View Full Version : Hypertrophy Specific Training (HST)
Hypertrophy-Specific Training™ arose out of the research looking at both the stimuli and mechanisms for muscle cell hypertrophy. Hypertrophy-Specific Training (HST) is based on physiological principles of hypertrophy first discovered in the laboratory. These principles were then organized into a "method" of mechanically loading the muscle to induce 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.
I didn't start out knowing how muscles grew. After all, it is a process that cannot be observed with the naked eye. In the beginning I simply did what others were doing. Then, I began reading muscle magazines and buying books. Still, I wasn't able to achieve the level of muscularity I saw so prominently displayed in the magazines.
For about 10 years I trained with all the popular training styles. I made decent progress in the beginning but as time went by, I seldom saw changes in the mirror, at least not any I could get anyone else to notice. But I continued to pursue the art.
As I entered college and graduate school, I finally had access to real research that was only just then beginning to take form. The interest in muscle growth is fairly new in academic circles. As I began to explore the research, it became clear to me that the routines and traditions I was exposed to as a bodybuilder, were NOT based on physiological principles on a cellular level.
It was a "fantastic voyage" compared to the European inspired global view of training. At the microscopic level scientists were talking about things like "myogenic stem cells", "growth-factors", "mechanical loading", "synergistic ablation", "smeared Z-lines", "MAPk/ERK" and many other things hidden to the naked eye. All of these things were left out of the equation of traditional training routines.
As hypertrophy-specific research progressed in specificity it was clear that traditional training routines had stumbled across many important principles of load induced muscle hypertrophy, but because of their limited perspective (volume and intensity) they failed to capitalize on some critical truths exposed by research at the cellular level.
The principles of hypertrophy that HST is based on are as follows (not an exhaustive list):
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 a 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. There is nothing wrong with burning calories, but when you get to be my age you just don't have the exercise tolerance that you once did. Using hormone replacement (HRT) therapy would of course, increase the number of sets you could do without undue stress.
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). (see table below)
Instead of doing 6 sets on bench in one workout, those sets are spread over the course of a week (2 on Mon, 2 on Wed, 2 on Fri). Either way the muscle sees 6 sets each week, however, with HST the distribution of the loading sessions creates a consistent environment conducive to hypertrophy. When you do all six sets at once, you put unnecessary drain on the central nervous system (CNS) and invite centralized overtraining symptoms and burnout.
HST utilizes, when practical, eccentric workouts for 2 consecutive weeks. This suggestion is only for exercises that can be performed in eccentric fashion without risk of injury. Eccentric sets are performed with weight that exceeds their 5 rep max. This is done to extend the progression in load, began at the beginning of the HST cycle, for an additional 2 weeks. The fear of over training is no greater during these two weeks than previous weeks if volume is controlled for. Recent research has demonstrated this. (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17, to name a few) Clearly, the effects of eccentric muscle actions on muscle tissue are one of the most well researched subjects in exercise physiology.
As the research continues to explore the facets of load induced muscle hypertrophy, HST will apply the new knowledge and become even more effective. For today, HST represents the state of the art and science of hypertrophy.
I have now used these principles myself, and have used them successfully to train competitive bodybuilders for some time. It is not "specifically" designed for competitive track athletes, Powerlifters or Olympic lifters, although I have had many athletes from different sports apply HST to their off-season training with ground breaking results. It is designed according to research looking specifically at muscle hypertrophy, not muscle performance.
This subject deserves a lot more attention than I am able to give it here. I will cover the topic more thoroughly in the future, including the references that first shed light on the principles that gave rise to HST. In the meantime, if you want to grow as fast as possible, you must apply currently know hypertrophy-specific training principles.
All maxes should be established before beginning the first cycle. Your maxes will determine what weights you will use throughout the entire cycle. Find your 15 rep, 10 rep, and 5 rep max lifts for each exercise you are going to use. For the second cycle simply add 5-10 pounds to all lifts.
• There is an obligatory increase in weight (from 5-20 lbs.) each workout. This means that at times you may be working with less than your maximum weight for any given rep scheme. This is by design. You will reach max poundages for a given rep range on the last workout of each two week block.
