ZackMurphy's HST Journal

[zackmurphy]

So I'd been doing a standard overload training for a while and was getting decent growth, but decided to try something totally new. HST gets some press on this site, but not much, so I thought I'd do a journal for it.

I'm 5'11", 160ish, 32, BF about 8-10%, and had been working out on a nice little 4-day rotation.

My HST plan is vanilla: Take my core exercises, do the standard 15, 10, 5, 5 rep plan for 2 weeks each, and then a week of strategic deconditioning, all as closely as I can to the plan on the HST web sites. I don't want to deviate at all from the published plan so my HST experience is as standard as possible.

I took about two weeks (during normal workouts) figuring out what my 15, 10, and 5 rep maxes were, and I did the math, scaling each back by 2.5 to 10 pounds per workout back down to the starting day. And I just took 4 days off to decon for HST.

I'm also bulking starting about a week ago, having increased my calories from about 2600/2800 to 3400/3800 (higher on workout days due to an extra shake and a slightly larger post-wo meal, plus a few extra carbs through the day). So I will put on weight (I've gained about 4 pounds in the last week), and hopefully some muscle will come with it. I was about 45/40/15, and I'm now eating about 35/45/20. Should be a good healthy bulk.

So I have a VERY good handle on my diet, and I've got a good (not expert, but good) understanding of HST.

Okay, next post will be the plan.

[zackmurphy]

MY HST EXERCISES
Group A:
Squats
Deads
SLDLs
Group B:
Incline DB Presses
Dips
Military DB Press
Lateral Raises
Skull Crushers
Group C:
Pull ups
BO Rows
EZ Curls
Hammer curls
Group D:
Calf raises (one-legged, while holding a DB)
Seated calf

I "group" them because I intend to rearrange the groups within the routine from time to time.

I will do these MWF. So this first week (of 8 weeks), I did ABCD. Next week I'll do ACBD. Then BACD, etc. I'll shuffle things around a little so no single muscle is always first or is always preexhausted. Though I'll always do calves last.

I'll try to keep the heavy stuff early, and within the groups I'll more or less always keep the order of the exercises.

Okay, so from there, the weights I'll use for each will increase steadily (standard HST) where possible, but for the 15-rep weeks for some lighter DB exercises, steady increases are difficult. For example, I can do 15 good, slow reps of lateral raises with 22s, but sliding that back to week 1 would have me starting with 5s. So I'll start higher (at 15s) and simply increase more slowly. Same deal for hammer curls

I work out at home and can do almost anything, but I don't have all equipment. I don't have a standing calf or a pull down/push down lat machine. But I can do anything else.

[zackmurphy]

HST Week #1, Workout #1
Monday, 4/12/04, weight 163
Squats - 15 reps @ 55#, 15 @ 75#
Deads - 15 @ 140, 15 @ 140
SLDLs - 15 @ 130
Incline DB Presses - 15 @ 22#s, 15 @ 22#s (22# DBs, not 22 total)
Dips - 15 @ bodyweight
Military DB Press - 15 @ 22#s
Lateral Raises - 15 @ 15#s
Skull Crushers - 15 @ 47.5
Pull ups - 15, 15 @ bodyweight (some self-assist on last few)
BO Rows - 15 @ 70
EZ Curls - 15 @ 42.5
Hammer curls - 15 @ 15#s
Calf raises (one-legged, while holding a DB) - 15 @ 15#
Seated calf - 15 @ 130

I HATE having to go so light on some to start out, but I'll play along and see what happens. It's HST, so what can I do. It's the whole point, right?

Workout was fine. Felt good actually. Took about 45 minutes, and I would have like to add another set of BB rows, but I didn't have the time before work.

When I can, and when the exercise is compound and a good one, I will do 2 sets. I will only do a formal warmup set if it's a major movement like squats or pull ups, and I'm not already warm.

And again, this is a MWF routine with no cardio (for now). Later on, I'll add HIIT on T-Th, possibly on Saturday, too.

[Younglifter14]

great to see you started a journal. Everything looks fine.

Just remember to work up to your maxes :)

Remember also, if you keep with the 5s as opposed to the negatives, you do your 5 rep max each workout (last 2 weeks of the program).

Good luck Zack.

Young

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Younglifter14
Just remember to work up to your maxes :)
Will do. That's the plan, so we'll see how it goes. I spent a lot of time figuring out maxes and scaling things back to day 1, so things should be increasing at a nice rate to to my maxes for whatever week it is.

It's already fun.


Originally posted by Younglifter14
Remember also, if you keep with the 5s as opposed to the negatives, you do your 5 rep max each workout (last 2 weeks of the program).
I didn't know about that - thanks for mentioning it.

I had planned on doing 5RM a second time, but with slightly increased maxes, but I can also just hold the maxes and do them every time.

But I'll do what you suggested.

(I'd like to do the eccentrics, but without a spotter, I can't do negatives at all.)

Thanks. :)

[zackmurphy]

Since I'm bulking while I do HST, I'll weigh myself more often and post weight, too.

A week ago: 159
Today, 4/13: 164

Five pounds is too much for a week, and if that pace continues, I'll scale back the calories slightly. I was aiming for 1-2 lbs, and I probably just ate too much. The ratio is very clean - I would just cut some quantity.

On non-workout days, I tend to take in fewer calories anyway, since there's no post-workout shake.

I also bought some flax oil for my shakes - I'll add some each morning (so it's whey, oats, nf milk, flax), and I may add some to evening shakes, too. I don't like night fats, but I know I can use more (and better quality) fats. Slows digestions, as does the milk, but it's okay for now.

No workout today but I did do a few sets of crunches this morning just for the hell of it.

[zackmurphy]

HST - 15s, Workout #2
Wednesday, 4/14/04, weight 164.5
Added 5 pounds to most things, still at 15 reps through the end of next week:
Squats - 15 reps @ 60#, 15 @ 80# added 5# from 4/12
Deads - 15 @ 145, 15 @ 145 added 5# from 4/12
SLDLs - 15 @ 135 added 5# from 4/12
Incline DB Presses - 15 @ 27#s, 15 @ 27#s (27# DBs, not 27 total) added 5# from 4/12)
Dips - 15 @ bodyweight
Military DB Press - 15 @ 22#s, 15 @ 22#s same weight as Monday, but 2 sets. I like standing DB presses
Lateral Raises - 15 @ 15#s
Skull Crushers - 15 @ 47.5 would have added 2.5 to this, but I don't have olympic 1.25 plates - adding 5# would have been fine, but I want to go up more slowly
Pull ups - 2 sets of 15 @ bodyweight (some self-assist on last few)
BB Rows - 15 @ 75 added 5# from 4/12
EZ Curls - 15 @ 47.5 added 5# from 4/12
Hammer curls - 15 @ 17#s used 15s last week, 17s are my next DB up
Calf raises (one-legged, while holding a DB) - 15 @ 15#
Seated calf - 15 @ 135 added 5# from 4/12

Weight: Gained 1.5 since Monday, 0.5 since Tuesday. Hopefully the weight gain will slow down a little since the initial bump from my calorie boost. Yesterday I probably got about 3500-4000 cals, but I'm not counting to the exact number. I have a good idea of totals as I go - I don't walk around with a calculator. Besides, count calories and run the numbers for a couple months, and you can do it in your head, on the fly, forever.

Workout: Felt great, in spite of the low weights.

And for all the guys who insist on 20 sets of 20 reps for a pump, I got a pump off light EZ and hammer curls. I don't care about the pump, but it goes to show you can get it from curling a soup can, and further proves how meaningless it is.

Squats felt good. Did everything VERY slowly, especially the inclines and DB presses. Starting so light, I might as well.

So far so good.

And Younglifter14 - I stole your idea of using red to highlight changes on each exercise. I liked that idea. You get the royalties.

EDITS: Sorry for the edits - trying to be precise, and noticed some errors in numbers.

[Younglifter14]

nice workout, keep it up. They will get pretty intense next week :).

I agree 100% with you about the pumps. Still nothing like a good pump :) though

Young

[RotatorCuff]

When I weighed 175 my bulking diet given by the HST calculator was 2600 calories. I believe you're eating too much. Also, remember 15% protein, 55% carbohydrates, and 30% fat. For intense weightlifting the body must use glycogen as fuel.

[zackmurphy]

There's certainly a bunch of calculators out there, and good ones take height and age into account - not sure which you used. I used a few of them and came up with about 2800 for my RMR. So I ate about +500 over that, but I wasn't gaining.

I looked at John Bernardi's massive eating plan (http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/masseating_1.htm), and did his math (much more complex analysis), and it gave me 4400 for bulking. That seemed high, but I know how to lose weight, so I didn't mind gaining it.

So I am doing it, sort of an experiment. And of course I gained.

I had gone from 158/159 to about 164 in about 5 days, on about a 40/45/15 to 40/40/20 diet, but then slipped a little, and didn't eat quite as much for the last 3 days, and my weight plateaued. so today I'm up at 2190 through lunch, 45/35/20 (I'll up the carbs later), so I'm hopeful I'm getting back on track.

And I'm perfectly aware that a little more fat would be good. I'm working on that. Almonds, flax oil, some PB - I'll get there.

My goal was 35/45/20, but I can do a 30/45/25 or 35/40/25 pretty easily.

I agree that 4000+ seems like a lot for me, but it seems to be closer to the right number than my earler math, which had be at 3300.

Check out the Berardi calculator/math and let me know what you think.

[Younglifter14]

I liked John's calculator personally. See how it goes. If your gaining to much too fast (fat), then limit the cals and just throw in a carido session or something :)

Young

[Mammoth3]

i like your selection of exercises man, good luck with the plan, i'm thinking about trying this out myself

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Mammoth3
i like your selection of exercises man, good luck with the plan, i'm thinking about trying this out myself
Thanks. I like them, too - they seem to work well so far, at least. More info an about an hour (after I work out)

Originally posted by Younglifter14
I liked John's calculator personally. See how it goes. If your gaining to much too fast (fat), then limit the cals and just throw in a carido session or something :)

Young
Yep. initial weight gain slowed down a little, so I re-committed to the total, and I think I'm back on track. Had 7 good meals and good calories yesterday and gained 0.5, which is fine with me. But yes, if 5# a week continues, I will add a HIIT session, or cut back slightly on the total cals. But don't want to track it daily - that's just for me, now, to get an idea of how the bulking is going. Once I get a feel for it, and the rigth calorie total, I'll weigh in once/week.

Okay, to the gym.

[zackmurphy]

HST - 15s, Workout #3
Friday, 4/16/04, weight 164.5 - same as Wednesday, but up 0.5 from Thursday
Added 5 pounds where I could, less to some, still at 15 reps through the end of next week:
Squats - 15 reps @ 65#, 15 @ 85# added 5# from 4/14
Deads - 15 @ 150, 15 @ 150 added 5# from 4/14
SLDLs - 15 @ 140 added 5# from 4/14
Incline DB Presses - 15 @ 27#s, 15 @ 27#s (27# DBs, not 27 total)
Dips - 15 @ bodyweight
Military DB Press - 15 @ 22#s, 15 @ 22#s same weight as 4/14
Lateral Raises - 15 @ 15#s
Skull Crushers - 15 @ 50 added 2.5# from 4/14
Pull ups - 2 sets of 15 @ bodyweight (some self-assist on last few)
BB Rows - 15 @ 75 meant to add weight to this, but I screwed up. Next week.
EZ Curls - 15 @ 47.5 has an easier time with this than on 4/14.
Hammer curls - 15 @ 17#s, 15 @ 17#s did two sets of these
Calf raises (one-legged, while holding a DB) - 15 @ 17#added 2# from 4/14
Seated calf - 15 @ 140 added 5# from 4/14

Weight: Gained 0.5 since Wednesday. Bulking continues.

Workout: Felt great again. Again, the bicep work felt great. Delts felt great. Squats felt easy. I think all this due to extra calories and a higher carb day yesterday. Back up to ~4200 yesterday, with about 30/50/20, so extra energy, I guess.

Back Monday. Some of these 15 rep sets are gonna be a bitch, come next Wednesday and Friday. Can't wait.

[zackmurphy]

HST - 15s, Workout #4
Monday, 4/19/04, weight 165.5 - Up a pound from Friday. Might scale back the calories a little to slow the gain slightly.

This is day 4 of the 15s - still adding weight where I can, at the same general pace.

Squats - 15 reps @ 65#, 15 @ 90# added 5# from 4/16
Deads - 15 @ 155, 15 @ 155 added 5# from 4/16
SLDLs - 15 @ 145 added 5# from 4/16
Pull ups - 2 sets of 15 @ bodyweight (some self-assist on last few)
BB Rows - 15 @ 80 added 5# to what I was supposed to do on 4/16 - back on the right pace
EZ Curls - 15 @ 50 added 2.5# from 4/16
Hammer curls - 15 @ 22#s, 15 @ 22#s did two sets of these
Incline DB Presses - 15 @ 27#s, 15 @ 32#s Meant to do 2 sets with the 32s, but grabbed the wrong DBs and didn't notice until I did the frst rep. But it wasn't tough, so next week will be fine with the 37s
Dips - 15 @ bodyweight + 5# adding weight now
Military DB Press - 15 @ 27#s, 15 @ 27#s Addd 5# from 4/16
Lateral Raises - 15 @ 17#s
Skull Crushers - 15 @ 52.5 added 2.5# from 4/16
Calf raises (one-legged, while holding a DB) - 15 @ 17#skipped these today
Seated calf - 15 @ 145 skipped these today

Weight: Gained 1 since Friday. Bulking continues, but maybe slightly smaller portions so the gains dno't continue at their current pace.

Workout: Shifted the exercises a little for this week. Chet/Tri/Delts are now AFTER back and bi work, and I could feel the difference. The dips were a little tougher. But I like the actual order more.

Had to skip calves - did about 5 sets of heavy standing calf raises at my father's house on Sunday, and I'm a little sore. So next time. No big deal. Otherwise, went well.

Some slight discomfort in my left anterior deltoid, but that comes and goes. Sometimes gets aggravated when I do my lateral raises with my elbows too far back. Have to concentrate to keep my hands in front of me in the "hug a barrel" position.

[scott_donald]

looking good.... i like hst and its better to see it in practise rather than on the sites...

like the excercise choice...

[zackmurphy]

Yeah, so far, I love it - the feel of the full-body workout.

I did notice that lots of guys talk about HST, but almost nobody was actually doing it.

So I'll be a guinea pig and figure it out for myself. :)

[Younglifter14]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
Yeah, so far, I love it - the feel of the full-body workout.

I did notice that lots of guys talk about HST, but almost nobody was actually doing it.

