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Here's my HST

Jim Ouini

Jim Ouini

New member
Well I is back from vacation and ready to train again in earnest. The cruise was pretty nice, I think I must've eaten between 7-10K calories/day :biggrin: For those of you who have never cruised, there's buffet food basically 24/7 and when you sit down for the formal dinner you can order as many and as much as you want. For example, just about every night I ordered 2 appetizers, 2 entrees (like crab legs and beef tenderloin, or salmon and grilled pork chops). I had dessert every night and to my chagrin I found out I like 'girlie drinks', like strawberry colada's :rainbow: :worried:

Anyway, I took the entire week off from lifting; the ship did have a gym but mostly it was either guys trying to pump up before heading out to the sundeck, people spinning furiously working off the previous night's tour de gorge or fitness fanatics who just can't take a week off.

(Also, at least 80% of the people on the cruise by my estimation were borderline obese - by the end of the week I have to say I think I was one of them.)

So I had always planned to run HST primarily for the high reppers to get some conditioning in and help bring my joints up to par. I didn't test any of my 15 or 10 rep maxes, I just guesstimated conservatively since I have no confidence in my conditioning. Although after doing this workout I'm not sure how workout 1 of 6 is supposed to feel since the weight is pretty light even for 15's. I worked up a good sweat and was breathing pretty hard so my conditioning sucks! Oh well - onto the numbers:

Workout 1 of 6 (15 reps)

Squat
Bar x 15, 135 x 15 (est. 15RM 185)

Easy, might've undershot it although the legs were buring a little around rep 11. Plus I'm being pretty careful with my back. Before I left I did a pause squat with 275 just for fun then stupidly tried to get some reps in so I sped up a little; I didn't say tight enough at the bottom and re-aggravated my injury. Not horribly but enough to call it quits for the day. Vacation didn't help it as much as I'd hoped, though.

Reverse lunge w/BB
65 x 15 (est. 15RM = 95)

Had to take off my oly shoe on my back leg since bending my foot kind of hurt it. Again I had some burning going on

Flat DB Press
55 x 15 (est 15RM = 80)

Too easy; will bump these

Dips
BW x 15 (est 15RM = 45)

No problem but was breathing hard on these

BB row
85 x 15 (est 15RM = 135? Maybe too low)

Too easy; will bump these.

Reverse grip pulldown
90 x 15 (est 15RM = 150 or so)

Humiliating being on this machine :rolleyes:

Standing dumbell press, alternating
35 x 15 (est 15RM = 45)

Yikes I was burning on these. Gym only has up in 5 increments. Probably I'll switch to barbell, but I liked the alternating aspect.

Good Morning
75 x 15 (est 15RM = 135)

Mostly for my back; hammies started feeling worked at the end of these

Power Shrug from hang
185 x 15

Threw these in just for fun. Pretty tired by now; Plus after GM's and doing these from the hang I was ready to stop.

It's a lot of exercises! But it's only 1 set for now and I was kind of excited to be back in the gym. Anyway, I feel pretty good; my back feels better after working out, and maybe it's my imagination but I feel slimmer already ;) I really don't enjoy these high reppers but all in all it wasn't too bad.

Next time I'm going to split up the exercises into a circuit, so I don't do 2 exercises for a bodypart in a row. When I hit 10's I'll probably do 2 sets and when I hit 5's I'll go to 3 sets I think. I may also drop some exercises or move them around a bit. We'll see.
 
Welcome back Jim! Glad you enjoyed the cruise! Are you going to cut a little now, or just hit the weights and let it all jiggle around into the right places?
 
Welcome back. The holiday sounds like it was relaxing and it's good to have another chubbins around.

Are you going to post your bodyweight progress?
 
Good to see you back. Cruises . . . damn. Sounds fun, and fattening by all accounts.

I'm looking forward to seeing you run HST. I've heard good things about it. No question, going into 15s will wipe you out if you're not used to 'em. LoL 5s are easy.
 
HST is fun. Circuit style HST is a KILLER. I've done it and it's rough the last few weeks, but definitely worth it. I'll definitely be following along.

Good luck and enjoy!
 
Thanks for the kind words all.

AB: I'm going to cut my calories a bit, probably eliminate a meal at nighttime. I don't really have a laser focus to cut, though, as I'm more interested in just conditioning/joint health. Even my 'muffin top' belly that showed up during the cruise isn't enough motivation :p

BW: Yesterday I weighed 210 at the gym in t-shirt and underwear but I don't trust Bally's to keep the thing calibrated. I weighed 203.5 when I weighed myself on our scale at home. I suppose it'd be good to provide a weekly weigh in for accountability sake.

PB/FBC: I hope I can stick with these 15's for the entire 6 workouts :chomp:. I tried 15 rep circuit style before after I had run a couple DF 5 x 5's and quit after the first workout lol
 
Workout 2 of 6 (15 reps)

Cirucit 1
Squat
145 x 15 (+10)

Did a warmup with the bar first then jumped right into it. Feeling fast and easy until I felt a twinge in my back on rep #11 or 12; I think I got lazy and lost some tightness at the bottom. I gotta keep my focus, I think this is the problem with high reps sometimes.

Flat DB press
60 x 15 (+5)

Pretty easy again.

BB row
95 x 15 (+10)

Can't call these JS rows since the 25's don't reach the ground with my back parallel. Maybe my arms are too short (or I'm not flexible enough) ;)

OHP
70 x 15

Switched from db's to BB. I est. my max is around 95 but these were pretty easy.

GM's
85 x 15

Just concentrating on form, especially with the twinge earlier.

