Hypertrophy-Specific Training (HST)

[mle_ii]

Hmmm... when I went to get some information about calories I need to gain muscle I stumbled onto this one.

Hypertrophy-Specific Training (HST)
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hst1.htm

Anyone ever tried or heard of this? Haven't read the entire thing yet, but it sounds interesting so far.

Here's some more info:
Strategic Deconditioning: Priming Muscles For Growth
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hst4.htm

Eating For SIZE
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hst5.htm

Planning Your Training Frequency: Timing Is Everything
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hst7.htm

Is HST Actually Different From Other Programs?
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hst8.htm

Why Some Modern Training Research Actually Prevents Progress
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hst9.htm

[mle_ii]

Read a lot more on this, sounds very interesting. I might just have to try it. :)

This page was a bit more readable than all the articles provided links to.
http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html

Here's a web site dedicated to this:
http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/

[Chipperoo]

I just recently completed a couple of cycles of HST and think it was great! I didn't gain the muscle some claim, but that is most assuredly because I was dieting hard and doing a lot of cardio at the time also. It would probably work very well on a bulking diet.

It seems a little complicated at first, but once you get the gist of it, it really isn't at all. If you need any help with any of it, you can PM me and I'll try my best to help.

Chip

[mle_ii]

I think I get most of it.

The only questions I have right now are the following:

What to do about those lifts where I won't get 6 increments in as I would be lifting too much? Say my tri extention with dumbells. If I start at 5 lbs each I need to get up to 25 lbs which I don't think I can do at this time, especially at 15 reps.

And what about abs? Doing 5, 10 and 15 reps doesn't sound like enough. I'm doing 4 sets of 40 right now. I suppose I can do weighted or make it more difficult, but 5 reps doesn't seem like much for abs.

Another question is how well does it increase strength? Did you notice any gains there? Seems like it's more for gaining mass, which I want some of, but I'd also like to increase strength and power as well.

I might read a bit more through the site as I'm sure someone has brought this up before.

I can't get over how much sense this all makes. Seems like a lot more people would be doing it if this works.

I wonder if someone here who knows more about biology, chemistry, etc could comment on the studies. I haven't read the studies he quotes yet, but I plan to when I get the time.

[Chipperoo]

You can do the same weight 2 workouts in a row, as long as you are increasing the weight IN GENERAL over the cycle.

I didn't do my abs HST style, don't even know if I should have, but I wouldn't think so.

It's is not designed to increase strength, but most people DO make gains while on it. It's definitely not the optimal way to gain strength, but is a pretty good all around program for lifting.

[mle_ii]

I'm curious about how to raise the weight for db vs bb. HST says your supposed to raise the lowerbody by 10 lbs each day, and by 5 lbs for upper body. Does this mean if I'm doing a bb excercise with my upper body that I would raise it 5 lbs and db by 2.5 lbs each? Or I would raise the bb by 10 lbs and the db by 5 lbs each?

[Chipperoo]

These weight increases they give are only suggestions. The point is a general increase in weight working up to your maxes by the end of the phase you are in. If you have 2 1/2 lb plates and that's what you need to increase by, then do it. If you need to work out with the same weight 2 workouts and then increase, then do it.

So it you don't want to start at what you think is just ridiculously light weights, you could go up in weight every TWO workouts, instead of each workout so that you won't reach your max before you need to.

That's pretty much why they don't give specifics, some people will go up 10lbs bench every workout, some will go up 2 1/2, etc.

It's quite simple once you get the basic concept of it. Increase your weights by whatever you CAN, whether it be with dumbbells or barbells.

[mle_ii]

Ok. I was just confused about how much I should increase lower weight excercises by. Luckily the gym that I'm going to now has 2.5 lb increments in the dbs up to around 50 or so. I'll look at repeating some weights instead of going down too low, like say for lat raises. I'm going to use a max at 5 reps of 25 lbs. So I could do any of the following:
5, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 - the low weight seems to low for 5 reps
12.5, 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25 - perhaps this is good
15, 15 ,20, 20, 25 ,25 - or this might be better

Take your weakest lift, how would you do hst with that. The larger lifts seem a lot easier.

[Chipperoo]

Yeah, well like you say the first example probably really would not do you much good if, say, your last week of tens you were doing 15lbs at 10 reps. So, most people would choose the last example, so they wouldn't have to go DOWN in weights at LESS reps.

[mle_ii]

Well, I worked up to 10 reps of 20 lbs per db. So using 20 lbs I calculate my 1 rep max at 26.67 lbs, I reverse this calculation and end up with 23.71 lbs as my 5 rep max. So I decided to use 25 lbs as my 5 rep max, I'll push myself since I know it's only 1 set.

So in any case in order to increment my lifts I gotta start lower than where I was on my 10 rep phase.

Ugg. These lower weights are difficult to figure out.

[Chipperoo]

To tell the truth, if it were me, I'd rather use the same weight 3 workouts in a row instead of going DOWN on the weight, I don't see what benefit it would be to do that.

Maybe you should look into purchasing some "micro-weights". I think thats what they are called. I think they either have magnets or just fit on bar, but you can add'em for very small increments. It would be a solution to those that you need to increment very small.

Or I've heard of putting something that weighs a certain amount in, like a ziplock bag with a magnet. You can be creative with this on a shoestring budget!

[mle_ii]

Cool, thanks! I guess there is one benefit to going lower than what you last did in the previous phase, you get a couple of days of active rest from doing the maxes in the previous phase.

[Chipperoo]

Hmmm, yes but I'm not sure that's really a good thing as far as why this all works the way it does. But, I don't KNOW it's not, just a guess on my part.

[mle_ii]

Ok, so here's my 5 rep phase:
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showpost.php?p=2535124&postcount=64

And my previous 10 rep phase:
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showpost.php?p=2466716&postcount=57

Does this look ok to you?

[mle_ii]

Hey Chip, me again. So what about SD Strategic Deconditioning. I know it means no lifting during that time, but what about other things like doing hiit (sprint/jog) a couple of times a week? Or just do nothing?

[Chipperoo]

HIIT is not really advisable but moderate cardio is ok. To tell you the truth though, everything works better after a good break from it all, including dieting, which isn't really advisable during SD either, I believe. Eating at maintenance for a week or two will do your metabolism a lot of good if you've been operating with calorie deficit for awhile.