sykedtotrain's INTRO THREAD (With Help from MentalFlex; Prev. in Newbie Info Sticky)

[sykedtotrain]

I've been training for 4 years now I've put on 20kg now weigh 90kg at 22years old. I'm not afraid to push through pain and I love muscle soreness as it makes me feel accomplished. Anyways cuttin to the chase. As far as suitability for dc training does it come down to the weights you can move or the intensity you can train at? Also I realize that commient and discipline are needed to stick with the program and not be one of the douches that try it for a month and change to another program.
Cheers in advance

[mentalflex]

I've been training for 4 years now I've put on 20kg now weigh 90kg at 22years old. I'm not afraid to push through pain and I love muscle soreness as it makes me feel accomplished. Anyways cuttin to the chase. As far as suitability for dc training does it come down to the weights you can move or the intensity you can train at? Also I realize that commient and discipline are needed to stick with the program and not be one of the douches that try it for a month and change to another program.
Cheers in advance

It is a combination of both. There isn't one factor that makes a certain training protocol suited for an individual.

You need the experience to understand your body, how to effectively target the muscle, utilize a variety of rep ranges and motions, how to push to your limit, be able to use heavy enough weights stimulate growth, how to eat properly for growth..and so many other factors.

Just because you have X number of years training, doesn't mean you've built the experience or learned enough about training and nutrition. Look at the things you've done in the past, what has worked, the different training protocols you have used and determine if DC is the right avenue for you.

[sykedtotrain]

im going to give dc a go. if after 6 months im not happy with results ill know im not ready for dc. if my lifts are up and have made decent gains ill know ive found my final program. im a sports science student and this is the first program that sounds educated and supports physiology of adaption using the slower eccentrics, the metabolic stress, the mechanical loading and time under tension. Im going to have to up my cals and get to bed earlier. anyways heres the split im going to give a crack. flex any advice would be great.
Chest:
Incline bench press (11-15 RP)
Dumb press (11-20 RP)
Bench press (11-15 RP)

Shoulders:
Seated Military presses (11-20 RP)
½ clean and press (11-20 RP) from hips to shoulders and up
Push press (10-20 RP)

Triceps:

Close grip bench presses (11-20 RP)
Skull crusher (15-30 RP)
Reverse grip smith bench (11-20 RP)

Back width:
Wide lat pull downs (11-15 RP)
Close grip pull-downs (11-15 RP)
Wide grip pull ups (11-15 RP)

Back thickness:
Rack Deadlifts (4-8 + 10-12 SS)
T-bar rows straight set (6-10 + 10-12 SS)
Bent bar rows (6-10 + 10-12 SS)


Quads:

Leg press (6-10 + >20 SS)
Front squat (6-10 + >20 SS)
Back squat (6-10 + >20 SS)

Hamstrings:
Lying leg curls (15-30 RP)
Sumo press leg press (15-30 RP)
Stiff leg deads (15-30 RP)
Biceps:
Preacher curls (11-20 RP)
Barbell curls (11-20 RP)
Dumbbell curls (11-20 RP)


Forearms:
Reverse EZ curls (15-30 SS)
Hammer curls (15-30 SS)
Lying reverse rope curl (15-20 SS)


Calves: (>12 reps slow negative 10s hold at bottom)
Leg press toe press (>12 reps slow negative 10s hold at bottom)
Standing calf raise
Seated barbell calf raises

[mentalflex]

im going to give dc a go. if after 6 months im not happy with results ill know im not ready for dc. if my lifts are up and have made decent gains ill know ive found my final program. im a sports science student and this is the first program that sounds educated and supports physiology of adaption using the slower eccentrics, the metabolic stress, the mechanical loading and time under tension. Im going to have to up my cals and get to bed earlier. anyways heres the split im going to give a crack. flex any advice would be great.

SNIPPED EXERCISES

First, it is too difficult to see how everything fits together if it is not laid out in the A1), B1)....A3), B3) format. This allows one to ensure that motions aren't too similar from workout to workout and you aren't putting too much stress in one particular area, such as low back.

