Once a week frequency? Why?

[Debaser]

This isn't really theory. Hundreds of trainees have made the best progress of their life on DC. The same applies to HST. The DC stickies here and on Animal's board are well over 1000 posts, and I have yet to find anyone unhappy with their results.

 

[Becoming]

Whoa guys, just trying to learn something and see if I can apply it to help me reach my own goals...

Louden-I am definately not an advocate of anything but lifting bigger weights each and every time, but I know from my own experience I find it hard to do only one set to max effort....

Debaser-I do also know that TONS of people advocate such approaches, and I definately see the logic, from a real world application point is the problem for me. I definately would not mind learning more from the application end to help my own goals etc.

Some history. First I am not a BB, but more of a strength/performance athlete (so maybe you will think none of this is even applicable to me), though I think the caveats should still hold, obviously the less damage you do, the less recovery time and the more progress you can make....

I generally do 5x5 or 5x3 or 5,4,3,2 or WSB type workout. I also employ a DE type day once a week like WSB no matter what type of heavy day I do. So generally I have a max effort day and a DE day. However, most of the time, as was previously mentioned, only the last set is max effort, but a lot of times, I wonder, "was I already fatigued and was that my max effort possible" or I wonder if I could have multiple max effort sessions if I could cut the total volume? I know from experience that I have had a tough time working with they strict type programs you talk about because a) I do not feel warmed up enough to give full effort (I even had problems with this when I first started WSB until I made the sets very close together in weight) b) I feel there is NO endurance aspect (which I have no problem dealing wiht for periods of growth) or c) I find I get a lot more aches, joint, connective issues (probably related to warm up)

For example, right now I am doing this for my work sets on bench....
5-340
4-365
3-390 85-90% effort
2-415 100% effort

I also do 10x135 (medium speed), 5x135 (explosive), 225x5,
275x5 and 315x5 for warmup

Of course I may be totally wrong, but I feel like you guys are arguing I could cut it back even more in favor of faster recovery.
I would be all about this, IF you could show me how to do it....

Personally, I feel I have cut it back about all I can, but if you can help me with it, I would definitely be open to learning something new.... If it makes that much of a difference, I would be all about trying it.... (and like I said, I would be all about experimenting on myself)

Probably the WSB routine comes closest to putting the least damage on me, but even then, I don't know how I could not be fatiqued by some of the sub-maximal sets (doing multiple sets in the 85-95% range instead of one all out test)....

Just trying to learn something new.... like I said, if I can do anything which might improve what I am doing now (as I have basically been doing the same thing forever) that would be cool.

Of course, maybe I am just retarded and did not realize you guys are talking about something which can't be used for what I am trying to accomplish.

 

[strangebrew]

I completely agree with you debaser...I recently started the DC training about 3 weeks ago and man, the gains ive been making are awesome, every bodypart is noticably thicker and ive yet to see an increase in bodyfat. I dont get how some people say 1 set isnt enough... dc is easily the most exausting workout ive done, any more sets id probly pass out. I cant even imagine doing a high volume workout again.

 

[b fold the truth]

This isn't really theory. Hundreds of trainees have made the best progress of their life on DC. The same applies to HST. The DC stickies here and on Animal's board are well over 1000 posts, and I have yet to find anyone unhappy with their results.

Are the hundreds of trainees top level amateur or pro bodybuilders?

B True

 

[MOD]

okay, here's a thought.
I was doing a low volume HIT style split (4day) routine during the first 3 months of this year. I was training each group every 9 days (chest+tris on monday, then again next wednesday ). I made incredible strength gains. so here's the thought:

say you do one exersize/muscle group. lets pick squats for this example (the data for this example comes from my personal experiences)
training monday/friday/wednesday.... (DC type frequency) strength gains may look like this:

monday: 275 x 8
friday: 285 x 5
wednesday: 285 x 7

[ note that strength is still going up consistently ]
now training at a decreased frequency such as monday/following wednesday strength gains may look like this:

monday: 275 x 8
following wednesday: 285 x 9

so if it is possible to make much greater strength gains by training at a decreased frequency than on a frequency that is double it ( at least this was the case with me ), what's wrong with that? [ also note, I cut my volume in half when I double my frequency, doing only two excercises for legs, with one work set each ]

just a thought.

 

[Becoming]

Are the hundreds of trainees top level amateur or pro bodybuilders?

B True

Bfold- Thanks for chiming in on this.... I would like to hear your thoughts, is any of this applicable to people who are interested more in strength/performance, and what if they have been training a number of years/at fairly high levels of performance already?

I mean, if it helped so much, I could see working on more muscular endurance later in a differnt phase of training.....

Again, Jut trying to learn soemthing if it is there to be learned, but does it not make sense that most any caveat should be able to be applied to both strenght and or BB training?

 

[Becoming]

I am hearing what MOD is saying, though I am confused by what the optimal training frequency is (still once a week/more than once a week)

I would say what MOD is presenting sounds reasonable too....

Also, I how do you warm up for this set?

Thuroughly confused....

 

[louden_swain]

Are the hundreds of trainees top level amateur or pro bodybuilders?

B True

B Fold,

Thats really irrelevant. . .the point is that any trainer can make substantial gains whether you are a competitive athlete or a recreational trainer.

 

[louden_swain]

Remember folks. . . . you must warmup before your balls to the wall one set.

Here is my rule of thumb:
(nothing to failure, but light and gradually progressing to the upper weights)

large muscle groups: 4-5 warmup sets
small muscle groups: 3-4 warmup sets

Lots of stretching between warmups. . .also deep concentration and mind to muscle connection is required for the all out set. . .without this, the all-out set is ineffective.

 

[Debaser]

Are the hundreds of trainees top level amateur or pro bodybuilders?

B True

There are trainees from all levels of experience. HST has a top level german bodybuilder supporting it, but you have to consider that HST hasn't been around for a long time. DC has trained regular joes as well as [I believe] high level amateurs, not sure about pros. But does it matter? You have to have the genetics to be a pro.