So I'll be a guinea pig and figure it out for myself. :)

only 2 more workouts of 15s left :)

thats a problem as well, people go around talking about HST when they have never actually tried it.

Young

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Younglifter14
only 2 more workouts of 15s left :)
I know - I can't wait, actually. Today's workout was tougher than I was expecting, but it felt awesome, so I can't wait for Wed. and Fri.

Originally posted by Younglifter14
thats a problem as well, people go around talking about HST when they have never actually tried it.
On THIS site?!?!?!? Noooooooo, nobody does that.

[hepennypacker52]

haha lol yeh...I just started a HST routine yesterday, I didn't do as much overall volume (number of exercises) but I think it will work good:

Squat
Stiff-Legged D-Lift
Bench Press
Bent Rows
Shoulder Press
EZ bar Curls
Lying Tri-Extensions
Calf Press

what you guys think?

[zackmurphy]

I think those are pretty good, actually.

The bench press - DBs or barbell?

[hepennypacker52]

Barbell. I think that for the next cycle i'll switch to dumbell. I tried to limit the number of exercises because i'm a hardgainer and read Beyond Brawn, but really wanted to try this. Hopefully all goes well. I'll keep you guys posted after each week on what is happening.

[zackmurphy]

All that sounds good.

[hepennypacker52]

The only problem is that I did the first workout without really reading what to do about the weights. So I took my max's with everything and just ascended in 5 lb blocks for everything, instead of 10 for the squats, dl's, and bench, so i redid it and am just going to stay on track with the second workout, no big deal

[zackmurphy]

You can always adjust it now - wouldn't be the end of the world or ruin the program to change the pattern a little. You've only done one routine - no biggie. As of now, your body just thinks you had a light workout.

[hepennypacker52]

my right shoulder feels a little pulled for no reason...and i'm supposed to workout tomorrow, the weights will still be light, only the 2nd workout, but if i still have the minor pain should i workout?

[zackmurphy]

Up to you. If it feels like an actual pull, no. Don't risk making it worse. If it feels like just a normal soreness, if it's not that bad I'd keep going.

But again, you've only done one workout, and you already had something you wanted to change. Won't exactly ruin you to give yourself and extra day. Do some legs or back stuff, or whatever you can do, and relax for a couple days, and set yourself up for a better HST launch. Or you can just do a few sets of things to confirm your 15s or 10s - your rep maxes, if you're going to try to rest your shoulder.

Do some deads, squats, SLDLs, abs, forearms, whatever.

[hepennypacker52]

yeah i'm gonna see how i'm doing tomorrow, it felt like a very minor pull just when I moved my shoulder in a certain position but I'll see how it feels tomorrow

[Younglifter14]

Originally posted by hepennypacker52
The only problem is that I did the first workout without really reading what to do about the weights. So I took my max's with everything and just ascended in 5 lb blocks for everything, instead of 10 for the squats, dl's, and bench, so i redid it and am just going to stay on track with the second workout, no big deal

its only the 15s as well. nothign to worry about really

Young

[zackmurphy]

HST - 15s, Workout #5
Wednesday, 4/21/04, weight 166.5 - Up a pound from Monday. Started bulking at 158.5, started HST at 163.

This is day 5 of the 15s - still adding weight where I can, at the same general pace.

Squats - 15 reps @ 70#, 15 @ 95# added 5# from 4/19
Deads - 15 @ 160, 15 @ 160 added 5# from 4/19
SLDLs - 15 @ 150 added 5# from 4/19
Pull ups - 2 sets of 15 @ bodyweight (some self-assist on last few)
BB Rows - 15 @ 80
EZ Curls - 15 @ 52.5 added 2.5# from 4/19
Hammer curls - 15 @ 22#s, 15 @ 22#s did two sets of these
Incline DB Presses - 15 @ 32#s, 15 @ 32#s same as 4/19, up to 37 next time
Dips - 15 @ bodyweight + 5# these were tough today. the last 2 weren't pretty.
Military DB Press - 15 @ 27#s, 15 @ 27#s no change
Lateral Raises - 15 @ 17#s
Skull Crushers - 15 @ 52.5 no change - would have added 2.5#, but I don't have 1.25# Oly plates.
Calf raises (one-legged, while holding a DB) - 15 @ 22# back on track with the calves - felt good.
Seated calf - 15 @ 145 added 5# to what I would have done on 4/19

Weight: Gained 1 pound since Monday. I'm huge.

Workout:The military presses felt great - not difficult, and they felt good. Not sure why. And the squats were easier than usual. On the flip side, the dips were a train wreck - could barely do 15. Not sure what happened there. Other tri stuff felt fine. The skulls were good, incline presses felt fine. Anywho....

So for next week, since it's my last shot at the 15s and should be my 15 rep maxes, I'm adjusting my 15RMs up a little. I'm raising a few things and extra 5 or 10 pounds. Anything that I did pretty easily today, basically, is getting a boost. Squats, my one-legged calf raises, SLDLs, and military DB presses.

And I'll also increase (slightly) my starting weights and 10RMs.

[hepennypacker52]

yeh my shoulder is a little worse than yesterday but will be 100% better by friday...so i'll just start the routine over on monday

[zackmurphy]

That's probably smart - totally rest it, and start fresh in a few days.

[hepennypacker52]

are you doing something like 1 set for each exercise for the 15s, 2 sets for the 10s and 3 sets for the 5s? or just keeping a fixed number of sets throughout the whole routine

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by hepennypacker52
are you doing something like 1 set for each exercise for the 15s, 2 sets for the 10s and 3 sets for the 5s? or just keeping a fixed number of sets throughout the whole routine
Fixed.

Some say 2 sets is fine, some say 1 plus a warm up, some do just 1 set, period. I'm doing 1 set mostly, but 2 sets on the real core movements that are extra-helpful for true growth: squats, deads, pull ups, presses (incline and military), and hammer curls. Only put hammer curls at 2 sets because I enjoy them so much.

But when I start the 10s on Monday, that won't change. I could decide to vary some of the set volume, but you wouldn't increase it much (and not at all, overall). In fact, to increase anything more than 2 sets would run contrary to the HST theory, since the additional sets would help condition the muscle to the strain, and you would want to avoid that to encourage hypertrophy. Ideally, 1 set each, gradually increasing in weight. If you choose the right exercises, that's plenty. I simply wanted to do a little more. And besides, one of my squat sets (since squats are first in the daily lineup) are truly a warm up, with very little weight.

[hepennypacker52]

rrrrr I can't find the post but I believe it was Nick666 who said that the way I explained was better....I'll keep lookin

[hepennypacker52]

ahh found it...


Originally posted by Nick666
Yeah I think it's important to increase the number of sets progressively. On my first cycle, mass gains almost stopped when going from 1x15 to 1x10. Most HSTers increase the # of sets to be sure to overload.

[Younglifter14]

yeh, it would be wise to increase volume as the reps get lower to keep the load and reps consistent.

Young

[zackmurphy]

HST - 15s, Workout #6
Friday, 4/23/04, weight 167 - Up .5 from Wednesday. Started bulking at 158.5, started HST at 163.

This is day 6 of the 15s.

Squats - 15 reps @ 70#, 15 @ 105# added 10# from 4/21
Deads - 15 @ 165, 15 @ 175 added 5#, then 10 more to really max out.
SLDLs - 15 @ 160 added 5# from 4/21
Pull ups - 2 sets of 15 @ bodyweight (to failure, then self-assist to 15)
BB Rows - 15 @ 85 added 5# from 4/21
EZ Curls - 15 @ 52.5 didn't added weight (don't have 1.25# oly plates) but did do them with the arm blaster.
Hammer curls - 15 @ 27#s, 15 @ 27#s up 5# from 4/21 - had to cheat a little at the end of the second set
Incline DB Presses - 15 @ 37#s, 15 @ 37#s up 5# from 4/21
Dips - 15* @ bodyweight + 5# ugh
Military DB Press - 15 @ 32#s, 14 @ 32#s up 10# from 4/21
Lateral Raises - 15 @ 17#s
Skull Crushers - 15 @ 52.5, 15 @ 57.5 added 5# and did an extra set
Calf raises (one-legged, while holding a DB) - 15 @ 27# moved up 5#
Seated calf - 15 @ 155 added 10# from 4/21

Weight: Gained .5 from Wednesday.

Workout: Squats continue to be my warm-up. Next time (for the 10s), I think I'll do something else small first, or maybe some bar-only squats for a couple sets to get blood flowing.

Deadlifts were great. The first set was not to near-failure, so I added 10 more pounds. Much better. True 15RM. Pull-ups and BB Rows were also great. Going to failure on one exercise really wears you out - I think that's all it is.

The mil presses were a real 15RM max, too. Tough to do 2x15. All you kids out there, make sure you know your real maxes. Don't just guess. Take a week of normal workouts to figure them out.

*The dips - I knew they?d be tough as soon as the pull ups were over. I did about 5 and things were cool, and then I hit the wall. Finished the 15 going about 2/3 of the way down. Decided to was better to do the reps than to max out intensity again and kill my CNS for a week.

Done with the 15s, on to the 10s!!!

[invast]

Good workout, and I know what you mean by how going to failure expecially on exercises like deadlifts can wear you out.

[Younglifter14]

yay, your up to the best part now. This is where people make some of there best gains now :cool:

Young

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by invast
Good workout, and I know what you mean by how going to failure expecially on exercises like deadlifts can wear you out.
Yeah - in retrospect, I could have shifted the really heavy stuff toward the end, but I don't want to so squats or deads tired, either, so.... no real point.

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Younglifter14
yay, your up to the best part now. This is where people make some of there best gains now :cool:

Young
Excellent. I actually already feel a little beefier, but since I'm bulking I have to reserve judgment a little.

[Not So Big]

cool journal
btw what is HST? from the exercises i can see you work your whole body each workout, how do u like doing that? ive never tried a fullbody split b4. and why so many reps each set?maybe thats part of HST tho, i dont kno what HST is tho

[Heisman]

hepennypacker52, why don't you start your own journal instead of taking over Zack's? LOL.

Nice workout bro. Is HST only for mass, or is strength supposed to be gained when you get to the 5's? Also, how long is each cycle, 6 weeks?

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Not So Big
cool journal
btw what is HST? from the exercises i can see you work your whole body each workout, how do u like doing that? ive never tried a fullbody split b4. and why so many reps each set?maybe thats part of HST tho, i dont kno what HST is tho
Thanks.

HST = Hypertrophy specific training. Hypertrophy = muscle growth. It's intended purely as a muscle growth motivator. There's small variations on how to do it, but here's the general deal: 4 2-week blocks, 8 weeks total, workouts each MWF. So 6 workouts in each 2-week period.

In the first 2 weeks, you increase your weights slowly up to your 15 rep max. Then in the 2nd 2-week block, you increase slowly up to your 10 rep max, the your 5 rep max, and in the last 2 weeks, you just DO your 5 rep max each workout.

So you're slowly increasing the weight, and decreasing the reps in stages, 15, 10, 5, 5. And you do a set or two of all the key exercises you can fit into a workout (about an hour for me), so it's a full body. You can split it up into a upper/AM, lower/PM, or a MWF/upper, T-Th-Sat/Lower, but I like the full body thing MWF. Lots of rest.

The theory is, muscle grows from certain types of stimuli, certain types of weight training spur growth - this matches that. Never the same weight twice, always increasing, reps decreasing.

More detail:
http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Heisman
hepennypacker52, why don't you start your own journal instead of taking over Zack's? LOL.

:) It's all right. The more the merrier.

Originally posted by Heisman
Nice workout bro. Is HST only for mass, or is strength supposed to be gained when you get to the 5's? Also, how long is each cycle, 6 weeks?
Just mass - hypertrophy. H = hypertrophy. See above for more detail, but it is a mass-only plan. Of course, you'll get some strength anyway, but it's not the primary goal.

Good stuff, man. Check out the link.

[hepennypacker52]

yeh I'll prolly do that when I start monday...I just needed to ask a few questions and this was the place to do it since Zack was about to start his first HST routine like I am

[Heisman]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
:) It's all right. The more the merrier.

Just mass - hypertrophy. H = hypertrophy. See above for more detail, but it is a mass-only plan. Of course, you'll get some strength anyway, but it's not the primary goal.

Good stuff, man. Check out the link.

Cool bro.

Actually, there are two types of hypertrophy. Sarcoplasmic is for size and myofibrillar is for strength. You probably will get some strength with the 5's.

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Heisman
Cool bro.

Actually, there are two types of hypertrophy. Sarcoplasmic is for size and myofibrillar is for strength. You probably will get some strength with the 5's.
True, especially from the second batch of 5s, where I hold my 5RMs for 2 weeks.

[Not So Big]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
Thanks.

HST = Hypertrophy specific training. Hypertrophy = muscle growth. It's intended purely as a muscle growth motivator. There's small variations on how to do it, but here's the general deal: 4 2-week blocks, 8 weeks total, workouts each MWF. So 6 workouts in each 2-week period.

In the first 2 weeks, you increase your weights slowly up to your 15 rep max. Then in the 2nd 2-week block, you increase slowly up to your 10 rep max, the your 5 rep max, and in the last 2 weeks, you just DO your 5 rep max each workout.

So you're slowly increasing the weight, and decreasing the reps in stages, 15, 10, 5, 5. And you do a set or two of all the key exercises you can fit into a workout (about an hour for me), so it's a full body. You can split it up into a upper/AM, lower/PM, or a MWF/upper, T-Th-Sat/Lower, but I like the full body thing MWF. Lots of rest.

The theory is, muscle grows from certain types of stimuli, certain types of weight training spur growth - this matches that. Never the same weight twice, always increasing, reps decreasing.

More detail:
http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html thanks for the link and info. theres so many different routines out there its so hard to pick one. im gonna follow your journal to see how it goes for you so keep updating brotha

[zackmurphy]

HST - 10s, Workout #1
Monday, 4/26/04, weight 169
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
4/26 - 169.0 today

This is day 1 of the 10s, starting week 3 of 8

Pull ups - 2 sets of 10 @ bodyweight
BB Rows - 10 @ 82.5
EZ Curls - 10 @ 47.5
Hammer curls - 10 @ 22#s, 10 @ 22#s
Squats - 10 reps @ 90#, 10 @ 90#
Deads - 10 @ 155, 10 @ 155
SLDLs - 10 @ 135
Incline DB Presses - 10 @ 27#s, 10 @ 27#s
Dips - 10 @ bodyweight + 5#
Military DB Press - 10 @ 27#s, 10 @ 27#s
Lateral Raises - 10 @ 15#s
Skull Crushers - 10 @ 52.5, 10 @ 52.5
Calf raises (one-legged, while holding a DB) - 10 @ 22#
Seated calf - 10 @ 135

Weight: Gained 2 from Friday. Still might be gaining too fast. Had hoped for about 2.5#/week, and it's been more like .5/day. Might scale it back just a little.