Circuit 2
Reverse Lunge w/BB
75 x 15 (+10)

These really leave me knackered. After I do 15 w/one leg I had to take a break before starting the other leg. I also did these in my socks, FWIW.

Dips
10 x 15 (+10)

Did these piston like, didn't really lock out at the top but went all the way down.

Reverse Pulldown
100 x 15 (+10)

No problems, easy stuff. I think I got a pump in my biceps but can't be sure :rolleyes:

I did these thingies where you do kind of a front raise with thumbs up, then arms out to the side, then rotate the thumbs back and retract the scapula and pull it down. Can't remember the name.
3 x 15

Power Shrug from hang
195 x 15

Easy, more like cardio.

All in all I like doing these 15's in Circuit 1/2 fashion. I'm fresher for the lunges and scapular stuff then when I ran it by bodypart, although the lunges still kicked my ass.

Also, one of my friends said he's not used to seeing me run around the gym like I was, as opposed to sitting in the squat rack for an hour lol
 
I found that the 15's were more of a mental challenge - I was so sick of using piddly weights that I didn't want to finish week 2 :D
 
Guinness5.0 said:
I found that the 15's were more of a mental challenge - I was so sick of using piddly weights that I didn't want to finish week 2 :D
Click to expand...

Yeah these weights are sorry. And I agree the mental approach is totally different than higher intensity stuff. More of a 'please let this be over' than a 'god I hope I can do this'.

blut wump said:
Just don't forget wehre the squat rack is.
Click to expand...

Funny thing is I did my rows, OHP, and GM's from one of the benchpresses. That's how light the weights were that I could walk it out and the squat rack was being used for curls or something.

Basically I was a Moron at the Gym

blut wump said:
BTW, is that the exercise that Travolta was doing in Saturday Night Fever?
Click to expand...

:finger:

Anyway, I'm just doing it for shoulder health lol
 
Workout 3 of 6 (15 reps)

Cirucit 1
Squat
155 x 15 (+10)

Really kept my focus on keeping a tight lower back; it affected my depth a bit, though.

Flat DB press
65 x 15 (+5)

No problem. Kinda tired from the squats but I figured lying down would help :rolleyes:

BB row
115 x 15 (+20)

Still couldn't deload the weights on the ground. Started to 'feel a burn' around rep 12.

OHP
85 x 15 (+15)

Started to feel hard towards the end. Might have to only go up in 5lb increments from now on.

GM's
95 x 15 (+10)

Good set, I liked my form. Hams were shaking a bit towards the end.

Circuit 2
Reverse Lunge w/BB
85 x 15 (+10)

Right leg was harder than my left. Maybe because I was launching off my back a leg a little more ;)

Dips
15 x 15 (+15)

No problem.

Reverse Pulldown
110 x 15 (+10)

No problem again. Maybe will go up 20 next time.

Travolta retraction :p
3 x 15

Power Shrug from hang
225 x 15 (+20)

Kinda felt them at the end.

Overall: Glad to make it through the workout without any back twinge. 1st week was pretty easy. I'll have to gauge where I'm at appropriately next week. Might have problems with the lunges and the OHP. Everything else should be good.
 
Not too long, about 45mins to an hr. I'm probably resting between exercises more than I should, too. Compared to 2hrs + sometimes with 5 x 5.

I expect that the workouts will become increasingly longer as I go along and the weights get heavier.
 
Workout 4 of 6 (15 reps)

Cirucit 1
Squat
165 x 15 (+10)

Not too bad. Maybe I'm getting in better shape :biggrin:

Flat DB press
70 x 15 (+5)

No problem. I may be able to hit 85 or 90 on Friday.

BB row
125 x 15 (+10)

Easier than expected. Still didn't deload the weights, and I didn't dare stop so they went pretty fast. ;)

OHP
90 x 15 (+5)

Last 3-4 reps were hard, starting to get fatigued. Paused on the last rep and contemplated a push press, but I was able to get it strict.

GM's
115 x 15 (+20)

Hams were shaking towards the end. Also my lower back was getting slightly fatigued so I really had to concentrate.

Circuit 2
Reverse Lunge w/BB
95 x 15 (+10)

These are killin' me. Probably not good to do them after GM's either. Not sure how much I have left, maybe up to 115.

Dips
25 x 15 (+10)

Starting to feel these, especially towards the end.

Reverse Pulldown
135 x 15 (+25)

No problem.

I had to ask this older lady with a pink tie-dye t-shirt and purple velour sweatpants if she was done with the machine. Humiliating :(

Travolta's
3 x 15

Power Shrug from hang
245 x 15 (+20)

I really felt these today, mostly in my posterior chain. I think they were pretty tired from all the work done previously and didn't get very good snap on these.

Overall: Good start to the week. Only 2 more workouts to finish my 15's and I feel like I'll be able to get most of my targets, if not a little more.
 
Been following the journal since you started it and figured it was time to make the obligatory "good luck, looks good" post.

Isn't it a breach of gym etiquette not to include a stop at the pec deck on a circuit?
 
Thanks CS. Much appreciated.

Good point on the pec decs. Maybe I'll add them in at the end of the 10's and 5's just to pump up and bring out the detail ;) I'll probably have to work in with said lady in pink, although the good news is my gym has 3 of them.
 
Workout 5 of 6 (15 reps)

Cirucit 1
Squat
185 x 15 (+20)

Since I have only 2 more workouts in this rep range, I thought I'd push it a bit. I did the bar x 10 and then jumped right to 185. Felt pretty good, did a pause squat on the last couple reps. One thing I think this high rep stuff is doing is really make me conscious of keeping my stomach and lower back tight throughout the set. Hopefully it translates over to the heavier stuff.

Anyway, by no means did I feel I was close to my max so I may jump up to 205 or 225 on Friday.

