Please Critique my HST Program

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Big Boy

New Member
i'm currently on an HST Program and i'm gonna be in week 5 (5 rep mesocycle) from tomorrow....

so i've fallen in love with HST
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i mainly want to focus on hypertrophy because i know that overall strength will come later...

i've printed out the HST FAQ eBook and Pimp my HST eBook and i've finished reading them.....

so i think i know something about hst...

this is my next HST program: (please help me if you see any faults in it)

<span style='color:Blue'>15 Rep Mesocycle:

Weeks 1 and 2: Sets x Reps = 2 x 15

Squat
Incline Bench Press
Lat Pull Downs
Leg Extensions
Flat Dumbbell Press
Rows
Leg Curls
Hanging Leg Raises</span>

<span style='color:Red'>10 Rep Mesocycle:

<u>Week 3: Sets x Reps = 2 x 10
Week 4: Sets x Reps = 1 x 10</u>

Squat
Incline Bench Press
Lat Pull Downs
Leg Extensions
Flat Dumbbell Press
Rows
Leg Curls
Close Grip Bench Press
Lateral Raises
Rear Lateral Raises
Barbell Curls
Hanging Leg Raises</span>

<span style='color:Green'>5 Rep Mesocycle:

Week 5: Sets x Reps = 3 x 5 and 2 x 5

Squat
Incline Bench Press
Lat Pull Downs
Leg Extensions [2]
Flat Dumbbell Press [2]
Rows [2]
Leg Curls [2]
Close Grip Bench Press
Lateral Raises [2]
Rear Lateral Raises [2]
Barbell Curls

<u>Week 6: Sets x Reps = 2 x 5
Week 7: Sets x Reps = 1 x 5</u>

Squat
Incline Bench Press
Lat Pull Downs
Leg Extensions
Flat Dumbbell Press
Rows
Leg Curls
Close Grip Bench Press
Lateral Raises
Rear Lateral Raises
Barbell Curls</span>

i plan on doing SD after week 7....

so guys: what do you feel?? think this can be pulled off...??

incase this helps any:
age = 18
sex = male
height = 5'7
weight = 175 lbs
max bench = 90 kgs = 200 lbs
max squat = 135 kgs = 300 lbs
max deadlift = 150 kgs = 330 lbs

thanks for all your help in advance ppl....

- Big Boy
 
bump...?
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sorry, but i'm very anxious to know what you feel so i can start making the spreadsheets....

- Big Boy
 
it looks ok but why are you not doing shoulder work untill you get to the 10s
also IMO i would drop the leg-curl leg-extentions and do deadlifts
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bump....

faz said:
it looks ok but why are you not doing shoulder work untill you get to the 10s
also IMO i would drop the leg-curl leg-extentions and do deadlifts
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Click to expand...

no...i want to keep the curls + extensions.....and i am targeting ym delts INDIRECTLY...and i dont like OH Presses. so they're no there...

thanks for your help faz[/u], i appreciate your input...

thanks again

Big Boy
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">so i've fallen in love with HST</div>

Ahhhh...this is precious...someone who reads falls in love with HST and...he has in fact gone and tried it.
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Raw Deal should be reading this and...following suit...pretty soon he'll only be able to read if he carries on that way!

Big boy

You routine is fine, however I personally feel that there is too much in there...a lot of unecessary isolations. I would at least simplify it and...I don't see chins, any reason? Include if you can and dips too, they tend to be better builder over time due to the loads one can carry when using them.

Bigger load = Bigger hypertrophy

Otherwise alternate similar exercises and create A/B workouts.

IF you insist though it can be productive just too lengthy and mainly compounds would have provided a better growth base.

Just my two cents worth!
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Like Fausto and Faz pointed out, it looks like a lot of your energy will be spent on iso work that perhaps could be better spent on some heavy compounds.

