What is HST? How is it different?

[Bryan Haycock]

My name is Bryan Haycock. I’m posting this because I’ve noticed a few “HST” threads on the board. Although it may seem that I'm "new" here, I've actually been here for many years now. I am grateful to the owner of the then “Mesomorphosis” a great deal for his support early on in my writing career. I started posting here when it was Mesomorphosis.com. Anyway, I've been busy over at another website for the last year or so and haven't been around much.

For those of you who haven't heard of me or HST, some years ago I wrote about a training method I put together based on a bunch of physiology research. The method is designed specifically to induce hypertrophy (a.k.a. growth), at times at the expense of other “performance” factors such as strength, power, endurance, etc. I called the method Hypertrophy-Specific Training for obvious reasons.

Please allow me to post a very brief treatment of HST for those who are interested.

I have yet to find any program that didn't incorporate (or attempt to incorporate) at least one method or strategy designed to elicit muscle hypertrophy.

There are only three concepts that are truly unique to HST.
1) The concept, and research indicating, that mechanical load, rather than neuromuscular fatigue is the primary trigger of muscle hypertrophy.

2) The concept that muscle tissue grows unabated in the face of continued loading. In other words, if you load a muscle, it will begin to grow and finish growing even if the load is never removed. This flies directly in the face of the common belief that full recovery is critical for optimal muscle growth. Think of skin being able to tan even while still exposed to sunlight.

3) The acknowledgement of the "repeated bout effect" and the incorporation of a strategic way of overcoming its growth inhibiting effects (i.e. Strategic Deconditioning)


Everything else is just using sets and reps to load the tissue. Everybody has been doing that since they began lifting weights (Romans were first to systematize it similar to the way we do it today).

One will notice however that these three points of differentiation have a significant impact on the planning of ones "sets and reps". A brief summary of the implications must suffice for now:

1) If progressive load, rather than chronic fatigue, is the primary stimulus for tissue hypertrophy, it isn’t necessary to “train to failure” if hypertrophy is the objective. This makes the practice of “adding more weight only after you can do more reps” terribly inefficient if muscle growth is the goal. It also refutes the logic of the “muscle confusion” practice, which is primarily a neurological phenomenon.

2) If muscle tissue is designed to grow even while the loading stimulus is still present, loading (i.e. training) should be undertaken much more frequently in order to maximize the stimulus. Create a high strain “environment” for the tissue to adapt to, not just occasional assaults.

3) Because the tissue becomes resistant to further load-induced growth as part of its adaptation to being loaded, growth will eventually slow dramatically and/or stop. If continued growth is the objective the tissue must be allowed to return to a more sensitive state before continued growth is to occur from loading. This is called Strategic Deconditioning (SD). This is often mistaken as “rest”, which deals with the CNS. Rest is designed to allow adaptation to “catch up” to the stimulus. SD is just the opposite. It is only concerned with the mechanical properties of the tissue. Rather than allowing the tissue’s adaptive resources to “catch up” to your training frequency, SD attempts to push the tissue in the opposite direction, effectively making it unfit to endure frequent loading. As you can see, periodic rest increases ones fitness, by allowing “recovery”, whereas SD decreases one’s fitness by allowing adaptive changes to reverse themselves.


How to Set Up a Basic HST Cycle:
First: Find the most weight you can lift for 15 reps, 10 reps, and 5 reps for each of the exercises you want to use during the cycle. These will serve as your 15RM, your 10RM and your 5RM. (RM is Repetition Maximum).

What you are going to do is to start with weights BELOW your RMs and work your way up to them in 2 week blocks or periods. For the first two weeks you will be doing 15 reps on each exercise. For the second two weeks you will be using 10 reps on each exercise. And for the final 2 weeks you will be using 5 reps.

You will only reach "failure" on the last workout of each 2 week block. This is because you will be using your Repetition Maximum on that day for that particular rep range.

So, lets say your 15RM is 200 pounds on incline bench. For the first 2 weeks your weights for incline bench will go like this: 150lbs on Monday, 160lbs on Wed, 170lbs on Fri, 180lbs on the following Mon, 190lbs on Wed, and finally 200lbs on Friday. This example is using 10lb increments, but you could use 20 lb increments if you wished.

Once you have reached your 15RM, you will immediately begin another 2 week cycle but this time using your 10RM and you will work up to it in the same way as you did your 15RM. Once again you will use a fixed weight increment from workout to workout.

Once you reach your 10RM you will immediately start a new 2 week block using your 5RM. And proceed in the same manner as before.

It’s ok if your starting weight for your 10RM block is lighter than the weight you just used for your 15RM the Friday before. People call this zig-zagging and its just fine. In fact, most people experience better results with a bit of zig-zagg in their weights as they move from one two week block to the next.

Usually smaller muscle groups do better with smaller weight increments from workout to workout. So whereas for legs you might use 20 pound increments while working up to your RM, for shoulders or arms you might use 10lbs or even 5 lb increments.