Flat DB press
80 x 15 (+10)

Started to feel these around rep 12, arms started to feel a little shakey but doable. Will try 90's on Friday.

BB row
135 x 15 (+10)

Finally up to a plate so I could deweight the bar at the bottom. Might've made it easier since I rested for a sec on the last rep.

OHP
95 x 15 (+5)

Tough, started creeping back towards the end at least it felt like it. Pretty happy I got it but I'll only go up to 100-105 on Friday.

GM's
135 x 15 (+20)

Yikes these were hard. Had to take a break around rep 10 and 13. Hams, glutes and lower back were tired.

Circuit 2
Reverse Lunge w/BB
105 x 15 (+10)

Had a couple missed reps were I lost my balance. I pretty much dread these.

Dips
35 x 15 (+10)

Really had to concentrate to lock out the last rep, but got it. I can go up.

Reverse Pulldown
150 x 15 (+15)

Reps never in doubt, but had to grimace a couple times.

Travolta's
3 x 15

Power Shrug from hang
265 x 15 (+20)

Calves, hams and lower back feeling these. Calves especially. Some things just shouldn't be done for high reps, maybe this is one of them. :chomp:

Overall: I have no complaints, I don't hate this rep range as much as I did 2 weeks ago, but I'll be glad to move to 10's next week. On Friday I'll push it but won't mind if I miss a rep or two along the way.
 
Are you experiencing a burn at all? That is a large part of the benefit of doing the 15 rep phase. To paraphrase AI, achieving the burn is more important than the number of reps (for this period).
 
Honestly the biggest burning I feel is in my lungs. I feel like I'm getting a pump but no burning. I assume this is lactic acid flushing?

Maybe I started to light because here in Week 5 I feel like I'm only approaching failure on maybe OHP, dips, GM's and lunges.
 
Jim Ouini said:
I assume this is lactic acid flushing?
Click to expand...
Yes. It is good for the joints.

Jim Ouini said:
Maybe I started to light because here in Week 5 I feel like I'm only approaching failure on maybe OHP, dips, GM's and lunges.
Click to expand...
If you're not getting a burn, you can increase rep speed during the concentric. When I do my prehab I go for 30 or so reps because it enables me to get LOTS of reps in while my muscles are on fire from the lactic acid. Seriously, the end of the light 30-reppers borders on torture.
 
Guinness5.0 said:
Are you experiencing a burn at all? That is a large part of the benefit of doing the 15 rep phase. To paraphrase AI, achieving the burn is more important than the number of reps (for this period).
Click to expand...

Yup, and I basically paraphrased Blade from the HST boards when I said that.

The whole point of the 15's is to prepare joints, tendons, and connective tissues for the heavy loading to come, especially if you run it out to post-5's or negatives.

You want to feel the burn deep in the "belly" of the muscle. You're likely getting a burn in your lungs more than anything due to the circuit style training. Maybe cut that idea (although I guess I'm too late, you're at the end of the 15's) or just run it a few extra times. You don't need to worry about set count. Just get as many reps as it takes to get the burn. That's what I've done, anyhow.

And you shouldn't approach failure until the last workout of every two-week block anyway, so it's good you haven't yet.

Good luck with the rest of it, I'll be watching.
 
Guinness5.0 said:
If you're not getting a burn, you can increase rep speed during the concentric. When I do my prehab I go for 30 or so reps because it enables me to get LOTS of reps in while my muscles are on fire from the lactic acid. Seriously, the end of the light 30-reppers borders on torture.
Click to expand...


That is so true - I love the looks I get on my face. Having a spotter help you curl 40'lbs looks bad....but I'm thinking from reading your thread it's going to work out just fine...off to research...
 
nelmsjer said:
What the heck is going on in here? All this blasphemy: pec deck, 30 reps, the "burn", John Travolta, circuits...

Damn, Ouini, I thought you were a serious lifter.

;)
Click to expand...

:sulk:

Funny thing is, I saw a friend of mine at the gym yesterday who I hadn't seen in a few weeks. He was BS'ing with some dudes about something or other and he spots me doing my lunges. He shouts over 'WTF are you doing?!' Keep in mind he calls me a 'crazy bastard' for always squatting and deading and never using the machines.

Anyway, suffice it to say I wriggled out of it by saying I was doing some 'conditioning' and 'prep work' :chomp:
 
Workout 6 of 6 (15 reps). Yay.

Circuit 1
Squat
225 x 13 (+40)

Warmed up with some front squats with just the bar, then 135 x 5. Had to take a deep breath at 10 and by 13 my legs were shakey. I mighta coulda powered through 2 more but I am really being careful with my back and didn't want to risk any GM action.

Flat DB press
90 x 15 (+10)

Arms were wobbley on the last rep, pretty hard.

BB row
165 x 15 (+30)

These really gassed me. Reps 12-15 I had to to pause for a couple secs while the weight was on the floor.

OHP
105 x 13 (+10)

Nothing to exciting, couldn't quite get 15 but luckily I was 'feeling the burn' by the 10th rep or so ;)

GM's
145 x 15 (+10)

Last couple reps were quite difficult. Hams were shaking and I had to really focus on keeping everything tight.

Circuit 2
Reverse Lunge w/BB
115 x 15 (+10)

Really hard. Took a minute break between legs.

Dips
40 x 15 (+5)

No 45's in sight so I stayed with 40's. Barely locked out the last rep.

