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CEO - What are the basic principles of DC Training?
- Thread starter the_alcatraz
- Start date
The Basic principles are: heavy progressive weights, lower volume but higher frequency of bodyparts hit, multi-rep rest pause
training, extreme stretching, carb cuttoffs, cardio, high protein intake and blasting and cruising phases (periodization).
There's a lot to explaining the specifics of DC though, but your best source of info for that is to go to intensemuscle.com and read all the stickies in the dogg pound forum. Read them several times to understand them. It's all been written and I can't do it any better than it's already been done. I have copy/pasted over 100 pages of posts into word documents I've saved on my pc for easy reference. I still refer to them from time to time a year later.
training, extreme stretching, carb cuttoffs, cardio, high protein intake and blasting and cruising phases (periodization).
There's a lot to explaining the specifics of DC though, but your best source of info for that is to go to intensemuscle.com and read all the stickies in the dogg pound forum. Read them several times to understand them. It's all been written and I can't do it any better than it's already been done. I have copy/pasted over 100 pages of posts into word documents I've saved on my pc for easy reference. I still refer to them from time to time a year later.
how long is a single DC workut.
Will loot at the source.
Will loot at the source.
they take me between 75 and 90 minutes with the "B" workout usually taking the least amount of time. I know that is a lot for some, but you are only training three times a week.
training only three times a week, don't think that's for me.
OneBreath
Elite Mentor
It won't seem like it. You'll quickly feel that you are hitting the same muscles very hard but with more frequency than the standard volume splits. You will welcome the recovery days!
you think so?
Tatyana
Elite Mentor
Yes, did DC legs on Monday, I was meant to train on Wednesday, my legs were seriously mullered, couldn't face training anything, took an extra day and trained last night.
My training buddy is getting used to the idea,he is still not going heavy enough, but our first rest-pauses last night had him saying a few bad words.
Training legs again tomorrow.
I grow more the fewer days a week I train. I made significant progress when I dropped from training 5-6 days a week to 4, now I think three is going to be great for the next six months or so.
Be sure you're getting a really good stretch and holding for at least 60 seconds. It should be rather painful, but muscle pain from stretching, not joint pain...you know.
The extreme stretching is very key to recovery. I have been pressed for time in a workout before and in my haste had forgotten to stretch triceps once and hamstrings another time. Boy did I feel it over the next few days! I could totally tell the difference, and recovery was much slower.
If you are doing one of his prescribed stretches and aren't getting a good stretch, you can also change it to a stretch you can feel and you know you are getting a good stretch. I had to do that with the quad stretch. There are a couple variations of the tricep stretch that people seem to be split on too.
At your level of training you will know what is working for you.
I could not do the sissy squat quad stretch. It murdered my knees. I stretch my quads one at a time using a split squat type stretch. I am going to try the cable shoulder stretch today.
not always with weights, sometimes with bodyweight as resistance. Be careful on that chest stretch, it should stretch your chest and not your shoulders. Keep your elbows and the weights close to your body and let your elbows sink down under the weight and keep your sternum high.
Look at this link:
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/c...ant-fascia-stretching-595445.html#post8172551
OneBreath
Elite Mentor
the sissy squat stretch is murder after a widowmaker. My thighs are so damn pumped it takes a while to even get down into position. I don't notice it on my knees though, lucky i guess.
Other than the recovery benefit, i'm really getting flexible fast. Last time after hams i stretched each really hard separately. Then just out of curiosity i stood sideways to the mirror and went down to just touch my toes with knees locked. I couldn't believe how far i could go down. Seeing myself in the mirror with my head almost to my knees was freaky.
Other than the recovery benefit, i'm really getting flexible fast. Last time after hams i stretched each really hard separately. Then just out of curiosity i stood sideways to the mirror and went down to just touch my toes with knees locked. I couldn't believe how far i could go down. Seeing myself in the mirror with my head almost to my knees was freaky.
al420
New member
This is true for everyone no matter how much gear they are on or how much they just love to be in the gym. If you train hard, then 3-4 days a week is going to be more than enough.
DC leg days are great, By the time you are squatting you are already taxed. I have yet to train DC for legs and not puke.
Tatyana
Elite Mentor
Be sure you're getting a really good stretch and holding for at least 60 seconds. It should be rather painful, but muscle pain from stretching, not joint pain...you know.
The extreme stretching is very key to recovery. I have been pressed for time in a workout before and in my haste had forgotten to stretch triceps once and hamstrings another time. Boy did I feel it over the next few days! I could totally tell the difference, and recovery was much slower.
If you are doing one of his prescribed stretches and aren't getting a good stretch, you can also change it to a stretch you can feel and you know you are getting a good stretch. I had to do that with the quad stretch. There are a couple variations of the tricep stretch that people seem to be split on too.
