Modified HST or something else?? Need advice

[sfearl1]

I am going on week 8 of my first plain jane HST program. I thoroughly enjoyed this routine and have definitely made some gains on it. Physically, I improved overall development of just about every major muscle group in size and strength. But this really only started happening in the latter weeks of the program when I was hitting the heavy weights and at a lower volume. So, is there some kind of modified hst program that uses my heavier weight range, with lower volume, and the same frequency? or should I look into something like HIT?? any suggestions?

 

[LT*]

If you don't need a change, then just start over again. IMO, after doing HST for the past 6 years, I find that even though your not gaining in the beginning like you do at the end, the gains wouldn't be the same if you skipped the earlier workouts. Meaning, the early workout prime you for the gains to come at the end.

For a modified version, I've been doing this for about 4 cycles now and I love it. I've put on about 4lbs of LBM during this past cycle. What you do is to do each rep range every week, starting with your lighter weights and increasing just as you would in a vanilla HST cycle. For example...

M-15's
W-10's
F-5's

Start with the same weights you would normally start with and increment just as you did with the last cycle. I will say that the weeks you're hitting all your maxes for all rep ranges are not easy.

 

[sfearl1]

thanks for the response LT. i do agree that some of the earlier workouts prime you for gains later on. but, i feel that some of the workouts were just ridiculously too easy and i felt almost like i was not maintaining my size/strength during the earlier weeks (which was probably all mental). if i do do this program again, i may just start with heavier weights, and repeat those weights twice. meaning if i hypothetically can bench 240 lbs for a 5rm, then i would start and do
mwf
160, 160, 170,
170, 180, 180,
190, 190, 200,
200, 210, 210,
220, 220, 230,
230, 240, 240.

also, i want to incorporate a few more isolation exercises into my routine. especially for rear delts as i feel they were much more stronger before this routine. this being my 8th and final week, i have pretty much maxed out on every exercise, although i am still somehow getting stronger on my bi's/tri's and calves :think:. i'm guessing i should switch up my whole routine, correct? i have done the EXACT same routine for 8 weeks now. going to the gym now but i can post it when i get back if you would like to see it and comment on it.

 

[sfearl1]

and should i decondition again before starting the second cycle? or if i go with what's proposed above, and will be starting with relatively heavier weights than last time, will i even need to decondition? i hate taking a week off!!!!!!!

 

[LT*]

thanks for the response LT. i do agree that some of the earlier workouts prime you for gains later on. but, i feel that some of the workouts were just ridiculously too easy and i felt almost like i was not maintaining my size/strength during the earlier weeks (which was probably all mental). if i do do this program again, i may just start with heavier weights, and repeat those weights twice. meaning if i hypothetically can bench 240 lbs for a 5rm, then i would start and do
mwf
160, 160, 170,
170, 180, 180,
190, 190, 200,
200, 210, 210,
220, 220, 230,
230, 240, 240.

also, i want to incorporate a few more isolation exercises into my routine. especially for rear delts as i feel they were much more stronger before this routine. this being my 8th and final week, i have pretty much maxed out on every exercise, although i am still somehow getting stronger on my bi's/tri's and calves :think:. i'm guessing i should switch up my whole routine, correct? i have done the EXACT same routine for 8 weeks now. going to the gym now but i can post it when i get back if you would like to see it and comment on it.

I did exactly the same thing as far as using higher weight and repeating. It worked very well for me as long as I paid very close attention to fatigue towards the end of the cycle.

I hardly ever change my routine, and honestly I've made great gains. I train at home, and don't have access to unlimited exercises with the equipment I have. I have changed a few things along the way, but nothing too drastic. I depend on the changing rep ranges (volume) for variety.

I do rear delt raises (laying face down on an incline bench at 45degrees) for my 15's and 10's. I rely on the heavy rows of the 5's to hit them with the heavy stuff though as I feel more prone to injuring such a small muscle with heavy isolation stuff. I've injured my left rear delt/tricep previously though.


This time around I am not taking 2 weeks off between cycles. I usually take the S.D. for 2 weeks and then start at the beginning again. Recently though, I've decided to keep it to 2 weeks of just using my lightest weights for 15s, only lifting twice a week and really concentrating on perfect form on every rep to keep the nutrients flowing so to speak. The reason for this is that my goals have changed from trying to get as big as possible as quick as possible to a more slow and steady recomp approach. I have no idea how this will work out, but I will soon enough. I'm also dropping all HIIT and only doing very slow paced cardio.

