Benefits of 3.5 month vs 6.5 month rotation?
- Thread starter murfmom
- Start date
mini-natty
Cathlete
Hi there,
I honestly think the only "con" for the 6.5 month rotation would be that it can be hard for some to stay committed to one program for that long. You might start to get bored, and antsy to incorporate some of your other beloved strength training workouts.
For me personally, I felt 3.5 months was sufficient. With that being said, I'm absolutely certain my results would have been much better had I committed myself to the 6.5 month. Regardless, you are on your way to some nice muscles
.
If you don't mind the long commitment and are serious about wanting the best results possible, I would say go for the 6.5 month. Keep in mind that you will repeat each week TWICE as opposed to only once for the 3.5 month. The good thing about repeating weeks is that if you did not do your 1RM, or felt you were unsure about your #'s starting out, you can easily tweak/update your #'s for the next week. Also, things will go a lot smoother in the repeating week because you are already familiar with the workout. You might find this to be particularly true during M1, which goes at a very rapid pace with frequent equipment changes. I call this the "hurricane cycle" because my room always looks like a hurricane hit it after I'm done.
Good luck!
I honestly think the only "con" for the 6.5 month rotation would be that it can be hard for some to stay committed to one program for that long. You might start to get bored, and antsy to incorporate some of your other beloved strength training workouts.
For me personally, I felt 3.5 months was sufficient. With that being said, I'm absolutely certain my results would have been much better had I committed myself to the 6.5 month. Regardless, you are on your way to some nice muscles
.If you don't mind the long commitment and are serious about wanting the best results possible, I would say go for the 6.5 month. Keep in mind that you will repeat each week TWICE as opposed to only once for the 3.5 month. The good thing about repeating weeks is that if you did not do your 1RM, or felt you were unsure about your #'s starting out, you can easily tweak/update your #'s for the next week. Also, things will go a lot smoother in the repeating week because you are already familiar with the workout. You might find this to be particularly true during M1, which goes at a very rapid pace with frequent equipment changes. I call this the "hurricane cycle" because my room always looks like a hurricane hit it after I'm done
. Good luck!
jengollf
Cathlete
I have been contemplating this as well. There are some great responses here, but I kept searching and finally found Cathe's take on the 6 month rotation (her's is the very last comment on the thread):
http://cathe.com/forum/f95/sts-3-months-versus-6-months-256509/index2.html
That clarifies things a lot for me. I think I will end up doing it as a 5 month rotation.
limycrescent61
Member
I just hunted around for that old thread because the link above no longer works. In case anyone else is looking for it, try this link:
STS 3 months versus 6 months
Hi Cathe, I read in one of the posts that STS was originally to be done as a 6-month program instead of a 3-month program and I just want to make sure that is correct. I couldn't find the link for the entire discussion which is why I'm asking, so I apologize if this is a repeat question for...
cathe.com
I know this is an old thread, but it is interesting to me. I have done STS many times as the 3 month rotation or I do a back to back set and make it a 6 month rotation (do the 3 month and then repeat the 3 month).
I never knew to do the 6 month rotation as mentioned in this thread (basically, repeat each week once until you hit the 6 month mark). Anyone know if there is a difference in results between a back to back set (the way I have been doing it) and the repeat set (the way mentioned in the thread)?
I have zero problems with boredom or sticking with a rotation, so that is not a factor for me. Thanks!
I never knew to do the 6 month rotation as mentioned in this thread (basically, repeat each week once until you hit the 6 month mark). Anyone know if there is a difference in results between a back to back set (the way I have been doing it) and the repeat set (the way mentioned in the thread)?
I have zero problems with boredom or sticking with a rotation, so that is not a factor for me. Thanks!
Linda1
Cathlete
This is an old thread, but I just noticed a big difference between the two:
With the 3.5 month, you have a recovery week after every 4 weeks of STS.
With the 6.5 month, you have a recovery week after every 8 weeks of STS.
I think the more accustomed you are to heavy, long weight workouts, the better it would be to do the 6.5 . However, if you don't normally workout that hard, the 3.5 is better, because you will need those recovery weeks sooner.
For me, STS is HARD and after 4 weeks I am exhausted. I really need that active recovery week. I do cardio, kickboxing, core, and yoga during recovery weeks and it is great !
(I think I will need to be in better shape to do the 6.5. Something for me to work towards !)
Just something to consider...
With the 3.5 month, you have a recovery week after every 4 weeks of STS.
With the 6.5 month, you have a recovery week after every 8 weeks of STS.
I think the more accustomed you are to heavy, long weight workouts, the better it would be to do the 6.5 . However, if you don't normally workout that hard, the 3.5 is better, because you will need those recovery weeks sooner.
For me, STS is HARD and after 4 weeks I am exhausted. I really need that active recovery week. I do cardio, kickboxing, core, and yoga during recovery weeks and it is great !
(I think I will need to be in better shape to do the 6.5. Something for me to work towards !
)Just something to consider...
Nana2four
Member
I agree, and it is a very hard 3 months IMO.
Nana2four
Member
HI all, I am not really new, just haven't been on in a long time. I did STS back in 2010, started again this month. I am on week 3 of meso 1. My sister and I are doing it together. I have a question. Next week is will be week 4, then May 1-7 will be a week off. I am going out of town on May 7, so that will be 2 weeks off before I begin meso 2. so, should I redo meso 1 or just continue as planned with meso 2? would 2 weeks be too much time between mesos? Hope that makes sense. Thanks for any input.
vivbc
Cathlete
Does your calendar allow for the time commitment to start again without a disruption? If so, I would start again with Miso 1. Can't go wrong that way, especially if you consider that STS can also be a 6 month rotation. That said, I have simply done Meso 2 workouts for a month, because they are so much fun!
Jane Power-Grimm
Cathlete
My personal opinion would be to do week 4 of Meso 1 two times. That is, do week 4 during May 1-7 instead of taking a week of active recovery. THEN, use the week you are away (May 7-14) as your active recovery week. Once back from your time out of town start Meso 2. I think two weeks between mesos is a lot of time. I feel that doing Meso 1 for five weeks instead of four is doable and would give you good results. Only down side is you will have to suffer through all those push-ups for an extra week!!
Nana2four
Member
LOL! I absolutely loathe pushups. But, that is kinda what I was thinking too, 2 weeks is a long time. I just finished the last leg workout for meso 1. tough, but better than doing pushups!!! Thanks for you input!
Nana2four
Member
Oh my goodness, not sure I want to start all over again. and, schedule may not allow. I have to have cataract surgery and waiting til I finish STS. I can't lift anything heavy for a MONTH!! Not sure how I am going to go a month without working out. All I can do is walk. Haven't done that since 2001 when I broke my ankle. Thank you for your input, I appreciate it.
Nana2four
Member
Where can i look at the 6 month rotation?
vivbc
Cathlete
Go to Workout manager, go to Calendar, go to “add workout” menu, there find “STS workout” menu and you can add the 6 month rotation to the calendar from there.