Saturday, October 22, 2011

HST Workout!

What Is HST?

Hypertrophy-Specific Training, or simply HST, is a method of training designed to quickly and effectively induce whole body muscle growth. It is based on physiological principles of muscular hypertrophy. These principles were first discovered in the laboratory, and then organized into a method of training that would produce predictable and repeatable hypertrophic effects.
Hypertrophy-Specific Training arose out of the research looking at both the stimuli and mechanisms for muscle cell hypertrophy. Of course, translating these principles into applicable methods (sets & reps & schedules) brings in some possibility of error. As the science continues to explore the exact mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy, this error will be whittled away.
1. Mechanical Load:
Mechanical Load is necessary to induce muscle hypertrophy. This mechanism involves but isn't limited to, MAPk/ERK, satellite cells, growth factors, calcium, and number of other fairly understood factors. It is incorrect to say "we don't know how muscle grows in response to training."
The whole point of the HST book is not to discuss HST, but to present the body of research explaining how hypertrophy occurs. Then HST becomes a relatively obvious conclusion if your goal is hypertrophy.
2. Acute vs. Chronic Stimuli:
In order for the loading to result in significant hypertrophy, the stimulus must be applied with sufficient frequency to create a new "environment," as opposed to seemingly random and acute assaults on the mechanical integrity of the tissue. The downside of taking a week of rest every time you load a muscle is that many of the acute responses to training like increased protein synthesis, prostaglandins, IGF-1 levels, and mRNA levels all return to normal in about 36 hours.
So, you spend 2 days growing and half a week in a semi-anticatabolic state returning to normal (some people call this recovery), when research shows us that recovery can take place unabated even if the muscle is loaded again in 48 hours. So true anabolism from loading only lasts 2 days at best once the load is removed. The rest of the time you are simply balancing nitrogen retention without adding to it.
3. Progressive Load:
Over time, the tissue adapts and becomes resistant to the damaging effects of mechanical load. This adaptation (resistance to the stimulus) can happen in as little as 48 hours (Repeated Bout Effect or Rapid Training Effect). As this happens, hypertrophy will stop, though neural and metabolic adaptations can and may continue.
As opposed to hypertrophy, the foundation for the development of strength is neuromuscular in nature. Increases in strength from resistance exercise have been attributed to several neural adaptations including altered recruitment patterns, rate coding, motor unit synchronization, reflex potentiation, prime mover antagonist activity, and prime mover agonist activity.
So, aside from incremental changes in the number of contractile filaments (hypertrophy), voluntary force production (i.e. strength) is largely a matter of "activating" motor units.
4. Strategic Deconditioning:
At this point, it is necessary to either increase the load (Progressive load), or decrease the degree of conditioning to the load (Strategic Deconditioning). The muscle is sensitive not only to the absolute load, but also to the change in load (up or down).
Therefore, you can get a hypertrophic effect from increasing the load from a previous load, even if the absolute load is not maximum, assuming conditioning (resistance to exercise induced micro-damage) is not to extensive.
There is a limit to the number of increments you can add to increase the load. You simply reach your maximum voluntary strength eventually. This is why Strategic Deconditioning is required for continued growth once growth has stopped (all things remaining equal).
Utilizing Lactic Acid As A Stimulus For Tendon Repair/Health:
Now HST incorporates a few other things such as higher reps (for lactic acid) to prepare the muscles and tendons for future heavy loads. This serves as "regular maintenance". Without it, you increase your risk of chronic injuries and pain. The metabolically-taxing reps enhance healing of strained tendons.
Compound Exercises:
HST also suggests using compound exercises to maximize the effects of loading on as much muscle as possible per exercise.
Progressively Adjusting Reps To Accommodate Progressive Load:
HST suggests that you use 2 week blocks for each rep range. Why? It has nothing to do with adaptation. It is simply a way to accommodate the ever increasing load. Of course, you could adjust your reps every week (e.g. 15, 12, 10, 8, 5, etc.), but this is more complicated and people might not understand.
Often times, in order to communicate an idea you must simplify things, even at the expense of perfection. If people can't understand it, they won't do it. What good would that do or anybody? Then, over time, people figure out for themselves the other possibilities that exist within the principles of hypertrophy.
Low Volume Per Exercise (Average Volume Per Week):
HST suggests that you limit the number of sets per exercise per workout to 1 or 2. This is based on "some" evidence that sets beyond the first "effective" set do little more than burn calories.
Some may question the validity of HST not utilizing more than 1 or 2 sets per exercise. The number of sets is set low to accommodate the frequency necessary to create an effective and consistent environment to stimulate hypertrophy. Over the course of a week, the volume isn't that different from standard splits (e.g. chest should tri, back bi, legs).
HST is a training idea based on numerous scientific principles and data that has been rendered to be effective by many trainees, even including a few professional bodybuilders. It is an idea that has direct scientific evidence to support itself. It is based on training each body part three times per week so as to constantly induce growth.
The idea is that constant tension on the muscles will lead to more hypertrophy than a conventional split in which a muscle is subject to stress once or twice per week and the other 5-6 days of the week are spent training other body parts and not stimulating each muscle group. However, over the course of an entire week, the total number of sets for each body part will be similar to a conventional body part split.

Workout:
What is the best HST workout? Be specific and make sure to list exercises, reps, sets, etc.

