Can someone clear this up for me...

How can HST training build more muscle than a standard heavy lifting workout?

Example:

On an HST day, you would do a couple exercises targeting the chest, at 1 or 2 sets. While also, working the rest of the major muscle groups.

vs

My normal workout would consist of 4/5 chest exercises at 3 sets each. While also, working triceps and abs.


..So how can this small amount of chest exercise (HST) compare to the heavy workout I would do on chest day?


To me,.. it seems I would lose size from the lack of stress I'm putting on my chest.

when i train for size i just get that pump and make it phat just like arnold, u can watch yer self grow, im not going to explain all the workings but just do alil reading about the ''pump"

thanks for the reply.

kinda figured nobody here would have an answer

This came straight out of my ISSA textbook.

"After a muscle has been subjected to intense stress throught maximal force contractions over a moderate repetition range, hormones begin the growth process and muscle remodeling. Growth hormone plays a vital roll in adapting to stress of resistance training. GH levels can be increased through resistance training of high intensity (10 reps at 75% 1 rep max) with three sets of each exercise (high total workload) and short, 1 minute rest periods. Once these levels are elevated, a cascade of events occur: decreased glucose utilization, increased amino acid transport across cell membranes, increased protein synthesis, increased utilization of fatty acids, increased lipolysis (fat breakdown), enhanced immune functions and a promotion of compensatory renal hypertrophy."

Hope you can get something useful out of that.

Originally Posted by tapdataas

Can someone clear this up for me...

How can HST training build more muscle than a standard heavy lifting workout?

Example:

On an HST day, you would do a couple exercises targeting the chest, at 1 or 2 sets. While also, working the rest of the major muscle groups.

vs

My normal workout would consist of 4/5 chest exercises at 3 sets each. While also, working triceps and abs.


..So how can this small amount of chest exercise (HST) compare to the heavy workout I would do on chest day?


To me,.. it seems I would lose size from the lack of stress I'm putting on my chest.

All weight training should be "hypertrophy training." That's the entire reason for lifting. Focus on the basic compound movements and getting stronger. No need to have a "pump" workout. If all you are doing is high reps with lower weights to get a pump you aren't going to get **** in the way of damage to the muscle fibers to make your body grow. I always got a better "pump" (I really hate that word) from going heavy and trying to beat my logbook each time anyway.

One other thing to consider is that it's not the total volume of the lifts that day that are going to make you grow. I could never make it through 4-5 chest exercises unless I was going light which IMHO completely defeats the purpose. I can get 1-2 exercises going all out and then I'm done. If you still have gas in the tank after doing something like incline bench and weighted dips you didnt go heavy enough or push hard enough.