Workout: Back to easy workouts for a coulpe days. Shifted back/bicep work to the front for this week. Everything was very light again, but I know that will end soon enough. Nothing real interesting today.

[Younglifter14]

NIce workout Zach, good to see you have started the 10s now. What do you think so far?

Young

[invast]

Good workout.. keep it up

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Younglifter14
NIce workout Zach, good to see you have started the 10s now. What do you think so far?

Young
The 10s were pretty benign, so I can't say I'm exploding like the Hulk quite yet. But that will change by the end of this week when a full body workout at 50-60%RM on EVERYTHING will start to be pretty challenging.

I love HST in general, though. Both as a whole, and each workout. I'd never done any form of a full body workout, and wouldn't have advocated it, but it certainly has it's plusses. When I finish this, decondition, and get back from Europe, I may do a couple weeks of standard overload training to re-find my various rep maxes, and start again.

Next time, also, I won't be bulking at the same time.

I'm bulking now, so it's a little harder to see if I'm making any visible gains. I feel a little bigger in the thighs, and my forearms and legs feel thicker, but since I'm putting on a little fat, I can't really see it in my upper arms, chest, or back.

But if I'm doing a program for pure hypertrophy, it made sense to bulk and help the mass-gains wherever possible. Almost makes no sense NOT to bulk on HST. Anyway, next time I'll do a HST MWF and HIIT T-Th-Sat, or something like that.

[Younglifter14]

Cool. my legs had prety good results from the 15s

Young

[zackmurphy]

HST - 10s, Workout #2
Wednesday, 4/28/04, weight 167.5 Was 169 on 4/26 and 4/27, 167.5 today. Sucks.

3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
4/28 - 167.5 today

This is day 2 of the 10s, middle of week 3 of 8

Pull ups - 2 sets of 10 @ bodyweight (to failure, then self-assist to 10)
BB Rows - 10 @ 85 added 5# from 4/26
EZ Curls - 10 @ 52.5 added 5# from 4/26
Hammer curls - 10 @ 22#s, 10 @ 22#s same as Monday, more weight next time
Squats - 10 reps @ 100#, 10 @ 100# added 10# from 4/26
Deads - 10 @ 165, 10 @ 165 then 10# from 4/26
SLDLs - 10 @ 145 added 10# from 4/26
Incline DB Presses - 10 @ 32#s, 10 @ 32#s added 5# from 4/26
Dips - 10 @ bodyweight + 5#, 10 @ bodyweight + 5# Did two sets. I love dips.
Military DB Press - 10 @ 27#s, 10 @ 27#s same as Monday, more weight next time
Lateral Raises - 10 @ 15#s
Skull Crushers - 10 @ 57.5, 10 @ 57.5 added 5# - and did an extra set again
Calf raises (one-legged, while holding a DB) - 10 @ 17# screwed up and grabbed the wrong DB, so I did 2 sets instead of 1 - also did a 301 tempo just for variety
Seated calf - 10 @ 145 added 10# from 4/26

Weight: Took a backslide yesterday. Had meetings all day and just didn't eat enough. Had 5 good meals, but meal #3 wasn't until 4pm (instead of 10am or noon), and then I couldn't make up for it without screwing up the daily balance.

Workout: Squats felt nice, deads felt good, hammer curls were good. Not challenging, but a good feel on each. If it's like the 15s, possibly Friday and probably Monday - the first actual tough days to finish the sets.

Was late for work after all the extra sets, so I supersetted the last few delt and tricep sets with calf stuff.

And man, my lawn looks good. Mowed the whole thing yesterday - like a goddam fairway. I'd attach a picture, but I'd probably get flamed for having a picture of my yard in my journal.

[hepennypacker52]

Yeah I mowed my lawn today...nothin like the smell of fresh cut grass.

[Not So Big]

good workout, man u must get real tired doing a full body split.
good job on the weight gain with your bulking:cool:

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Not So Big
good workout, man u must get real tired doing a full body split.
good job on the weight gain with your bulking:cool:
Thanks, chief. Yeah, the weight gain is somewhat fun. I'm up to 169 again this morning, so about 11 pounds since I started whatever day that was - I think a little less than a month. And about 6# since I started HST 3 weeks ago. I hate feeling puffy and soft, but screw it.

And the workouts - they really are cool. HST or not, the full body thing is really interesting. Though it's not like a full body workout of 3 sets each for all my great exercises. I picked only the core moves and only do 1 or 2 sets of each.

You should try it sometime of you haven't already. Next time you have a few days of rest, do a 1 hour full body workout, and see what you think. Pretty cool if you ask me.

[hepennypacker52]

Yeah the full body workout is interesting. Instead of doing back and bi's on friday and anticipating let's say chest on monday you get it all in one day. Good fun.

[Not So Big]

zack - i mtie give it a try sometime, actually i mite within the next 2 weeks and if i like doing it i mite try HST something similiar to yours.

[zackmurphy]

HST - 10s, Workout #3
Friday, 4/30/04, weight 169.5 Back on pace. Was 169 on 4/26, had dropped a little on Wednesday, but it's back.

Bulk-O-Meter:
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
4/30 - 169.5 today

This is day 3 of the 10s, end of week 3 of 8

Pull ups - 2 sets of 10 @ bodyweight (to failure, then self-assist to 10) did chins today for some variety.
BB Rows - 10 @ 87.5 added 2.5# from 4/28
EZ Curls - 10 @ 52.5
Hammer curls - 10 @ 27#s, 10 @ 27#s added 5# from 4/28
Squats - 10 reps @ 110#, 10 @ 110# added 10# from 4/28
Deads - 10 @ 175, 10 @ 175 then 10# from 4/28
SLDLs - 10 @ 155 added 10# from 4/28
Incline DB Presses - 10 @ 32#s, 10 @ 32#s no change, but did them very slowly
Dips - 10 @ bodyweight + 7.5# added 2.5# from Wednesday
Military DB Press - 10 @ 32#s, 10 @ 32#s added 5# from 4/28
Lateral Raises - 10 @ 17#s, 10 @ 17#s moved up one DB, from the 15#s, and I did 2 sets instead of 1
Skull Crushers - 10 @ 62.5, 10 @ 62.5 added 5# - and did an extra set again
Calf raises (one-legged, while holding a DB) - 10 @ 27#, 10 @ 27# added 10#
Seated calf - 10 @ 155, 10 @ 155 added 10# from 4/28

Weight: Back on my overall 1/3 pound/day pace, up to 169.5 today.

Workout: Everything felt pretty good. No amazing news.

Did 2 sets of each calf exercise, and I supersetted them with squats and deads (yes, squats and deads), just to try something new and shorten the duration of the workout a little. And added 10# to both. I'm back on the right DB progression with the one-legged calf raises.

Shoulder presses felt great this morning. Not surprising, I guess. As I begin to approach actual 10RMs, everything is bound to feel a little more challenging, and better. Did the lateral raises seated, too. Usually do them, standing. Woo hoo.

[zackmurphy]

HST - 10s, Workout #4
Monday, 5/3/04, weight ??? wasn't home this morning before I ate.

3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/03 - n/a - somewhere between 168 and 171, maybe

This is day 4 of the 10s, start of week 4 of 8

Squats - 10 reps @ 100#, 10 @ 120#, 10 @ 120# did a warm up @ 100#, teh 2 sets. Added 10# to the full sets
Deads - 10 @ 185, 10 @ 185 then 10# from 4/30
SLDLs - 10 @ 165 added 10# from 4/30
Incline DB Presses - 10 @ 42#s, 10 @ 42#s added 10# to 4/30
Dips - 10 @ bodyweight + 7.5#
Military DB Press - 10 @ 32#s, 10 @ 32#s
Lateral Raises - 10 @ 17#s, 10 @ 17#s did them seated again
Skull Crushers - 10 @ 62.5, 10 @ 62.5 2 sets, since I had the time
Pull ups - 3 sets of 10 @ bodyweight (some self-assist to 10) first set chins, other 2 sets were pullups
BB Rows - 10 @ 90, 10 @ 90 did 2 sets and added 2.5# from 4/30
EZ Curls - 10 @ 57.5, 10 @ 57.5 added 5# from 4/30
Hammer curls - 10 @ 27#s, 10 @ 27#s added 5# from 4/30
Calf raises (one-legged, while holding a DB) - 10 @ 27#, 10 @ 27#
Seated calf - 10 @ 165, 10 @ 165 added 10# from 4/30


Weight: not sure today. I'll weigh in tomorrow.

Workout: Had to work out in the PM today after work. Very different. Did 2 sets of almost everyting since I had a little more time. Deads were tough. Incline presses felt good. Everything felt pretty good. Did some bigger weight jumps on things like incline presses, where I knew I could easily jump a couple more weight increments. Good day.

Might start leveling of on the bulk. Any suggestions for this? I am imagining just easing back on the calories a little each day, back from ~4000-4400 to maybe ~3600, and if I level off in weight there, I'll cut back another 100 or 200 so I start a VERY gradual manitenance decline. I'm going to be up close to 15 pounds, and I really don't want to put on any more fat. I know there's some muscle there, and that's cool, and I understand I can gain more muscle if I bulk longer, but I have a vacation 2 weeks after HST ends, and I don't want to be a fat guy for that. Unless it's a horrible idea to begin a slight weight plateau I think I'll do it. Comments? Suggestions?

[zackmurphy]

Tuesday, 5/4/04, weight 171

3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/04 - 171.0 today

No workout today, though.

[scott_donald]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
Tuesday, 5/4/04, weight 171

3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/04 - 171.0 today

No workout today, though.

thats awesome... whats your calorie intake... bf percentage...

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by scott_donald
thats awesome... whats your calorie intake... bf percentage...
Thanks.

I'm at about 4000/day now. I aim for 4400/day, but I fall slightly short more often than not.

BF% was probably 9-10% when I started bulking. Now it feels like about 85%, but probably more like 14 or 15%. I'd never actually bulked before, so I didn't know what to expect. But I'm tired of being softer, and I think I may tur the corner on bulking and scale back a little. Besides, I'm not 250 pounds, where a bulking cycle might be 40 lb gains.

I didn't know how much muscle was likely to be gained via bulking, but we'll see. I know what my abs looked like before, so I'll know when I get there.

I have heard to make the adjustment very slowly to minimize muscle loss. Any thoughts on this?

I plan to simply cut back on a couple portions throughout the day, and cut the skim milk as much as I can.

[scott_donald]

we ye just gradually build yourself into it...

but thats only 8 weeks on the bulk ant doubling your bf... have you been eating as cleanly as possible...

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by scott_donald
we ye just gradually build yourself into it...

but thats only 8 weeks on the bulk ant doubling your bf... have you been eating as cleanly as possible...
VERY clean, overall, but I have added some things like skim milk (some sugar), beef chili on wheat toast 660cal 52p/96c/7f and sort of high in sodium, and other things like that.

I didn't actually add all that much fat to my diet. I just added carbs via wheat bread and some extra calories via milk (instead of water) and an additional meal. But everything is basically clean.

In cutting, my basic plan would be to cut back on the carbs a little, and to cut sugar and sodium. This means no more skim milk, and I'll drop the chili dish. But otherwise, same kind of food, I hope.

How does that sound?

And yes, maybe I'm off on the bf%. I know what I weigh, and I know there's some additional bodyfat, but possibly not much. I just don't know. For all I know, I'm at 12% - just seems unlikely that I gained that much muscle in a month.

I would like to bulk more, but as I described above, I am going to Italy in June and July, and I don't want to pork out for that.

[scott_donald]

ye sounds good....

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by scott_donald
ye sounds good....
lol. Thanks.

Well, I'll see what happens. I choke it down a little today, and a couple hundred calories each day for the next week, and that should bring my down to about 2600-3000. And I'll go from there.

One question about cardio, though. (anyone, jump in here).

Would you think the post-bulk muscle losses would be less if I just kept up what I'm doing and cut calories a little bit at a time, or if I kep calories slightly higher, but added cardio? Cardio for me would be a 4 mile jog, about 30 minutes, on off days.

[scott_donald]

higher with cardio.... but preferably on days off...

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by scott_donald
higher with cardio.... but preferably on days off...
higher muscle losses with cardio?

[scott_donald]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
higher muscle losses with cardio?

well no some say cardio helps... plus food tastes good adn i find you might have less energy with lower calories...

[zackmurphy]

no prob. Just didn't know what "higher" meant.

thanks.

[hepennypacker52]

Hey Zack, what supp do you take for dextrose?

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by hepennypacker52
Hey Zack, what supp do you take for dextrose?
I have the powder form of gatorade, and I also have the DGC dextrose.

[hepennypacker52]

DGC dextrose?? The reason i'm asking this is because today vitamin world had a big sale (they do the first tuesday of every month) so I went there to buy some protein. I got a 2 lb bucket of ON Strawberry Whey, I only bought 2 lbs to try out the flavor (got it for $14). Now this place is located right next to a gym, but just old ladies work there. I started looking around the store for dextrose but couldn't find any, so I asked one of the ladies. She said, "What's dextrose?"...no help there. So then this other lady comes over and says if I need anything so I ask her if they have any dextrose supplements. She says, "That's just sugar. You'd be better off taking protein."...no help there so I just left with the protein and a automatic mixer bottle that I got for $6.

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by hepennypacker52
"What's dextrose?"
funny

Originally posted by hepennypacker52
"That's just sugar. You'd be better off taking protein."
VERY funny.

I was in a "Max Muscle" store about a month ago, and the kid at the counter had no idea what liver tablets were. No big deal, they're sort of old school. So I was explaining what they are, and we got to talking. He's doing some competition in that town in the coming months, but it's several months out and the guy alreayd looked pretty cut. I asked if he was planning to bulk, cut, whetever, and he had ZERO idea what the hell I was talking about. Asked him about his diet, and he was semi-clear about the calories. Really clueless, and he's a musclar kid AT a store. He asked about my diet and I explained my 4000 cal/day, 300g protein, 450g carbs, etc., and he just about fell off his chair. And he told me the store owner is helping him wit hhis diet and training, and he STILL has no idea what "bulking" and "cutting" mean.

[hepennypacker52]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
And he told me the store owner is helping him wit hhis diet and training, and he STILL has no idea what "bulking" and "cutting" mean.

lol

Yeah, right when the second lady said that about protein being betterI automatically thought, this lady will be of no help. So I just went up to pay for it and she was like "Yeah this is the popular stuff you're better off with this than just sugar." I even tried to explain to her (I have no idea why) that I currently took oats after but was looking for a replacement and that's when she said I should take protein.

