Lol's New HST Log

Lol

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Staff member
Well it had to happen, eventually. I finally finished my four month 'cut' and decided to do another HST cycle with a few changes to my previous setup.

It's still a pretty abbreviated program but this time around I am going to do less TUT as the loads go up and see how I get on. Previously, I have attempted to keep my TUT (ie. rep count) pretty constant throughout the cycle and thus my volume level has been increasing over the course of the cycle along with the loading. If it turns out that I fair just as well as before then I will stick with this method for at least a few cycles in the hope that I can continue to push up my top loads. Technically, I will be doing less work as the cycle progresses, hopefully lessening the effects of cumulative fatigue and so allowing me to lift heavier as I move on past the end of 5s. We shall see...

I finished my cut at the end of April and had reduced to 187lbs from 215lbs, a 28lbs (2 stone) loss, which was my goal. I didn't do it very scientifically because I was too lazy to bother but it didn't go too badly at all although I am sure it could have gone better. I lost some size and strength, but not too much. I hope to get it back this cycle. Another, we shall see...

So, at the start of this cycle, after a 10 day SD, I was 189lbs (yeah, I ate a bit too much during my SD).

I am going to use the same loads that I used on my last bulking cycle. If I can match them and then push past by the end of 5s I will be pleased.

My intention is to do something like this:

week 1: 15 x 3/2.5
week 2: 15 x 2.5/2
week 3: 10 x 3/2.5
week 4: 10 x 2.5/2
week 5:   5 x 3/2.5
week 6:   5 x 2.5/2
week 7:   3 x 3/2
week 8:   3 x 2/1


(Which means: 1st week, 15 reps for 3 sets at start of week dropping to 2.5 sets at end of week, etc.)

Workouts will be three times weekly, split into alternating A & B sessions:

Workout A
Squats (or front squats)
Bench (maybe with dbs if AC joint gives me gyp)
Bent-over Row
Standing Press

Anything else I fancy (arms, calves, abs).

Workout B
Deads
Chins
Dips
Clean and press

Again, anything else I fancy (arms, calves, abs).

If I find that deads twice a week start to do me in then I'll do them on Wednesdays only. If I feel really good on any particular w/o I may cluster in a few more reps, but not too many.

Grip training on non-gym days.

That's it! Nice and simple.
 
Monday's session went OK. Nice easy'ish' start to the cycle.

Front squats: 2 x 15 with 70kgs (nice, gentle start  
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)
B-O Rows: 2 x 15 with 70kgs (2nd set pretty hard)

Chins: 1 x 15 with bodyweight (just felt like it)

Didn't do bench as it hasn't arrived yet (home gym still being sorted)!
Did some dips instead: 1 x 45, 1 x 35 with body weight

Presses: 2 x 15 with 40kgs - OK
Curls: 1 x 15 with 40kgs (just for fun)

Called it a day.
 
Today's session:

Deads: 2 x 15 & 1 x 10 with 100kgs (mainly a lung(!) and grip test as used over-over grip)
Bench: 2 x 15 & 1 x 12 with 80kgs (had to do a wrestler's bridge on the floor to do these as my bench still hasn't shown up
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 Still, it was better than nothing.)
Dips: bodyweight set of 25 to finish up chest.
Chins: 1 x 20, 1 x 15, 1 x 10 with bodyweight (pretty pleased with that. Not much rest between sets. Also tried overhand grip for a set but my forearm injury is still playing up a bit so stopped after 5 reps.)
Press: 3 x 15 with 40kgs (forgot to do cleans! Doh!)

That felt like enough so no arms or abs today. I definitely feel like I've done some deads.
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I see you take your grip strength seriously, and I think that's a facet often overlooked. Maybe I stated this somewhere else, but one of the things I do to improve grip strength is to always have one of those grippers in the car with me at all times. Every time I get in the car and drive, I'm always squeezing that frigging thing! It's amazing how the cumulative benefits add up from such a minimal amount of work.
 
Good to see you posting a log LOL. Looks like a solid routine, looking forward to seeing some big numbers from you. Be careful with high rep clean & press, form breaks down quickly, I'd do 3x5.
 
Slapz: Yeah, I read what you said in my grip strength thread. Good idea. I want really strong grip if I can get it so I'm going to be trying to close the No 3 CoC in a ..., well whatever time it takes, but hopefully less than a few years.

