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Tom Treutlein
New member
This post was made by "vicious" over on the HST boards, pertaining to DC training. I think it's pretty descriptive. The guy knows his stuff:
"...Anyway, his training program really speaks to me as a ex-HITer. Although I won't locate his influences, his use of rest-pause techniques and 20-rep squats and the like come from the classic HIT literature. It's not terribly different than what Darden and Mentzer recommended in the 70s, before Mentzer switched over to MWF splits with his first Heavy Duty book. His load stretching is really interesting; people have used that periodically for years, but DC codified it into the routine.
As Aaron pointed out, the DC program happens to fit the HST principles very, very well. In fact, I'd also say that the DC program, provided you can continue the progressive overload, is probably more effective than the standard HST routine at building mass. The following:
1) His exercise rotation switches up the recruitment pattern, so that you can partially avoid some of the strength-negating effects of failure training. Of course, you still can't hit the bodypart 3x-a-week this way, but the residual damage from the load stretching means some growth is occuring at baseline protein synthesis levels.
2) He implements a periodized recovery cycle (right terminology) in order for the CNS to catch up. This isn't the same thing as strategic deconditioning, but it recognizes you can't be "on" all the time. Also, because the training program by default aims perpetually for new PRs, at least the first week of that recovery cycle will not be completely mitigated by RBE.
3) On "beginner-level" HST routine, you grow, per bodypart, optimally 5 days of seven for 6 weeks out of 7, or roughly 30 days of 42. On DC, you grow 3 days of seven for 7 weeks out of 7, or 21 days of 42. Here, HST does have an advantage.
3) Use of post-failure techniques as well as 20-rep breathing squats means he's ratcheting up the erk1/2 levels, and thus even with the very low volume, you'll enjoy enormous sarcoplasmic hypertrophy workout to workout. Couple that with Dante's hardcore stance on EAT! EAT! EAT!, you'll see immediate size results as well as some recourse against the wipeout of your CNS. Unlike a unoptimized HST routine, you can expect sarcoplasmic hypertrophy every workout.
4) Load stretching. Now, this part is the unique wrinkle of his program. Turns out this is, for the bodyparts we care about, the load stretching is the secret -- the primary growth stimulator -- this is what essentially creates both the strength increases and sustainable growth -- without frying the CNS. This is the genius part. It's not just that the program is taking advantage of the length vs. tension curve to create major sarcomere disruption workout to workout -- it's that he's also relying on the lenthy TUL to inititate the passive stretch reflex and indirectly create a progressive load at the super-stretched position. It doesn't really matter that the training loads are themselves rather low -- as long as the trainee remembers to increase the starting training loads (or stretch angles) workout to workout, or extend his TUL long enough workout-to-workout to kick off the passive stretch reflex, he'll effectively have his necessary mechanical stress progression. Nearly every time. And so, he'll get his major p38 activity here, his sarcomere hypertrophy here.
5) And if you believe there is a relationship between cell volume and satellite cell creation, then you'll also realize that his three-part combination of post-failure techniques, loaded stretches, and managed load progression -- all accomplished in the same workout -- is a nicely packaged milieu that creates a snowball hypertrophic effect. Ergo, the amazing results.
But, is it better than HST? Welllllll . . . it can be argued that the DC program is already a highly tweaked version of a traditional full-body HIT routine. Thus, the proper comparison would be against a tweaked HST routine . . ."
"...Anyway, his training program really speaks to me as a ex-HITer. Although I won't locate his influences, his use of rest-pause techniques and 20-rep squats and the like come from the classic HIT literature. It's not terribly different than what Darden and Mentzer recommended in the 70s, before Mentzer switched over to MWF splits with his first Heavy Duty book. His load stretching is really interesting; people have used that periodically for years, but DC codified it into the routine.
As Aaron pointed out, the DC program happens to fit the HST principles very, very well. In fact, I'd also say that the DC program, provided you can continue the progressive overload, is probably more effective than the standard HST routine at building mass. The following:
1) His exercise rotation switches up the recruitment pattern, so that you can partially avoid some of the strength-negating effects of failure training. Of course, you still can't hit the bodypart 3x-a-week this way, but the residual damage from the load stretching means some growth is occuring at baseline protein synthesis levels.
2) He implements a periodized recovery cycle (right terminology) in order for the CNS to catch up. This isn't the same thing as strategic deconditioning, but it recognizes you can't be "on" all the time. Also, because the training program by default aims perpetually for new PRs, at least the first week of that recovery cycle will not be completely mitigated by RBE.
3) On "beginner-level" HST routine, you grow, per bodypart, optimally 5 days of seven for 6 weeks out of 7, or roughly 30 days of 42. On DC, you grow 3 days of seven for 7 weeks out of 7, or 21 days of 42. Here, HST does have an advantage.
3) Use of post-failure techniques as well as 20-rep breathing squats means he's ratcheting up the erk1/2 levels, and thus even with the very low volume, you'll enjoy enormous sarcoplasmic hypertrophy workout to workout. Couple that with Dante's hardcore stance on EAT! EAT! EAT!, you'll see immediate size results as well as some recourse against the wipeout of your CNS. Unlike a unoptimized HST routine, you can expect sarcoplasmic hypertrophy every workout.
4) Load stretching. Now, this part is the unique wrinkle of his program. Turns out this is, for the bodyparts we care about, the load stretching is the secret -- the primary growth stimulator -- this is what essentially creates both the strength increases and sustainable growth -- without frying the CNS. This is the genius part. It's not just that the program is taking advantage of the length vs. tension curve to create major sarcomere disruption workout to workout -- it's that he's also relying on the lenthy TUL to inititate the passive stretch reflex and indirectly create a progressive load at the super-stretched position. It doesn't really matter that the training loads are themselves rather low -- as long as the trainee remembers to increase the starting training loads (or stretch angles) workout to workout, or extend his TUL long enough workout-to-workout to kick off the passive stretch reflex, he'll effectively have his necessary mechanical stress progression. Nearly every time. And so, he'll get his major p38 activity here, his sarcomere hypertrophy here.
5) And if you believe there is a relationship between cell volume and satellite cell creation, then you'll also realize that his three-part combination of post-failure techniques, loaded stretches, and managed load progression -- all accomplished in the same workout -- is a nicely packaged milieu that creates a snowball hypertrophic effect. Ergo, the amazing results.
But, is it better than HST? Welllllll . . . it can be argued that the DC program is already a highly tweaked version of a traditional full-body HIT routine. Thus, the proper comparison would be against a tweaked HST routine . . ."
