Just thought I'd copy over the first 6 HST workouts from my journal from the other forum as I'm going to post it here from now on. Apologies for the lack of formatting but I really couldn't be bothered running through it all

Monday 28 January - 15 rep range - 1/6

Notes:

Thought I'd add a "perceived effort" scale to my journal, which I think is especially relevant for HST due to the necessary progression in each workout. I'm going to use this 5 point scale describing how difficult each set was to complete - I use it in my training diary so I know how much to push on by each session:

PE 1 - Very easy
PE 2 - Easy
PE 3 - Moderately hard
PE 4 - Hard (i.e. 1 rep shy of failure)
PE 5 - Very hard (i.e. struggled to complete/cheated with form)

I guess the aim is to be within PE1-3 in the first two workouts in each rep range, 3-4 in the second two and 4-5 in the final two.

Really enjoyed the session today - love training full body! I had a look back at my journal from April last year and the weights I was pushing then, and thought I'd start this cycle with the weights I finished up with back then.

Seemed to work pretty well - I probably went a little too heavy on a couple of lifts but I'm still pleased with how much stronger I am than I was 8 months ago.

Managed to complete it as planned with the exception of the declined dumbbell pressing as the bench was in use, so I just opted for a flat bench instead.

Workout A

ATG squat: 80kg x 15 / 80kg x 15 (PE2)
SLDL: 80kg x 15 / 80kg x 15 (PE2)
Flat dumbbell bench press: 30kg (each) x 15 / 30kg (each) x 15 (PE3)
Weighted dip: Bodyweight x 15 / Bodyweight x 15 (PE4)
Bent over row: 60kg x 15 / 60kg x 15 (PE3)
Wide grip pulldown: L11 x 15 / L11 x 15 (PE3)
Military press: 40kg x 15 / 40kg x 15 (PE4)
EZ preacher curl: 30kg x 15 (PE2)
Close grip bench: 55kg x 15 (PE1)


Wednesday 30 January - 15 rep range - 2/6

Notes:

Trained at lunchtime today in Rich's gym (cheers dude) as it's quiet at work at the moment. Pretty intense session as I wanted to get in and out of the gym fairly quickly...short rests in these 15 rep sessions give insane pumps! Just had to substitute the T-bar with BORs as there was no T-bar available.

I'm planning on signing up if I can sort out my membership with David Lloyds, so training earlier in the day might become more common. Suits me well as it means I can taper off the carbs earlier and potentially futher limit any fat gain

Workout A

ATG squat: (+5kg) 85kg x 15 / 85kg x 15 (PE2)
SLDL: (+5kg) 85kg x 15 / 85kg x 15 (PE2)
Incline bench press: 50kg x 15 / 50kg x 15 (PE2)
Weighted dip: Bodyweight x 15 / Bodyweight x 15 (PE4)
Bent over row: (+5kg) 60kg x 15 / 60kg x 15 (PE3)
Narrow grip pulldown: 60kg x 15 / 60kg x 15 (PE2)
Dumbbell shoulder press: 20kg (each) x 15 / 20kg (each) x 15 (PE4)
Hammer curl: 14kg (each) x 15 / 14kg (each) x 15 (PE2)
Pushdown: 25kg x 15 / 25kg x 15 (PE2)

Friday 1 February - 15 rep range - 3/6

Notes:

Really good workout today, feeling strong and ready to hit the maxes next week

Just thought you might be interested to see my diet:

7:30
5 large free range organic eggs
15g organic cheese
10g anchor butter
Organic spinach
2g fish oil
2 cissus caps
Multivitamin
Black coffee

10:30
150g chicken
Organic raw broccoli
Raw beetroot
Tomato
1/2 avocado
1 tsp EVOO

1:30
Salmon fillet or mackerel
Organic raw broccoli
Raw beetroot
Tomato
1/2 avocado
1 tsp EVOO
Green tea