Oh yeah I almost forgot...I was looking on the wall of protein powders, just checking out the nutrition facts and prices and I had a bottle in my hand. So the lady comes over and says, "Oh yeah that tastes really good I like it. And it's better because it has 2 kinds of protein and that's better for you." On the front the bottle read "100% Whey Protein"

How much did your dextrose cost you?

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by hepennypacker52
And it's better because it has 2 kinds of protein and that's better for you." On the front the bottle read "100% Whey Protein"

How much did your dextrose cost you?
The comedy continues.

I don't remember what it cost, but I bought it on this site.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/ast/dgc.html

[Not So Big]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
Tuesday, 5/4/04, weight 171

3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/04 - 171.0 today

No workout today, though. in a little oveer a month u have went up like 13 pounds. thats good, what do u want to get up to before u stop the bulk?

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Not So Big
in a little oveer a month u have went up like 13 pounds. thats good, what do u want to get up to before u stop the bulk?
175 or 180. Maybe 185. But I didn't remember how much I hate being soft.

I've never really bulked like this before. So I feel some growth in my legs, arms, but have no good feel for how much fat/muscle is being gained. I feel like if I cut now back to where I could see my abs like before, then I can weigh myself and get a net gain. So out of curiosity, I am thinking about turning the game around and cutting.

That said, you're right. The bulk is going well, and I can keep going, hoping I'm gaining some muscle, but simply feeling softer, and pray it's working like it's supposed to.

That, plus I'm going to Europe this summer, and I'd prefer not to have man boobs and a gut for that. I don't know how to explain "bulking" to an Italian supermodel.

[Not So Big]

thats cool if u wanna cut up for your vacation.
im sure you do already but if you just stick to all clean foods and dont cheat much except maybe once a week, im sure you can put on some more muscle with little fat. im currently bulking and went from 150 to 180 and i kno what u mean about feeling soft, but i say fu*k it and gonna bulk to 200 and then cut to have more muscle to show off.
u got any b4 and after pics?
thats good your seeing growth in your legs, i wish my legs would grow! :cool:

[zackmurphy]

HST - 10s, Workout #5
Wednesday, 5/5/04, weight 169, slid back 2# from yesterday

3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/5 - 169.0 today

This is day 5 of the 10s, week 4 of 8

Squats - 10 reps @ 105#, 10 @ 130#, did a warm-up and added 10#
Deads - 10 @ 195, 10 @ 195 added 10#
SLDLs - 10 @ 175 added 10#
Incline DB Presses - 10 @ 42#s, 10 @ 42#s same as 5/3
Dips - 10 @ bodyweight + 10# up 2.5# from 5/3
Skullcrushers - 10 @ 67.5 up 5# from 5/3
Military DB Press - 10 @ 37#s, 10 @ 37#s up 5# from 5/3
Lateral Raises - 10 @ 22#s, 10 @ 22#s 2 sets, up 5# from 5/3
Pull ups - 2 sets of 10 @ bodyweight
BB Rows - 10 @ 95, 10 @ 95 2 sets, up 5# from 5/3
EZ Curls - 10 @ 57.5
Hammer curls - 10 @ 32#s, 10 @ 32#s up 5# from 5/3
Calf raises (one-legged, while holding a DB) - 10 @ 32#, 10 @ 32# 2 sets, up 5# from 5/3
Seated calf - 10 @ 175 up 10 #

Weight: 169 - slid back a little. Ate extra-clean yesterday, desspite of a little PB with my steak last night. I'll put it back on if I continue the bulking plan. I was thinkinf of bailing on it, but my gf talked me back into my bulking plan. Says I'm being irrational. Says I'm obsessing with this bulking stuff. What else is new.

Workout: Since Im bulking, dips and pull ups are getting harder. Surprise surprise. Military presses were great - really maxed out. I'll still add weight on Friday, but today was good. Deads are nearing actual 10RM, as are SLDLs. Got the numbers right, I think, which so far is the most important thing about HST - getting your maxes right.

Didn't have the time to do 2 sets of everything, but whatever. Good times.

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Not So Big
thats cool if u wanna cut up for your vacation.
im sure you do already but if you just stick to all clean foods and dont cheat much except maybe once a week, im sure you can put on some more muscle with little fat. im currently bulking and went from 150 to 180 and i kno what u mean about feeling soft, but i say fu*k it and gonna bulk to 200 and then cut to have more muscle to show off.
u got any b4 and after pics?
thats good your seeing growth in your legs, i wish my legs would grow! :cool:
Yeah. I hate posting pics, but f*ck it.

This is about a week before I started bulking. I wasn't cutting at the time, but just holding at about 158 to 160.

[Not So Big]

good workout,
"Military presses were great - really maxed out" its good to see that you are happy with the weight and everything you used, usually people get mad that they didnt use more.
how old are u btw? id say not older then 40 but its good to see ur still into lifting, usually alot of people call it quits because they start getting a litle bit older. but keep it up zackmurphy.:cool:
u should try to get a pic at the end of your bulk also

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Not So Big
how old are u btw? id say not older then 40
32 - thanks, you ass monkey.

Joking. I probably gain 10 years of age when I'm still half-asleep. Normally, I look about 32.

I'll keep it up, don't worry. I love it.

[Not So Big]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
32 - thanks, you ass monkey.

Joking. I probably gain 10 years of age when I'm still half-asleep. Normally, I look about 32.

I'll keep it up, don't worry. I love it.
i said not older then 40, that could mean i thought u were 21 lol
its all good tho

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Not So Big
i said not older then 40, that could mean i thought u were 21
nice recovery.
;)

[zackmurphy]

Thursday, 5/6/04, weight 170.5

3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/06 - 170.5 Today (down from a Monday high of 171)

Dipped from 171 to 169 in the last few days, but ate well yesterday, very clean, and good quantity, and am back up to 170.5.

No workout today, though.

[luis ortiz]

hey y did u lose 1 # so quick? did u eat junk food or did u cut cals..do u think what u lose was fat?

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by luis ortiz
hey y did u lose 1 # so quick? did u eat junk food or did u cut cals..do u think what u lose was fat?
You mean in the last few days when I dropped from 171 to 169? Which weight span are you talking about?

For the record, I eat nothing that would qualify even slightly as junk, no soda, nothing fried, etc.

[Civilized]

could you post your bulk diet I would be interested in checkng it out .....btw looks like the hst is going well

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Civilized
could you post your bulk diet I would be interested in checkng it out .....btw looks like the hst is going well
Yes, I'll post it tomorrow. I did an excel spreadsheet at work to post hre, but forgot to upload it. Tomorrow.

And yes, HST is going well. Tomorrow is the last day of the 10s, so it should be interesting.

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
Yes, I'll post it tomorrow. I did an excel spreadsheet at work to post hre, but forgot to upload it. Tomorrow.
Actually, here's one. This is pretty standard for me.

All Item values are Calories, Pro/Carb/Fat in grams, in that order

Pre-workout Shake, 6:30am
Whey: 155cal, 26p/6c/3f
Oatmeal, 1/2 C.:, 155cal, 5/27/3
Milk, non-fat, 2 cups: 168cal, 18/24/0
Post-workout Shake, 8am
Whey: 155cal, 26/6/3
Dextrose: 120cal, 0/30/0
Milk, non-fat, 2 cups: 168cal, 18/24/0
Morning Snack, 10am
Zack's Special Pasta: 670cal, 65/80/10
Lunch, 12pm
Lean Cuisine of some sort: 350cal, 25/49/6
Whey Shake w/water: 176cal, 44/0/0
Afternoon Snack, 2:30pm (if this snack ends up being more like 3:30pm, I skip the 4:30 and have dinner earlier. Then I try to make dinner bigger to make up the calories.
Chili: 428cal, 44/54/4
2 slices whole wheat toast: 236cal, 8/42/4
2nd Snack, 4:30pm
Cottage Cheese, Fat Free Knudson's, Tub: 280cal, 45/24/0
Nuts, Almonds: 183cal, 5/7/15
Dinner, 7pm
Chicken Breasts, 8 oz: 218cal, 44/6/2
some kind of basic veggie: 120cal 0/30/0
salad: 250cal 10/30/10
Milk, non-fat, 2 cups: 168cal, 18/24/0
Pre-bed snack, 10pm
Cottage Cheese, Fat Free Knudson's, 1/2 Tub: 144cal, 26/10/0
Jam, Smuckers Sugar Free, 1 tbsp: 20cal, 0/5/0

Total: 4164cal, 428g pro / 478g carb / 60g fat
Ratio: 41% pro, 46% carb, 13% fat

Some notes about this list: My daily goal is 4000-4400 cal, 40/40/20. I usually fall short on the fat. This is just a sample. I don't eat these exact things every day. On non-workout days, I don't have the post-workout shake, and I add flax oil to the pre-workout shake, since then it's not pre-workout. I know I need more fats. I'm planning to use almonds for that, and we'll see how that goes. The lean cuisines and the chili is high in sodium (not super-high, but higher than I'd like) and I don't eat them when cutting dinner varies, but is usually pretty healthy.
sometimes dinner is some lean turkey patties (about 190 cal each, 18protein, 0carbs, 9 fat - I'll usually have 2, plus a side dish. Maybe brown rice. sometimes the pre-bed snack is whey in milk, which is more calories via more protein

[zackmurphy]

HST - 10s, Workout #6
Friday, 5/7/04, weight 170

3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/07 - 170.0 today :(

This is the last day of the 10s, end of week 4 of 8

Squats - 10 reps @ 110#, 10 @ 140# up 10# and the weight was perfect
Deads - 10 @ 205, 10 @ 205 up 10# from 5/5
SLDLs - 10 @ 185 up another 10# from 5/5
Incline DB Presses - 10 @ 42#s, 10 @ 47#s up 5# on the second set, should have done them both at 47#
Dips - 10 @ + 10#
Skullcrushers - 10 @ 67.5 up 5# from 5/5
Military DB Press - 6 @ 42#s, 9 @ 42#s needed a DB between 37 and 42#. Up from last week, but stopped short of 10
Lateral Raises - 10 @ 22#s, 10 @ 22#s
Pull ups - 3 sets of 8, 6, 6 Wish I could do 10. I suck.
BB Rows - 10 @ 105, 10 @ 105 did 2 sets, added 10#
EZ Curls - 10 @ 62.5 up 5# from 5/5
Hammer curls - 10 @ 32#s, 10 @ 32#s up 5# from 5/5
Calf raises (one-legged, while holding a DB) - 10 @ 32#, 10 @ 32# up 5# from 5/5
Seated calf - 10 @ 185 added 10# from 5/5

Weight: 170 - Up a # from Wednesday, but down 1/2# from Thursday. It's all about calories. Got about 3500 yesterday, and that's not enough for me to gain. Need my 4000-4400.

Workout: For squats, deads, SLDLs, the weight was perfect. I cuold have done another couple reps, perhaps, but I didn't want to go to actual failure on anything so early in the day. That said, it was a good challenge, especially the SLDLs. Felt great. You kids out there, get your maxes right.

If the mil presses were last, I would have repped out, but now with 7 exercises left.

Should have done more on the standing calf raises, but I'll ramp it up next week. Good workout, though. Feels good. Bring on the 5s.

[hepennypacker52]

How are your body measurements? Grow a lot so far?

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by hepennypacker52
How are your body measurements? Grow a lot so far?
For you metric people, bow down to the ridiculous system of inches and yards.

Growth since I started HST (roughly).
thighs- 1.5" (about 3.7cm?)
calves - 1/2"
arms - 1/4-1/2"
waist - 1" (from 33" to 34" on bulking)
forearms 1/2"
chest - hard to measure accurately
shoulders - same

I need to work on some tricep thickness. I have the horseshoe (more or less), but no width at the base. This would help my arm numbers a LOT.

[Wheelies]

HOw old are you, how long you been lifting?

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Wheelies
HOw old are you, how long you been lifting?
Check out post #1 for a little detail, but generally:
32, been lifting off and on for a long time, but never really grew at all (for a number of reasons), and lifted more seriously starting about 4 years ago, still didn't grow much since I doing extremely heavy cardio as a professional runner (and I wasn't eating bb food). I began lifting VERY seriously about a year ago, doing all the right bb eating, cardio, etc.

I've been around it as long as I have been alive, just not actively participating.

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by hepennypacker52
How are your body measurements? Grow a lot so far?
Remember, though, since I'm bulking, some of the growth is certain to be adipose tissue and retention of water due to slightly increased sodium.

[Swedish dude]

Workouts and diet looks really solid. everything is in order.

good luck

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Swedish dude
Workouts and diet looks really solid. everything is in order.

good luck
Thanks - so far so good.

[Civilized]

diet does look solid....what is a good subsitute for the cottage cheese :)......ive tried time and time again and cant do it lol.....i know you said sometimes you do whey and milk instead but I already do enough of these during the day

[hepennypacker52]

Originally posted by Civilized
diet does look solid....what is a good subsitute for the cottage cheese :)......ive tried time and time again and cant do it lol.....i know you said sometimes you do whey and milk instead but I already do enough of these during the day

I'd say beef jerky, good stuff.

[Not So Big]

your always adding weights almost every workout, thats reall good mr murphy
good measurements u increased. 1.5" to ur thighs is good!!

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Not So Big
your always adding weights almost every workout, thats reall good mr murphy
good measurements u increased. 1.5" to ur thighs is good!!
The adding weights every week is just the HST rule, but I do like it. Keeps things moving.

And I am pleased with the size increases. Some of it I'll cut, but it should be a net gain after bulking is over.

[zackmurphy]

HST - 5s, Workout #1
Monday, 5/10/04, weight 172

Goal: 175+ for 3 straight days, then begin to cut.
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/10 - 172.0 today

This is the first day of the 5s, start of week 5 of 8

Incline DB Presses - 5 @ 32#s, 5 @ 32#s
Montierth Files - 5 @ 15# 15# on each side - added these for fun
Dips - 5 @ + 10#
Skullcrushers - 5 @ 62.5, 5 @ 62.5
Lateral Raises - 5 @ 15#s, 5 @ 15#s
Military DB Press - 5 @ 27#s, 5 @ 27#s
Squats - 5 reps @ 130#, 5 @ 130#
Deads - 5 @ 175, 5 @ 175
SLDLs - 5 @ 145, 5 @ 145
Pull ups - 2 sets of 5, 5
BB Rows - 5 @ 80, 5 @ 80
EZ Curls - 5 @ 52.5, 5 @ 52.5
Hammer curls - 5 @ 27#s, 5 @ 27#s
Calf raises (one-legged, while holding a DB) - 5 @ 27#, 5 @ 27#
Seated calf - 5 @ 160, 5 @ 160

Weight: 172 - up 2# from Friday. Ate well. Didn't go more than 4 hours without eating all weekend, even night. Every time I wake up to take a leak, I chug some milk.