Reverse Pulldown
175 x 15 (+15)

Wow these were hard, my biceps were fried, I barely got the last rep. Doubtful that it have passed in competition :p

Travolta's
3 x 15

Power Shrug from hang
275 x 15 (+10)

Really had to force myself to do these. And when I finally got started I had to focus on form a lot. I was able to get decent hip action I guess but afterwards I felt kind of nauseous. :worried: So I sat down on a bench for several minutes, it felt like Week 4 5 x 5 deadlifting I was so tired.

Overall: Whew I'm glad this phase is over. Now onto 10's, where I bump up to 2 sets. I'm thinking of dropping one of the pressing moves, like maybe the flat db presses. One reason is that at >90 the dumbells have little pointy ends that dig into my leg when I get started, and I might need some help getting them into position >100.

Or maybe I should split the circuits into workout A and B, and alternate. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

BTW, is Friday international arm day? I swear 75% of the guys were doing curls and the fight for the tricep pushdown was unbelievable.
 
Workout 1 of 6 (2 x 10)

Squat
185 x 2 x 10

Kinda hard for some reason. Oh well.

Bench
185 x 2 x 10

Pretty fast 'n easy except the last 2 reps of 2nd set slowed down.

BB row
135 x 2 x 10

Weight wasn't hard but hard to keep a tight midsection and lowerback for that long, at least for me. At this point I really didn't feel like working out, and in fact I was thinking that I didn't feel like lifting again EVER. Then I remembered the chunk o' change I just dropped on that BB set and trudged on.

OHP
85 x 2 x 10

GM
135 x 2 x 10

Bent my knees a tad bit more to make it easier ;)

Scapular retraction thingie
5 x 2 x 10

Reverse grip pulldown
150 x 2 x 10

Moderately difficult on the last rep.

Powershrug
225 x 2 x 10

Actually caught some air on my first set ala Biggt. But after that I settled down to tippie toes. 10 reps is much better than 15.

So I skipped lunges because, uhm, well I didn't want to do them. The gym was sweltering and I think for this phase it's just too much. And I dropped the dips in favor of flat BB bench, I only want to do 2 pressing moves. I briefly considered running alternating A and B workouts and finally just settled on dropping a couple exercises that were giving me grief.
 
Did you get loaded from the 15s or was it just a bit of dehydration going on? Maybe the break for the vacation has taken a lot out of you.
 
I don't think I'm loaded. Probly a combination of dehydration - honestly, it was like being on the equator or something - and getting used to a certain intensity/rep range. I hope to improve throughout the week.

I have to admit to being a little worried about where my 5RM is on bench and squat though.

Also, my calories have been kind of inconsistent lately and a bit on the low side maybe.
 
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Workout 2 of 6 (2 x 10)

Squat
195 x 2 x 10 (+10)

Easier than Monday. Still got kinda winded though, especially 2nd set.

Bench
195 x 2 x 10 (+10)

Might've overshot this. No sticking point or anything, and by no means did I have to grind but on my last rep I had to stop and take a breath and concentrate.

BB row
145 x 2 x 10 (+10)

Easier than Monday, real snappy.

GM
145 x 2 x 10 (+10)

OHP
95 x 2 x 10 (+10)

Scheduled for 90 but I couldn't be bothered to find two 10's and some 2.5's. Anyway, I got these no problem. Last rep I held it over my head and looked around :smash:

Reverse grip pulldown
160 x 10, 162.5 x 10 (+10, 12.5)

First pulldwon machine seemed too light (plus it's in 'the beginner's area'). So I thought maybe the plates were off. I went over to the one in the freeeweight area and they've got it set up at 162.5. Anyway it was pretty easy today.

Scapular retraction thingie
5 x 2 x 10

Powershrug
245 x 2 x 10

Easy, good shrug action.

Overall: gym was cooler today, they were running the AC thankfully. I'm going to miss Friday's workout and be out of town all weekend; and from now on I may have to switch to Tue, Thurs and Saturday schedule. So workout 3 may not be for almost a week. We'll see.

Edit: Oh yeah I weighed myself today; 207 after workout. I think this scale is 6lbs heavy though, so I think I'm more like 201.
 
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anotherbutters said:
With your thingies and your Travoltas, your workout descriptions look as arcane as my core workouts ;)
Click to expand...

Dropped today due to the ridicule :(

Actually I was running short on time so I skipped these and the lat pulldowns. Worked out at this new swanky gym http://www.proclub.com/ Pretty nice gym but kind of crowded with 20 somethings. 3 squat racks so that was good. On a side note, they have about 30 PT's all ACSM certified which I hear is the gold standard along with NSCA. Well I saw the same sorry machine based, smitty using, isolation heavy routines I see everywhere else. Whatever.

Workout 3/6 (2 x 10)

Squat
205 x 2 x 10

Not bad but not easy either. I definitely feel weaker on these although the good news is my back felt nice and solid.

Bench
200 x 2 x 10

2nd set was kinda tough towards the end. Didn't like the benches at this gym - too much padding and I had to reach back too far to unrack the bar.

BB row
155 x 2 x 10

Easy.

GM
155 x 2 x 10

While I was doing these some guy gets in the rack next to me and immediately loads up 275. He had a belt on and one of those manta rays that rest on your traps with a slot for the bar. Anyway, quarter squat city.

OHP
100 x 2 x 10

Last 3 reps of 2nd set were hard.

Powershrug
265 x 2 x 10

Calves were starting to cramp up so I couldn't get on my tippy toes as much as I'dve liked.

Overall: Good to be back in the gym; last workout was last Wed so I was itchin to get back but my cals were low over the weekend and had to travel from Washington DC to Seattle. Spent most of my time in airports/planes. I felt weak! Hopefully it's just workin' out the kinks.
 
Workout 4/6 (2 x 10)

Squat
225 x 2 x 10 (+20)

Hard, I had to rest on rep #7 of 2nd set. Form's alright but strength has gone down, I think.