4:30
100g coconut milk
40g WPC 80
Green tea

Pre workout
15-20g pulse
2 cissus caps

PWO
40g maltodextrin and 40g dextrose
Organic banana
50g WPC 80
5g creatine mono

20:00
Any meat or fish
Lots of vegetables - broccoli, red pepper, courgette, red onion, garlic, ginger, spinach, kale - varies - all organic
1 tbsp EVOO
2g fish oil

23:00
30g MPC
100ml single cream
10g organic cheese
5g organic cocoa powder
2g fish oil
2 cissus caps

I'm pretty sure this is the best my diet's ever been - it suits me perfectly. I've tried high carb, high fat, no carb etc... and this is the best I've come up with. I do NEED carbs, so just get in as many as possible (and reasonable) PWO.

Workout A

ATG squat: (+5kg) 90kg x 15 / 90kg x 15 (PE3)
SLDL: (+5kg) 90kg x 15 / 90kg x 15 (PE4)
Decline dumbbell bench press: (+2kg each) 32kg (each) x 15 / 32kg (each) x 15 (PE4)
Weighted dip: Bodyweight x 15 / Bodyweight x 15 (PE4)
Bent over row: (+2.5kg) 67.5kg x 15 / 67.5kg x 15 (PE4)
Wide grip pulldown: (+7.5kg) L12 x 15 / (+7.5kg) L13 x 15 (PE4)
Military press: (+2.5kg) 42.5kg x 15 / 42.5kg x 15 (PE4)
EZ preacher curl: (+2.5kg) 32.5kg x 15 (PE3)
Close grip bench: (+10kg) 65kg x 15 (PE4)

Sunday 3 February - 15 rep range - 4/6

Notes:

Decent session again today, felt really energetic... almost bouncing off the walls. Must just be the effect of training slightly earlier in the day and some decent sleep - I've had about 20 hours in the last 2 nights

Anyway, I'm feeling ready to push on and hit the maxes this week. Two big sessions lined up...

Workout A

ATG squat: (+5kg) 95kg x 15 / 95kg x 15 (PE3)
SLDL: 90kg x 15 / 90kg x 15 (PE4)
Incline bench press: (+5kg) 55kg x 15 / 55kg x 15 (PE3)
Weighted dip: (+5kg) Bodyweight +5kg x 15 / Bodyweight + 5kg x 15 (PE5)
T-bar row: 45kg x 15 / 45kg x 15 (PE3)
Narrow grip pulldown: L13 x 15 / (+7.5kg)L14kg x 15 (PE3)
Dumbbell shoulder press: (+2kg each) 22kg (each) x 15 / 20kg (each) x 15 (PE4)
Hammer curl: (+2kg each) 16kg (each) x 15 / 16kg (each) x 15 (PE4)
Pushdown: (+ unknown)L21 x 15 / L21 x 15 (PE3)

Tuesday 5 February - 15 rep range - 5/6

Notes:

I was dreading this today - I had a massive energy slump in the early afternoon, which was probably the first time since I switched to a lower carb diet. Fortunately I perked up a bit after I left college though (loving the 4pm finishes )

This was the hardest workout I've done for some time, I was pretty happy with most of it. By the end my arms were nailed and I couldn't complete the EZ preacher curls, so just went for some light DB curls and concentrated on form.

I could easily squat 110x15 for 1 set, possibly even 120x15. Think I'll go for 115x15 next session and see how I feel.

One thing I've really improved on is my rowing - it was such a weak lift this time last year, so 70x15 for me represents a bit of an achievement.

