DC Variation

[Tarantula]

Hey guys, wanted to first of all say im mainly a lurker here but the knowledge ive gained here is incredible. I dont post often but stay on top of most posts. keep my mouth shut and ears open lol.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyway has kept the same basic 2 way DC split, r/p method, stretches etc... but varied the exercises from workout to workout and not have specific exercises set in plan. Just the outline of which muscle to get hit. and go after it with a chosen compound movement for the day.

instead of waiting till the exercise stalls out just rotate exercises with how your feeling that day. Still keep the intensity, work the muscle with compound movements but you may only hit the certain exercise 1-2x a month.

Just looking for an open discussion not looking to start any battles.

[steel1970]

Hey guys, wanted to first of all say im mainly a lurker here but the knowledge ive gained here is incredible. I dont post often but stay on top of most posts. keep my mouth shut and ears open lol.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyway has kept the same basic 2 way DC split, r/p method, stretches etc... but varied the exercises from workout to workout and not have specific exercises set in plan. Just the outline of which muscle to get hit. and go after it with a chosen compound movement for the day.

instead of waiting till the exercise stalls out just rotate exercises with how your feeling that day. Still keep the intensity, work the muscle with compound movements but you may only hit the certain exercise 1-2x a month.

Just looking for an open discussion not looking to start any battles.

How would you know if you have progressed or not, if you don't do the same exercises every couple weeks?

[Tarantula]

If you go back to it after say a month and you increase a rep or weights, you'd still have progressed on it. but you would have gotten stronger on it using other exercises.

[mentalflex]

Hey guys, wanted to first of all say im mainly a lurker here but the knowledge ive gained here is incredible. I dont post often but stay on top of most posts. keep my mouth shut and ears open lol.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyway has kept the same basic 2 way DC split, r/p method, stretches etc... but varied the exercises from workout to workout and not have specific exercises set in plan. Just the outline of which muscle to get hit. and go after it with a chosen compound movement for the day.

instead of waiting till the exercise stalls out just rotate exercises with how your feeling that day. Still keep the intensity, work the muscle with compound movements but you may only hit the certain exercise 1-2x a month.

Just looking for an open discussion not looking to start any battles.

If you keep changing exercises, how do you evaluate progression? DC (under the 2 way split) has 3 different exercises for each muscle group, so you can get variety in terms of stimulation (angles, rep ranges, tempos...) and still evaluate progress.

If the goal of DC is to increase muscle size through increased strength, then conitnuously changing exercises would make it very difficult to evalaute gains in strength. Plus, if you keep getting stonger on an exercise, then you still have a lot of potential to grow, so why change that?

If your goal is not to gain as much muscle as possible through increased strength and you simply love to train, then the novelty of it would satisfy your creative side.

[Tarantula]

If you keep changing exercises, how do you evaluate progression? DC (under the 2 way split) has 3 different exercises for each muscle group, so you can get variety in terms of stimulation (angles, rep ranges, tempos...) and still evaluate progress.

If the goal of DC is to increase muscle size through increased strength, then conitnuously changing exercises would make it very difficult to evalaute gains in strength. Plus, if you keep getting stonger on an exercise, then you still have a lot of potential to grow, so why change that?

If your goal is not to gain as much muscle as possible through increased strength and you simply love to train, then the novelty of it would satisfy your creative side.

so in your opinion this would hinder muscle mass gain in the long run?

[steel1970]

If you go back to it after say a month and you increase a rep or weights, you'd still have progressed on it. but you would have gotten stronger on it using other exercises.

So after a month if you haven't progressed, you've essentially wasted that entire month? You're ok with that?

[mentalflex]

so in your opinion this would hinder muscle mass gain in the long run?

The purpose of DC is to increase muscle size through progressive strength increases, in which case doing as you said would defeat the purpose.

To say it would hinder muscle gain it would need to be proven.

But lets look at DC for a minute... Something that really can't be tested or quantified is the "groove" you get into with an exercise. I am not talking about the neural adaptation (which would also likely play some kind of role in swapping exercises so frequently) but when you are grinding away at an exercise and find that real sweet spot that allows you to push a set further than you ever thought you could and it takes the intensity to a new level. You know you have it in you and after doing a certain exercise week in and week out, you are able to dig down and find the strength to pull out a few more reps. I would find it difficult to build that level of intensity with an exercise if you keep swapping it out.

[Tarantula]

So after a month if you haven't progressed, you've essentially wasted that entire month? You're ok with that?

No of course not lol, i don't think any one would.

[Tarantula]

The purpose of DC is to increase muscle size through progressive strength increases, in which case doing as you said would defeat the purpose.

To say it would hinder muscle gain it would need to be proven.

But lets look at DC for a minute... Something that really can't be tested or quantified is the "groove" you get into with an exercise. I am not talking about the neural adaptation (which would also likely play some kind of role in swapping exercises so frequently) but when you are grinding away at an exercise and find that real sweet spot that allows you to push a set further than you ever thought you could and it takes the intensity to a new level. You know you have it in you and after doing a certain exercise week in and week out, you are able to dig down and find the strength to pull out a few more reps. I would find it difficult to build that level of intensity with an exercise if you keep swapping it out.

thats a good point, but on the flipside not having that groove could cause new adaptation and recruitment of the muscle?

[theroymccoy]

3 exercises per bodypart is the sweet spot for variation/progression IMO.

If you do only 2, I think you'd stall out much quicker.

If you do 4 or more, I think you'd start to lose sight of progression, which is one of the main facets of DC training anyway.

This "new adaptation and recruitment of the muscle" you speak of will come when you get that extra rep, or bang out more weight.

Don't get cute with it, just do it!

[mentalflex]

thats a good point, but on the flipside not having that groove could cause new adaptation and recruitment of the muscle?

If you are still progressing, has the body really adapted? Once you can no longer progress, then a new stimuli would be needed.

You are going to reach that point eventually, so why not maximize the gains you can from one exercise before moving to a new one?

And, as I alluded to, the time it takes for neural adaptation would take away from the strength gains if you switch too frequently. I can't say how much re-learning would have to take place in building the neural connections after not doing an exercise for a month, but wouldn't you rather not have to have that learning take place and just focus stimulating the muscle?

[JohnnyBravo]

3 exercises per bodypart is the sweet spot for variation/progression IMO.

If you do only 2, I think you'd stall out much quicker.

If you do 4 or more, I think you'd start to lose sight of progression, which is one of the main facets of DC training anyway.

This "new adaptation and recruitment of the muscle" you speak of will come when you get that extra rep, or bang out more weight.

Don't get cute with it, just do it!

I'm just wondering, are you saying "3 exercises" or "two weeks between the same exercise" is the sweet spot? For me it is more like the 2nd one. No matter what program I am doing, it seems like having two weeks between sessions gives me enough time to make progress but not so much that I "forget" the muscle memory for that ex.

[theroymccoy]

I'm just wondering, are you saying "3 exercises" or "two weeks between the same exercise" is the sweet spot? For me it is more like the 2nd one. No matter what program I am doing, it seems like having two weeks between sessions gives me enough time to make progress but not so much that I "forget" the muscle memory for that ex.

Both work I suppose.

[DaveEboy]

Tarantula ... Don't try to re-invent the wheel.

Make your own website called 'PumpItUpPrettyBoy.com' and post your new training program there.

TheRoyMcCoy has got it spot on. 2 exercises ... stall out too fast. 4 exercises ... too many and too much time in between to gauge progress. 3 is just right.