Ok, I think I've read everything on this site and like what I have read so far. One question is that the HST 3xWeek exercise compares to a typcial 3 week split, where a body part is only getting hit once a week. I've been doing a 2 day on, one day off split, essentially hitting every body part twice a week. I workout hard, so others have warned about overtraining. Considering this, am I a good canidate for HST? Assuming I am, I have constructed the following rountine. Any comments or help would be greatly appreciated. Chest: Incline bench, Decline Bench Back: Lat Pulldown, Seated Rows Shoulders: Rear Lat, Side Lat Biceps: Curls Triceps: Pushdowns, Dips Legs: Leg Press, Leg Curls Calves: Raises This puts each workout at 12 exercises, 2 sets each, 3 times a week. Looks good? Should I throw in shoulder press and flat bench on alternate days? Thanks again!
Looks good. I would consider dropping the decline bench. Your dips will do the same thing for the chest and at the same time, hit the triceps better (subjective comment). I wouldn't do flat bench very often. Stick with a slight incline. Not the angle on those fixed angle incline benches. Use an adjustable bench and only use the first notch up. Use shoulder press to "warm up" the delts when things get heavy. Use a light weight that you can easily do 15 reps with.
Bryan, do you mean to do the light shoulder presses to warm up the delts for the incline press? That sounds spot-on for me. Last cycle, I developed some pain in my left anterior deltoid, and it seemed related to the press. I felt it in shoulder presses and dips, but mostly in the inclince press. I ended up dropping the press from that cycle and my current one. I still feel tension in that area when stretching my pecs with arms high. I'll add the "unconventional" warmups when I bring them back next cycle. Any other advice on warmups that may not match the primary exercise?
What is the problem with flat bench press? I only have access to flat bench and a fixed angle incline bench which one should I chose? How can i use an adjustable bench if theres no support for barbel (I have shoulders problems using dumbels)?
I am in the same predicament, I think I might have access to an adjustable bench, but would ( I assume ) have to go with dumbbells. I'd really like to know how others manage the "slight" part of the slight incline.
If you only have a fixed bench - do you have access to a couple 2x4s? Just cut them to about 2 feet in length, screw them together & place them under the rear foot of the bench. This is one way to get a "slight incline" which is in the area of about 10 degrees, or the 1st notch on an adjustable bench.
I guess I could have mentioned I work out at a public gym. All of the bench press stations are fixed incline/decline or flat. There is one adjustable bench but it is not connected to anything that supports a barbell.
This is my problem with getting a slight incline also. There are adjustable benches, but itd be a right pain in the @$$ to drag it over to the squat rack every workout for one set of bench - plus I dont think itd go down too well with everyone else in the gym when its busy. Im still making progress with flat bench for now, although im thinking of going back to dips next time round for a change.
Ok... Maybe it's not proper gym etiquette, but... could you take a couple plates, stack them & place them under one end of the bench?