Workout A

ATG squat: (+7.5kg) 102.5kg x 15 / 102.5kg x 15 (PE4)
SLDL: (+5kg) 95kg x 15 / 95kg x 15 (PE4.5)
Flat dumbbell bench press: (+2kg each) 34kg (each) x 15 / 34kg (each) x 15 (PE5)
Weighted dip: Bodyweight + 5kg x 15 / Bodyweight + 5kg x 13 + 2 (PE5)
Bent over row: (+2.5kg) 70kg x 15 / 70kg x 15 (PE5)
Wide grip pulldown: (+7.5kg) L14 x 15 / L14 x 14 (PE5)
Military press: (+2.5kg) 45kg x 15 / 45kg x 13 + 2 (PE5)
EZ preacher curl: (+2.5kg) 1st attempt: 35kg x 9 / 2nd attempt: 30kg x 6 / Replacement: DB curl: 10kg (each) x 15 (PE4)
Close grip bench: (+5kg) 70kg x 15 (PE5)

Thursday 7 February - 15 rep range - 6/6

Notes:

This was a hard psychologically as it was physically, but I'm pretty happy with the numbers - they're a decent improvement on my last HST cycle despite me being around the same weight that I was back then. Pleased with the squats especially.

I'm convinced I need more carbs to make the most of these heavier sessions, so I'll be upping my intake slightly on training days to around 150g from now on, all around my workouts.

I got really wound up before I started my workout today. Firstly because the noisy tw*t in my gym decided to use the pins in the rack for chins despite 2 dip/chinning stations being available, followed by a couple of numpties doing what I can only assume were meant to be back barbell shrugs off the pins, only they were more like upright rows and the pins were too high to allow them to extend their arms fully.

When I asked them if they minded moving the bar out to do them, they looked at me as if I was insane and told me they only had 1 more set to do, and proceeded to do 4 more. F*cking a*** holes

Workout A

Full squat: (+12.5kg) 115kg x 15 / 115kg x 15 (PE5)
SLDL: (+5kg) 95kg x 15 / 95kg x 15 (PE5)
Incline bench press: (+10kg) 65kg x 15 / 65kg x 15 (PE4.5)
Weighted dip: Bodyweight +5kg x 15 / Bodyweight + 5kg x 15 (PE5)
T-bar row: (+5kg) 50kg x 15 / 50kg x 15 (PE5)
Narrow grip pulldown: (+7.5kg) L15 x 15 / L15 x 15 (PE5)
Dumbbell shoulder press: 22kg (each) x 15 / (+2kg each) 22kg (each) x 15 (PE5)
Hammer curl: (+2kg each) 18kg (each) x 15 / 16kg (each) x 15 (PE5)
Pushdown: (+ unknown) L22 x 15 / L22 x 15 (PE5)

Sunday 10 February - 10 rep range - 1/6

Notes:

Nice lightish workout today. I only got 5 hours sleep last night and the mind-muscle connection was non-existent.

I've decided to do just 1 back exercise per workout from now on (until the 5s when I'll be deadlifting again) so I can concentrate on my chest. My back is my strongest body part and my chest needs bringing up so hopefully it'll even things out a bit.

I'm shattered now, just going to watch the rest of the rugby then Chelsea v Liverpool

Workout A

Full squat: 110kg x 10 / 110kg x 10 / 110kg x 10 (PE3)
SLDL: 100kg x 10 / 100kg x 10 / 100kg x 10 (PE3)
Flat dumbbell bench press: 34kg (each) x 10 / 34kg (each) x 10 / 34kg (each) x 10 (PE3)
Weighted dip: Bodyweight + 5kg x 10 / Bodyweight + 5kg x 10 / Bodyweight + 5kg x 10 (PE3)
Bent over row: 70kg x 10 / 70kg x 10 / 70kg x 10 (PE2)
Military press: 47.5kg x 10 / 47.5kg x 10 / 47.5kg x 10 (PE2)
EZ preacher curl: 30kg x 10 / 30kg x 10 / 30kg x 10 (PE2)
Close grip bench: 70kg x 10 / 70kg x 10 / 70kg x 10 (PE3)

Tasty squats as always...

Aye, nice fronts...shame about the programme. na, i suppose it's a good programme if you want da hooge gunzz.