Maybe next cycle you could try switching pull-downs to weighted chins (esp. for 5s and beyond)? Some kind of press for shoulders is almost mandatory unless you have an injury or condition that prevents you doing them. For a decent HST progression, presses make good sense - preferably with a barbell, but dbs would be better than not doing them at all. Like Fausto, I feel weighted dips ought to have a place in your w/o. You will make heaps of progress if you persevere with them. Missing deads out completely is almost a crime!
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For your second week of 10s I would do 1 1/2 sets (ie 15 reps) if you can, rather than drop down to 1 set only. Try to do 15 total reps for 5s. During the second week of 5s, if you can only do one max set, drop the load a little for the other two. Or, do a few cluster reps by dropping down to 3 reps a set. So you might do 5,4,3,3.

How come you are stopping after 7 weeks? Unless you have to stop just keep on going until progress halts or you feel your body is broken enough. The 5s are where it's at!
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Whatever you decide, have a good cycle.
 
The guys are right, ditch the iso's. There's no reason to do leg curls and extensions if you're squatting properly; waste of energy. Do the full ROM olympic squat.

Also, I think if you're goal is to get bigger and stronger, then you need to start pulling heavy from the floor (deadlifts, 90 degree rows, cleans) and spend some time pressing heavy weight over your head.

I've never seen a guy who can press 225 pounds over his head have weak delts. I've seen plenty of skinny guys doing laterals though.

And just tonight, I had to wait for the squat rack because three skinny kids were curling in there. Why can't these kids pick the weight up off the floor and leave the squat racks for people who are squatting? Probably because they can't deadlift 65 pounds.
 
hey ppl..

thanks for replying so promptly....

sorry its taken me so long to post MY reply though...

ok, so i've re-thought my plan and here is how i'd like to do HST:

1.) Olympic Squats
2.) Leg Curls
3.) Incline Bench Press
4.) Lat Pull Downs
5.) Power Cleans
6.) High Pulls
7.) Decline Smythe Machine Bench Press
8.) V-Bar Pull Downs

now my exercise selection is purely compound...you see, in my eagerness in setting up the HST program, i left out certain exercises which i REALLY like and which i REALLY cant do without....hence the drastic change in this program when compared to the one in my initial post..

now here's how i see the set/rep scheme:
Weeks 1 and 2: Sets x Reps = 2 x 15
Week 3: Sets x Reps = 2 x 10
Week 4: Sets x Reps = 1 x 10
Week 5: Sets x Reps = 3 x 5
Week 6: Sets x Reps = 2 x 5
Week 7: Sets x Reps = 1 x 5
Week 8: SD

how do ppl feel about this system...???

- Big Boy
 
Not a bad program but I would personally change the following:

Leg Curls to Stiff legged Deads and add a shrug add the top of hte lift.

Lat Pulldowns to Chin or Pull Ups.

Decline bench to Dips.

V Bar push downs (I am assuming you meant for the tris and not a pull down for the lats) to close grip bench.

Add drops sets in weeks 6 and 7 to keep volume constant but load increasing.

Good luck!
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thanks Old and Grey...

but i wont change leg curls to SLDL...i dont like SLDLs or Romanian Deads....i cant do them 3x a week because of psychological reasons...

i like lat pull downs so i wont keep chins....and i cant pull my body up 15 times in any case lol...

i also cant do dips 15 times with my body wieght (sad, no..??) so thats why i've kept decline bench...

yeah sorry, i meant v bar PUSH downs....i dont like doing close grip bench press for 5 reps...they scare me..!! but i'll do them instead...

i'll do drop sets in week 7.....

thanks for you help again sir...

- Big Boy
 
<div>
(Big Boy @ Jul. 11 2006,18:23)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">but i wont change leg curls to SLDL...i dont like SLDLs or Romanian Deads....i cant do them 3x a week because of psychological reasons...</div>
Psychological reasons? Really?
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Chris.
 
Psychological perhaps meaning the mere thought of having to deadlift a huge amount of weight 3x a week is enough to make him not want to workout at all. Or something like that, maybe.
 
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