Workout: Did 2 sets of almost everything. Fewer reps = faster sets = more time for second sets. Pretty standard. The first days of the 15s and 10s sucked, too. Five easy reps of everything. Added ATrainer's pec flies.

[scott_donald]

thats aweseom weight gain... how did u like the flies...

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by scott_donald
thats aweseom weight gain...
thanks. hopefully some of it is muscle

Originally posted by scott_donald
how did u like the flies...
VERY much. Did a couple lighter sets over the weekend to get a feel for them, and thought I'd add them in for something extra. I work out at home, so I had to rig up a cable fly system out of rope and raw materials. Photo attached.

[scott_donald]

looks well engineered...

[zackmurphy]

thanks - it works. :)

[Quantum_Man]

I love the framed Arnold picture on the wall in the back. That is Arnold right? :D Looks like you're making some solid progress with HST. Good job. I'm thinking about doing it over the summer.

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Quantum_Man
I love the framed Arnold picture on the wall in the back. That is Arnold right? :D Looks like you're making some solid progress with HST. Good job. I'm thinking about doing it over the summer.
:) Yeah - I have about 5 or 6 pictures of Arnold around, a couple of Sergio Oliva, some Franco, and some others.

Thanks.

[Not So Big]

good job with the weight gain, cool home gym also!

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Not So Big
good job with the weight gain, cool home gym also!
Thanks - I love my gym. That's only one corner of it, too. I'll take some better photos some time.

[Quantum_Man]

::waiting for better photos:: :D

[luis ortiz]

wats ur bf to the moment?

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by luis ortiz
wats ur bf to the moment?
hard to say. was about 9 when I started bulking - could be about 13 or 14 now? 14ish, just from what I look like in the mirror.

[zackmurphy]

HST - 5s, Workout #2
Wednesday, 5/12/04, weight 171.5

Goal: 175+ for 3 straight days, then begin to cut.
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/12 - 171.5 today

This is the first day of the 5s, start of week 5 of 8

Montierth Flies - 5 @ 15#s, 5 @ 15#s as a warm up
Incline DB Presses - 5 @ 37#s, 5 @ 37#s up 5#
Dips - 5 @ + 10#, 5 @ + 10# did 2 sets
Skullcrushers - 5 @ 62.5, 5 @ 62.5
Military DB Press - 5 @ 32#s, 5 @ 32#s added 5#
Lateral Raises - 5 @ 17#s, 5 @ 17#s
Squats - 5 reps @ 140#, 5 @ 140# added 10#
Deads - 5 @ 185, 5 @ 185 added 10#
SLDLs - 5 @ 155, 5 @ 155 added 10#
Pull ups - 2 sets of 5, 5
BB Rows - 5 @ 85, 5 @ 85 added 5#
EZ Curls - 5 @ 57.5, 5 @ 57.5added 5#
Hammer curls - 5 @ 27#s, 5 @ 27#s
Calf raises (one-legged, while holding a DB) - 5 @ 32#, 5 @ 32# added 5#
Seated calf - 5 @ 170, 5 @ 170 added 10#

Weight: 171.5 - Lost .5 since Monday, but on Tuesday I was down to 170.5, so I'm on the right track. Ups and downs.

Workout: Did 2 sets of almost everything again. No amazing news.

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Quantum_Man
::waiting for better photos:: :D
shot #1

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Quantum_Man
::waiting for better photos:: :D
shot #2

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Quantum_Man
::waiting for better photos:: :D
shot #3

[Quantum_Man]

Thanks for posting the pics Zack. You have a VERY nice home gym. Everything you need is there. Wow. If you don't mind me asking, how much did all that run you?

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Quantum_Man
Thanks for posting the pics Zack. You have a VERY nice home gym. Everything you need is there. Wow. If you don't mind me asking, how much did all that run you? Thanks. I like it too.

Probably about $1700, total, including about $525 for the DB rack and DBs. I didn't buy it all at once. The rack, bench and seated calf were one big shipment, though. And the DBs I buy as I find spare cash. Every few months, new DBs appear, just about when I'm ready to use them.

It takes a few years to balance out paying for a gym membership, but working out at home, where I can easily do my whey shakes before and after, listen to the radio, get a sip of water, take off my shirt, work out barefoot, etc - it's worth every penny.

My dad's gym is even nicer - he doesn't use a squat rack (he's 65), but he's got all I have, plus he's got a standing calf, a leg press, a nice pull down machine... his gym is great.

[luis ortiz]

hey ko gym...do u have pics of u before and up to date?

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by luis ortiz
hey ko gym...do u have pics of u before and up to date?
On the second page of this journal is a pre-bulk picture. About 2/3 of the way down the page.

Nevermind: here it is.

BEFORE:

[scott_donald]

like the set up...

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by scott_donald
like the set up...
Thanks. Me too. I'd rather be there now.

[Quantum_Man]

So maybe you can move your computer in there too. That'd be so cool... Oh man. I'm making myself jealous. :D

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Quantum_Man
So maybe you can move your computer in there too. That'd be so cool... Oh man. I'm making myself jealous. :D It's in the room next door, actually. I have a little living room in an adjoining space, and there's a PC there. It works out well.

[luis ortiz]

u have the updated pic..

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by luis ortiz
u have the updated pic.. Is that a question? If I have an updated pic of me?

[zackmurphy]

HST - 5s, Workout #3
Friday, 5/14/04, weight 172

Goal: 175+ for 3 straight days, then begin to cut.
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/14 - 172.0 today (back to where where I was Monday)

This is the 3rd day of the 5s, end of week 5 of 8


Incline DB Presses - 5 @ 37#s, 5 @ 37#s
Montierth Flies - 5 @ 15#s, 5 @ 15#s
Dips - 5 @ + 12.5#, 5 @ + 12.5# up 2.5# from last workout
Skullcrushers - 5 @ 67.5, 5 @ 67.5 up 5#
Military DB Press - 5 @ 32#s, 5 @ 32#s
Lateral Raises - 5 @ 22#s, 5 @ 22#s up5#
Squats - 5 reps @ 150#, 5 @ 150# added 10#
Deads - 5 @ 195, 5 @ 195 added 10#
SLDLs - 5 @ 165, 5 @ 165 added 10#
Pull ups - 2 sets of 6, 5
BB Rows - 5 @ 90, 5 @ 90 added 5#
EZ Curls - 5 @ 62.5, 5 @ 62.5added 5#
Hammer curls - 5 @ 32#s, 5 @ 32#s added 5#
Calf raises (one-legged) - 5 @ 37#, 5 @ 37# added 5#
Seated calf - 5 @ 180, 5 @ 180 added 10#

Weight: 172 - Put .5 back on.

Workout: Did 2 sets of almost everything, this time. Also supersetted and shortened rests a little. Instead of 2 minute rests for everything, I used 60-90 seconds. Then, also, when I shifted emphasis, like between skullcrushers and delt presses, I just supersetted them. Also when I moved from delts to legs, legs to back, etc. Just to change things a little.

[Quantum_Man]

Hey Zack, what are Montierth Flyes?

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Quantum_Man
Hey Zack, what are Montierth Flyes? ATrainer's cable flies.

[Quantum_Man]

Oh. So why are they called Montierth then? Is that the 'original' name or something?

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Quantum_Man
Oh. So why are they called Montierth then? Is that the 'original' name or something?
Their published name

[Younglifter14]

Excellent progress Zach.

Keep it up!

Young

[Not So Big]

good workout:)
man u must get tired from doing fullbody workouts, i trined shoulders and biceps together and almost threw up yesterday lol:cool:

[zackmurphy]

HST - 5s, Workout #4
Monday, 5/17/04, weight 172

Goal: 175+ for 3 straight days, then begin to cut.
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/17 - 172.0 today

This is the 4th day of the 5s, beginning of week 6 of 8

Pull ups - 2 sets of 5, 5
BB Rows - 6 @ 95, 6 @ 95 added 5#
EZ Curls - 5 @ 62.5, 5 @ 62.5
Hammer curls - 5 @ 32#s, 5 @ 32#s
Squats - 5 reps @ 160#, 5 @ 160# added 10#
Deads - 5 @ 205, 5 @ 205 added 10#
SLDLs - 5 @ 175, 5 @ 175 added 10#
Incline DB Presses - 5 @ 42#s, 5 @ 42#s
Montierth Flies - 7 @ 15#s, 8 @ 15#s
Dips - 5 @ + 12.5#, 5 @ + 12.5# up 2.5# from last workout
Skullcrushers - 5 @ 67.5, 5 @ 67.5
Military DB Press - 5 @ 37#s, 5 @ 37#s up 5#
Lateral Raises - 5 @ 22#s, 5 @ 22#s
Calf raises (one-legged) - 5 @ 37#, 5 @ 37# added 5#
Seated calf - 5 @ 190, 5 @ 190 added 10#

Weight: 172 - no gain, but I spent the weekend traveling, so no gain, no loss, good enough.

Workout: Did 2 sets of everything. It's not actual periodization, but it does help the workout feel more challenging. I know my 5RMs are good, so I have patience, but it's still nice to have an actual weight to lift. Squats are getting tough. Deads felt great.

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Not So Big
good workout:)
man u must get tired from doing fullbody workouts, i trined shoulders and biceps together and almost threw up yesterday lol:cool:
It is a challenge at times, and I get very fatigued, but I REALLY enjoy it.


Originally posted by Younglifter14
Excellent progress Zach.

Keep it up!

Young
Thanks. I had a question that you might have an opinion on. Next week begins the last 2 weeks of my 8-week program. I had thought about several options.

I don't have a spotter, so I can't do heavy eccentrics or anything for which a spotter is really necessary, so how about these options. Any opinions?
1. increase my 5RMs a little and do the 5s again
2. repeat the last week of the 5s, twice.
3. Figure 3RMs, and do 3s.
4. Do the last day of the 5s every day for the 2 weeks

Any thoughts?

[Younglifter14]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
Thanks. I had a question that you might have an opinion on. Next week begins the last 2 weeks of my 8-week program. I had thought about several options.

I don't have a spotter, so I can't do heavy eccentrics or anything for which a spotter is really necessary, so how about these options. Any opinions?
1. increase my 5RMs a little and do the 5s again
2. repeat the last week of the 5s, twice.
3. Figure 3RMs, and do 3s.
4. Do the last day of the 5s every day for the 2 weeks

Any thoughts?


here are my thoughts on your options:

1. at this point, your body will already be less responsive as it has achieved a pretty high load already (5 rep max)
2.this is probably the best choice. The way to go about this is to do the 5 rep max workout for the whole 2 weeks.
3. this might be good to keep up with the incrementing part. THe problem lies that this might not be that good for hypertrophy.
4. I think you should go with this

What I did was do negatives where ever I could (curls, etc), and for everything else keep with my 5 rep max and add in some drop sets

Young

[hepennypacker52]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
It is a challenge at times, and I get very fatigued, but I REALLY enjoy it.

Yea the workouts do get really, really tiring, but they're also really fun. You have good progress, any updates on the measurements, or are you just going to wait until the very end?

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by hepennypacker52
Yea the workouts do get really, really tiring, but they're also really fun. You have good progress, any updates on the measurements, or are you just going to wait until the very end?
I'll wait until this end to measure again. If you measure too often, you can demotivate yourself.

[zackmurphy]

HST - 5s, Workout #5
Wednesday, 5/19/04, weight 171.5

Goal: 175+ for 3 straight days, then begin to cut.
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/19 - 171.5 today

This is the 5th day of the 5s, middle of week 6 of 8

Pull ups - 2 sets of 5, 5
BB Rows - 5 @ 100, 6 @ 100 added 5#
EZ Curls - 5 @ 67.5, 5 @ 67.5added 5#
Hammer curls - 5 @ 32#s, 5 @ 32#s
Squats - 5 reps @ 170#, 5 @ 170# added 10#
Deads - 5 @ 215, 5 @ 215 added 10#
SLDLs - 5 @ 185, 5 @ 185 added 10#
Incline DB Presses - 5 @ 47#s, 5 @ 47#s up 5#
Dips - 5 @ + 15#, 5 @ + 15# up 2.5# from last workout
Skullcrushers - 5 @ 72.5, 5 @ 72.5 added 5#
Montierth Flies - 8 @ 15#s, 8 @ 15#s
Military DB Press - 5 @ 42#s, 5 @ 42#s up 5#
Lateral Raises - 5 @ 22#s, 5 @ 22#s
Calf raises (one-legged) - 7 @ 37#, 7 @ 37#
Seated calf - 5 @ 200, 5 @ 200 added 10#

Weight: 171.5 - lost .5. If I don't actually stuff my face all day long, I drop weight. A little frustrating. Ate 6 meals yesterday, 40/45/15, about 3500 calories. Fot those in other threads who keep telling me how ridiculous 4400 is, and how 3200 is what I need to bulk, this is why I keep rejecting one-size-fits-all bulking plans.

Workout: Hit my 5RM on military presses, but all others are right on track - another increase of 5 or 10 pounds on each and I'm there. Next week, I'll up the maxes a little each and start the 5s over again. Good times.

[zackmurphy]

HST - 5s, Workout #6
Friday, 5/21/04, weight 173

Goal: 175+ for 3 straight days, then begin to cut.
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/21 - 173.0 today

This is the 6th day of the 5s, end of week 6 of 8

Montierth Flies - 10 @ 15#s, 10 @ 15#s warm up
Incline DB Presses - 5 @ 53#s, 5 @ 53#s added 5#
Pull ups - 2 sets of 5, 5
Dips - 5 @ + 15#, 5 @ + 15#
Squats - 5 reps @ 175#, 5 @ 175# added 5#
Deads - 5 @ 225, 5 @ 225 added 10#
SLDLs - 5 @ 205, 5 @ 205 added 20#
Skullcrushers - 5 @ 77.5, 5 @ 77.5 added 10#
EZ Curls - 5 @ 72.5, 5 @ 72.5added 5#
Military DB Press - 3 sets x 5, 42# DBsdidn't add weight, so I did 3 sets
Hammer curls - 6 @ 37#s, 7 @ 37#s added 5#
Lateral Raises - 5 @ 27#s, 5 @ 27#s added 5#
BB Rows - 6 @ 110, 6 @ 120 added 10#, 20# 2nd set
Calf raises (one-legged) - 8 @ 42#, 8 @ 53# added 5#, 15# 2nd set
Seated calf - 7 @ 200, 5 @ 200 added 10#

Weight: 173 - Up 1.5 since Wednesday. Finally some weight coming back on. Ate clean, too. It's not like I had some pizza and beer to make it happen. All 40/45/15.