Once this 2 weeks passes, I'll start my cycle as usual.


In your case (not knowing your goals) I would do the deconditioning. I know it sucks, but in the long run you'll be happy you did it. I did totally skip S.D once, and did not make near the gains I should have on that next cycle.

 

[sfearl1]

I did exactly the same thing as far as using higher weight and repeating. It worked very well for me as long as I paid very close attention to fatigue towards the end of the cycle.

I hardly ever change my routine, and honestly I've made great gains. I train at home, and don't have access to unlimited exercises with the equipment I have. I have changed a few things along the way, but nothing too drastic. I depend on the changing rep ranges (volume) for variety.

I do rear delt raises (laying face down on an incline bench at 45degrees) for my 15's and 10's. I rely on the heavy rows of the 5's to hit them with the heavy stuff though as I feel more prone to injuring such a small muscle with heavy isolation stuff. I've injured my left rear delt/tricep previously though.


This time around I am not taking 2 weeks off between cycles. I usually take the S.D. for 2 weeks and then start at the beginning again. Recently though, I've decided to keep it to 2 weeks of just using my lightest weights for 15s, only lifting twice a week and really concentrating on perfect form on every rep to keep the nutrients flowing so to speak. The reason for this is that my goals have changed from trying to get as big as possible as quick as possible to a more slow and steady recomp approach. I have no idea how this will work out, but I will soon enough. I'm also dropping all HIIT and only doing very slow paced cardio.

Once this 2 weeks passes, I'll start my cycle as usual.


In your case (not knowing your goals) I would do the deconditioning. I know it sucks, but in the long run you'll be happy you did it. I did totally skip S.D once, and did not make near the gains I should have on that next cycle.

i'm trying to bulk up again (after a summer recomp). i thought i had hit my genetic potential as far as strength and gains were coming, and was planning on doing a cycle this fall (test E and dbol) but i gave this a shot and started to gain again so i think i'll have one more hst cycle before i run that to see if i can gain anything else naturally.

i think i will switch up the exercises but try and stay close to my old routine as much as possible. instead of flat bb i'll do incline bb, instead of heavy bb rows, i'll do single arm db rows, and instead of db military i'll do seated bb presses, etc. etc. i did find that doing dips after bench is the best thing i have ever done to develop my chest so i will definitely keep these in there.

i really feel like the muscle i have gained (around 4-5 lbs), will definitely stick. i feel that doing this kind of training leads to more 'quality' keepable gains since you are continually hitting that muscle group every other day with progressively heavier weights.

i did an A/B/A/B/A/B/off routine where A days were my upper body exercises minus shrugs and B days were all lower exercises and shrugs. you don't think this defeats the purpose do you? i was in the gym for 1.5 hours the first time i tried to do everything and had no energy toward the end of my wo.

 

[LT*]

i'm trying to bulk up again (after a summer recomp). i thought i had hit my genetic potential as far as strength and gains were coming, and was planning on doing a cycle this fall (test E and dbol) but i gave this a shot and started to gain again so i think i'll have one more hst cycle before i run that to see if i can gain anything else naturally.

i think i will switch up the exercises but try and stay close to my old routine as much as possible. instead of flat bb i'll do incline bb, instead of heavy bb rows, i'll do single arm db rows, and instead of db military i'll do seated bb presses, etc. etc. i did find that doing dips after bench is the best thing i have ever done to develop my chest so i will definitely keep these in there.

i really feel like the muscle i have gained (around 4-5 lbs), will definitely stick. i feel that doing this kind of training leads to more 'quality' keepable gains since you are continually hitting that muscle group every other day with progressively heavier weights.

i did an A/B/A/B/A/B/off routine where A days were my upper body exercises minus shrugs and B days were all lower exercises and shrugs. you don't think this defeats the purpose do you? i was in the gym for 1.5 hours the first time i tried to do everything and had no energy toward the end of my wo.

I think doing the A/B/A/B thing gets confusing and is unnecessary. Those changes you mentioned sound good too.