Bench
205 x 2 x 10 (+5)

2nd set hard again. I really hate these benches at this new gym - way too much padding and hard to push off of. Oh well maybe I'm getting some functional stability work in :rolleyes:

BB row
175 x 2 x 10 (+20)

Screwed up, and went too heavy. Was supposed to do 165 but I miscalculated the weights and paid for it. Had to rest the weight on the floor for like 2 seconds towards the end.

GM
165 x 2 x 10 (+10)

Doable, have some left in the tank on these.

OHP
105 x 2 x 10

Happy I got these. Reps 8-10 were knackering but I was able to lock out and look around. ;)

Powershrug
275 x 2 x 10

Did these off pins in the powerack. Not sure about leaving these for last because they're a pretty explosive compound movement. Ah well.

Overall: Kind of disappointed with my squat, I hope it's the rep range. Bench may not be moving up much after today, I was thinking 225 x 2 x 10 but I was stronger back then, and did them after some heavy triples. Maybe I need to do some CNS priming soon :qt:
 
Workout 5/6 (2 x 10)

Squat
245 x 2 x 10 (+20)

Hard, I had to rest on rep #7 of 1st set and last rep I had some slight GM action. 2nd set was better for some reason.

Bench
215 x 2 x 10 (+5)

Wow just wow. 1st set wasn't bad but 2nd set was tough. I barely got the last rep, it was a slow grind.

BB row
185 x 2 x 10 (+20)

Smacked my knee on the way down on one of my reps. Also, I was using those plates with the flats all along the edge, and when I deweighted between reps it would tip this way and that.

GM
175 x 2 x 10 (+10)

Not bad.

OHP
110 x 10, 8

Had to push press a couple reps, and only got 8 reps my 2nd set.

Powershrug
295 x 2 x 10

Decent but I think I was using a thicker bar, it almost slipped towards the end.

Overall: Whew, tough workout. Right now I'm not sure how much I have left on my bench. All the other lifts are pretty tough, too. Maybe the weekend will help and I can push through one more in this rep range. Then I can start 5's again :evil: I've pretty much decided that I'm going to split the 3 x 5 workouts into something like the following:

A:
Back Squat
Bench
BB row
GM

B:
Front Squat
OHP
Pullups
Powershrug.

I may also throw some deads in there for fun.
 
Are you seeing any results yet with these sessions whether strength or body composition?

I hate smacking my knee on rows. Luckily it hasn't happened for a few weeks.
 
Jim Ouini said:
Also, I was using those plates with the flats all along the edge, and when I deweighted between reps it would tip this way and that.
Click to expand...
They'll be the plates designed to stop the bar rolling away from you. It's a very clever design :rolleyes:

So are your Eleiko weights too good to work out with? ;)
 
blut wump said:
Are you seeing any results yet with these sessions whether strength or body composition?
Click to expand...

Strength seems down, body looks the same :worried: I weighed 201 last night, so holding steady on that front.

anotherbutters said:
So are your Eleiko weights too good to work out with?
Click to expand...

Gonna update my other thread ;)
 
nelmsjer said:
:wavey:

Hey, bud! Just dropping in today. Have a great weekend. :D
Click to expand...

You as well, thanks. Nice to have the extra day - gonna work on the home gym a little more.

al420 said:
Especially fun while deadlifting - - -
Click to expand...

Hah! I was thinking that too after one rep where the right side tipped forward and the left side tipped back. It really sucked.
 
I've often taken chunks out of my shins purely due to the bar shifting position slightly when it's deloaded. I can hardly imagine how it must be with those edged plates.
 
On one rep it twisted so bad I thought I was going to wrench my back. My 2nd set I did a couple reps touch 'n go but that felt weird. Who invented these things anyway :finger:
 
Workout 6/6 (2 x 10)

In honor of memorial day, all weights are in kg. :Chef: Actually, I worked out at home today - first time I've used the new setup. Spent half the time doing math to get the poundages right.

Squat
120 x 10, 8

264 lbs, right? Well anyway, it was hard as evidenced by me stopping at 8 on my 2nd set. I had re-aggravated my back yesterday moving stuff around the garage so I was cautious about any GM action and to be honest I'm happy I was able to get what I could outta these.

Bench
100 x 10, 9 + 1

Slightly better than 215 on Friday. 1st set was pretty easy. 2nd set wasn't bad until 7 then I hit the wall and had to grind out 2 more on my own plus 1 extra with help from my brother.

BB row
90 x 10, 8

1st set was OK, 2nd set I started humping the bar so I quit at 8. Lower back fatigue started to set in.

GM
Skipped due to bad back.

OHP
50 x 10, 8

Easier than the same weight on Friday, probably because I skipped GM's. Still failed on my 2nd set, though.

Powershrug
140 x 2 x 10

Tired so minimal explosion.

Overall: I love my new weight set. I'm sure my workout wasn't worthy, but whatever, I'm glad to have completed all 6 workouts. Ready to move to 5's :garza:
 
Jim Ouini said:
Workout 6/6 (2 x 10)

In honor of memorial day, all weights are in kg. :Chef: Actually, I worked out at home today - first time I've used the new setup. Spent half the time doing math to get the poundages right
Click to expand...


I was looking at your lifts thinking, "I know he's doing 10's still but I could have swarn he was lifting way more weight then 100lbs for bench. Then I read the the part above.

Is your "home gym" in kilos, or do you just enjoy working your brain as well as your body... that's a true full body workout.

How do you feel after completing the 10's? Was it worth it so far?
 