Workout: This was the 5RMs. Instead of the normal routine order (all delt, then all tri, then all legs, etc.), I rearranged the exercises so I was going back and forth between push and pull as much as possible. This change was awesome!!!!. Seriously. I can't wait to do this again. I don't know if it was simply going heavier, or the push/pull order, but whatever.

[Not So Big]

what is a monteirh fly? ur almost at ur desired weight good job

ur always adding weight thats good zackmurphy cool BRO!!:cool:

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Not So Big
what is a monteirh fly? ur almost at ur desired weight good job

A Montierth Fly (named for the guy who designed it) is a cable pec fly with the hands supinated (up). This is a VERY short summary, but that's the general idea. If you look at ATrainer's threads, you'll find info about them. Long, descriptive threads.

Originally posted by Not So Big
ur always adding weight thats good zackmurphy cool BRO!!:cool: \
Thanks. It's the HST thing - the whole plan. To add weight every time.

Thanks.

[Bodybuilder1]

hey bro good job!

i am going to start a journal like urs(HST) but i was wondering if this work out is aight... i had been doing standard splits for about 5 .... i have another thing bothering me...should i follow the rule of adding a sets for ex.. from 15s i do 1 set then i will do 2 sets for the 10s and for the 15s i will do 3 sets for every excercise. help me and critique plz man.

[Bodybuilder1]

Training- HST


Workout Days: Mon, Wed, and Fri (Sub 65 min. )

Workout for 15s (weeks 1-2)

Legs Squat 1 set
Leg Curls 1 set

Calves
Standing or seated
Calf Raise 2 sets

Chest
Inc. Bench Press 1 set
Dips 1 set

Back
Chins 1 set
BB Rows 1 set

Shoulders
Shoulder Press 1 set
Lateral Raise 1set

Traps
BB Shrugs 1 set

Biceps
Concentration Curls 1 set + 1 burn every other workout

Triceps
Skull Crushers or Rope pull downs 1 set

Abs
Weight bench crunch 2 sets

& HIIT 2 times/ week on non-workout days for 12-15mins.

[zackmurphy]

HST - 5RMs, Workout #1
Monday, 5/24/04, weight 175

Goal: 175+ for 3 straight days, then begin to cut.
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/24 - 175.0 today

This is the 1st day of the 5 Rep Maxes, start of week 7 of 8

Montierth Flies - 10 @ 15#s, 10 @ 15#s
Incline DB Presses - 5 @ 53#s, 6 @ 53#s
Pull ups - 2 sets of 5, 5
Dips - 5 @ + 15#, 5 @ + 15#
Squats - 5 reps @ 175#, 6 @ 175#
Deads - 5 @ 225, 5 @ 225
SLDLs - 5 @ 205, 5 @ 205
Skullcrushers - 5 @ 72.5, 6 @ 77.5
EZ Curls - 5 @ 72.5, 5 @ 72.5
Military DB Press - 5 @ 42, 5 @ 42
Hammer curls - 6 @ 37#s, 5 @ 37#s
Lateral Raises - 5 @ 27#s, 5 @ 27#s
BB Rows - 5 @ 120, 6 @ 120
Calf raises (one-legged) - 8 @ 47#, 8 @ 47#
Seated calf - 5 @ 200, 5 @ 200

Weight: 173 - Up 2 since Friday. I probably can't hold it this weight, but we'll see.

Workout: These next 2 weeks will all be at the 5RMs. The 5RMs feel good, but are very tiring to do my 5RMs every time. It's not absolute failure on every set, but it's almost there, so it's quite a drain on the CNS. Bis and tris were especially weak today. Whatever.

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Bodybuilder1
hey bro good job!

i am going to start a journal like urs(HST) but i was wondering if this work out is aight... i had been doing standard splits for about 5 .... i have another thing bothering me...should i follow the rule of adding a sets for ex.. from 15s i do 1 set then i will do 2 sets for the 10s and for the 15s i will do 3 sets for every excercise. help me and critique plz man.
I suggest thinking about SLDLs instead of leg curls (far superior workout) and hammer curls instead of concentration curls. Hammer curls involve the forearms a little, which you don't have covered much. A little from the chins, but that's all.

And you have no dead lifts. Any reason?

Other than that, looks fine.

The 15x1, 10x3, 5x3 plan isn't a standard of HST (it's epriodization, but regular HST doesn't periodize, really). But it's what some poeple do - increase the total volume as reps decrease. Up to you. You can feel it out as you go.

As far as the exercises go, they look fine, and you can certainly go with what you have, but you're missing some great exercises.

[scott_donald]

looking good there... what u doin after the cycle is finished...

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by scott_donald
looking good there... what u doin after the cycle is finished...
Week off, then 3 weeks in Italy (push ups, chair dips, lunghes, whatever I can do to keep busy).

Then I am thinking about a 4-day split of light/heavy upper/lower.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=275374

[Younglifter14]

Nice going Zach. Only 5 workouts left in the program :(.

Do you still plan on doing a high/light split after HST? I just started up a new journal today, check it out. Im following a upper/lower strength (low rep)/hypertrophy (high rep) split.

Young

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Younglifter14
Nice going Zach. Only 5 workouts left in the program :(.

Do you still plan on doing a high/light split after HST? I just started up a new journal today, check it out. Im following a upper/lower strength (low rep)/hypertrophy (high rep) split.

Young
I do plan on an upper/lower light/heavy, yes. When I start the journal, I'll close this one and send you a link to the next one. I think it (like HST) is the type of program that more people should be doing, so a few journals about it should help.

I'm a little bummed about ending HST, but the 5RM workout this morning was a bitch, so I won't miss that. I feel great, but tired. And I felt tired before I finished the routine, in spite of a good shake before, some gatorade powder during and another good shake after. Felt slow and sluggish. We'll see how Wednesday goes.

But I'll begin toning down the diet a little soon, which I'm looking forward to. I will do it slowly, and opefully take as least long to cut as I did to bulk. Maybe I'll read about carb cycling and stuff like that. Not something I've done, but I'm open to it.

[Younglifter14]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
I do plan on an upper/lower light/heavy, yes. When I start the journal, I'll close this one and send you a link to the next one. I think it (like HST) is the type of program that more people should be doing, so a few journals about it should help.

I'm a little bummed about ending HST, but the 5RM workout this morning was a bitch, so I won't miss that. I feel great, but tired. And I felt tired before I finished the routine, in spite of a good shake before, some gatorade powder during and another good shake after. Felt slow and sluggish. We'll see how Wednesday goes.

But I'll begin toning down the diet a little soon, which I'm looking forward to. I will do it slowly, and opefully take as least long to cut as I did to bulk. Maybe I'll read about carb cycling and stuff like that. Not something I've done, but I'm open to it.

Thats cool. I really like Upper/Lower splits and feel they should be incorprated alot often. I think my next HST cycle with include that when I start bulking again.

Yeh, HST gets very tuff. Thats why its best to enjoy the light weights when they come :D

Young

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Younglifter14
Yeh, HST gets very tuff.
As it should, of course. I don't know why I'm surprised.

[Bodybuilder1]

hey i am not doing deadlifts cuz i had it yet this guy who had done hst told me i had 2 many excersice in there so i omitted dead lifts. what were u trying to say about the chins? i kind of didnt get u.

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Bodybuilder1
hey i am not doing deadlifts cuz i had it yet this guy who had done hst told me i had 2 many excersice in there so i omitted dead lifts. what were u trying to say about the chins? i kind of didnt get u.
There's nothing wrong with your chins.

I was saying that I'd drop the concentration curls and put hammer curls in their place.

I would drop the leg curls and do SLDLs instead.

And instead of dropping deadlifts (a great exercise), drop one that's not a major mass gainer. Shrugs, maybe. Deads work the traps anyway. If you have too many cars, you don't dump the Porsche.

I don't think you have too many exercises, but it's up to you.

[Bodybuilder1]

Training- HST

****i left my bi curls the same since i will do forearms on sat for about 10 mins.and cuz i need the concentration curls for height of my biceps since i read an article that said that it is a good exc for height (u know i am missing height since i have lenght and width)
wat do u think bout the # of sets ? they aight for the 15s?>


Workout Days: Mon, Wed, and Fri (Sub 65 min. )

Workout for 15s (weeks 1-2)

Legs
Squat 1 set
SLDLs 1 set
Deadlifts 1 set

Calves
Standing or seated
Calf Raise 2 sets

Chest
Inc. Bench Press 1 set
Dips 1 set

Back
Chins 1 set
BB Rows 1 set

Shoulders
Shoulder Press 1 set
Lateral Raise 1set

Traps
BB Shrugs 1 set

Biceps
Concentration Curls 1 set + 1 burn every other workout

Triceps
Skull Crushers or Rope pull downs 1 set

Abs
Weight bench crunch 2 sets

& HIIT 2 times/ week on non-workout days for 12-15mins.

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Bodybuilder1
i need the concentration curls for height of my biceps since i read an article that said that it is a good exc for height (u know i am missing height since i have lenght and width)
wat do u think bout the # of sets ? they aight for the 15s?
The number of sets looks fine.

What's this about the height? You mean for developing a high peak on the biceps? This is highly overrated - the concept of a specific exercise to develop a specific part or trait of a muscle. It's mostly BS. But it does depend on you. What are your stats? How long have you been training?

[Bodybuilder1]

yrs: 16
height : 5'11"
weight: 163lbs
training:5months messing but 2 months doing standard splits
bi: 13in flexed unpumped
bf: 19%

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Bodybuilder1
yrs: 16
height : 5'11"
weight: 163lbs
training:5months messing but 2 months doing standard splits
bi: 13in flexed unpumped
bf: 19%
That's what I thought, but I couldn't find that info. Must have been on another thread.

I wouldn't worry at all about the bicep peak. Simple, basic movements are more than enough.

So for concentration curls, some people like them, but you're already getting good bicep work when you do your back. I'd do EZ bar curls, or hammer curls, and leave it at that.

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Bodybuilder1
yrs: 16
height : 5'11"
weight: 163lbs
training:5months messing but 2 months doing standard splits
bi: 13in flexed unpumped
bf: 19%
Oh, I see it's in your sig from another thread -

I don't have signatures turned on - takes up way too much space, and most of them are pretty useless.

[Younglifter14]

what are concretration burns?

Young

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Younglifter14
what are concretration burns?
Good question.

"Concentration Curls 1 set + 1 burn every other workout" ??

[Bodybuilder1]

oh, well my bad,, they are a 30 sec. w/ a db holding it 1/2 way up so it will burn real bad. hey yest i did the maxouts for the 15s and it took along time..i rested about 40 sec. between. i only did 1 set yet i did not do about 3 exc. how long dose it take u to complete the workout?

[Younglifter14]

Originally posted by Bodybuilder1
oh, well my bad,, they are a 30 sec. w/ a db holding it 1/2 way up so it will burn real bad. hey yest i did the maxouts for the 15s and it took along time..i rested about 40 sec. between. i only did 1 set yet i did not do about 3 exc. how long dose it take u to complete the workout?

I'd drop those

Young

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Bodybuilder1
oh, well my bad,, they are a 30 sec. w/ a db holding it 1/2 way up so it will burn real bad. hey yest i did the maxouts for the 15s and it took along time..i rested about 40 sec. between. i only did 1 set yet i did not do about 3 exc. how long dose it take u to complete the workout?
I wouldn't bother with any isometric lifts like that. That burn is just lactic acid buildup, and that's not pre-growth.

I fit all my workouts in under an hour. If I have to do some supersets to make it work, I do. But I know an hour is about all my body wants to do, so I make it fit.

[hepennypacker52]

Zach and anybody else who wants to reply, I've had this posted in my journal, but I guess nobody has seen it, so I'll just post it here so at least one person can read it:

A question about the last 2 weeks (7+8). It seems like most people are repeating their maxes for 5 reps for 2 weeks. Now, I know the point is to go hard on your CNS and then recover while you SD, but wouldn't you overtrain after the first week? Doing 3 fullbody workouts with max intensity would be really hard, and it would seem like after the first week you would be burnt out and overtrained, and then not even able to accomplish your maxes the next week. Maybe something like repeating week 6 (the last 3 workouts building up to your max), and then doing maxes for a whole week would be more benificial? Or maybe drop the sets from 3 to 2 or maybe even 1? I just don't know if my body (or any other drug-free body) could handle that much.

[Bodybuilder1]

ko. do u think i will overtrain if it takes me 70 mins inc. warmup?

[Younglifter14]

Originally posted by hepennypacker52
Zach and anybody else who wants to reply, I've had this posted in my journal, but I guess nobody has seen it, so I'll just post it here so at least one person can read it:

A question about the last 2 weeks (7+8). It seems like most people are repeating their maxes for 5 reps for 2 weeks. Now, I know the point is to go hard on your CNS and then recover while you SD, but wouldn't you overtrain after the first week? Doing 3 fullbody workouts with max intensity would be really hard, and it would seem like after the first week you would be burnt out and overtrained, and then not even able to accomplish your maxes the next week. Maybe something like repeating week 6 (the last 3 workouts building up to your max), and then doing maxes for a whole week would be more benificial? Or maybe drop the sets from 3 to 2 or maybe even 1? I just don't know if my body (or any other drug-free body) could handle that much.

it takes around 14 days to begin overtraining. You will basically be fine. Even if you overtrain a bit, you will SD right away. I was fine among with alot of other people with it.

Young

[zackmurphy]

What young said. I am doing the 5RM each day of 7 & 8. Hard, but worth it.

[zackmurphy]

HST - 5RMs, Workout #2
Wednesday, 5/26/04, weight 174.5

Goal: 175+ for 3 straight days, then begin to cut.
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/25 - 175.0 3rd consecutive day at 175+ :)
5/26 - 174.5 today

This is the 2nd day of the 5 Rep Maxes, week 7 of 8

Pull ups - 2 sets of 5, 5
Dips - 5 @ + 15#, 6 @ + 15# .
BB Rows - 6 @ 120, 6 @ 120
Squats - 5 reps @ 170#, 5 @ 170# meant to use 175 - my bad
Deads - 5 @ 225, 6 @ 225
SLDLs - 5 @ 205, 5 @ 205
Skullcrushers - 5 @ 72.5, 6 @ 72.5
EZ Curls - 6 @ 72.5, 5 @ 72.5
Military DB Press - 5 @ 42, 5 @ 42 ow
Lateral Raises - 5 @ 27#s
Montierth Flies - 10 @ 15#s, 10 @ 15#s
Incline DB Presses - 5 @ 53#s, 6 @ 53#s
Hammer curls - 8 @ 22#s, 8 @ 22#s had some minor back pain (lower) so I did these light and seated
Calf raises (one-legged) - 10 @ 53#, 10 @ 53#
Seated calf - 5 @ 200, 5 @ 200

Weight: 174.5 - made my goal yesterday, 3 straight days at 175 or over. I'll hold this for about a week, if I can. I may gain or lose a little, but I'll keep the change minimal. Then next week, I'll begin cutting back slightly, and bringing the carbs and protein down about 10g/day each, and fat down very slightly where I can. I may carb cycle - not sure. That or just cut a little from each meal, evenly, all day (except for pre and post-wo shakes).

