asdfzxcv's HST journal

[asdfzxcv]

HST,10rep cycle,workout 1,date 27/3/06 bodyweight 195.5lb

Chins
5x2.5
5x2.5
5x2.5
Added a tiny bit of weight to these today,wasnt all that hard.I will try to add weight to these as the weeks roll on.

Squats
10x195
10x195
The squats went good today,got all the reps without hassle.I am hoping to do 10x225 by the end of the 10rep cycle.

Push press
10x100
10x100
I always dread these the most,but today they were very fast and smooth.I cant wait till this cut is over so I can focus on getting up to bodyweight for these,even for 1 rep.

Bent over row
10x110
10x110
Not much to say here,got them all fairly easily.Will increase the weight by 10lb next time.

Bench
10x120
10x120
Too easy,bench doesnt seem to bother me for higher reps.I only took a 45second rest between the 2 sets and still managed to get the second set with room to spare.

Summary
Overall good workout,nice start to the 10rep cycle.Nothing was really too difficult and the metabolic demands are less then that of the 15rep sets.I dot think I have lost any strength yet,although my belly has shrunk about an inch in 2 weeks and the other measurements are holding steady.Diet has been getting better,I have been changing some of the evening carbs to vegetables,which are lower in calories.I am giving myself 11 more weeks to get rid of the excess fat,which should be enough.Once I get down to a lean 180-185 I will clean bulk slowly to about 230 over the course of a year.

 

[asdfzxcv]

Forgot to post yesterday

HST,10rep cycle,workout 2,date 29/3/06 bodyweight 194.5

Dips
10xbw
8xbw
Almost got the 2 full sets of 10,but I was feeling a bit drained for some reason.

Front squats
10x140
10x140
Went for a moderate increase on these today.They were easy weightwise,but they still exhausted me by the end.I like front squats as they force me to stay more upright and get deeper in the hole.

Push press
10x105
8x105
The push presses are quicky becoming the hardest of the exercises in this HST run,even more tiring then the almighty deadlifts.By the 8th rep on the second set I was spent so I decided to save some energy for the bench.I dont think it is muscle loss,rather a bit of tiredness from reduced calories.

Deadlifts
10x235
10x235
These were suprisingly easy today,which is good.I am using this opportunity to work on my form a bit,especially of the floor as I have trouble keeping my hips low.Personally I find it very difficult to get into the squat like position at the start,but that could be due to height.

Bench
10x125
10x125
Easy peasy,got both sets without any issues.

Summary
Decent workout today,despite feeling a bit tired.My weight loss is going quite good so far,lost 1 1/4 inches off my waist in the past 3 weeks.I am doing cardio on the off days,both HIIT and lower intensity each twice a week.I think if I keep this up for another 10weeks I will be pretty lean and ready for journal towards 230lb.

 

[nelmsjer]

I need to go read up some more on HST... Work is keeping me too busy, dangit!

 

[Cynical Simian]

Congrats on another solid workout and what sounds like a nicely progressing cut.

How's the cardio going? Any noticeable changes (positive or negative) on off-day energy levels, lifting/recovery, or endurance during the cardio itself?

 

[asdfzxcv]

Congrats on another solid workout and what sounds like a nicely progressing cut.

How's the cardio going? Any noticeable changes (positive or negative) on off-day energy levels, lifting/recovery, or endurance during the cardio itself?

I havent been doing cardio very long but I can see it is having a noticable effect on my general well being.During the day I feel more energetic and happier in general.Seems to be helping the fat loss along nicely,which is the main goal.

I also happened to find an extreme version of HIIT called ''tabata''on the net.It comprises of 8 20second intervals of maximum effort with 10seconds in between.The best thing about it is that you can use almost anything,sprints,bodyweight exercises etc and it only takes 4 mins total.In addition to the running I have been doing I have been doing the aforementioned intervals with bodyweight squats in the evening.It definately gets the heart going,and I can actually do it at my fitness level.