Yeah my home gym is in kg. I don't like working out my brain when I workout - I'll leave that to the Brits ;)

10's were OK. A big relief after running 15's, but doing full body workouts every other day at this intensity (75-80% 1RM?) I felt like I might be getting loaded, especially last Friday (workout 5/6).

When I start 3 x 5's I'm going to split my workouts up into A and B, I think it'll be better and also give me some time to rest between sets without turning the workouts into a 2hr affair.
 
A few questions...

Does the home gym entail the end of your "morons/manta rays at the gym" stories?

I guess this is just a more specific version of DJ's question, but have the 15/10s caused any noticeable changes in body composition? I know Guinness mentioned the high reps of HST and his aborted 20-rep squat program both had an impact on it.

And, of course, nice workout; it looks like you set the weights well.
 
Thanks CS. One of the things about the workout 6/6 is I don't mind too much if I miss a rep or two on my 2nd set.

As far a body comp, I haven't noticed that much difference. My cals have been about the same, and I'd say about 20% of my diet hasn't been that good i.e, the weekends. Going in to HST I hadn't made a committment to cutting, mostly joint health/conditioning as a prelude to another DF 5 x 5 esque training cycle. I was of the mindset that any hypertrophy would be a bonus, but I certainly wasn't looking for NO2EXPLODE-type pumps. In retrospect it probably would've been a good time to decide on a calorie deficit...

Anyway I still have the 5's to run for a couple weeks, so I'll wait to judge if this has been a successful program - I do know my joints and such were feeling much better, except for my back which was feeling great with nary a twinge until I did too much lifting in the garage yesterday.

Cynical Simian said:
Does the home gym entail the end of your "morons/manta rays at the gym" stories?
Click to expand...

I'll probably lift at the gym twice a week, and at home once per week. So I'm sure I'll still be able to contribute to the Moron's thread :)
 
Can I suggest a chart on the wall for weight conversion? Take all of your convenient numbers, divide by 2.2 and round to the nearest convenient value in Kilos. I expect you bought some collars that you can view as micro-weights. I think a pair of spring collars is .5Kg but you should weigh them to be sure.
 
Yeah I gotta get a cheat sheet going. Or bring one of my old calculators out there.

I've got some collars, they're the plastic husker spin collars, pretty nice if not a bit long. The Eleiko set comes with metal plates down to 0.5kg, and lets not forget I have the microplates from 1 to 0.25lbs. No excuse for not making progress.

Speaking of the home gym, I'm thinking about leaving 100kg on the bar and everytime I walk by it do one rep of squats just to grease the groove :p
 
Workout 1/6 (3 x 5)

Welp, I had some concerns since I 'maxed out' on some lifts on Sat, but just went ahead and went with the plan. Worked out at the Pro Club today, so weights are in lbs ;)

Also, this is the first day of my split, I think the exercises were a little sparse so I have to think about it a little. Maybe add powershrugs or somesuch to this workout.

Squat

245 x 3 x 5

First 2 sets were alright, and then the last one was kinda easy. I did a pause squat on my last rep. Bunch of guys were squatting today - a group of 3 doing 95 lb super wide parallel squats with the manta ray - and one big dude doing quarter squats with 365 and a bench underneath him which he didn't come close to touching.

Bench
225 x 3 x 5

Not hard but I had to 'strain' a bit on my last reps. I really hate this poofy bench.

BB row
185 x 3 x 5

Easy. I was using the bar from the SLDL platform and moved it to the floor for my rows. In between my 1st and 2nd set, some guy asks me if I'm using the bar and I say yes. So he says 'I wanna use the platform' and I say sure no problem and move my bag.

Then he says 'are you going now?' and I said 'Well I'm resting between sets'. So he responds with 'I just wanna do 8 reps' so I say OK let me get a set in. So I do my 5 and he steps up to it like he's going to dead. He's getting in position and I can tell he's planning on squatting it up the way his body position was; He starts pulling the bar and it doesn't budge.

So he steps away and looks at the weight and realizes it's 185 and walks away without so much as a 'It's all yours'. Then I see him on the other platform doing 155 touch and go deads starting from the rack :rolleyes:

Anyway, it felt good to be in 5's again :evil: I think I undershot this workout so I'll have to do some thinking about a good split; on Fri I plan on doing the following:

Front Squats 5 x 3
GM 3 x 5 (If my back holds up)
OHP 3 x 5
Chins 3 x 5
 
I'm starting a petition if you ever consider doing all of your workouts at home. ;)

I never criticize the weights people talk about on here since my lifts are nothing compared to some of these guys' and were far less than that when I started. But seriously, a gym-attending adult male who can't manage 185 for a single? Did he appear to be malnourished or missing any appendages?
 
Well I'd say he weighed in at around 160-170lbs, no prosthetic limbs that I could see and an asian brother, actually, so I was trying to be nice. His form was all off too, but whatever, and then to see him tugging on the bar and then peer around the 45 only to see the 25 and then walk away with nary a word...lol.

Then again, this is the Pro Club, where I've never seen anyone bench 225, never seen anyone full squat 135 and never seen anyone dead more than 185.

I do like the amenities, though.
 
Cynical Simian said:
I'm starting a petition if you ever consider doing all of your workouts at home. ;)
Click to expand...

I'll be the first to sign, you seem to be a moron magnet or something, they are drawn to you, lol.

He must have beene so embarrassed that he couldn't even budge that bar after being an ass and forcing you to let him work in... just clasic.
 
Could you ever imagine a day where someone attempts a weight that you don't even think they could deadlift, then they go ahead and clean and jerk it, like in the vids of the Chinese kids posted on here a while back? That would be awesome.
 
