muscle by both increasing resistance to injury as well as increasing functional capacity.
• Sets will be limited to 1-2 per exercise. There is no problem with a single set per body part as long as it is a maximum effort and/or the rep tempo and form is strictly controlled or the weight is extremely heavy preventing further sets.
• What most people understand to be overtraining is a result of Central Nervous System (CNS) fatigue. It has been mistakenly believed that overtraining symptoms arise from fatigue of the muscle tissue itself. Research has demonstrated this NOT to be the case. Keeping CNS fatigue low during frequent training allows dramatic strength gains, thus allowing higher and higher poundages to be used thus promoting ongoing hypertrophy.

dazc


IMO the final weeks are 5 reps 1 or 2 sets, the last week is 5 reps negatives.  Seta always stay at 1 or 2.  Maybe someone has written a program as per what you suggest but IMO its not HST.  5x5 3 times a week will just totally burn out the CNS.  which is one of the main things the programme wants to avoid!!

here is an extract from Brian Haycocks HST program

Repetitions will decrease every 2 weeks in the following order: 15 reps for 2 weeks Þ 10 reps for 2 weeks Þ 5 reps for 2 weeks Þ then continue with your 5 rep max for 2 weeks or begin 2 weeks of negatives. 15¹s can be skipped when you are about to start over after the first 8 week cycle. If you are feeling strain-type injuries coming on don't skip the 15s. • The decrease in reps accommodates the increasing load. However, the high rep workouts serve an important purpose. Higher volume anaerobic work benefits the muscle by both increasing resistance to injury as well as increasing functional capacity.
• Sets will be limited to 1-2 per exercise. There is no problem with a single set per body part as long as it is a maximum effort and/or the rep tempo and form is strictly controlled or the weight is extremely heavy preventing further sets.
• What most people understand to be overtraining is a result of Central Nervous System (CNS) fatigue. It has been mistakenly believed that overtraining symptoms arise from fatigue of the muscle tissue itself. Research has demonstrated this NOT to be the case. Keeping CNS fatigue low during frequent training allows dramatic strength gains, thus allowing higher and higher poundages to be used thus promoting ongoing hypertrophy.

you would only be doing 1wk of 5x5 that would hardly burn out your cns,and even if it does affect it,you are SDing for 9 to 14 days,then starting back on 15s so plenty of time for recovery.
BTW most of us on the HST board only recomend doing 4x5 5x5 if you cant do negs,just to get the cycle to 8 or more wks.

and its only recommended IF the person isnt feeling sore or growing.  Its not recommended as the template for the system

see you've been reading alot of the old FAQs by blade.
HST is a set of priciples it isnt really a routine as such,follow the principles and you can suit as you go.

buzzer

dazc


IMO the final weeks are 5 reps 1 or 2 sets, the last week is 5 reps negatives.  Seta always stay at 1 or 2.  Maybe someone has written a program as per what you suggest but IMO its not HST.  5x5 3 times a week will just totally burn out the CNS.  which is one of the main things the programme wants to avoid!!

here is an extract from Brian Haycocks HST program

Repetitions will decrease every 2 weeks in the following order: 15 reps for 2 weeks Þ 10 reps for 2 weeks Þ 5 reps for 2 weeks Þ then continue with your 5 rep max for 2 weeks or begin 2 weeks of negatives. 15¹s can be skipped when you are about to start over after the first 8 week cycle. If you are feeling strain-type injuries coming on don't skip the 15s. • The decrease in reps accommodates the increasing load. However, the high rep workouts serve an important purpose. Higher volume anaerobic work benefits the muscle by both increasing resistance to injury as well as increasing functional capacity.
• Sets will be limited to 1-2 per exercise. There is no problem with a single set per body part as long as it is a maximum effort and/or the rep tempo and form is strictly controlled or the weight is extremely heavy preventing further sets.
• What most people understand to be overtraining is a result of Central Nervous System (CNS) fatigue. It has been mistakenly believed that overtraining symptoms arise from fatigue of the muscle tissue itself. Research has demonstrated this NOT to be the case. Keeping CNS fatigue low during frequent training allows dramatic strength gains, thus allowing higher and higher poundages to be used thus promoting ongoing hypertrophy.

you would only be doing 1wk of 5x5 that would hardly burn out your cns,and even if it does affect it,you are SDing for 9 to 14 days,then starting back on 15s so plenty of time for recovery.
BTW most of us on the HST board only recomend doing 4x5 5x5 if you cant do negs,just to get the cycle to 8 or more wks.

x2

buzzer


see you've been reading alot of the old FAQs by blade.
HST is a set of priciples it isnt really a routine as such,follow the principles and you can suit as you go.

better then for someone whos never done it before to run through the first cycle with 1-2 sets, and then guage wether or not they can increase sets the next time round.  IF your training absoulutely flat out on the single or double work sets towards the end of the cycle and if the last 2 weeks 5 rep sets are negatives,  most people will be running very close to overtraining.
 
Im a very experienced bodybuilder, and there is no way i could do a full body 5x5 routine 3x a week.  And i think if you can do a 4x5 week then a 5x5 week, then you are taking it easy on some or most of those 5 sets. 
 
end of the day, its a way of training, and there is no right and wrong, but we happen to disagree on the best way forwards.  I personally think weeks at 15,12,10,8,5 is the way to go, all weeks on 1-2 sets, and total balls to the wall 100% effort sets.  I dont like the routine that yourself and danchubbz are suggesting should be the way its done.  i think that type of volume is up to the individual user to assess and add it as they progress, not for people to say that it has to be done that way.

none of us have said it has to be done that way,its just a recomendation,and as long as you rest enough between sets and its only 1wk 4x5 1wk 5x5 i have never had a problem in nearly 6yrs of doing it that way on my HST workouts.

also doing 15,12,10,8,5  is not really recomended although it could be done,but the progresion between each rep scheme is to small and becomes very difficult to work out,especialy if your using DBs or for smaller muscle groups.

and i agree about begginers dropping sets but most who go to HST are usually people who have trained before,so dropping exercises is prefered to mostly compound exercises,the "simplify and win thread" by fausto on the site is one of the most popular and recomended to most newbies.

buzzer,

I usually do:

2x15
3x10
5x5

what do u think about:

2x12
3x9
4x6
probably do a 5x5 week here to finish off.

I realise there's less of a difference between rep ranges (3 instead of 5) but think it could work quite nicely.

Just wondered if you've ever tried it.

Also in the past I've tried cycles with push/pull/legs and push/back and legs splits as well, done any split tinkering yourself or do u just stick to the FBR's?

danchubbz


buzzer,

I usually do:

2x15
3x10
5x5

what do u think about:

2x12
3x9
4x6
probably do a 5x5 week here to finish off.

I realise there's less of a difference between rep ranges (3 instead of 5) but think it could work quite nicely.

Just wondered if you've ever tried it.

Also in the past I've tried cycles with push/pull/legs and push/back and legs splits as well, done any split tinkering yourself or do u just stick to the FBR's?

of course it can be done but 12,9,6, there isnt much room for upping weight each workout,also the 15s is great IMO one for flushing the muscles in preparation for the heavier loads, and two mentaly after doing sets of 15 10s,5s,are easy for me (atleast they feel that way)
yes i have done a push pull 6x a wk,or a 3 bodypart split 6x a wk,as said before as long as you hit the muscles 3x a wk HST priciples can be applied to alot of workouts. 

I think 3 x 5 should be the max.

The following weeks should put you beyond your 5RM for failure reps. Again 3 sets max.

The only way I would consider doing 5x5 for the final stage is if I dropped half of the exercises.