Slight problem with power routine

[Jimbo]

Everytime I start with a new weight I like to make it heavy enough to get 5 reps for the first set. Next workout I go back and I get around 8-9 reps.
The problem is with the 3rd workout. I get about 13reps. Then 10 reps for my second set. The last three sets suffer (go down by about 1-3 reps) becuase I can go right to failure on the first 2. Am I still providing maximum stress on the muscle???? Should I lighten up on the first 2 sets, say like 8 and 8 reps and then go all out for my last 3 heavy sets? Or does it all equal out anyway????

 

[Big A]

If you are failing with a max weight in the first set or first two sets, then obviously the muscle is taxed at maximum, so you are stimulating growth.
So then, why are you doing the other 3 sets to failure? Just so you can deplete further your recovery ability and tax your CNS even more, so it takes you longer to recover and as such longer to grow? After the first or second set, you should move onto another exercise or finish off that bodypart. The following sets are counter productive.

 

[Swolecows]

bump

 

[Jimbo]

I just do all 5 sets cause the routine calles for it.

Im not to worried about the overtraining of it cause I only train 2x a week with each bodypart getting every 9-10 days..

 

[feelnfit]

hst

try hst. we only do 2 sets per body part 3 times a week.

 

[Jimbo]

Re: hst

try hst. we only do 2 sets per body part 3 times a week.

HST???

 

[xcelbeyond]

Hypertrophy Specific Training
**broken link removed**

xcel

 

[gainingmass]

So basically your doing 1 set heavy until failure, and that stimulates the same or more growth from doing multiple sets? Is that whats being said, just makin sure im understanding. Im curious about this. Does anyone on here do HST and would they mind posting what their training is like for one week, so i could get a basic idea, incase i want to start tryin, im always open to new ways to grow. Thanks for the help if you post

 

[xcelbeyond]

I'm doing HST and am far from being an expert on the system. Given that, here's my take on it. You need to complete the target number of reps for each exercise. If you fail on last rep (but still able to complete it), it's OK - but you don't intentionally go til failure. Remember, you're doing 2 sets of everything.

When you first begin, you may have to increase your weight for second set as amount of weight for first set was too light. You may not have increased it enough for 2nd set, so just increase the weight for next time you do exercise. Same goes for if weight is too heavy - just reduce weight to hit target reps (15 reps in the beggining of program is a lot of reps!).

The program is way too large to try and outline in a post. If you want to e-mail me, I'll send you a spreadsheet that I made and use. They say to begin with Squats but I readjusted the program to begin with chest. My legs are my strong bodypart and chest weak. So when I'm the freshest, I do chest. I also have it setup as a push-pull routine. I'll begin with a "slight" incline bench (about 7" raise) then immediately follow the exercise with bent-over rows - a superset. I do this workout at home and superset so I can get through entire workout in one hour. If I don't superset, the program takes way too long (too much time used up in setting-up weights/exercises).

Gotta go - do my HST workout!

xcel

 

[xcelbeyond]

About HST: I'm not purporting as the end-all workout. I was doing a variation of HIT and had MUCH success with it. I do believe that your body will eventually adjust to any load placed on it - hence my body was ready for a change.

HST seemed to be a good option to try and it still kicks my ass! I started doing it at firsy part of May.

You may say it's overtraining but the premise of it is that you're not placing any more load on your bady than training one body part once a week (doing 6 sets of an exercise per week). Following HIT, you do full body workouts only 3x a week. This translates to 6 sets of an exercise per week. I see it as mor of a volume type of training as you vary the number of reps every 2 weeks, beggining with 15 reps per exercise. I don't drop below 5 reps per exercise as I just seem to put too high a stress on my joints going to lower reps (remember my age - but I actually discovered you don't need low reps when I was ~40). At the - no less than 5 rep per exercise - I've INCREASED my strength and SIZE (even at the ripe ol' age of 40!).

xcel

 

[Paul Bunyan]

The more training years you have under your belt the faster your body will adapt to any program. The key is to find out how many weeks it takes you to go stale on a particular routine. Once you know that, switch routines one week earlier.

PB

 

[Big A]

So basically your doing 1 set heavy until failure, and that stimulates the same or more growth from doing multiple sets? Is that whats being said, just makin sure im understanding. Im curious about this. Does anyone on here do HST and would they mind posting what their training is like for one week, so i could get a basic idea, incase i want to start tryin, im always open to new ways to grow. Thanks for the help if you post

What I said above is more my own theory. If you go to the Article's forum, you will find in the 'growth principles for beginners' thread my detailed info about it.