slinky said:
Maybe it's me, but I find 14-sets to be a tad too much. Maybe occasionally, to get over a training hump would be okay. But not all the time and for every back training day.
What we've been doin' is 4 to 5-sets of deads, followed by 3-sets pullups. And have been experiencing fantastic results. Both strength and LBM gains.
HST has a very distinctive plan in it's program layout. It's not just performing 14-sets for the sake of performing 14-sets. There is a purpose behind the volume of work presented in HST.
However that, make sure you're eating enough to cover on the recovery necessary on a high volume of training. Also, the volume of training for each person would vary. You'd have to consider training experience and other "stuff" that makes us all individual. Some people can do that high volume; others can't.
I think your back routine is a very good one. the 4-5 sets of deads probably have 3 warm ups and thats about right for heavy deads. And the 3 sets of pulldowns will do more than 15 sets of lat work if done very hard and strict like I bet you train.
Have you ever noticed that the high volume people do not train very hard?...thats because they don't need to as they are on a ton of gear. I know top competitive women that are on 200 of test and 200 of nandrolone per week and thats a hell of a steroid load for a female....so they can do anything and grow. The same can be said for the men.
At the risk of sounding like an asshole I will say this....no offense intended...
High volume does NOT work, AT ANY TIME, unless you are either VERY genetically gifted and or on steroids and a good deal of steroids.
The percentage of genetically gifted is VERY low at perhaps 2-5% of the general training population.
Frequent time in the gym is another BS thing pushed by the glossy magazines of today. Anyone not on gear will do much better being in the gym a total of three times per week on a three way split than 5 days per week. The very most a natural trainee should be in the gym is every other day on a three way split and that is if he is fairly gifted.
Also....high volume usually ruins intensity and weight progression, key factors in progress. I love putting the high volume people through my upper leg and deadlift workout. After just 2-3 working sets of sqauts in the 10-15 rep range and 2 sets of deads in the 8-10 range they are toast.
I am NOT blowing my own horn here but I am just trying to make a point.......I put my training partner through a set of heavy strict high rep squats for 12 reps. As we progressed in the set the ENTIRE gym stopped and watched. His intensity and effort was very high as he squated over 500 pounds in perfect deep form. We did this one working set of squats and one working set of deep leg presses and he was DONE his quads and had a heck of a time walking to the rack for stiff leg deadlifts.
But some will say...I have another 5 sets of hacks to do 5 sets of leg presses and 3 sets of leg extensions HA! that will do nothing but drain you of valuable recuperative powers.
Remember this , you will gain on a high volume moderate intensity routine while on steroids but not as a natural trainee.
To get over a training "hump" the worst thing you can do is to increase volume....you actually need to take a 10 day rest from weights and then come back with about 85-90% of your previous bests and then slowly work your way back to and past your previous bests.
At the very least you need to DECREASE volume and increase intensity and rest time out of the gym.
Training for the natural trainee should focus on weight progression in small to tiny increments each week or two. If your weights are going up, even very slowly, then your muscle will grow and you will progress in developement nicely.
Get some tiny plates as the 2.5 pounders are way too much to add to the bars, even in the squat, after the going gets tough.
www.fractionalplates.com
Even a 1 pound per week increase in the bench and 2-3 pounds per week in the squat is good progress. Kepp this up for months and pretty soon you are much bigger and stronger.
Most people, especially men, turn to roids because they can't make progress as a natural with their frequent high volume workouts, beyond a year or so of training.
Its a damn shame that there is SO little sound training natural advice from bodybuilders....it seems now that most of the good advice comes from power lifters. You can blame Weider and his BS magazines for all that.
One of the most important thing a natural trainee can do is to avoid reading the glossy magazines.
That said...I have used steroids but still keep my volume pretty low. I just increase intensity mostly. Dorian Yates and others have proved this to be effective.
For a good web site on natural training go to
www.hardgainer.com
For a really good serious book on competitive bodybuilding buy "A Warriors Story" by Dorian Yates. Just tone down his recommended intensity a bit while not on steroids and train only three day per week on a three way split at most.
Good luck
RG