• Determining weights for each workout: Assign your max weights to the final workout of each 2 week block. Then, in 5-10 pound increments, assign weights in decreasing fashion starting from the last workout working backward to the first. So, for example, if your 10 rep max is 200 pounds, assign 200 pounds for the last workout of the 10 rep block, then assign weights that build up to your max in 6 workouts. For our example, using 5 pound increments, the weights for the whole 2 week block would be 175,180,185,190,195, and 200. Do this for each exercise for each rep scheme.
• The obligatory increase in weight adheres to the principle of Progressive Load. Physiological systems always seek balance or homeostasis. This means they will react, change, and adapt in order to counter act the stressor that is forcing the system to go out of balance. In the case of mechanical loading, the load is the stressor, and an increase in connective tissue and muscle proteins is the reaction designed to bring the muscle back into homeostasis.
• Repetitions will decrease every 2 weeks in the following order: 15 reps for 2 weeks ق 10 reps for 2 weeks ق 5 reps for 2 weeks ق then continue with your 5 rep max for 2 weeks or begin 2 weeks of negatives. 15¹s can be skipped when you are about to start over after the first 8 week cycle. If you are feeling strain-type injuries coming on don't skip the 15s.
• The decrease in reps accommodates the increasing load. However, the high rep workouts serve an important purpose. Higher volume anaerobic work benefits the muscle by both increasing resistance to injury as well as increasing functional capacity.
• Sets will be limited to 1-2 per exercise. There is no problem with a single set per body part as long as it is a maximum effort and/or the rep tempo and form is strictly controlled or the weight is extremely heavy preventing further sets.
• What most people understand to be overtraining is a result of Central Nervous System (CNS) fatigue. It has been mistakenly believed that overtraining symptoms arise from fatigue of the muscle tissue itself. Research has demonstrated this NOT to be the case. Keeping CNS fatigue low during frequent training allows dramatic strength gains, thus allowing higher and higher poundages to be used thus promoting ongoing hypertrophy.
• Each muscle group should be loaded 3 times per week. This adheres to the Frequency Principle. A loading stimulus for hypertrophy must be frequent enough to create a consistent ³environment² for the muscle to adapt to. If the muscle is loaded too infrequently, the muscle will adapt and then un-adapt before the stimulus is applied again.
• Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday are rest days. Light cardio (20-40 min.) may be performed on rest days. Incline treadmill (brisk walk) should be first choice.
• Rest is important. Although it is fine to experience some accumulation of fatigue, adequate and regular rest is important to avoid injuries and control stress.
• Complete each workout using designated poundages even if muscles are slightly sore from previous workout. It is important to know the difference between an injury and ordinary muscle soreness. NEVER train a muscle that is at risk of injury. Always warm up sufficiently to avoid injury.
• Following each 6-8 week cycle, a one-week period of Strategic Deconditioning should be taken during which no, training should be performed. This time is used to recuperate and allow any minor over-use injuries to heal. Try to get plenty of sleep as well as participate in leisure activities outside of the gym.
• Strategic Deconditioning is very important for long term growth. You have to do it eventually if you hope to bust a previous plateau in ³size². Once your muscle is tuff as shoe leather, all the work in the gym serves only to maintain what size you already have. SD primes the muscle to respond once again to the training stimulus and allows growth to resume.
• The whole workout can be split into a morning and afternoon session. It can likewise be doubled, performing the same workout morning and evening. Keeping volume (number of sets and exercises) low is critical if doubling the workout.
That is the direct article referencing HST.... for those of you who were interested.
Terranova1340
04-16-08, 10:04 am
That is the direct article referencing HST.... for those of you who were interested.
Thanks!
Trent_D
04-16-08, 10:08 am
Anybody got any experience with it?
h 3 L L b 0 y
04-16-08, 12:50 pm
Interesting.. some parts were a little confusing but there was definitely some important stuff!
Wealth of info! Rcrott or anybody, if you have used this or know someone who has post the results, I am interested in seeing anyone's results. This sounds similar to High Frequency Training. Heard Carlon Colker talk alot about it and recently read an article on it.
