I have been training for 10 years using different programs through out that time. I was reading about HST and it sounds good on paper. I was wondering if anyone had any success with it. I am a bodybuilder looking to put on some mass and I need something to do for 4-6 weeks in between my heavy training and to try something new. Any thoughts would be great.
I posted this a couple of days ago and I did’nt get any response so I thought I would try again. I just don’t want to spin my wheels if this is something not worth trying. Thanks for any thoughts.
Hi Thad!
I tried HST and had some good fortune with it. Like all programs, after six to eight weeks the gains pretty much dried up. It’s called “habituation” the body becomes accustom to the stress, adapts and then poof, the gains disapear.
I have been training a long long time and have found that just about anything works, for a while, if it is different enough from what you have been doing.
Sorry I can’t give you the magic bullet that you are looking for, but it just does not exist. Try the program for six weeks and let me know how you did!
Best Of Luck,
Zeb
Thanks for your input Zeb, I switch up my program every 6 weeks also. I have noticed the same thing with results drying up. I try to lift heavy compound movements low sets low frequency for 6 weeks then do something different for 6 weeks then back to heavy compound. HST is way different–that’s why I was asking for some opinions.
I used HST a while back and was in the group of those who didn’t get anything out of the program. I found it a complete waste of time for six weeks. The volume was way too low, as well as the intensity.
I think those that have been using a very high-volume program may find some benefit to this, but it wouldn’t be any different than following HIT.
Again, I’ve also found what works best for me. I can do a low-volume workout, as long as the intensity is high (heavy weights, low reps), or I can do a higher volume program with lower intensity (Renegade Training) and make gains. But HST, Ian King’s programs and a few others didn’t do anything for me.
So it will depend on what works best for you. Nevertheless, I still don’t think HST is a good program and would follow something else to shock new growth.
I’ve utilized several cycles of HST training and have experienced excellent results in size (and even strength, though it’s not the primary goal of the program). Its combination of escalating intensity, low volume, and high frequency was exactly what I needed. In fact, I wouldn’t hesitate to call it one of the most effective protocols I’ve ever tried. Of course, as you can see from the other responses, “different strokes for different folks.” However, I must clarify that it is quite different from HIT (as one gentleman purported). Although both tend to have relatively lower volume and few exercises per muscle group, HST is a HIGH FREQUENCY program. It is based around recent research claiming that one can train a muscle before it is fully recovered and still grow. Whether or not that’s physiologically accurate is irrelevant, as it has clearly delivered results to me.
Good Luck!