Rilla wrote:Tasty squats as always...

Cheers dude

Karlos wrote:Aye, nice fronts...shame about the programme. na, i suppose it's a good programme if you want da hooge gunzz.

Nice fronts? Cheeky lardarse

Will see how this cycle goes growth wise - I got such good gains from HST first time around, but that was a nearly a year ago!

huh? urrrm, im sure i seen some beastly fronts squats in there! must have mis-read 'full squat'

I wasn't trying to be funny....and oi this fat ass is 67% pure muscle!

I thought you were taking the mick If I could front squat 115x15 I'd be shouting about it

You're forgetting bone mass as well

Tuesday 12 February - 10 rep range - 2/6

Notes:

Felt fully recovered today, so pushed on with everything a bit.

I decided to mix things up a bit towards then end and threw in a few supersets just to hit my arms that bit harder. I even used a bit of rest-pause on the incline bench (not sure how wise this was). Rest times were kept pretty low throughout.

I'm not sure whether it was fatigue squats/the rest of the workout but my inclines and shoulder presses felt very weak. It's strange because my decline benching and dipping are naturally quite strong - it's obviously a genetic thing but I want to bring my upper chest up so will give it a good hammering from now until the end of this program. Not sure how wise rest-pause is during HST but hey ho

Workout A

Full squat: (+5kg) 115kg x 10 / 115kg x 10 / 115kg x 10 (PE3.5)
SLDL: 100kg x 10 / 100kg x 10 / 100kg x 10 (PE3.5)
Incline bench press: (+5kg) 70kg x 10 / 70kg x 10 / 70kg x 8 + 3 (PE4.5)
Weighted dip: (+5kg) Bodyweight + 10kg x 10 / Bodyweight + 10kg x 10 / Bodyweight + 10kg x 8 + 4 (PE4)
Narrow grip pulldown: L15 x 10 / (+7.5kg) L16 x 10 / L16 x 10 (PE3)
Dumbbell shoulder press: (+2kg each) 24kg (each) x 10 / 24kg x 10 / 22kg x 10 (PE4)
Dumbbell curl: (+2kg each) 18kg (each) x 10 / 18kg (each) x 10 / No rest into: 10kg (each) x 10 (PE4)
A1: Rope push down: L21 x 10 / L21 x 10 / L21 x 10 (PE4)
A2: Slide push ups: BW x 20 / BW x 20 / BW x 20 (PE1)

There's quite a bit of homosexual work in there you little poof...

I know

I'm missing deads at the moment

Jeezus Ollie some big lifts there considering it's only Workout 2!!!

You a strong mofo fo sho dood!!

Cheers dude...back and leg work is all good at the moment, upper body pushing is relatively rubbish though, I'm at a bit of a loss

Going to try more carbs pre workout and move chest and shoulder work to the start from now on I think

Worth a shot, I did the very same thing a few times during my HST marathon!

That's settled then, I'll see how it goes

Ive been told its wrong and not needed before but I do find that a light meal with some starchy carbs a couple of hours before a workout keeps me going nicely. Probably not great for fat loss, but i'd hope the extra energy i expend in the gym makes up for that

Nice front squats by the way

Where on Earth are you guys getting the idea that I'm doing front squats from?

Good to see you made it here Ollie How's life?

Good squats mate, when you say full squats you mean atg right?

Thanks Richard - good to see you here man

My full squats aren't quite ATG, but they're near as damn it - every rep is well beyond parallel with my hammies on my calves. I guess it's not accurate to call them ATG but this is what comes most naturally so I'm not going to force myself to go lower

Valentine's Day - 10 rep range - 3/6

Notes:

Chopped the workout a bit today to prioritise the chest and it had the desired effect...besides better numbers I felt considerably stronger on the DBs and dips. In fact I've realised that this is the biggest weakness of full body workouts - I think more so than any other type of routine it's important to change the order of the exercises around, otherwise you'll inevitably end up with lagging body parts.

