I was wondering if anyone has tried Brian Haycock’s Hypertrophy Specific Training and what results they achiveved. I personally have tried several diffrent methods including Mentzers training, Brawn hardgainer training, training body parts twice a week, high volume low volume you name it. I must say I have got my best results with HST, this program gave me my best strength gains ever. I believe I am a hardgainer and have poor genetics for building strength and size but this program is amazing especially for strength. On top of all this I have avoided injuries on this program. The higher reps and the layoffs have helped heaps to keep injuries away. I think training bodyparts and exercises frequently as well as cycling of reps and poundages is magic for strength and size and this program covers it. Anyway does anyone else share these thourghts and get great results from this program. PS does anyone know of other great programs as good as this one?
Marty,
I tried the HST program and agree with you, it’s a good one. However, almost every program that I have tried I have gotten good results. It’s like the editors of T-mag have said many times: everything works in the short run. That’s why I usually change my program every six weeks.
Oh, and welcome to T-mag…the greatest muscle building site in the world! (check out some T-mag routines, they impress you!)
Thanks for the reply I have been reading Tmag now for a while and the website is great. I just wanted to add that with HST I can do it over and over and get great results I think that the layoff period after each cycle has a lot to do with it. Anyway there is many programs on this site that I have to try, so can anyone tell me which ones they tried and got great results from?
If you’re getting great results with HST, why would you want to use something else? Keep on with HST until it stops working for you.
Could you give some specifics about what your gains were on the program? Just curious.
Marty, I’ve done HST, too, and enjoyed it thoroughly. I like it for the same reasons you do, as I have sustained a number of overuse and muscular-imbalance type injuries in the short time I have been lifting. It’s a great pre-hab, injury preventitive resistance training program. I also got some nice results, too. Believe it or not, people have gotten good results cutting and bulking, both.
But like ZEB said, there are some other wonderful programs here on T-mag that are exceedingly well done. I’ve also done Chad Waterbury’s ABBH and Charles Staley’s EDT.
Enjoy! (grin)
Char dawg im still using HST cause yes its working well but my best gains on this program are behind me and Im just getting ready to try a new plan when HST stops working which I fear may be soon. It will work great I bet again after I do cycles of other programs then come back to it. Now the improvements I have made Im proud off they have been very good for me. I went from chinning just my bodyweight for about 6 good reps to 6 reps with 50 pounds hanging off me. My 1 rep pathetic bench which is my worst lift went from 200 pounds to 250. With dummbell rows I have got to a 115 pound dummbbell. I injured my back doing deadlifts years ago and unfortuntaley I have not done squats or deadlifts on HST. After my chins went so well I found out I could do a barbell curl with 135 pounds. My physique looks better Im leaner and more muscular but I believe if I ate more I would have gained more mass lots of strength came with little size gain most likely due to a lack of calories but still there is more muscle then pre HST days.
Marty,
personally I have no experience with HST, but if it works for you keep going ! Anyway for a change you may try for example: ABBH1, ABBH2, Singles, Quattro Dynamo by Chad Waterbury, OVT by Christian Thibadeau, EDT by Charles Staley and other effective programs by Ian King, Dave Tate and Joe De Franco. You find all these programs in “Previous Issues”.
Hope that helps !
Luca