No muscle fatigue?

M

mocatdaze

New Member
Ok, I'm on my 5th week of HST, and have some concerns.

During the first week of the 15s and first week of the 10s, I wasn't really pushing myself to get the weights moved. I've been sticking to the 2 set max per exercise but when I'm done, feel like I could easily do about 3 sets more for each. This is using a 10 pound increment on all my exercises, except shoulders - that's a 5 pound increment. Also, I have a lot of zig-zag(?) in my routine.

I'm thinking of changing my routine like this. Keep the 2 set max per exercise, but change the load. For the first week do 10lbs less of my max for the whole week. And the secound week do my max for the whole week. Would this be going totally against the HST process?

Thanks for any advice!
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (mocatdaze @ May 07 2003,7:20)]Would this be going totally against the HST process?
Thanks for any advice!
Click to expand...
Not totally, but relying solely on perceived fatigue and adjusting your training according to it is not the best course of action, in my opinion. You'll be sacrificing the most crucial principle (progressive loading) and making it less effective to satisfy your need to feel something that's not related to muscle growth (the perceived fatigue).

I wouldn't do it, but again, as long as the general trend in time is towards load progression and the frequency is enough you will see gains.
 
You can also try to use a slower tempo. If you do a strict 2-1-4 tempo I think the weights will not seem too easy anymore.

Also, 10 pounds increments may be too much if the RMs are below 80-90 pounds.

If you have a HIT backround you may be missing the 'intensity' but you will gradually recover :D

A poor SD may be another reason that the weights feel easy.
 
If you are relying on soreness or muscle fatigue to tell you HST is working, you may not be satisfied. This is my 3rd cycle and I've noticed that the only times I get sore are that 1st week of 15s (In this cycle it was 20s) and the first workout of 5s with dropsets.

FWIW, I wouldn't change anything the first cycle, when you get to the end you will know if in retrospect you could have had higher maxes for example. The first cycle is a learning cycle -- it feels so different than what many of us were used to -- going to failure all the time -- that it is a hard adjustment mentally. Hang in there, take good measurements, and you will be amazed like I was, even after the first cycle.

A good SD will definitely help in the muscle fatigue department! If you like the burn like many of us do, try dropsets on your 5s and negatives.

This brings another question, if you don't mind. Is anyone doing dropsets across the board for 15s, 10s, 5's, negs or any other permutation of reps? I really like the feeling I get from dropsets and am wondering if I could do them at all rep levels.
 
I trained HIt before HST and after each workout I was completely burned and fatigued.I know the feeling u are trying now as I'm just a step over it;being totally drained after w/o does not mean u trained well it does only mean that yor CNS gave up,trust me.In my opinion theres no way to "feel" wheter if your muscle is "done" or not right after w/o (maybe just because I'm still HIT conditioned..).
The only thing that matter is load progression so dont worry about fatigue.
 
Thanks for the replies! I think I'll stick with the consensus and continue with progressive loading. However, I think the amount of overlap I had will have to change -- less zig zag.

Also, I took the advice did last night's workout very slowly for each rep. And I do feel it more, at the time and today. :)

Good deal! Thanks again.
 
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