Workout: Love the 2 sets, but it's taking longer. I superset when I can, but that's more fatiguing. And then during the military presses, which I do standing, I did something to my lumbar region. Not bad, but it hurts, so I chilled out the rest of the workout. **** me.

[scott_donald]

how long does the workout take...

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by scott_donald
how long does the workout take...
At 2 sets each, about 70 minutes. If I really work at keeping the set rests to 60 seconds, I can do it in about an hour. I should have cut an exercise or two when increasing sets from 1-2, to 2 for everything.

I only supersetted EZ curls and skulls today, so pretty much just a straight workout.

[Not So Big]

good workout mr murphy..:)

why did u say ow after military DB press tho?

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Not So Big
good workout mr murphy..:)

why did u say ow after military DB press tho?
Because I began to feel a slight pain in my lower back, left of center. I actually said "ow" when it happened, so I typed it into the journal. I think it will be better in a few days, but if it's not 100% on Friday, I can adjust the workout to make it more back-safe for a few rounds.

[zackmurphy]

HST - 5RMs, Workout #3
Friday, 5/28/04, weight 174

Bulking Goal: 175+ for 3 straight days, then begin to cut.
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking, about 9%bf
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/25 - 175.0 made goal :)

Cutting:
5/25 - 175.0 started cutting, probably 15-16%bf
5/28 - 174.0 today

This is the 3rd day of the 5 Rep Maxes, end of week 7 of 8

Montierth Flies - 11 @ 15#s, 10 @ 15#s
Pull ups - 2 sets of 5, 5
Incline DB Presses - 6 @ 53#s, 5 @ 53#s
Squats - 5 reps @ 175#, 5 @ 175# added 5#
Deads - 5 @ 225, 5 @ 225
SLDLs - 5 @ 205, 5 @ 205
Military DB Press - 5 @ 42, 6 @ 42
Skullcrushers - 5 @ 72.5, 5 @ 72.5
EZ Curls - 5 @ 72.5, 5 @ 72.5
Dips - 5 @ + 15#, 5 @ + 15#
BB Rows - 5 @ 125, 6 @ 125 added 5#
Lateral Raises - 5 @ 27#s, 5 @ 27#s cheated a little on these
Hammer curls - 6 @ 37#s, 5 @ 37#s, drop set 3 @ 27#
Calf raises (one-legged) - 8 @ 53#, 9 @ 53#
Seated calf - 5 @ 200, 5 @ 200

Weight: 174.5 - down 1/2 from Wednesday. Going to try to lose no more than 1#/week.

Workout: Back still hurts from Wednesday, but it didn't start until after the mil presses again. Need to figure out what I'm doing. It's like a very slight muscle pull in the lower back. Sucks.

[hepennypacker52]

That's good that you're moving the weight up in some exercises. What are your plans after HST?

[Younglifter14]

Cutting? Nice :)

you have any updated pictures?

Young

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Younglifter14
Cutting? Nice :)

you have any updated pictures?

Young
I'll work on that. It's laziness, not a lack of interest.

And my cutting won't be down to 3%bf - just down closer in BF to where I was before, so I can still fit in the same pants.

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by hepennypacker52
That's good that you're moving the weight up in some exercises. What are your plans after HST?
As much as I want to do a upper/lower light/heavy 4-day split, I think I might do HST again. Reading the HST forums, people report good gains on repeated cycles.

And I like it, so there's that. If I do it again, I may do HIIT cardio or start running again on off days.

[Not So Big]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
HST - 5RMs, Workout #3
Friday, 5/28/04, weight 174

Bulking Goal: 175+ for 3 straight days, then begin to cut.
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking, about 9%bf
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/25 - 175.0 made goal :)

Cutting:
5/25 - 175.0 started cutting, probably 15-16%bf
5/28 - 174.0 today

This is the 3rd day of the 5 Rep Maxes, end of week 7 of 8

Montierth Flies - 11 @ 15#s, 10 @ 15#s
Pull ups - 2 sets of 5, 5
Incline DB Presses - 6 @ 53#s, 5 @ 53#s
Squats - 5 reps @ 175#, 5 @ 175# added 5#
Deads - 5 @ 225, 5 @ 225
SLDLs - 5 @ 205, 5 @ 205
Military DB Press - 5 @ 42, 6 @ 42
Skullcrushers - 5 @ 72.5, 5 @ 72.5
EZ Curls - 5 @ 72.5, 5 @ 72.5
Dips - 5 @ + 15#, 5 @ + 15#
BB Rows - 5 @ 125, 6 @ 125 added 5#
Lateral Raises - 5 @ 27#s, 5 @ 27#s cheated a little on these
Hammer curls - 6 @ 37#s, 5 @ 37#s, drop set 3 @ 27#
Calf raises (one-legged) - 8 @ 53#, 9 @ 53#
Seated calf - 5 @ 200, 5 @ 200

Weight: 174.5 - down 1/2 from Wednesday. Going to try to lose no more than 1#/week.

Workout: Back still hurts from Wednesday, but it didn't start until after the mil presses again. Need to figure out what I'm doing. It's like a very slight muscle pull in the lower back. Sucks. good workout zack, that must take u awhile to type all those codes for the color's and stuff but its easier to read...
anyway here is a pic to cheer u upabout your back... cuz atleast u dont walk around like this and get treated the way this guy does in this picture

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Not So Big
good workout zack, that must take u awhile to type all those codes for the color's and stuff but its easier to read...
anyway here is a pic to cheer u upabout your back... cuz atleast u dont walk around like this and get treated the way this guy does in this picture
Thanks for the pic - that's some fine artwork there.

I have a .txt template on my system at home of the daily workout log. So each day, I just C 'n' P the exercises into the right order, change the dates, update the reps and sets, and presto. Done. Takes 3 minutes.

My back - yeah. It sucks. Now I have a weekend to rest, and I may or may not take Monday off as well for the extra day of recuperation, so we'll see. It's not awful, but it hurts, and I can't workout at 100% until it's better.

[Bodybuilder1]

hey zack , wat u gana do after hst and SD? u gona continue the hst routine w/ new maxes or go bak to standart splits?nice that u have reached ur goal i have been keeping up it feels good!

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
As much as I want to do a upper/lower light/heavy 4-day split, I think I might do HST again. Reading the HST forums, people report good gains on repeated cycles.
I have a trip from 6/15 to 7/9, so starting 7/1, I won't do anything, even push ups in my hotel room. That will be my decondition, so if I decide to do HST again, I'll be good to go.

I would simply add 10% to all my RMs, and go from there. As I approach the final days of each phase of HST, I'll adjust if necessary. I won't find my actual maxes again this time. If I do a 3rd cycle of HST, then I'll do maxes again to recalibrate.

But like I said, I might do something else, too.

Hitting the weight goal DOES feel good - I just have to make sure I begin the cut as slowly as possible.

[Bodybuilder1]

do u recomend 8 exc. or 14 ? im 16yr old i lifted for 5 months already an splits ...

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Bodybuilder1
do u recomend 8 exc. or 14 ? im 16yr old i lifted for 5 months already an splits ...
I don't understand the question.

8 or 14 what?

[Younglifter14]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
I don't understand the question.

8 or 14 what?

exercises i think :confused:

[Not So Big]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
I don't understand the question.

8 or 14 what? think he means exercises

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Not So Big
think he means exercises

Hmm. As good a guess as any.

If you mean exercises, 8 or 14 total - it's not a "one or the other" situation. Pick a nice rrangement that suits you, probably closer to 8 or 10 fir you, and that's fine.

Maybe:
squats
deads
pull ups
Mil Presses
incline presses
dips
SLDLs
calf raises

?? That would be plenty to start

If you wanted, you could add a couple more, like:
hammer curls
BB rows
lateral raises

[zackmurphy]

HST - 5RMs, Workout #4
Monday, 5/31/04, weight 174

Bulking Goal: 175+ for 3 straight days, then begin to cut.
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking, about 9%bf
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/25 - 175.0 made goal :)

Cutting:
5/25 - 175.0 started cutting, probably 15-16%bf
5/31 - 174.0 today

This is the 4th day of the 5 Rep Maxes, week 8 of 8

Pull ups - 2 sets of 5, 5
Dips - 7 @ + 15#, 7 @ + 15#
Squats - 5 reps @ 175#, 6 @ 175#
Deads - 5 @ 225, 5 @ 225
SLDLs - 5 @ 205, 5 @ 205
BB Rows - 6 @ 125, 7 @ 125
Military DB Press - 7 @ 40, 7 @ 40
Hammer curls - 7 @ 35#s, 7 @ 35#s
Skullcrushers - 7 @ 70, 9 @ 70
EZ Curls - 7 @ 70, 6 @ 70
Incline DB Presses - 6 @ 55s, 5 @ 55s
Lateral Raises - 6 @ 25s, 6 @ 25s
Montierth Flies - 7 @ 20#, 8 @ 20# Had kind of crappy form on these. Actual cable fly machine, so it took some getting used to
Calf raises (standing) - 10 @ 300#, 11 @ 330#, 8 @ 420, 13 @ 495maxed out the machine
Seated calf - 8 @ 180, 9 @ 180

Weight: 174.0 - Same as last Friday, which is fine. Cutting, but I didn't want to lose it overnight.

Workout: Was at an actual gym today. So some of my DBs used were a couple pounds different, higher or lower. For some, I moved up one DB, for others I used the slightly lighter DB so my form would stay good. Also, though, it was slightly later in the day that usual, and I got more pre-gym activity, so I was slightly stronger than usual. Felt very good. The standing calf raises were great. I usually do the one-legged holding a DB trick, but the actual stading calf machine was great. I wish they had more weight on them.

So get this. This was a good sized gym, and there were a bunch of people there. For the first half hour, I was the only guy there who did squats, deads, BB rows, SLDLs, or dips. WTF???? After a while, a couple guys went over and did some squats (almost to parallel), so I was pleased to see someone doing something, but otherwise, no heavy lifting going on that wasn't some kind of press or cable pull down. Amazing.

[hepennypacker52]

Originally posted by zackmurphy

So get this. This was a good sized gym, and there were a bunch of people there. For the first half hour, I was the only guy there who did squats, deads, BB rows, SLDLs, or dips. WTF???? After a while, a couple guys went over and did some squats (almost to parallel), so I was pleased to see someone doing something, but otherwise, no heavy lifting going on that wasn't some kind of press or cable pull down. Amazing. [/B]

Lemme guess, they were all benching?

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by hepennypacker52
Lemme guess, they were all benching?
Lots of machine work, lots of pull downs, lots of DB presses and DB curls, EZ curls, various leverage machines....

Whatever floats their boats, I guess.

[Bodybuilder1]

hey zack...take a look at wat a friend gave me as a bulking diet(i did some changes)...wat do u think...


3200-3300 cals/day w/ 35protein/45carbs/ 20fat

meal 1 - (right out of bed) 10g whey protein

meal 2- (after shower ) . total cereal . 4 egg whites . 1 whole egg. 2 cu milk. banana. oatmeal.

meal3- peanut butter sanwich 1 cu milk . turkey ham.

meal4- ( between classes. ) MRB 30 g pro

meal5- pre workout shake 40 g protein whey. 60g carbs (dextrose 15g and maltroxse 45g)

meal6- post workout shake 40g protein whey. 80g carbs(dextrose 40g and maltroxse 40g)

meal7- (1.5 hr later) corn toritlla . corn or potato. tuna . ham. 2 cu salad.

meal8- whole wheat bread (about 1 slice ). chicken. 2 cu salad. 1 cu milk. spinach . flax oil . yolk and good fats

meal 9- ( 20 min before bed) 2 cu milk, cottage cheese

**1.5 gll of water/ day.

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Bodybuilder1
hey zack...take a look at wat a friend gave me as a bulking diet(i did some changes)...wat do u think...
.
Generally speaking, it looks decent enough - Can you PM me the same thing, but with nutritional values for each meal? Looksokay, but it's easier to get the big picture when I know the numbers.

But PM me instead of in this journal.

[zackmurphy]

HST - 5RMs, Workout #5
Wednesday, 6/2/04, weight 175

Bulking Goal: 175+ for 3 straight days, then begin to cut.
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking, about 9%bf
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/25 - 175.0 made goal :)

Cutting:
5/25 - 175.0 started cutting, probably 15-16%bf
6/02 - 175.0 today

This is the 5th day of the 5 Rep Maxes, week 8 of 8

Pull ups - 2 sets of 5, 5
Dips - 5 @ + 15#, 7 @ + 15#
BB Rows - 6 @ 125, 7 @ 125
Hammer curls - 7 @ 37#s, 5 @ 37#s,
Lateral Raises - 5 @ 27#s
EZ Curls - 5 @ 72.5, 5 @ 72.5
Squats - 5 reps @ 175#, 5 @ 175#
Deads - 6 @ 225, 5 @ 225
SLDLs - 5 @ 205, 6 @ 205
Military DB Press - 5 @ 42, 6 @ 42
Skullcrushers - 6 @ 72.5, 5 @ 77.5
Incline DB Presses - 6 @ 53#s, 7 @ 53#s
Calf raises (one-legged) - 8 @ 53#, 8 @ 53#
Seated calf - 5 @ 200, 5 @ 200
Montierth Flies - 8 @ 15#s, 8 @ 15#s

Weight: 175 - Even with the end of the bulk, which is fine. I need to find the maintenance calorie total before I start dropping, anyway. Besides, it's good to show myself that I can still control my weight like I did pre-bulk.

Workout: Back is fine again, I think. Workout was fine. Just one more.

[hepennypacker52]

Anxious to measure yourself and see how much you've gained?

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by hepennypacker52
Anxious to measure yourself and see how much you've gained?
Hadn't really thought about it. But yes, it will be nice to get some "final" numbers to see what's different. Again, though, since I was also bulking, the game isn't really over until I'm finished cutting.

