Going to start DC. Have questions

[Jellotree]

I'm looking to start DC training. I've done HST for a long time, and did two months on a conjugate two day split 4x a week.

Here's my questions.

I can't bench all that much. My other lifts aren't bad. I bench 200lbs for 8-9 max, bb row 185lbs for 10 max, squat 255 for 15 max, etc. etc...

Does following DCs guide make sense with poundages that light?

I did a test run today before I take a week off (doing some police training). I did flat bench, bent row, standing shoulder push presses, semi-wide lat pulldowns, and close grip bench. I did a rest pause set for each, but I didn't do statics (no spotter). It was very intense, but I didn't feel whiped out after like I usually do. Is it normal not to be that burnt after a workout?

And last. On each part of the rest pause set, do you go to absolute failure? Meaning, do I need a spotter to help me force a set? Or do I lift to the point that I can no longer complete a set unassisted?

Thanks for any help guys.

[Gollum]

Oooh the first one is my kinda question.

Welcome to the Dogg Pound, brother. Your starting weights dont matter. Doesnt matter if you can bench 200lbs or 500lbs. The goal here is to get stronger, beat the logbook and thus get bigger.

So you can row 185 for 10. That's fine. Next time add 5 or 10 lbs and try to get 10. If you hit 9, ok not a problem, just keep trying to get stronger. This program is designed to allow you to recover so you can continually add weight to your lifts.

Believe me I aint the strongest guy here. As long as I beat that logbook each and every time I'm happy.

We do rest/pause twice. Some people like to think of it as three mini sets. You do your first set and get say 8, take your 12 deep breaths, hit again and get maybe 4, hit it one more time and get 3. And yes you should be fried by that point. Now, about feeling wiped out. It depends on how you define that. When I used to volume train I used to feel more "pooped" then I do now. But after a glorious DC workout I feel like I'm going to die. So I'm not wiped out, just near death, if that makes sense. LOL!

However if you dont feel burnt or wiped out or whatever than perhaps you havent been training as hard as you could be. Also, you're just getting started. This type of intense, all-out effort takes a little while to learn.



Yes, absolue failure. I dont use a spotter but many people do. A spotter is very helpful for getting that last rep or two. But you dont absolutely *need* one. There are ways around it. Altough a good training partner would allow you to do some exercises that I simply cant.

[BigBen]

my training buddy has the same problem, he dosent feel as tired now as when we did 4 sets for each exercise, meanwhile i can barely stand when im ready to leave. i think alot of it has to do with pushin ur body past what it is physically capable of. you really gotta believe and want to get those last two or three extra reps. you get urself pysched up enough u can push ur body alot further.

[lionel]

Don't we just love newbie questions..! When you see em, you jump at em like a hungry great white. We love to show how much we know and its one of those threads that you're bound to know the answer(well most of the time)! lol.. sorry for interrupting! You're in good hands jellotree! mmmm........

[bigp3]

Lift big, eat big, get big

peace out P

[jimpaul]

Jellotree pretty much as the guys are telling you. If your beating or trying to beat the previous log book entry then your gonna start feeling it, trust us!

jim

[Egill]

And last. On each part of the rest pause set, do you go to absolute failure? Meaning, do I need a spotter to help me force a set? Or do I lift to the point that I can no longer complete a set unassisted?

Let's say I'm doing smythe bench f.ex.,...I alway's lift until I can't move the bar, then I lower the weight slowly (it might only be 2 inches) and when the bar is on my chest my partner lifts the weight up for me. If my training partner even put his hands on the bar before I'm done I would kill him. :Punch:

[JnJ23]

Jellotree pretty much as the guys are telling you. If your beating or trying to beat the previous log book entry then your gonna start feeling it, trust us!

jim

yes we are all FABULOUS!

[jimpaul]

wonderful

[JnJ23]

wonderful

estatic!

[ApoCz]

Don't bench, new sig test :flip:

[ctgblue]

Just stick to the program, drop the flat bench for incline smith
trust me, your poundages will increase every week for a while, pretty soon, you're repping what you used to do for triples
I added 20lbs each week untill I didn't beat the reps, then went to 10lbs /wk, when I hit the wall again, it'll be 5lbs /wk
pretty soon, guys are spotting you saying, "holy shit man, that's a lot of weight for 12 reps"

[Jellotree]

Thanks guys.

I got another couple of questions.

Where do I find the 'How to" on extreme streaching?

and

I'm 194ish pounds. Without creatine, probably 190 and roughly 9-10% bf. How much protine do I need to eat?

Right now, I get between 270-320g/day. Mostly fish, meat, eggs, and a hell of a lot of milk. I drink protien shakes with pasturized egg whites before bed (about 50g prot in those).

[MsteveM]

little tip on the protein intake.. think about eating protein like this: you're 190, so you want to be 200. eat like you're 210-220. dante probably has something along those lines posted in one of the stickys.

[your2slow]

I have a question I'd like to add to this DC newbie discussion so it's not really a highjack. I've only been back training for about a year now so I'm definitely not an advanced trainer like Dante suggests for this program. Is there any reason that an non-advanced trainer shouldn't be using this program? I like lifting hard with alot of intensity so I think I'm ok with DC training, but would like some opinions.