At your level of training you will know what is working for you.
I must admit, we forgot to stretch on Monday, and I couldn't do the quad stretch as well at home.
Never again.
And yes, the extreme stretching hurts.
In a sort of good way though.
I tried training 4 days a week....the guilt trip was horrid, but I see what you're saying about recovery.
Tatyana
Elite Mentor
guilty that you're only training 4 days a week
When training with this method three days a week is plenty. We are hitting PR's on every exercise for every workout. This constant progression can only be maintained if volume is controlled. Anymore than three times a week and you will only progress for so long until you stall. I like to improve every workout.
I actually plan on missing at least one Friday per blast. I think this extra rest extends the blast. Something the new Dcers in this thread might want to think about. Skipping a Friday or Monday mid blast will extend your blasting time.
strength and size increase or just overall strength increase?
are you reaching hypertrophy with 4-6 reps?
this is getting me really really interested and excited.
one heavy working set in a 12-20 rest-paused reps range typically.
I may do 4-6 reps in one or two of my warmup sets though. The heavier the weight in the warmup, the less reps I do. Gotta save all my strength for that working set!
SouthernLord, Dante talks about that skipping a workout day in your blast in order to extend the blast. I assume that's where you got it from.
I have never done them. Maybe a few times on some bicep and chest exercises. Once I do the RP my muscles are fried. I don't think it really makes a huge difference in the program if you do them or not. As long as you are RPing and x-stretching you should be fine.
Tatyana
Elite Mentor
guilty that you're only training 4 days a week
I am reading some DC over again, found this,and thought of you.
My principle has always been why make it harder on yourself than it needs to be.
RH = Ron Harris
D = Dante aka Doggcrapp
RH: How and why did you come up with DC Training? Had you grown frustrated with other styles of training? Did DC Training evolve over time?
D:I started out with the old volume training concepts just like everyone else does who reads what Arnold and the boys did and what the newstand magazines put out there as "the golden rules".....but I got to a point where I started thinking "there is no rhyme or reason to this".
It all seemed based on obsessive-complusiveness instead of deductive reasoning to what truly builds muscle mass. I think alot of modern day bodybuilding routines are built on "the must principle" which is fanatical bodybuilders thinking "I must do inclines and declines and cable crossovers and flat bench and pec deck and flyes for chest this workout or I wont have all the bases covered and I wont grow". I think thats flat out wrong and again comes from direct obsessive-compulsiveness.
DC training did evolve over time as I trained more and more bodybuilders and noted their results. Back in the early 90's it was the same basic concepts as today but had slightly more volume to it. Thru trial and error over the last 13 years or so Ive honed it down to what you see today.
I am reading some DC over again, found this,and thought of you.
My principle has always been why make it harder on yourself than it needs to be.
RH = Ron Harris
D = Dante aka Doggcrapp
RH: How and why did you come up with DC Training? Had you grown frustrated with other styles of training? Did DC Training evolve over time?
D:I started out with the old volume training concepts just like everyone else does who reads what Arnold and the boys did and what the newstand magazines put out there as "the golden rules".....but I got to a point where I started thinking "there is no rhyme or reason to this".
It all seemed based on obsessive-complusiveness instead of deductive reasoning to what truly builds muscle mass. I think alot of modern day bodybuilding routines are built on "the must principle" which is fanatical bodybuilders thinking "I must do inclines and declines and cable crossovers and flat bench and pec deck and flyes for chest this workout or I wont have all the bases covered and I wont grow". I think thats flat out wrong and again comes from direct obsessive-compulsiveness.
DC training did evolve over time as I trained more and more bodybuilders and noted their results. Back in the early 90's it was the same basic concepts as today but had slightly more volume to it. Thru trial and error over the last 13 years or so Ive honed it down to what you see today.
Wow. Thank you for sharing Tat.
I'm usually one that believes if it works for you, don't change it, i.e. if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I am growing like weed doing my own thing, kinda a mix between volume training and strength training...
However, I have already agreed that I will strt DC training in January. I'm going to read up on it and really know it very well before I start it. Come January, I'm starting a DC training alcatraz log and keeping it updated.
Maybe I'll turn from a critic to the biggest supporter of Dante.
I agree with this as well. If what you're doing is working and you're happy, why change it? Dante would say the same thing too. DC is for when you're stuck. When you're not growing your way anymore, and you've tried other things and you're still not growing. That's what he says anyway.
I had stagnated in growth for over a year and tried a few different things in that time and didn't gain at all. Then I started DC and started growing right away.
I think I started them on my second blast. I basically forgot about them the first week and a half of my first blast, so I figured I'd put them into my next blast.
Some people start off with straight sets and hold off on the rp sets and statics until later. It really all depends on the individual and how well they know their body when it comes to training and recovery. I think you'll be fine adding them to your next blast.
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