[Not So Big]

good workout zackmurphy... good to see your weight staying the same while u want it to

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Not So Big
good workout zackmurphy... good to see your weight staying the same while u want it to
Yeah, no ****. Very reassuring. :)

[Not So Big]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
Yeah, no ****. Very reassuring. :) dont be mad u look like ur 50 in ur pics!!!:Dlol j/k had to think of some comeback

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Not So Big
dont be mad u look like ur 50 in ur pics!!!:Dlol j/k had to think of some comeback
Thanks for bringing that up again.

[Younglifter14]

Only one more workout left :(. Overall, how did you like HST? Did you take any other measurements besides weight?

Young

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Younglifter14
Only one more workout left :(. Overall, how did you like HST? Did you take any other measurements besides weight?

Young
Yes, I did some tape measurements, too. I will retake those. And of course again when I'm finished losing some fat. I don't actually feel much bigger in the arms at all, but I know my legs have some extra mass, and possibly my chest and shoulders. Not sure. I need help to take that measurement precisely.

I'll post that stuff too before I let this thread die.

I liked HST. I'd do it again. I didn't do enough SD before, but I doubt that hindered me much. I would pick fewer exercises, less iso, and increase the sets, work with tempo more....

Maybe:
Pull ups
Dips
Squats
Deads
BB Rows
Mil. Press
CGBP
Reverse EZ
Incline DB Presses
Calf raises (standing)
Seated calf

No skulls, SLDLs, hammer curls, EZ curls, lateral raises, maybe.

[hyp3r3xt3nsion]

how do you kmanage to finish all that w/i an hour?

i'm counting, on average, 28-32 sets! :eek:

hell, my HST only has 16 total sets (and then +2 for leg training...i'm training them differently because of my stupid health)

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by hyp3r3xt3nsion
how do you kmanage to finish all that w/i an hour?

i'm counting, on average, 28-32 sets! :eek:

hell, my HST only has 16 total sets (and then +2 for leg training...i'm training them differently because of my stupid health)
Lately, when I'm doing 2 sets of just about everything, I don't finish in an hour. I do it in about 70 minutes. But to do that, I do superset some antagonists sometimes (EZ curls and skulls sometimes, or pull ups and dips), and I keep an eye on the clock during rests, keeping 60-90 seconds only.

It is fatiguing, and today's workout was less than awesome, primarily due to just being worn out. But 5RMs ain't supopsed to be a breeze, so I dont' sweat it.

LIke I said, if I do this (HST) again, I will pick different exercises for variety, but also remove some completely for time management.

Fewer exercises, and periodization of sets as reps decreases. That's the ticket for next time.

[double e]

Nice post. I am doing HST in approx. 2 weeks. I have basically the same exercises as you except I was going to do Flat BB bench instead of Incline DB..is that bad?

Or would it be alright to do Flat, Incline, Flat (M,W,F)

Thanks

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by double e
Nice post. I am doing HST in approx. 2 weeks. I have basically the same exercises as you except I was going to do Flat BB bench instead of Incline DB..is that bad?

Or would it be alright to do Flat, Incline, Flat (M,W,F)

Thanks
Thanks. You can certainly do either exercise, and you can attempt to alternate them like that, but there's really no need. Those two exercises only adjust the emphasis very slightly, and it only makes the program more complex, when you need to slowly increase the weight on two exercises, intertwined. More of a pain in the ass than anything else. But you can do it.

If your Incline 15RM piece would be 40-45-50-55-60-65
And your Flat BB 15RM piece would be 100-110-120-130-140-150

You could alternate them: A1-B2-A3-B4-A5-B6:
40-110-50-130-60-150

But for my money, I'd take the DBs any day of the week.

[zackmurphy]

HST - 5RMs, Workout #6!!!! The END!!!!
Friday, 6/4/04, weight 175

Bulking Goal: 175+ for 3 straight days, then begin to cut.
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking, about 9%bf
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/25 - 175.0 made goal :)

Cutting:
5/25 - 175.0 started cutting, probably 15-16%bf
6/4 - 175.0 today

This is the last damn day of the 5 Rep Maxes, week 8 of 8

Pull ups - 2 sets of 5, 5
Montierth Flies - 10 @ 15#s, 10 @ 15#s
Squats - 5 reps @ 175#, 5 @ 175#
Deads - 5 @ 225, 5 @ 225
SLDLs - 5 @ 205, 6 @ 205
BB Rows - 7 @ 125, 7 @ 125
Hammer curls - 7 @ 37#s, 8 @ 37#s,
Dips - 5 @ + 15#, 7 @ + 15#
Lateral Raises - 5 @ 27#s, 5 @ 27#s
Military DB Press - 5 @ 42, 5 @ 42
Incline DB Presses - 6 @ 53#s, 6 @ 53#s
Skullcrushers - 7 @ 72.5, 7 @ 72.5
EZ Curls - 5 @ 72.5, 5 @ 72.5
Calf raises (one-legged) - 7 @ 53#, 10 @ 53#
Seated calf - 5 @ 200, 5 @ 200

Weight: 175 - Still even with the end of the bulk. So I am exactly at my maintenance level. I haven't run the numbers on calories, but I'm probably taking in about 3300/day now.

Workout: That was it. Felt fine - kept rests under control, form was good. When I get back from Italy, I'll up all my maxes 10% and just start again. I'll SD, then do some maintenance stuff (push ups, chair dips, etc.) and SD in the last week over there.

I'll take measurements tomorrow when I'm cold, and I'll put up some numbers. If the numbers suck, I'll just hang myself. Murphy out.

[scott_donald]

nice finishing day... what are your overall feelings...

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by scott_donald
nice finishing day... what are your overall feelings...
Overall on HST? I like the structure, the adaptability to periodization, the flow of reps against intensity.

I chose too many exercises. What felt like a simple routine in the 15s at 1-2 sets each was too much at the 5s and 2 sets of everything. Next time, I will either start the same and drop iso exercises as I increase sets, or start with less and do 2-3 sets in the 15s, then 2 sets in the 10s and 5s.

But I liked HST. I'll probably do a few more cycles to give it its due, then move to a normal split for a while for a change. Maybe the upper/lower light/heavy I was yapping about a couple weeks ago.

[zackmurphy]

He's BAAA-aaaaaaack
Hey party people. So I'm going to Italy on 6/15, staying until mid-July, right, so why the hell would I SD while I'm here, at home, where my gym is, when I'm going to SD against my will over in Europe. That's what I started to ax myself on Saturday.

So I'm adding the "Power Block", one final week of three workouts (MWF) in which I drop all iso stuff, and add some Olympic lifts. I'll also be adding drop sets, and some rest-pause where possible.

I wanted to contniue the overall HST pattern so far of increasing intensity and difficulty, and adding Oly lifts is really all that's left, without trying to do 3RMs or something. Besides, I put up a post about this on the HST site, and almost nobody even had an opinion, so screw 'em.

HST - Power Block, Workout #1
Monday, 6/7/04, weight 173.5

Bulking Goal: 175+ for 3 straight days, then begin to cut.
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking, about 9%bf
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/25 - 175.0 made goal :)

Cutting:
5/25 - 175.0 started cutting, probably 15-16%bf
6/7 - 173.5 today

This is the REAL final week, week 9 of 9

Pull ups - 6, 5
Dips - 7 @ + 15#, 7 @ + 15#
Incline DB Presses - 8 @ 53#s, 7 @ 53#s
Push Presses - 7 @ 85#s, 8 @ 85#s Just got the feel of these
Cleans - 7 @ 85#s, 8 @ 85#s Same here - just getting the rhthym
Deads - 5 @ 225, 5 @ 225
Squats - 5 reps @ 175# I'm sunburned a little on my back - these hurt like a mother. Only did 1 set. wah.
BB Rows - 8 @ 125, 10 @ 125, drop set @ 125 down to 85
Montierth Flies - 10 @ 15#s, 10 @ 15#s These really are the shiznit.
Calf raises (one-legged) - 10 @ 53#, 10 @ 53#
Lateral Raises - one drop set from 27s to 22s to 17s iso work, but a nice finisher

Weight: 173.5 - I've also added cardio (AM fasted treadmill @ 4mph) for max fat loss. Did my first cardio on Saturday, and I'll do it on off days. I've also continued bringing the calories down a little bit each day. I'm down to about 3000 now, probably, though not counting religiously. I have a pretty good idea of the totals as I'm eating. Probably about 30/55/15. (Bulking was 40/45/15)

Workout: Workoput was good. I'll bump it up a notch on Wednesday. I'll probably do the cleans first, then the push presses, THEN some clean & jerks or some full moves. My back will be better by then (sunburn) so I can squat again. I wanted to do some rest-pause squats, then finish with a drop set, one plate at a time, until it's just me and the bar. Same thing with BB presses, which I haven't done in months.

But a nice final week. I was a little down last week over the 5RMs. They weren't all that I was hoping for, so this is a nice refresher, and I can continue adding weight.

[Brick]

That seems like a good addition to the end of the 5 rep. Are you going to do this for further cycles if you keep going with HST?

At the end of my 5's, I take and bump up my 5 rep max another 5 to 10 lbs and do three reps and keep increasing the weight over another 2 week period, until i can no longer increase the weight and reach 3 reps then I use that weight until the end of the 2 weeks. If that just made since, thats what I do instead of negatives .

Well anyway, have fun on your trip, if your going to have fun and good luvk with the routine and further cycles.

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Brick
That seems like a good addition to the end of the 5 rep. Are you going to do this for further cycles if you keep going with HST?

I don't know that I'd do this again, necessarily. This is more of a week of filler before I go. But I do, in retrospect, think I should have chosen more powerlifting type movements and less iso work from the start.

Originally posted by Brick
At the end of my 5's, I take and bump up my 5 rep max another 5 to 10 lbs and do three reps and keep increasing the weight over another 2 week period, until i can no longer increase the weight and reach 3 reps then I use that weight until the end of the 2 weeks. If that just made since, thats what I do instead of negatives .
I thought about doing something like that, too, actually. I thought about just doing 3RMs, but employing rest-pause on top of it, to help get an extra rep or two. In fact, I may still do that.

Thanks for the feedback.

[zackmurphy]

HST - Power Block, Workout #2
Wednesday, 6/9/04, weight 173.0

Bulking Goal: 175+ for 3 straight days, then begin to cut.
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking, about 9%bf
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/25 - 175.0 made goal :)

Cutting:
5/25 - 175.0 started cutting, probably 15-16%bf
6/9 - 173.0 today

This is the REAL final week, week 9 of 9

Chins - 7, 7
Dips - 8 @ + 15#, 8 @ + 15#
DB Flat Presses - 10 @ 53#s, 10 @ 53#s
Cleans - 8 @ 85#s, 7 @ 105#s Getting better at these
BB Push Presses - 7 @ 85#s, 8 @ 85#s
Squats - 6 @ 175#, 3 @ 185, 3 @ 195, 2 @ 200 sunburn is better, so I did four sets
BB Rows - 10 @ 135
Montierth Flies - 10 @ 15#s, 10 @ 15#s
Lateral Raises - 10 @ 22, 8 @ 27, 11 @ 22 love lat raises
Calf raises (one-legged) - 10 @ 53#, 10 @ 53#

Weight: 173.0 - Still doing cardio on off days, cutting cals on all days, dropping protein down to a normal number again, and letting carbs fall only as general portion reduction. It's working.

Workout: No deads today. Did the extra squats, and wanted more energy for the oly lifts.

The workouts are great. I like the oly lifts (even though I'm only doing a couple of them). Squats felt very good, and I felt nicely worked.

[scott_donald]

why such high reps on cleans...

[Younglifter14]

Nice going Zack :)

Young

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by scott_donald
why such high reps on cleans...
I do them so infrequently, I was just taking it semi-easy. Besides, 8 isn't exactly high reps

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Younglifter14
Nice going Zack :)

Young
Thanks, man.

[Not So Big]

good workout zack murphy...

[LiftNeat]

Hey Zach good workout man. Where in Cali are you from? And where do you workout that has 53lb DB's????

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by LiftNeat
Hey Zach good workout man. Where in Cali are you from? And where do you workout that has 53lb DB's????
Near Tahoe.

I work out at home, and my DBs are all the fitted type, so the handles weigh 2 or 3#s each, and I add plates. So I have 17s, 22s, and up by 5# increments, but at 50+ the handles are longer, so they're heavier, 53. Some day I'll have 58s.

[zackmurphy]

HST - Power Block, Workout #3
Friday, 6/11/04, weight 173.0

Bulking Goal: 175+ for 3 straight days, then begin to cut.
3/30 - 158.5 started bulking, about 9%bf
4/12 - 163.0 started HST
5/25 - 175.0 made goal :)

Cutting:
5/25 - 175.0 started cutting, probably 15-16%bf
6/11 - 173.0 today

This is the REAL final weel, week 9 of 9

Montierth Flies - 11 @ 15#s, 10 @ 15#s
Pull ups - 5, 5
Dips - 9 @ + 15#, 9 @ + 15# added a rep
Squats - 5 @ 185#, 3 @ 200, 3 @ 200
Push Presses - 7 @ 85, 5 @ 95 aded 10# on set #2
Cleans - 7 @ 105, 5 @ 125 added weight to both sets
BB Rows - 10 @ 145, 10 @ 145 added 20 pounds
Lateral Raises - 10 @ 22s, 7 @ 27s, 10 @ 22s
Hammer Curls - 10 @ 27s, 10 @ 27s
Calf raises (one-legged) - 10 @ 53#, 10 @ 53#

Weight: 173.0 - Cardio is giong well, diet has been awesome, though not enough fats yesterday (omega fats in particular).

Workout: Pretty uneventful. Cleans and push presses are getting better as I get the form down. I'll probably incorporate those into my next HST. Might be an all-Oly HST. Not sure.

[Younglifter14]

Originally posted by zackmurphy
Cleans and push presses are getting better as I get the form down. I'll probably incorporate those into my next HST. Might be an all-Oly HST. Not sure.
that would be an interesting HST.... :)

I take it as your SD'ing after today?

Young

[hepennypacker52]

Gonna post up some new measurements and maybe pics Mr. Murphy? :D

[zackmurphy]

Originally posted by Younglifter14
that would be an interesting HST.... :)

I think so too. Still thinking about it, though.

Originally posted by Younglifter14
I take it as your SD'ing after today?
I might do another workout on Sunday or Monday. But otherwise, yes, I am done for a little bit.

Originally posted by hepennypacker52
Gonna post up some new measurements and maybe pics Mr. Murphy? :D
Measurements, yes, pics, probably not. Pics are for the vain and proud. Numbers tell the real story.