I don't think morons are necessarily drawn to me. I must spend more time watching others than instead of lifting, so I have more to report. All goes with the territory when you're the King of Turd Mountain :Chef:

And I ain't hatin' on a 185 dead. I could barely do 135 when I started and that was with rounded back. Like dj said this guy was just being an ass, is all.

anotherbutters said:
Could you ever imagine a day where someone attempts a weight that you don't even think they could deadlift, then they go ahead and clean and jerk it, like in the vids of the Chinese kids posted on here a while back? That would be awesome.
Click to expand...

Yah. I'd love to see that. Also someone getting under the bar and just flat out hitting ATG. Personally, I've never seen it, not at Bally's or the gym I go to now.
 
Workout 2/6 (3 x 5)

Worked out at the Pro Club again after work. Pretty long day but I had a PB and banana sandwich and fruit smoothie w/protein about 45 minutes before my workout.

Hang Cleans
95 x 2 x 3
135 x 3

Not much to mention here except my form felt pretty much off. Haven't done these for awhile and I definitely lost whatever groove I had going before. Ah well.

Also, when I went to use one of the three squat racks, the safety pins were set where I like them (for some reason, at this gym everyone has the pins set around 4.5 feet off the ground) with the empty bar on it. Some PT with his client was doing some ab stuff on the floor in front of the rack, and as I start to grab the bar, the following conversation ensues:

PT: 'Hey we're using that'
Me: 'Oh OK', and I walk away.

Pregnant pause as I make my way to one of the other racks.

PT: 'Clean and Press'

I'm thinking 'Uh, I don't really need to know'. So I turn around and say 'OK pal, no prob' I kinda felt like he was bragging that he was having his client doing some oly lifting.

Anyway, this guy proceeds to do the slowest reverse curl and OHP you've ever seen, like super slow with just the bar. The guy is in agony and the PT's cheering him on 'Perfect!' 'That's it!' :rolleyes:

Front Squat
225 x 2 x 5, 4 + 1

Intended to do 5 x 3 since I've had rack problems in the past, but as I got under the bar it seemed like an awful lot of sets. So I just sucked it up and went for 3 x 5. First two sets were solid but kinda hard. Last set I lost my rack so I stopped at 4, then did one sitting in the hole for a few secs for giggles. Probably overshot this but whatever, I'll keep it going somehow next week :chomp:

GM
185 x 3 x 5

Pretty easy. Lower back felt good but left glute was tugging a bit. Have a lot of room on these, though, I hope.

Another story - it musta been Freaky Friday - but as I was doing my GM's I hear somone pounding on one of the bars a couple racks down. Sure enough some guy was hammering the manta ray into place, then proceeded to do some kind of plie looking, toes out, knees out, plie quarter squats with 225 :rainbow:

OHP
115 x 3 x 5

Easy.

Chins
20 x 3 x 5

Easy.

Dips
60 x 5, 80 x 2 x 5

Started out light because the dip bar at this gym are wider than I'm used to. But it wasn't too bad so I stepped it up. Not bad.

Overall: Good workout. I think I'm going drop the bench since I hate the benches at this new gym, and substitute dips instead. So the workouts will look like this:

A:
Back Squat
Dips
BB row
Power Shrug

B:
Front Squat
GM
OHP
Chins
 
Jim Ouini said:
And I ain't hatin' on a 185 dead. I could barely do 135 when I started and that was with rounded back. Like dj said this guy was just being an ass, is all.
Click to expand...

Completely joking, bud. No issues at all. Just felt a little feisty that day. ;)
 
nelmsjer said:
Completely joking, bud. No issues at all. Just felt a little feisty that day. ;)
Click to expand...

None taken, nelms, none at all. Just clarifyin' :)

6-5-06 Workout 3/6

Hang Clean (warmup)
135 x 5 x 2

Better this week. Had that 'bar suspended and whip elbows underneath feeling'. Then again, it's only 135 :rolleyes:

Squat
265 x 3 x 5

Felt solid. Had to strain on a couple reps but no concerns really. And I wasn't panting, out of breath or making pained expressions, so I figure that's a good sign.

Dips
90 x 3 x 5

Easy except for last rep on each set. Had to concentrate to lock out with the tri's. Also felt a little pull in my left pec, damn wide grip dip bars at this gym :mad:

BBrow
205 x 3 x 5

No problems.

Powershrug
315 x 2 x 5, 2 x 6

Meant to do 4 x 6 but I forgot. Anyway, I think my traps got a little bigger from the 15's and 10's, and I read Glenn advocates this rep range for this exercise, so I may go back to it.

Overall: Good workout. I feel like my strength is coming back. Weighed 202 afterwards.
 
6-7-06 Workout 4/6

Front Squat
235 x 5 x 3

Good sets, I like this 3 reps business ;) Legs were no problem, on my last set I paused for a sec at the bottom. Core/rack were more of a challenge.

While I was doing my sets, some guy started squatting next to me; You guys have heard of 1/4 squats, this guy was doing 1/64 squats. He loaded up 275 and pumps out 4-5 reps then lets out a big 'wheeew' after his set :)

GM
205 x 3 x 5

Kinda hard. Didn't feel much stretch in the hammies, probably due to some generous knee bend. Still, I concentrated on getting my hips back as far as I could and I know my lower back was working hard.

OHP
125 x 3 x 5

Elbow kind hurt after my 1st set so I busted out the elbow sleeve. Sets went much better after that.

Chins
30 x 3 x 5

Starting to get hard. Had to wiggle a little on my last reps.

Overall: Good workout. Happy with my front squat, I think I have room to move up on these. I've actually thought about continuing on with this schema for a couple more workouts, albeit with smaller jumps in weight. We'll see.
 