If the starting weight is too low, for example with lateral raises for shoulders, it is ok to use 3 total weight increments instead of the usual 6. Simply repeat the same weight for two workouts, still making sure you end up using your RM on the last workout of that 2 week block.


Of course, there are many many details that come up as a result of trying to apply HST to each individual’s circumstances. Add to that the many details of mechanotransduction and the whole hypertrophic process (physiology, training, nutrition, supplementation, hormones) and you have quite a bit to chew on.

I hope you found this helpful.


-bryan

[swoool]

This thread is very informative and maybe should be a sticky so it doesn't get moved down.This may help eliminate a lot of questions.Just my.02.
swoool

[Grizzly]

Probably not. Look in the anabolic section. There are two "how to do a fucking cycle right" stickies and there are still 400 questions a day.

[Bob Smith]

Excellent post, Bryan! Ive posted links to the original HST article numerous times and have tried to answer questions as best as I can. But its always nice to have the "real deal" here helping out!

[swoool]

Originally Posted by Grizzly

Probably not. Look in the anabolic section. There are two "how to do a fucking cycle right" stickies and there are still 400 questions a day.

Your probably right GRIZZ.It would be nice for it to be a sticky for my own benefit for quick reference though.And before you say it I'm not lazy.LOL
swoool

[Ramstein II]

It’s a thrill to have you contributing. I hope the newcomers to this board realize how lucky we are to have your contributions.

I agree with the idea of frequent/chronic bouts of progressive tension to induce hypertrophy, specifically sarcomere hypertrophy.

However, what about sarcomplasmic hypertrophy? It seems to me that this is fatigue induced and results from a supercompensation of sarcoplasm, mitochondria, ATP, and CP stores which are exhausted from repetitive or high volume work. Do you think 1-2 sets for a muscle group in the 10-15 rep range is sufficient to induce this fatigue?

[Lil-BIG-Man]

Just out of curiousity....what kind of diet did you guys use to gain lean muscle and lose bf%? Thanks.

[Bob Smith]

Originally Posted by Lil-BIG-Man

Just out of curiousity....what kind of diet did you guys use to gain lean muscle and lose bf%? Thanks.

Do you mean at the same time, or during a specific cutting or mass phase?

[mrmoo]

Originally Posted by Bryan Haycock

<snip>
If the starting weight is too low, for example with lateral raises for shoulders, it is ok to use 3 total weight increments instead of the usual 6. Simply repeat the same weight for two workouts, still making sure you end up using your RM on the last workout of that 2 week block.

Hi Bryan. I have a couple questions for you if you wouldn't mind answering them.

I tried HST for a month but failed horribly due to overtraining. I now realize this was because I misapplied your techniques and inserted more excersizes to cover all muscle groups. I'm looking forward to trying it again, the right way, in the near future.

My first question has to do with the above quote of yours. Assuming 3 total weight increments instead of the usual 6, would the last two sets be to failure? For example, squats 5 rep failure is say 365. Mon and Wed is 305, Fri and Mon is 345 and the last Wed and Fri is 365. Is that right?

My second question is along the same lines as the first. On your website in one of your HST articles you mention that it's fine to split legs into two excersizes, something like squats and leg press. Would that then mean that the last Wed (squats) and Fri (leg press) excersize would both be to failure? Or would you be hitting failure only on Fri (leg press) and squating 10-20lbs less then max on the last Wednesday?

Thanks again.

[Bob Smith]

The goal is not to hit failure, it is to adequately stimulate the muscle on a frequent basis. True, you are more likely to hit failure on the 6th day of each micro-cycle, but thats not the goal. If you do two leg movements, squat and leg press, then yes, the last Wed and Friday would be at your predetermined RM. IMO, Id stick with just squats, and any other major compound movement.

As for the squat example you gave, you are using enough weight to go with 6 increments instead of 3. So start at 315 and go up 10 pounds each workout till you hit 365 on that final Friday.

[Juggernauttx]

Originally Posted by Bob Smith

The goal is not to hit failure, it is to adequately stimulate the muscle on a frequent basis. True, you are more likely to hit failure on the 6th day of each micro-cycle, but thats not the goal. If you do two leg movements, squat and leg press, then yes, the last Wed and Friday would be at your predetermined RM. IMO, Id stick with just squats, and any other major compound movement.

As for the squat example you gave, you are using enough weight to go with 6 increments instead of 3. So start at 315 and go up 10 pounds each workout till you hit 365 on that final Friday.