 

[asdfzxcv]

HST,10rep cycle,workout 3,date 31/3/06 bodyweight 194.5lb

Chins
5x2.5
5x2.5
5x2.5
Taking it easy on these today,although they are feeling a bit easier now that the flab is coming off.

Squats
10x210
10x210
Todays back squats were actually a bit more challenging then I anticipated.I got all the reps but had to pause after each rep after about the 6-7rep mark.Still I am happy that I am managing to keep up with most of my calculated weights.I will try for 10x225 on the next workout.

Push press
10x110
8x110
Didnt get all my reps on these but I am still fairly happy that I havent lost any more reps.If I can stay within a rep or two of my target I will be happy with that.

Bent over row
10x120
10x120
These are getting a bit tricky,the awkwardness of getting into the proper position with smaller plates on the bar is annoying.As strange as it seems I cant wait to get back to using a 45 on each side for these as I dont have to bend over so far.

Bench
10x130
10x130
Again the benching was quite easy,the only challenge was the final 3 reps on the second set.

 

[asdfzxcv]

HST,10 rep cycle,workout 4,date 3/4/06 bodyweight 194lb

Front squats
10x145
10x145
Weightwise these are still fairly easy,could probably do 20lb extra easily.The only issue is that racking the bar on the shoulders gets extremely uncomfortable and it impedes my breathing sometimes.

Push press
9x115
8x115
I didnt get all the reps this time so I might keep the weight the same next time.I was working out in the evening as opposed to my normal morning routine so that might have contributed.

Deadlifts
10x245
10x245
Got all the reps without a hassle,might try for 10x275 next time.

Bench
10x135
10x135
As usual the first set was very easy but the second set was a close call on the last 2 reps.

Summary
Workout was ok today,despite not lifting at my usual time.I needed to hand in an assignment to my university so my usual workout was push back till the evening.My muscle mass seems to be stable despite the calorie deficiet and cardio,which is very good.The only issue I am having is that sometimes I feel a bit sluggish during lifting compared to when I was bulking,but I can live with that for now.However during the day I feel much better in general and not quite as bloated.I think if I got down to 180-185 I will be fairly lean and hopefully around 10-12%bodyfat,which should be fine for a long sustained bulk.Yes,I will be a bit skinny at that weight,but at least I wont be Skinnyfat like I am now.

 

[asdfzxcv]

Might have to stop with the running for a little while as my lower left leg has been a bit sore after running and I dont want to risk my squats/deads for the sake of running.I will still be doing cardio just things that are a bit more gentle,like brisk walking and other lower impact activities.

 

[Dposey]

You might want to try walking at an incline on the treadmill. Going at 3-4 mph at an incline of 11.0 or so gives me a great cardio workout and it's pretty low impact. Same with HIIT on an elliptical, not as much impact as on a treadmill.

Awesome job with the HST, this journal is great to read.

 

[asdfzxcv]

HST,10rep cycle,workout 5,date 5/4/06 bodyweight 193.5

Squats
10x225
8x225
Very dissapointed with these today,I expected to get both sets.I think the calorie deficiet is starting to catch up to me now as my performance has been shitty lately.For some reason the bar is starting to hurt my traps after squatting,maybe due to bodyfat loss?

Push press
9x115
8x115
More dissapointment here as I failed to once again meet my goals.

Bent over rows
10x135
10x135
Dissapointed with my shitty performance I decided to go all out on the rows.It was tricky but I managed to get them all with decent form.

Bench
10x140
10x140
Got all my reps on bench and met my 10rep goal a workout ahead of schedule.

Summary
Cutting blows,I am starting to get a little bit tired of the whole process.I can endure the hunger easily and my energy during the day is great,but as soon as I start lifting my energy just plummets.I am really questioning dragging it out for as long as I had planned.I am really considering just spending the next 3 weeks doing a PSMF(protein sparing modified fast) and just be done with the cutting.It would be a harsh 3 weeks but at least it would be over much faster.