r_graz's HST vs. Me journal

[r_graz]

This journal will track my first encounter with HST. I've been lifting since February of '06, and from July through mid-October I was on the single-factor 5x5. Brought my lifts up a decent amount, and now I'm ready to try something else for a while. That journey is logged here:

My intermediate 5x5 journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=832383

Hoping to make some size gains over the next couple of months (and hopefully a little more strength, before going back to a more strength-oriented program. Looking forward to some higher-rep stuff to give my joints and tendons some rehab.

This week I'll be testing my 15 and 10 rep maxes (already have a pretty good idea of my 5RM's after 4 months of 5x5), next week will be Strategic Deconditioning (i.e. no lifting), and the following week starts the HST 15's.

Here are the exercises I've decided on:

Squat
Bench Press
SLDL (Mon/Fri)
Deadlift (Wed)
Penday Rows
Overhead Press
Dips
Lat Pulldown/Pullups
Bicep Curls
Lying Tricep Extentions

SLDL will alternate with conventional deads. Lat pulldown will be till I get into a rep range where I can do pullups. Dips may be swapped for CGBP, depending on how my hurting shoulder feels a couple weeks from now.

[r_graz]

Squat - 195x15
Bench - 150x15
SLDL - 130x15
Overhead press - 95x15
Pendlay Rows - 125x15
Dips - haven't tested yet
Lat pulldown - 125x15
Lying Tri Ext - 50x15
BB Curls - 65x15

Holy crap 15 reps is a bitch. I haven't counted much higher than 5 for the last 4 months, so this was a different world. After squats, bench, and rows I really wondered if I was going to barf.

For the exercises I've been doing on the 5x5, I guessed pretty well at my 15RM, I think. Have never done SLDL before, so that was a crapshoot. Lat pulldowns were suprisingly low. I estimated based on what I've been doing for pullups with my bodyweight, and expected to be able to do about 20 lbs more on those. Well, I did them towards the end of the workout and I was toast by then, so hard to say how accurate those are.

On most of these exercises I'm going to shoot for about 5% more than these numbers by the last workout of the 15's, to see if I can gain a little strength in the process. I'll do this with all the rep ranges.

[mjw8204]

I'm on board. Good luck, Ron!

[r_graz]

Thanks!

[Tad_T]

I'll be checking you out, too.

[blaksplash]

I'm in. Subscribed

[cmdrfunk]

i like to lift weights

[MISSINGLINK]

15 reps, wow. <subscribed>

[r_graz]

@Everyone who's checked in -
Thanks

Now then:

Squat - 225x10 (probably could've done 230)
Bench - 180x10
RDL - 180x10 (pretty easy, will probably fix it at 195)
Pendlay rows - 145x10
Overhead Press - 110x10
Lat pulldowns - 150x10
BB Curls - 75x10
Lying Tri Extensions - 65x10

I tested dips today and was able to get BWx15 when when my tri's were pretty fried at the end of the workout, so I think that's a safe number. RDL's are a brand new exercise for me and 180 was pretty easy, so I'm thinking I'll set my 10's at 195. Replacing the SLDL's with the RDL's.

Counting to 10 isn't quite as bad as counting to 15

Still, I'm seeing this is a hell of a lot for a single workout, at least for me. Took me a good 90 minutes to get through all of this and that was just 1 set of everything. I may have to pare it down or alternate some of these exercises in A and B workouts.

[Tad_T]

Are you liking it?

[r_graz]

Are you liking it?

Well, we're not quite there yet. This week is just testing maxes in the various rep ranges. Next week is no lifting, then the first "official" week of HST the following week. Friday would be the 5 rep test day, but I think I can pretty safely skip that I'm just going to have some fun, do some dumbell stuff for a change, maybe practice my cleans and overhead squats.

I think I'm going to like HST, particularly since the first 4 weeks (15's and 10's) are such a big switch from pushing 5's for so long. The theory behind it seems sound, and plenty of folks seem to have gotten great gains from it. May still have to trim down the routine a bit though, I don't want to be in the gym for 2 hours at a time

[r_graz]

No HST-related plan for today. Figured I'd spend my last workout before SD just doing either new stuff or stuff I haven't done for a while. I found out a few things:

- I'm weak as hell on dumbbell bench. I gave up dumbbells when I started the 5x5, and I can't do a damn thing with them anymore.

- I've got a lot to learn when it comes to hang cleans. OK, I just got my first lesson on Tuesday, so I guess I've got time.

- Front and overhead squats hurt in a very different way from back squats

Well, now 9 days of no lifting at all, and trying to stay sane in the process

[MisterWeak]

OK you got my interest Ron..subscribed

[r_graz]

OK you got my interest Ron..subscribed

Thanks!