I'm training on the No 3 CoC now as I have customised the gripper with a long tube handle on one side. This allows me to get a better purchase with the last two fingers and to steady the gripper with my other hand. I can then close it with assistance from my arm strength and then release arm pressure so that I do negatives with just grip strength. It's working well and has helped me to improve on the No2 which I can now close with my right and everso nearly with my left.

lols_extended_gripper.jpg


Liege: Thanks for the tip. I am new to cleans and will have to learn good form (and I must now devour the chapter in Starting Strength!). I suppose I could do 3 presses per clean during the 15s?

I can definitely clean more than I can press, even now, so I will be switching to a push press for cleans during the 5s.

Actually, the more I think about this, the more I think I'll do cleans separately to presses. That way I can just focus on the cleans and do lower rep sets for them as you suggest.
 
Friday's session:

Couldn't train until 10:00pm tonight which was a pain as I had to wait until afterwards for dinner.

Front Squats: 1 x 15 with 70kgs, 1 x 15 with 75kgs
(I can see these will get awkward soon as after cleaning the weight and doing the reps I then have to lower it carefully. I either need to get my squat rack built or reinforce my floor so I can just drop the weight.)

Deads: 2 x 15 with 110kgs (just felt like doing some deads too - no problems)
Dips: 2 x 25 bodyweight plus 21.25kgs (Got my dip belt at last. Brilliant!)
Chins: 2 x 15 bodyweight + 5kgs
Press: 2 x 15 with 42.5kgs

Curls: 1 x 15 with 41kgs
(new E-Z curl bar - 11kgs plus 15kgs each side - much less painful for my left forearm than a straight bar so curls shouldn't hinder healing now. For some reason my curls are now much easier than they were 2 cycles ago. I only managed 35kgs for my 15RM reps back then and I'm past that already with a week of 15s still to go. That's good then. I put it down to an increse to my top chinning load during my cut at the end of April.)
 
Not being able to drop the weight sucks. I also train cleans separate from presses and jerks. Form is real important.
 
<div>
(scientific muscle @ May 19 2007,14:34)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">How to lift weights in a careful manner in your home gym:

gym etiquette</div>
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Oh my honey, that big bad man is setting off the lunk alarms! Whatever shall we dooooo....?

Actually, cast iron is brittle...I'm surprised if he hasn't broken a plate or two that way. Not to mention flying metal shards of shrapnel. Idiot.
 
<div>
(quadancer @ May 19 2007,18:06)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Oh my honey, that big bad man is setting off the lunk alarms! Whatever shall we dooooo....?

Actually, cast iron is brittle...I'm surprised if he hasn't broken a plate or two that way. Not to mention flying metal shards of shrapnel. Idiot.</div>
That's what I was thinking. Throwing plates on the floor... what a dick.
 
Monday's session (21/05/07):

Couldn't train until 11:00pm tonight! Didn't feel like it at all but decided to give it a go anyway.

Deads: 1 x 15 x 112.5kgs, 1 x 15 x 117.5kgs, 1 x 10 x 117.5kgs (125kgs on Friday should be fine - Note to self: maybe try 130kgs? 2 reds, two blues and 2 greens.)
db Bench Press: 2 x 15 x 28kgs each (bit of an experiment as still no rack - haven't done these in ages so guessed at load to use - bit light. Slight right AC joint twinge.)
Pendlay Row: 2 x 15 x 70kgs (Last few reps were pretty hard.)
Normal Bent-Over Row 2 x 10 x 70kgs (2 quick sets just to keep the tension on lats in the stretched position.)

Decided to leave presses until tomorrow morning.

After a large tuna salad I chilled-out watching Dream Theatre's 'Score' DVD. Very cool but it's now 3:00am as I type this and I have to be up at 7:30am. That sucks.
 
<div>
(Lol @ May 21 2007,22:08)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Deads: 1 x 15 x 112.5kgs, 1 x 15 x 117.5kgs, 1 x 10 x 117.5kgs (125kgs on Friday should be fine - Note to self: maybe try 130kgs? 2 reds, two blues and 2 greens.).</div>
Looks good LOL. Getting to 120k + means using FOUR reds mate.
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Good to see I'm not the only one to hit the weights at strange hours - even after a 14+ hour shift and no matter if it's apporaching midnight, if it's a training day, no excuses!
 
Tuesday's am session (22/05/07):

Finishing off from last night.

Presses: 3 x 15 x 45kgs (last few reps of last two sets pretty hard)

Tried some overhead squats. Hey, these are going to be fun to master! First I tried them with a regular spaced grip - no chance. Then switched to snatch spaced grip - aha! That's how to do it but even with a light weight these things are tricky. I wonder if I'll ever be able to do 15 reps with bodyweight?!  
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 (See Dan John's fab OHS article. )
 
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