Anyone experienced this after S&H?

[hippahips]

I had planned to alternate GS and S&H for a month, but after doing GS for 3 weeks and seeing improvement, I decided to just do another 3 weeks of S&H to confuse my body.

I was able to increase my weights in S&H, which was thrilling because it's one workout where I hardly ever see progress. What I don't understand is why, when I did GS-chest/triceps yesterday, I had to lower in some exercises. It was like my body got used to the very slow moves and didn't want to do the regular moves or the 2-2 counts. When Cathe slowed down the push-ups to 4-4 and the tricep french press to 2-6 and 6-2, the moves seemed easy even when I was fried. But when the counts went back to 2-2 or just regular up and down moves, that just about killed me.

I have a nice sore in my chest and triceps today and I keep thinking that's the point: keep the body guessing, don't let it adapt. But I'm quite disappointed and confused. This is the first time where I've used S&H and have difficulty going back to my other workouts. What gives?

Pinky

 

[maxwells]

Hey Pinky Girl!

I wouldn't say specifically that it is *because* of S&H but I, too, experience this same thing. I just noticed it after S&H style training -- probably because they are so different. I think the fast reps put more strain on the joints/ligaments/tendons; whereas the slow reps really focus more on the muscle. I don't think it is a problem or any indication that you're not making progress -- it's just a nice observation.

Shonie

 

[hippahips]

Wow, Shonie... we really do have a lot in common, don't we? I was also working the negative phase as well, doing 6-2, 2-6 and 4-4 counts respectively, whereas Cathe focuses on the positive phase all throughout S&H. I wonder if that did it, too. This was the first time I used S&H this way.

Pinky

 

[clareMc]

Hi Pinky:

same thing happens with me after every S&H rotation. I have just finished 6-7 weeks of S&H making great progress, upping all my weights for all body parts, yesterday I did PUB and it about killed me! I mean, I used heavier wieghts than I have previously mnanaged for PUB, thanks to S&H, but the pace was so fast, I could barely keep up, especially on Chest exercises. Sometimes it feels like Cathe is just flinging them about, in comparison tothe slow and measured pace I have gotten used to.

I know what you mean about the feeling of frustration and disapointment. I had been using 20's for chest work for S&H, and this was the first time in my life I had managed to use 20's for chest. But yesterday with PUB, I managed a 12/15/16/15/12 pyramid. I tried to have 20's as my heaviest weight for 8 reps, but the muscles were already fatigued! I tried not to let it get to me because then I would have been so cross with myself for being such a patgheitc, puny, weakling that I would have given up on the workout altogether. SO, I swallowed my pride and kept on and was able to reflect great progress in all areas. I mean, if I am fiar to myself, even the 12/15/16/15/12 was an improvement on my previous standard 10/12/15/12/10. But, it just asn't what I was hoping for, you know?

When I did GS a couple of weeks ago I had the same experience as you with the different counts. The 2-2 felt like rushing it and it was harder to focus on correct form while it felt like I was rushing it to keep up.

I think what we are experiencing is part of the S&H phenomenon. It's not just us!

I am thinking of keeping up with the GS or S&H once per week each plus a PUB once per week to try and keep my hand in with heavier wieghts and some degree of endurance also.

What will you do now?

Clare

 

[hippahips]

Hi Clare, thanks for responding.

I'm thinking of doing GS for another 3 weeks then alternating PS and Pyramids the month after that, with total body workouts like PH and ME thrown in at the end of the week, workouts I haven't done in a long while. Then maybe I'll do variety training in June (Cathe has a rotation for this) then go back to using GS and S&H. I'd also like to incorporate some of the P90X workouts with Cathe's workouts, but that'll come late in the year. Yep, I'm really looking ahead. Plans could change as circumstances around me also change, but the idea is to keep my body from adapting to one workout.

I don't know what it is exactly about this "phenomenon". If this has something to do with slow-twitch fibers being worked more in S&H-type workouts, and the fast-twitch fibers hardly being used at all? Just a thought... because the regular moves and even the 2-2 counts do feel too fast. And they never did feel like that before.

Pinky