[canyonracerx]

Subscribed. Looks like we started at the same time and our lifts are very similar. I did my maxes and am going to start next Tuesday. Check out my journal, we can compare notes.

[Brian83]

subscribed again, good luck, the time off is a bitch! I went loonie lol

the testing is very taxing, because I mean, your trying to give it your all on every lift, and in reality you will only need to be at max effort once every 2 weeks on HST, so I wouldn't worry about being so burnt out

what is your height/weight? dont remember if you said in your 5x5 journal.

[r_graz]

subscribed again, good luck, the time off is a bitch! I went loonie lol

the testing is very taxing, because I mean, your trying to give it your all on every lift, and in reality you will only need to be at max effort once every 2 weeks on HST, so I wouldn't worry about being so burnt out

what is your height/weight? dont remember if you said in your 5x5 journal.

Thanks, I expect to be doing cardio every day this week and hating it

I'm around 5'7", 176 lbs last time I checked. Before I went on the low carb diet I was around 179. I'm getting between 2400 and 2600 calories a day now, which is just slightly below maintenance for me. Don't think I could have done the last couple weeks of the 5x5 if I went too low.

EDIT: OK, weighed myself after cardio this morning. 174.5lbs

[canyonracerx]

Thanks, I expect to be doing cardio every day this week and hating it

That's a lot of cardio. I thought you were trying to bulk?

[r_graz]

That's a lot of cardio. I thought you were trying to bulk?

Well I was, and will be again. But during the 4 months I was doing the 5x5 and bulking, I gained quite a bit of fat along with muscle and strength. My max calories per day was just under 3100 for lifting days, 2800 non-lifting days. For most of it I wasn't doing a lot of cardio, but I was eating squeaky-clean (I always have).

What I'm finding is that with my metabolism and at my age, fat gain is a lot easier than muscle gain, no matter how good the workout program. So I can't bulk quickly, can't go too high over maintenance calories, and have to work pretty hard to keep fat gain minimized when bulking. For the past few weeks I've been eating low carb and below maintenance to try to cut some fat.

I'd give anything to have the metabolism and test levels of a 25 y/o, but short of AAS or some other chemical wizardry, it 'aint gonna happen Gotta work with what I've got.

[r_graz]

Looking forward to a great week of treadmill PR's

Actually this comes at a good time. Did something to my wrist last Friday and it hurts like hell. Hopefully this week will let some of the accumulated aches and pains dissipate before I jump back in next week.

[canyonracerx]

Are you still going to do cardio on your SD week?

[r_graz]

Are you still going to do cardio on your SD week?

Yep, I plan to do cardio all week. From the information I could find, cardio during SD is OK as long as you don't go crazy. I think I'd go nuts if I just sat on my butt all week

[Short One]

Been looking for others doing HST as I'm on the tail end of my 2nd cycle.
Have to agree, 15s are a bitch but they hurt in a good kinda way .

I start my last mesocycle today, and I'll be doing 3s for something different.

You're doing well at squating 195 over 15.

Hope your SD goes quickly, and you don't go too crazy not lifting in the mean time.

[r_graz]

Have to agree, 15s are a bitch but they hurt in a good kinda way .

I start my last mesocycle today, and I'll be doing 3s for something different.

You're doing well at squating 195 over 15.

Hope your SD goes quickly, and you don't go too crazy not lifting in the mean time.

Thanks. I'm actually looking forward to higher reps and a "burn" after pushing heavy 5's for months.

Hey almost 3 days of SD down, only 6 more to go

[Brian83]

lol, I went for the minimum 9 days too, actually think I ended up 10 days rest, but you know.

[cmdrfunk]

Are you going to continue the lower calories when you start this officially?

[r_graz]

Are you going to continue the lower calories when you start this officially?

I think I'll build up slowly, probably during the 15's. I want to be a little more careful about how high in cals I get though, maybe just a little over maintenance. I've learned that I gain fat pretty easily (I kinda already knew that), so I can't bulk very quickly.

[r_graz]

Just 2 days left....

[t-p-c]

Your SD is almost over Ron. It must be a good feeling. I'll be keeping my eye on your journal.

[cmdrfunk]

I think I'll build up slowly, probably during the 15's. I want to be a little more careful about how high in cals I get though, maybe just a little over maintenance. I've learned that I gain fat pretty easily (I kinda already knew that), so I can't bulk very quickly.

I dont know your numbers but likely if you upped the protein instead of fat or carbs you wouldn't have much of the same problem.