Hey guys,
I've been lurking on the board for a little while doing a little research after finding out about HST from some threads at the meso board.
I have to say that HST seems to be based on some solid scientific data and as well may be the answer to some issues I've had for awhile.
Some background:
I've got at least 10 years lifting experience total.
I'm 6'1" and around 190 lbs with bodyfat est. around 12-15%.
I'm an ectomorph with long limbs and small joints who'd probably be around 160 lbs tops if I'd never been a lifter.
I recently turned 45 and am coming back from close to a years layoff after some injuries problems sustained during my last "comeback".
I've had recurring problems with rotator cuffs and shoulder girdle injuries in general.
I attribute most of my injury issues the last few years with a combination of getting older
and more importantly failing to adjust my training to the fact that I AM getting older and have put a lot of wear and tear on my joints thru the years.
I'm sure my impatience to get back in shape and regain a level of muscularity caused me to push my strength levels up faster than my joints were able to handle.
I started training using workout routines that I picked up from mags and modeled on the old Arnold type workouts ie 5 sets of several exercises per bodypart done twice per week and later began utilizing more intensity and less volume/frequency techniques that were popularized by M. Mentzer and others.
I've been pretty locked in to several progressive wrmups followed by 1 set to failure per exercise/ 2-3 exercises per bodypart/every 5-7 days. Reps have generally been 5-6 for chest,tri's,bi's.....8-10 for back,delts.....10-12 for legs.
After running across HST I've been pleased to find validation for what I always sensed anyway - that although my joints may have needed AT LEAST 5-7 days to recover from the heavier weights/multiple failure set workouts most of my muscle groups felt strongest and recovered after approx 48 hrs.
Now I'm pretty psyched about getting going again and this time avoiding injury and actually reaching my goals of dropping some bodyfat while I add back 10-15 lbs of muscle.
I AM a little concerned, tho, about venturing back into the lower rep range, period.
I'm wondering what experienced HST lifters think about the potential to reach my goals by practicing general HST principles but utilizing only 15,12,10 rep ranges.
By sticking with the higher reps ranges its easier for me (always has been) to use much better form and "feel" the target muscles and movement better. It seems I may be better able to focus on form/shape and I think I'll still be able to exert enuff stress on the muscles, esp during those important last few reps, to create microtrauma and trigger adaptive response.
My plan is to do at least several weeks of 15's to break myself back in (I've already started with 15's) and then do do a weight increase and either drop to 12's or continue with more 15's, trying my best to be very patient, for a change, and NOT focus on the fact that my ego is trying to tell me I'm working with weenie wts - lol.
Can anybody see any real reasons that as long as I continue to progress in load that I can't/won't continue to experience hypertrophy even if I stick with higher rep ranges ?
TIA, Teros
*p.s. It's worth noting (even tho I'm not sure how relevant it is to this thread) that I will be using fairly moderate doses of "anabolics" during this and upcoming "cycles".
I've been lurking on the board for a little while doing a little research after finding out about HST from some threads at the meso board.
I have to say that HST seems to be based on some solid scientific data and as well may be the answer to some issues I've had for awhile.
Some background:
I've got at least 10 years lifting experience total.
I'm 6'1" and around 190 lbs with bodyfat est. around 12-15%.
I'm an ectomorph with long limbs and small joints who'd probably be around 160 lbs tops if I'd never been a lifter.
I recently turned 45 and am coming back from close to a years layoff after some injuries problems sustained during my last "comeback".
I've had recurring problems with rotator cuffs and shoulder girdle injuries in general.
I attribute most of my injury issues the last few years with a combination of getting older
and more importantly failing to adjust my training to the fact that I AM getting older and have put a lot of wear and tear on my joints thru the years.I'm sure my impatience to get back in shape and regain a level of muscularity caused me to push my strength levels up faster than my joints were able to handle.
I started training using workout routines that I picked up from mags and modeled on the old Arnold type workouts ie 5 sets of several exercises per bodypart done twice per week and later began utilizing more intensity and less volume/frequency techniques that were popularized by M. Mentzer and others.
I've been pretty locked in to several progressive wrmups followed by 1 set to failure per exercise/ 2-3 exercises per bodypart/every 5-7 days. Reps have generally been 5-6 for chest,tri's,bi's.....8-10 for back,delts.....10-12 for legs.
After running across HST I've been pleased to find validation for what I always sensed anyway - that although my joints may have needed AT LEAST 5-7 days to recover from the heavier weights/multiple failure set workouts most of my muscle groups felt strongest and recovered after approx 48 hrs.
Now I'm pretty psyched about getting going again and this time avoiding injury and actually reaching my goals of dropping some bodyfat while I add back 10-15 lbs of muscle.
I AM a little concerned, tho, about venturing back into the lower rep range, period.
I'm wondering what experienced HST lifters think about the potential to reach my goals by practicing general HST principles but utilizing only 15,12,10 rep ranges.
By sticking with the higher reps ranges its easier for me (always has been) to use much better form and "feel" the target muscles and movement better. It seems I may be better able to focus on form/shape and I think I'll still be able to exert enuff stress on the muscles, esp during those important last few reps, to create microtrauma and trigger adaptive response.
My plan is to do at least several weeks of 15's to break myself back in (I've already started with 15's) and then do do a weight increase and either drop to 12's or continue with more 15's, trying my best to be very patient, for a change, and NOT focus on the fact that my ego is trying to tell me I'm working with weenie wts - lol.
Can anybody see any real reasons that as long as I continue to progress in load that I can't/won't continue to experience hypertrophy even if I stick with higher rep ranges ?
TIA, Teros
*p.s. It's worth noting (even tho I'm not sure how relevant it is to this thread) that I will be using fairly moderate doses of "anabolics" during this and upcoming "cycles".
