Cluster HST - Basics
 

Mechanical Load
A high mechanical load is necessary to induce muscle hypertrophy.

Frequent Load
The direct answer of the muscle to the load is the increased synthesis of various growth factors, which is back at its starting level after 36-48 hours. Means, that every muscle is to be worked out at least 3 times a week.

Progressive Load
The muscle adapts the mechanical load, which makes hypertrophy no longer possibe, if you use the same weight over and over again. It conditions. To induce hypertrophy, you have to work out above the conditioning. Thats why weights have to be increased steadily. They are never to be decreased.

Strategic Deconditioning
At some point it is not possible to increase the weights anymore, which makes it impossible to work out above the conditioning. At this point, the solution is decreasing the conditioning, by taking off 12-15 days. It is part of the system and can't be left out. Without it, HST doesn't work.

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Clustering
Forget sets. There are no sets. There is just a total volume that is done doing as many "sets" as you like. The number of reps done at a stretch is irrelevant.

Example: You want to benchpress 30 reps. It doesn't matter if you do them 6x5, 10x3 or 30x1. Every rep is worth the same, no matter if it's the one you start your "set" with, or if it's the one you end it with.

Muscle failure
Muscle failure is to be avoided. It reduces the possible volume, increases the risk of injury, stresses the CNS and is free of purpose.

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Routine

An HST routine usually consists of 4 exercises. Calves are usually not integrated and can be worked out at the end of the sessions. Abs are worked out doing the 4 main exercises more than enough.

Lower body push
Lower body pull
Upper body push
Upper body pull

Example routine:

Squats
Dead lifts
Benchpress
Chinups

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Planning of a cycle

5RM:
Before starting a cycle the 5RM has to be determined. Usually you estimate, and then try. But remember that you have less power after your first try, so you should hit it immediately. Also, you have to determine your 5RM BEFORE your SD, otherwise your conditioning is too high at the beginning.

A cycle lasts about 6 weeks starting at 60% of your 5RM. Each week weights are increased:

1. Week: 60%
2. Week: 70%
3. Week: 80%
4. Week: 90%
5. Week: 100%
6. Week: 110%

30 reps are a good starting volume. To bring fatigue to a minimum, clusters of 6x5 (week 1), 10x3 (week 2-3), 15x2 (week 4) and 30x1 (week 5-6) are recommended.

[QUOTE=oDeus;76343]An HST routine usually consists of 4 exercises. QUOTE]

I thought it was supposed to be more than four exercises in an HST routine? Or is it four only for Cluster HST?

Is cluster HST a more efficient version of HST (better for strnegth/hypertrophy), or one for more advanced HSTers?

Would appreciate any further detail if you are able to expand on the above post...

Squats @ 30x1, 3x a week - is cluster HST more for chemically-assisted individuals? Wouldn't that sort of load and volume kill a small horse?

Deconditioning, again is a euphemism for detraining. Gotta love the substitution fallacy.

The actual load used there at the end with the thirty singles is probably around 80 to 85 percent of your max ability...going on with HST. (HST makes light weights "lighter")

So probably it wouldn't kill a horse. Or do anything to the horse. Since it says "lower body push" then it would only be squats one time a week.

Unless you factor in using this with enefficient trainees who are constantly detraining their upper strength ranges, losing amplitude, coordination, etc...then it could be hit and miss in terms of safety but talking about it makes me feel silly so I'll leave it at that.

Im not sure thats accurate. i think it is squatting 3x
per week. 4 exercises each done at each workout. i could always be wrong though...

OK. This is not regular HST.

Regular HST is 2 workouts, which alternate, 3 times a week.

Week 1: A,B,A
Week 2: B,A,B
etc.

There are NOT 4 per workout, it's more like 8-10. Each exercise has a low number of sets (1-3).

Usually you have 2-3 week blocks;

Week 1-2: 12-15RM
Week 3-4 or 3-5: 8-10RM
Week 6-8 or 6-9: 4-6RM

THAT's regular HST.

Cluster HST is not so far off. Its 4 days a week. You pick some exercises and you do a given amount of volume. 4 exercises sounds about right to me. I wouldn't go higher than 6 personally.

It is NOT squatting 3x per week. It's 2 times for lower and 2 times for upper. It doesn't have to be squatting either, it can be squats and deadlifts.

BTW, the way they talk about fatigue...I'm inclined to say that the first number is the set and the second is the rep. Meaning its not a widow maker set of 30, its 30 sets of 1 rep.

I misread it though....he's right about that.

I read it as 30 sets of one as well.

What the heck does any of it have to do with clusters? Picking a volume borrows more from density training than it does from clusters.

A cluster is basically inserting mini rest periods between reps or rep groupings within a straight set. Say 10 to 20 seconds.

So, for instance, you take a 5 RM and instead of doing it 5 times straight, you do one, rest for 10 to 20, do another, (or do two reps then rest or whatever) and the little rests in between allows you to lift that given load more times than you would have otherwise. So, it simply is using short rests within a "set" to allow you to lift a give load more times than you normally would with straight sets.

Theres a lot of different things you could do with that but that's the gist of it.

Picking a number of reps and just separating it into different set groups is not clusters but...I don't know what it is.

Widowmakers, btw, that Kane mentioned are the same thing (after failure) but they are really the old "breathing squats" and are about volume more than intensity. I really wouldn't lump that in with clusters, it's just beyond failure training (not that this seems to be a widowmaker..as said, it looks like 30 of one, not one of 30). 30 rep widowmakers would be silly though.

I don't think they're clusters either. The rest period would be too long and if you used 10-20s I doubt you'd be able to get 30 reps with much more than those little pink dumbbells. :biglaugh: (maybe the yellow ones)

Christ the weights in this program are almost that light to begin with :)

I don't think most people understand what cluster sets are.