Well for the past couple days I've been limping around with what feels like a pulled groin.

I felt fine after Weds workout, but then on Thu my medial glutes felt kinda tight, especially after getting out of my chair at work. Then throughout the day my inner thigh/groin started feeling progressively worse to the point where I had to skip Friday's workout.

Today it's very slightly better, but still tender. I'm sure it has something to do with the lower back injury I sustained months ago and probably some compensation thing going on.

I think I'm going to have to see a chiro finally.
 
Cynical Simian said:
But seriously, a gym-attending adult male who can't manage 185 for a single? Did he appear to be malnourished or missing any appendages?
Click to expand...

LMFAO!!! I'm a weak, weak, pussy so I can talk shit -- 185? And it didn't budge? WTF? That's really pretty terrible. And, again, I suck, so coming from me, that means something. LoL And 155 rack pulls? Whoa . . . that's embarrassing if you're over 25 and not injured or have t3h A1D5.
 
Jim Ouini said:
I think I'm going to have to see a chiro finally.
Click to expand...
Or a physio. My chiro was good at being a chiro, but my back turned out not to be the problem and I wasted a lot of time seeing him. The physio cured me in one visit.

I'm not saying don't see the chiro, but consider both options.
 
anotherbutters said:
Or a physio. My chiro was good at being a chiro, but my back turned out not to be the problem and I wasted a lot of time seeing him. The physio cured me in one visit.

I'm not saying don't see the chiro, but consider both options.
Click to expand...

Do you have to be referrred or can you just show up?

Protobuilder said:
LMFAO!!! I'm a weak, weak, pussy so I can talk shit -- 185? And it didn't budge? WTF? That's really pretty terrible. And, again, I suck, so coming from me, that means something. LoL And 155 rack pulls? Whoa . . . that's embarrassing if you're over 25 and not injured or have t3h A1D5.
Click to expand...

Well even at Bally's I think I've only seen a few guys do 225. But this Pro Club is basically Microsoft's gym so - not to be stereotypical - most of these guys aren't exactly what you'd call real gifted physical specimens :)
 
My chiro and physio are just people I've found in the phone book. Made an appointment and paid on the day. I might have been able to see someone for free through the National Health Service (public sector), but it was quicker to find someone myself as it wasn't expensive. I don't know how things work over there.
 
Thanks for asking. The groin is feeling much better today, although when I get up from sitting I feel some tightness in my hip. After a few strides it loosens up and I feel somewhat normal.

I had in my mind to squat today, but I'm going to give it one more day of rest and try tomorrow.

I did a couple practice squats late last night with just the bar, although not sure how accurate a barometer it was since I was in my slippers :coffee:
 
Sucks abotu the groin, it looks like you were making some good progress with this workout...

Hopefully it will heal up fast.
 
Thank you for the comments, guys. It's much appreciated.

Today I felt pretty good. The groin pain is pretty much gone although the tightness is still there right when I get up out of a chair. I went to the gym because - and I don't know what else to call it - I was going through squat withdrawals. Maybe it's because my squat's not that great to start with so I'm scared of regressing even more.

6-12-06 W5/6 (?)

Squat
Bar x 10
135 x 5
185 x 1
225 x 1
255 x 1
275 x 5
225 x 5

Kind of a feeling out workout. 275 felt pretty good strength wise, except I had a wobble on my last rep. I did another set of 225 and it didn't feel as light as a back-off set should. Anyway, I felt no pain anywhere but I was very very careful about everything and didn't want to push anything so I left it at that.

Bench
225 x 3 x 5

Switched to bench because I still felt a twinge in my shoulder from the wide dip bars at my gym. Pretty easy, I did them with a little closer grip than usual, although I wouldn't call the CG.

BB Row
225 x 3 x 5

Last set was the best of the 3, had some hump action off the floor on the first 2. Moved my grip in a bit and that seemed to help.

Overall: Probably not the smartest thing to do, squatting today. But I couldn't help it and I feel pretty good. Working out always seems to help, and I did copius amounts of stretching afterwards. We'll see what Wed brings.
 
Good workout. I know what you mean about dip bars that are too wide. I ditched them altogether my last time through because of shoulder twinge issues as well.

275x5 is pretty badass for having a pulled groin.
 
6-14-06 Workout 6/6

Worked out at home today. Everything in kg :)

Front Squat
110 x 3 x 3

Dropped my sets down to 3. Kind of in a hurry because my brother worked out with me and he was doing light back squats 4 x 8. By the time I got to my worksets he was done. Plus, 110 was feeling heavy, on my last rep of each set I could feel my elbows dropping a bit. I didn't want to push anything, either.

OHP
60 x 2 x 5, 4

Too big a jump. Damn kg conversion, even with my cheat sheet. Actually I kinda forgot how hard these were and should've done 57.5 or something. Had to do a push press on last rep and still missed it.

Back extensions and Reverse Hypers
BW x 2 x 12

Felt good actually.

GHR
Couldn't really find an ideal position yet. I have to read up on how to do these properly.

Then did some copius stretching and hanging upside down. I feel pretty good, we'll see what tomorrow brings. Also, I'd normally do pullups if I were at the gym but I have nothing at home to use.
 
Not sure what I'll do next. I had planned on a DF 5 x 5.

But I'm thinking I want to get some resolution on my lower back. It comes and goes and shows up at odd times and places. I can certainly work around it, at least I have so far, but I'd like to get out of that habit.
 
I think I ended up at 70% 1RM for just about everything at the end of the volume cycle, so it's not heavy deading 3 x week per se. But by Week 4 it catches up to you and the last workout is tough. The 7 sets of squats and 6 sets of deads in the same workout were no joke.
 
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