Anyone????
i have not tried this, was reposting the information for another user on the board because the original link was to another supp company web site
ChandlerXJ
08-05-08, 9:10 am
Jeeze and I thought DC was rocket science! lol
I think that there are alot of good systems out there, so I wouldn't be surprised if this one works too...
part of it is mental - you're doing a new system, you're motivated, hungry, the change alone will make you grow!
i have not tried this, was reposting the information for another user on the board because the original link was to another supp company web siteJust curious about the results, alot of info to digest but hopefully someone can post up some results.
In Flames
08-05-08, 3:05 pm
I like the idea of full body workouts hitting the body-parts with more frequency, but it's like every big guy I see in the gym even Animal workouts or Animal bodybuilders, famous magazine fitness models even Mens Health guys all seem to do body-part splits, I've never once seen or heard them ever say they do full body workouts. It's usually always chest day, back day, shoulders day, or chest/shoulders/triceps, back/biceps, legs. All of the biggest most ripped guys in my gym all workout at least 4-6 times a week hitting each body-part once per week with high volume. Greg Plitt my favorite fitness model works out sometimes 7 days a week he only takes rest days when business makes him or traveling so basically his split is chest, back, shoulders, arms, legs, repeat.
What gives?
MrMonday
08-06-08, 1:42 am
I like the idea of full body workouts hitting the body-parts with more frequency, but it's like every big guy I see in the gym even Animal workouts or Animal bodybuilders, famous magazine fitness models even Mens Health guys all seem to do body-part splits, I've never once seen or heard them ever say they do full body workouts. It's usually always chest day, back day, shoulders day, or chest/shoulders/triceps, back/biceps, legs. All of the biggest most ripped guys in my gym all workout at least 4-6 times a week hitting each body-part once per week with high volume. Greg Plitt my favorite fitness model works out sometimes 7 days a week he only takes rest days when business makes him or traveling so basically his split is chest, back, shoulders, arms, legs, repeat.
What gives?
This is true, but what do THE biggest and strongest bodybuilders do? Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates, Arnold Shwarzenegger to name a few, even amateur guys like Phil Hernon who were completely leaving competition in the dust as far as gains made from year to year, all hit each muscle twice a week instead of just once.
For most normal people who just want to bodybuild recreationally, it isn't going to matter very much. If after years of hardcore training you can bench 405 for 8, squat 455 for 20, and deadlift 545 for 8, do you think it's going to matter whether you hit each muscle once or twice during the weeks you were training if either method got you to that same point? Not much! If at all.
But for the guys really serious about this, the question is could you organize your split in such a way so that it is tailored to your own recovery abilities and with a low enough volume/high enough intensity that hitting each bodypart twice a week would afford you the opportunity to make greater leaps in STRENGTH compared to a traditional split? Essentially, achieving the same thing in half the time by doubling the training effect? Afterall the amazing thing about the guys I listed above isn't the level that they got to - it's how quickly they got there, and how much they gained from year to year compared to their competition.
In Flames
08-06-08, 7:41 am
This is true, but what do THE biggest and strongest bodybuilders do? Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates, Arnold Shwarzenegger to name a few, even amateur guys like Phil Hernon who were completely leaving competition in the dust as far as gains made from year to year, all hit each muscle twice a week instead of just once.
For most normal people who just want to bodybuild recreationally, it isn't going to matter very much. If after years of hardcore training you can bench 405 for 8, squat 455 for 20, and deadlift 545 for 8, do you think it's going to matter whether you hit each muscle once or twice during the weeks you were training if either method got you to that same point? Not much! If at all.
But for the guys really serious about this, the question is could you organize your split in such a way so that it is tailored to your own recovery abilities and with a low enough volume/high enough intensity that hitting each bodypart twice a week would afford you the opportunity to make greater leaps in STRENGTH compared to a traditional split? Essentially, achieving the same thing in half the time by doubling the training effect? Afterall the amazing thing about the guys I listed above isn't the level that they got to - it's how quickly they got there, and how much they gained from year to year compared to their competition.
Dorian Yates followed a version of Mentzer's HIT, he was hitting his body-parts once per week. Mentzer usually only trained each body-part once every 2 weeks and with only 1-2 sets til complete failure.