The principles of HST are based on progressive load and on training each muscle group 3 times per week. The program is based around 2 week cycles in specific rep ranges. Also, the goal of the workouts is intensity and stimulation, not annihilation of the muscle group.
This routine is not suggested for a beginner trainee, but for an intermediate or advanced lifter with at least 1-2 years of solid training experience. You must first establish your 15-Rep Max, your 10-Rep Max, and your 5-Rep Max for each of the lifts in the program.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Why Women Should Lift Weights!

Many women make a huge mistake when they step foot in the gym. They assume that heavy weightlifting will turn them into gargantuan man-ladies. If you're a woman, answer this: when you go into the gym, what is the typical tact you take to your workout program?
Do you first do a light warm-up on the mats? Then do you head over to the cardio machines for a good 20 or 40 minutes, thinking you've gotta blast that cheesecake you mashed last night? Then, do you flex with a few rounds of lightweight circuit sets? Finally, maybe you head off to the exercise mats to crunch for 10 to 20 minutes trying to lean that tummy?
If this is your patty-cake program, it's time to change your course! The program above illustrates most women's workout programs. They don't want to get big and 'bulky,' so they gravitate toward exercises they think burn the most calories and 'tone' their muscles. "No bulk needed. Thank you very much."
Lift!
These women actually accomplish very little. They may burn a few hundred calories during the cardio workout, and possibly a hundred more in the circuit training, but they won't reshape how their bodies look. A complete body transformation cannot take place when you're pushing daisies instead of iron.
If you want that complete body transformation, to the point where your family hardly recognizes you, then you have to sit up and change, right now. Take action and start lifting heavy weights.
"But won't I get bulky?"
No - and here's why.
Female Testosterone Levels
The first reason lifting heavy weights won't make you don tights, rip sleeves, and become the next Incredible Hulk is that you don't have the testosterone levels to pack on tons of mass.
Men have higher testosterone levels than women; women have higher estrogen levels than men. Compare testosterone levels in a man to the amount in a woman and you find a large gap. Why? Simply put, women don't have testicles. The lion's share of male testosterone comes from the testes.
Women do produce the hormone, but it comes from your ovaries and adrenal glands in smaller doses. Talk to your doctor and have your testosterone levels tested, especially if you've had your ovaries removed, as you will produce even lower levels of the important hormone.
Testosterone is the primary muscle-building hormone in the body. Since women have significantly less of this "Heracles Hormone," they cannot put on muscle mass as easily as men.
Even women who want to build bigger muscles and work extremely hard to bulk still build muscle mass at a fraction of the rate that men do. Stop worrying and start lifting - you won't turn into the Hulk overnight ... unless you get blasted with weaponized Gamma radiation.

Female Dietary Habits
The second reason women won't go "GREEN" from lifting heavier weights is that most women don't consume enough calories to create the mass. Think about it this way: when was the last time you purposefully over-ate to gain weight? Christmas dinner over-indulgence doesn't count.
We're talking purposely consuming more calories than you need, not because of enjoyment, but because you want to gain. When was the last time you forced down extra servings of protein at dinner because it fit your mass-gaining goals? Chances are, never. Most women are born restriction eaters. They have a built-in tendency to want to be slimmer.
To become the bulky beast you needlessly fear, you would have to eat excessive calories daily, add supplementation, and then lift heavy weights on a regular basis. Many women hardly eat enough calories to maintain their current body weight. Getting huge isn't easy. It won't happen to you if you learn how to bench press.
Female Force Development
Finally, you won't get big and bulky because you typically won't generate the degree of force that men will. There are some strong women out there who push themselves to the max. But for the most part, men have a larger degree of drive to push their bodies beyond the limits of comfort. (Refer to the difference in testosterone levels above!)
Building significant amounts of muscle mass requires pushing yourself past the point of comfort. Can you still squat near your max when you know your muscles are tearing? Can you push past and go harder? Many men go on, sometimes to the point of injury. The force factor keeps most women from generating extremely large volumes of muscle mass.
Higher Metabolic Rates
Now that we've established that you're not going to suddenly put on 1,000 pounds, turn green and rampage through downtown, let's talk about some of the great benefits to weight training.
Heavier weight offers women a higher metabolic rate. Since you work against a high degree of resistance with heavy weights, you create tiny muscular tears throughout the body. You will expend a greater number of calories post-workout to repair those tiny tears, thus increasing your overall calorie requirements.
Most women want to get lean and shed body fat. Doesn't a high metabolism sound like something that might help you achieve that goal? You bet it does.

Greater Muscle Definition
The next benefit to lifting heavier weights is that you'll see greater overall muscle definition. When you lift such a light weight as most women do (really? 2-pound curls?), the muscles are barely challenged.
As a result, your muscles won't feel any need to adapt (grow) since they can easily handle what you throw at them.
Push yourself harder and take the weight up to the next level - that's when you see muscle definition and form improve. Provided you also follow a proper diet for fat loss, heavy weights will create the greatest change to how your body looks.
Improved Functional Strength
The final benefit you achieve by lifting heavier weights is that you improve functional strength capabilities. Since you get much stronger by lifting heavier weights, everyday activities will get much easier over time. You won't need to call your brother to move a couch anymore, or even have your son carry your suitcase. Muscularity also means a lower chance of injury if you participate in sports or other activities.
Do not fear heavy weights any longer. What you should fear is being old and weak. What you should fear is wasting more time training strategies that just won't get you where you want to go. Push your body - you are stronger than you think.