That last set of squats was absolutely brutal, I desperately wanted a 10th rep on the last set but I don't think it was going to happen. I'll keep the weight the same and get it next time.

I also changed SLDLs to RDLs as it feels like a pretty natural progression and my form was such that I was virtually doing RDLs anyway. Militaries felt better than last time for some reason - I wonder if back work hammers the delts and this has a knock-on effect on the shoulders? Wouldn't have thought the rear delts would have much involvement but there we go. Funny you only realise what's causing the trouble with a bit of trial and error.

Had quite a lower back pump by the time I got to BORs so couldn't go all out, hopefully I'll get 95x10x3 by the end of next week.

Really good form on all exercises - kept negatives pretty long and positives very fast.

Workout B

Dumbbell bench: 36kg (each) x 10 / (+2kg) 38kg x 10 / 38kg x 9 (PE4)
Weighted dip: (+5kg) +15kg x 10 / +15kg x 10 / +10kg x 10 (PE4)
Full squat: (+5kg) 120kg x 10 / 120kg x 10 / 120kg x 9 (PE4)
RDL: (+5kg) 110kg x 10 / 110kg x 10 / 110kg (PE4)
Military press: (5kg) 52.5kg x 10 / 52.5kg x 10 / 52.5kg x 10 (PE4)
Bent over row: (+10kg) 80kg x 10 / 80kg x 10 / 80kg x 10 (PE3.5)
EZ preacher curl: (+5kg) 35kg x 10 / 35kg x 10 / 35kg x 10 (PE4)
Close grip bench: (+10kg)80kg x 10 / 80kg x 10 / 80kg x 10 (PE4)

I assume the reds are increases?...NICE!

KP

Yeah, on the last session - HST is very progressive so you start light and work your way up for the final 2 workouts in each rep range, aiming to better your previous 15, 10 or 5 RM

Sunday 17 February - 10 rep range - 4/6

Notes:

Good session today having shifted things around a bit. Felt really strong which probably had a lot to do with the amount I ate yesterday

My delts were quite pumped after all the chest work which meant I had to concentrate on holding the bar whilst squatting more than I'd have liked, but still managed to complete 3 sets of 120x10 with solid form, so pleased with that. Guess I'll get a set or two of 130x10 out by the end of the week.

Workout B

Incline bench press: (+5kg) 75kg x 10 / 80kg x 10 / 75kg x 10 (PE4)
Weighted dip: +15kg x 10 / +15kg x 10 / +15kg x 8 + 2 (PE4)
Dumbbell shoulder press: (+2kg each) 26kg (each) x 10 / 24kg (each) x 10 / 24kg (each) x 10 (PE4.5)
Full squat: 120kg x 10 / 120kg x 10 / 120kg x 10 (PE4)
SLDL: 110kg x 10 / 100kg x 10 (PE4)
Dumbbell shoulder press: (+2kg each) 26kg (each) x 10 / 24kg x 10 / 24kg x 9 (PE4)
Dumbbell curl: 18kg (each) x 10 / 18kg (each) x 10 / 18kg (each) x 10 (PE4)
Rope push down: L21 x 10 / L21 x 10 / L21 x 10 (PE4)

thats a nasty looking workout Ollie!

a shitload of work before hitting 3 sets of 120k x10 squats.....you had your head tested recently?

joking aside, thats a man size workout. nice one!

Rab

Holy shmoke, respect for that workout brother!

You must be eating like a horse to power through like that?

Cheers guys

Squats didn't feel as bad as I expected after all that, in fact subjectively the whole session felt more comfortable compared to my workouts last week, even though I was pushing harder. I got over 5000kCal down my neck yesterday, a lot of the extra being carbs...got a bit carried away!

Bison wrote:Holy shmoke, respect for that workout brother!

You must be eating like a horse to power through like that?

See above