Also, guys like Ronnie and Arnold are genetically gifted, actually all pro bodybuilders are genetically gifted. But, Ronnie and Arnold were always big even in high school look at their pix.
But, I see the point your trying to make.
I'm thinking about trying a full body routine and see how it works for me hitting my muscles more frequently 2-3 times a week. Each set taken till failure and always striving for more reps/weight each workout. Once I reach 10 reps in a controlled not shaky manner add weight next workout. Similar to Mentzers/Arthur Jones training.
1 x 6-10 Flat DB Fly's
1 x 6-10 Incline DB or BB Bench
1 x 6-10 Wide Grip Pull-downs Superset w/ DB Pull-overs
1 x 6-10 Bent-over BB Rows
1 x 6-10 Seated Side DB Raises
1 x 6-10 Seated Military DB Press
1 x 6-10 Barbell Curls
1 x 6-10 Skull-crushers or Pushdowns Supersetted w/ Dips
1 x 8-15 Squats
1 x 12-20 Calf Raises
arab910
08-06-08, 11:09 am
what types of lifts do you do mon, wed, fri, sun?
like i see bench press there...but is it all compound lifts?
js71474
08-06-08, 11:12 am
Dorian Yates followed a version of Mentzer's HIT, he was hitting his body-parts once per week. Mentzer usually only trained each body-part once every 2 weeks and with only 1-2 sets til complete failure.
Also, guys like Ronnie and Arnold are genetically gifted, actually all pro bodybuilders are genetically gifted. But, Ronnie and Arnold were always big even in high school look at their pix.
But, I see the point your trying to make.
I'm thinking about trying a full body routine and see how it works for me hitting my muscles more frequently 2-3 times a week. Each set taken till failure and always striving for more reps/weight each workout. Once I reach 10 reps in a controlled not shaky manner add weight next workout. Similar to Mentzers/Arthur Jones training.
1 x 6-10 Flat DB Fly's
1 x 6-10 Incline DB or BB Bench
1 x 6-10 Wide Grip Pull-downs Superset w/ DB Pull-overs
1 x 6-10 Bent-over BB Rows
1 x 6-10 Seated Side DB Raises
1 x 6-10 Seated Military DB Press
1 x 6-10 Barbell Curls
1 x 6-10 Skull-crushers or Pushdowns Supersetted w/ Dips
1 x 8-15 Squats
1 x 12-20 Calf RaisesIf you do this, log it in a journey, there are a few that would like to see your results.
js71474
08-06-08, 11:20 am
But for the guys really serious about this, the question is could you organize your split in such a way so that it is tailored to your own recovery abilities and with a low enough volume/high enough intensity that hitting each bodypart twice a week would afford you the opportunity to make greater leaps in STRENGTH compared to a traditional split? Essentially, achieving the same thing in half the time by doubling the training effect? Afterall the amazing thing about the guys I listed above isn't the level that they got to - it's how quickly they got there, and how much they gained from year to year compared to their competition.
You would definitely have to be smart about it, the real question is whether someone used to hittin one bodypart a day with balls out intensity could scale the volume back and as you said at the same time still blister the intensity, but be happy with the lower volume. I do splits once in a blue moon to change things up, but I absolutely love hittin one a day and really tearing the muscle group down. I'm sure there are alot of bros here that feel the same way and it would be hard to go to this type training for that reason.
In Flames
08-06-08, 4:52 pm
If you do this, log it in a journey, there are a few that would like to see your results.
I might do that. I mean I love hitting one body-part per day with around 12 sets, but the more I read for the natural trainee I always hear full body workouts are better for muscle growth and faster. I believe the big pro bodybuilders do body-part splits because they already have all the mass/foundation to do a plethora of sets and need to hit the muscles from all angles. You don't put the shingles on the house without having the foundation first...
I just want to know if any Animal Pro's can help out about the full body workouts. Thanks alot guys. Or if anyone has or does use a full body workout similar to Arthur Jones/Mentzer style with awesome results.
airborneIRON
08-10-08, 12:20 pm
i had to re-re-read a few parts but that sounds interesting.