Another thing I have found effective in HST is to alternate exercises. I see Bryan frequently recommends this as well. So instead of doing one exercise for example in a 2 week block, you can do 2 different exercises and alternate them. This will also keep you from starting at a too low of weight and the weight jumps would be only 3 times for that exercise. For example on using Bobs squat example. Instead of starting at 315, you can start at 335 and just add 10 pounds when you do the squat. and you alternate this with say for example, leg press, and you increase that weight 10lbs each time you workout that exercise. So, you are still progressively adding weight still, it is that you are not starting at a too low of a weight, that something you feel like it is hardly causing microdamage. Also, this will help you from overcoming overuse injuries by not doing the same exercise over and over again. When I first started HST, I kept getting injured. First was my bicep, then later it was my shoulder. By alternating the exercise, I still get the load on the same muscle, but it is from a different stress point, where overuse injuries takes longer to accumulate. I hope all this makes sense. Good luck.

[mrmoo]

[quote=Juggernauttx]Another thing I have found effective in HST is to alternate exercises. I see Bryan frequently recommends this as well. So instead of doing one exercise for example in a 2 week block, you can do 2 different exercises and alternate them. <snip>[quote]

I'm not sure if I understand this.

If your doing 6 of the same excersize let's say the percentages break down something like this: 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 100%

If your doing 3 excersize for two different excersizes, the percentages would break down something like: 90%, 90%, 95%, 95%, 100%, 100%

Now wouldn't you be more likely to train to failure using the second method? Your working more frequently with near maximal weights.

[mikestrong]

After reading about HST, I had to try it. I really liked the results, I would not work out any other way.
But one question I had was is it ok to incorporate WEST SIDE Techniques into it? By perhaps having a day were weights are lighter, but are lifted faster to strengthen tendons & ligaments.
I like to work out that way atleast once a week or once every 2 weeks.
According to this weight should be increased pretty much each time for six weeks.
That would make it difficult to do have a day of strengthening tendons.
Any feedback PLZ.
peace
mikestrong

[AnimalMass]

Originally Posted by Ramstein II

It’s a thrill to have you contributing. I hope the newcomers to this board realize how lucky we are to have your contributions.

I agree with the idea of frequent/chronic bouts of progressive tension to induce hypertrophy, specifically sarcomere hypertrophy.

However, what about sarcomplasmic hypertrophy? It seems to me that this is fatigue induced and results from a supercompensation of sarcoplasm, mitochondria, ATP, and CP stores which are exhausted from repetitive or high volume work. Do you think 1-2 sets for a muscle group in the 10-15 rep range is sufficient to induce this fatigue?

Exactly Ramstein.

Bryan, you make this point...

1) The concept, and research indicating, that mechanical load, rather than neuromuscular fatigue is the primary trigger of muscle hypertrophy.

And for the most part, I agree with you. I think that load/ muscle teniosn is MORE responsible for growth than damage, especially concerning sarcomere hypertrophy. But for sarcoplasmic hypertrophy to take place, (which is a significant factor concerning hypertrophy) a person would need to occasionally do high volume is terms of sets and reps (ie. 10x10) occasionally.

I think the true issue here is that hypertrophy is still something of an enigma, and no one fully understands it. But I do agree that you have set up a very efficient means for helping guys to grow without becoming stagnant.

2) The concept that muscle tissue grows unabated in the face of continued loading. In other words, if you load a muscle, it will begin to grow and finish growing even if the load is never removed. This flies directly in the face of the common belief that full recovery is critical for optimal muscle growth. Think of skin being able to tan even while still exposed to sunlight.

I agree completely here. However, I do think it would be beneficial to incorporate periods of loading verses periods of deloading into a hypertrophy program as well. Science has shown that the body responds to periods of heavy loading (loading that can only be sustained for maybe a 2 week period without totally overtraining) and then follow that heavy loading period with a deloading period where specifically volume is dropped (intensity or frequency could be reduced as well - but I'm a fan of reducing volume during periods of deloading.)

3) The acknowledgement of the "repeated bout effect" and the incorporation of a strategic way of overcoming its growth inhibiting effects (i.e. Strategic Deconditioning).

Also, other than reading HST writings, I have never heard of the "repeated bout effect" in other training texts, and wonder if you coined this term yourself? Could you point us to some studies showing that complete rest is needed in order to induce maximum hypertrophy rather than a period of deloading?

AnimalMass

[Juggernauttx]

[quote=mrmoo][quote=Juggernauttx]Another thing I have found effective in HST is to alternate exercises. I see Bryan frequently recommends this as well. So instead of doing one exercise for example in a 2 week block, you can do 2 different exercises and alternate them. <snip>

I'm not sure if I understand this.

If your doing 6 of the same excersize let's say the percentages break down something like this: 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 100%

If your doing 3 excersize for two different excersizes, the percentages would break down something like: 90%, 90%, 95%, 95%, 100%, 100%

Now wouldn't you be more likely to train to failure using the second method? Your working more frequently with near maximal weights.

You might just train to failure one more workout per 2 week block. This is nothing. There is nothing wrong with training to failure once or twice. It is when you do it every session. The rest you got right. In this variation, you will have more tension on the muscle, hence more of a stimulus for muscle growth.