bogman

I've decided to try a HIT training program for a few months and see how it goes. I've found a routine on the web, which I've modified slightly. Going to do three split sessions a week. If I feel I'm not recovering quick enough (I've found myself to be a "hardgainer" in the past), I'll take more rest days in between and spread it out over more than a week as necessary. Based on feedback from Leeston, I'm going to try one set on each excercise and go for a 4 sec up, 1 sec hold, 4 sec down approach.

Would be interested in any thoughts or experiences with similiar routines?


Workout 1 - Chest/Tri/Shoulders
Bench press - 1 x 8 reps
Incline press - 1 x 8 reps
Weighted Dips - 1 x 8 reps
Military press - 1 x 8 reps
Tricep Extensions- 1 x 10 reps

Workout 2 - Legs
Squats - 1 x 16 reps
Leg ext - 1 x 16 reps
Leg curl - 1 x 16 reps
Calf raise - 1 x 12 reps
+ Abs excercise

Workout 3 - Back/Biceps
Deadlift - 1 x 16 reps
Seated Cable Rows instead - 1 x 8 reps
Chinups - 1 x 8 reps
Single Arm Cable Curl - 1 x 12 reps
Preacher curls - 1 x 10 reps
+ Back Extensions

leeston

why 16 reps on the legs? I would maybe go to 10 max here. As for the others keep them around 6 - 8 very strict form, and then maybe a drop set or rest pause or two in there.

Also, why 12 for cable curls? As a hard gainer the logical thing would be to 'go heavy' and you would not be able to do that with 12 reps IMO.

Sometimes, say DB chest press for example I will do a few warm up sets (50-70%). Then 6-8 slow and strict reps, really push the boat out. At failure, sometimes I will drop them, wait up to 10 secs, pick them back up and go for it again (rest pause). I would probably be lucky if I get 2 or 3 extra out. Thats it, move onto the next exercise.

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Gobal terror they say that we are at war................ but I dont have time for that 'cos them bills keep dropping through my door. Suburban Knights, Hard-Fi


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bogman

why 16 reps on the legs? I would maybe go to 10 max here. As for the others keep them around 6 - 8 very strict form, and then maybe a drop set or rest pause or two in there

Also, why 12 for cable curls? As a hard gainer the logical thing would be to 'go heavy' and you would not be able to do that with 12 reps IMO.

> To be honest, I've just more or less stuck with I found on the web. Although I've always done 20 reps on squats and deadlifts (based on recommendation in Stuart McRoberts book) and have made steady progress this way. I will give yoru suggested reps a try.

Sometimes, say DB chest press for example I will do a few warm up sets (50-70%). Then 6-8 slow and strict reps, really push the boat out. At failure, sometimes I will drop them, wait up to 10 secs, pick them back up and go for it again (rest pause). I would probably be lucky if I get 2 or 3 extra out. Thats it, move onto the next exercise.

> How much do you drop the weight by? I generally train on my own - so if I were to do this for a barbell bench press, it would probably take me 40 to 60 sec to remove weight from the dumbell and get back on the bench to start again - would that be ok? sounds like it would be better if you could do it on lifts where you can drop the weight quickly? Otherwise, you're effectively doing another set?

> Thanks for the feedback!

leeston

mate - firstly - NEVER do barbell chest press alone using HIT. How can you go to failure with a barbell, I dont beleive you can without putting yourself in harms way. Use DB's or a machine instead.

Have the weights (DB) lined up. I would only drop it my 10% or so and go for an extra 2 or 3 not another 20 reps like some people do.

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Bulldozer

"have made steady progress this way"

My advice would be dont fix it, if it aint broke bud!!

BRAWN is a great book, especially for hard gainers.

If you are an extreme hard gainer training 3 times a week maybe too much.

Just something to think about!

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bogman

Yes - I think there's a chance three times a week may be too much for me - however, as per above, I'm going to give it a try. If I feel I need more, I'll increase the rest days between training sessions. However, given its lower volume (only 5 work sets per session), I want to see I can manage three sessions a week without sufffering from over-training.

leeston

I agree that does look a lot if you are a hard gainer. Are you really a hard gainer?

I ask this because it is a really overused term.

Why not break your routine down into 4 days. Try this

Monday - Back/abs

Wednesday - Shoulders/tris

Friday - Chest/biceps

Monday - Legs

Wed - back/abs and so on.


This way you lessening your chances of over training.

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Bulldozer

I would actually say the opposite! lol

I find it amazing how many "easy gainers" there are about!! (or they say they are)

Yet amazingly!! only a handful of big guys around!

I actually do what u suggested leeston, break my body into 4 parts , but train 3 times a week. But i still use very low volume and almost all compound exercises.

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bogman

Thanks for the advice guys. Do you think it would be sensible if I give the above programme a couple of months and see how I go? If I feel I'm not gaining and/or am overtraining, I can try leeston's suggestions or take an extra rest day betweeen training days (eg take 10 days to do the three sessions rather than doing it in a week)?

leeston

I wish I knew 10 years ago what I know now!

The best advice I can give you Bogman is to listen to your body and do what you feel is right or what your body responds to. Overtraining is very common and easily achieved, so keep an eye out.

Train because you want to train, not because you feel you have to. If you need an extra days rest then do it! I dont beleive there is a 'one size fits' all with regards to routines.

The biggest discovery I made was diet. I know now I need to eat eat eat to grow. Before I ate the bare minimum and was always wondering why I was a 'hardgainer'.

Now I have my diet reasonably sorted I can tweak it and I realise that I am not the hardgainer I thought I was.

Keep going buddy and keep us informed as to your progress.

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Bulldozer

Sure give it a go mate!

Just remember "progression" is weight on the bar every workout!!

If your not achieving this something is wrong!

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If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing. ~ Anatole France



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bogman

Thanks guys. Reading this board over the last month has also helped me a lot with my diet. My diet has always been reasonably healthy/clean, but I now realise that I probably wasn't eating enough and had too much carbs and too little protein.

Over the last 2 1/2 years, I've made steady, but slow gains - hence my belief I'm a hardgainer. However, as Leeston says, that could very well just be because of my diet. So, now that diet is sorted, I can try this three day a week routine and find out one way or the other! If I really am genuinely a hardgainer, I'll increase the rest between sessions.

leeston

good luck mate.

I do not profess to know everything. I have made loads of mistakes and will be making more but the journey is all about knowledge. We will probably know it all by the time we are too old to put it in to practice!

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Gobal terror they say that we are at war................ but I dont have time for that 'cos them bills keep dropping through my door. Suburban Knights, Hard-Fi


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bogman

mate - firstly - NEVER do barbell chest press alone using HIT. How can you go to failure with a barbell, I dont beleive you can without putting yourself in harms way. Use DB's or a machine instead.

> I use a squat rack for my barbell bench press so I can safely train to failure (I train at home and invested in one very early on after I had to call the missus to get a barbell off my chest - luckily she was in the house at the time!).

The Rave

Someone correct me if im wrong! I have watched Mike Mentzers HIT and it was nothing like that.

The main point was that when using HIT (if done correctly) then you only need to train once every 7-10 days because it is super intense. i.e. you only go to the gym 3 times a month.

I never did the routine as instructed, so I cant comment on how effective it is (I personally couldn't believe that you could grow going to the gym so little). I just took some ideas and developed them into my own routine.

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Current stats (15/08/08): 91kg - 5'10
04/08/07: 86kg