precious_roy said:
What is the book he is putting together? A compilation of studies to back up the theory of HST?
I can't visit the HST site anymore because (ironically) its blocked here at work while this site is not.
Supposedly two books, both about the science behind HST, one for the layman and another that goes more in depth. OR, he was talking about combining them into one and just have the chapters get more and more technical and people could just stop and skip to the next section, read until it got too technical, repeat. I favor that format. Also who knows how his position has changed over the years now. The cookie cutter HST routine has morphed into all kinds of weird variations too.
To what shanerips and xtraflossy said, there does seem to be a benefit in switching your approach up specifically going from a high workload to a low/nonexistant one, and then jumping back in. It really just hasn't been studied enough to know if that's better than just continued training. Plenty of anecdotes and some evidence though.
I don't know if full rest is mecessary to be honest. After reading a lot on the hypertrophy research site and now the new Max Stim approach that came from that site's owner, I'm not sure if what's needed but I have a vague suspicion it has to do with energy turnover over time. So, when I want a break I modify volume, not weight. Since I like 5x5 routines so much I kind of base my approach a little on the Pendlay routine. I do their deload if I feel like it, but mostly I'm approaching it from a load/peak/decondition phase where the deconditioning phase involves very low volume work for three weeks with the same or slightly lower weights from the end of the cycle. And by low volume I mean 1-3 sets of 5 reps per exercise once a week.
Guess my 'theory' is you lose anabolic potential because of a decrease in your body's response to signaling, specifically to the TTI and how that correlates with ATP/ADP turnover, and well, you get amateur BS theories like mine which may just pan out into a useful approach. That being, by limiting your energy turnover on an anaerobic level for a few weeks, specifically weight lifting, you might acheive the resensitization you want while keeping voluntary strength and a fair amount of size. Haven't been doing it for long, just finished my first deconditioning with this method. Have to say though I
feel good, and it seems like my muscles are responding. Good pumps, great 'worked' feeling even though the weights are lower again. I feel like I took two weeks off but I didn't. I just kind of got forced into a massive low volume approach through circumstances, and well, here I am with an idea, kind of like a bird **** on my head.
) for between 7-8 months now with a few visits to the gym in between. To tell you the truth, there isa big loss at around the 1-2 month mark and then you just seem to keep most of it. at least for me anyway. I went back in last week and was doing 295 x 5 within a week again on flat bench. surprised the hell outta me.