Also, there are some glaring issues with exercise selection. Go back through the stickies and make sure your exercises fit the DC protocols. I would revisit some of your upper body exercises and make sure you aren't doing two workout back to back that are too taxing on your lower back and that your leg exercises work with one another. For example, do you really think you are going to get the most of each exercise if you do Stiff legged DLs and Back squats together? Or would you be able to do Rack DLs and then the next session get a good workout doing Back squats? Make sure your exercises work with one another.

Do some more reading and planning before starting

[sykedtotrain]

what about this layout. Which exercises would you say dot fit DC protocol I thought as long as they are safe, and relatively large increments are possible with good gains they are suitable. I know flat bench is hated on but I love it and get good gains both size and strength from it, as do I with push presses.

A1
Incline bench
Seated barbell military press
Weighted dips
Wide lat pull downs
Rack pulls

B1
Barbell curls
Reverse cable curls
Standing calf raises
Lying ham curls
Leg press

A2
Dumb chest press
Dumb shoulder press
Close grip bench
Close grip lat pull downs
T bar rows

B2
Preacher curls
Hammer curls
Leg press toe press
Sumo leg press
Back squat

A3
Bench press
Push press
Skull crushers
Wide pull ups
Bent over barbell rows

B3
Inc dumb curl
Reverse rope cable curls
Seated calf raise
Front squat
SLDL

[mentalflex]

I'm in red below.

Having the rep ranges helps

what about this layout. Which exercises would you say dot fit DC protocol I thought as long as they are safe, and relatively large increments are possible with good gains they are suitable. I know flat bench is hated on but I love it and get good gains both size and strength from it, as do I with push presses.

How many people haver said this (about flat bench)? Countless. Learn from the lessons of others...

As for the push press, how consistent are you going to be between each session ensuring you have the same leg drive? Why do you want to tax your legs and lower back doing push press when there are other options? Something to consider....

A1
Incline bench
Seated barbell military press
Weighted dips
Wide lat pull downs
Rack pulls

B1
Barbell curls
Reverse cable curls
Standing calf raises
Lying ham curls
Leg press

A2
Dumb chest press
Dumb shoulder press How effective do you think two DB exercises back to back will be?
Close grip bench
Close grip lat pull downs
T bar rows

B2
Preacher curls
Hammer curls
Leg press toe press
Sumo leg press
Back squat

A3
Bench press Put some thought into this one
Push press Same comment as above....
Skull crushers
Wide pull ups
Bent over barbell rows

B3
Inc dumb curl
Reverse rope cable curls
Seated calf raise
Front squat
SLDL

Overall, pretty good layout. You should be good doing BB back squats and Front squats in the same week since you aren't doing a Deadlift variation for Back thickness in A3. You might want to consider some smith variations or Hammer Strength (or similar) machines to provide a different stimulus. For Example, if you do DB Bench Press for chest, do a machine press for shoulders to alleviate some stress on the rotators. These are some of the things to think about....

[Big R]

I would switch back exercises on A2 and A3; otherwise you're hitting your lower back 3 times in a row on week 2. Or you could just switch TBar rows with BO rows.

[sykedtotrain]

Cheers guys. I might Put seated smith press in A2 and dumb shoulder press in A3 because your right it would be hard to stay consistent with leg drive. Sorry to go against the grain with Bench. If it doesnt feel right after a few cycles I'll swap it for something else. Cheers for advice guys

[homonunculus]

I've been training for 4 years now I've put on 20kg now weigh 90kg at 22years old. I'm not afraid to push through pain and I love muscle soreness as it makes me feel accomplished. Anyways cuttin to the chase. As far as suitability for dc training does it come down to the weights you can move or the intensity you can train at? Also I realize that commient and discipline are needed to stick with the program and not be one of the douches that try it for a month and change to another program.
Cheers in advance

How tall are you, Syked?...

Do you have pictures you can post - full body?...

What are your best lifts for rack deads, flat bench (since you dig this one) and BB Squat?...

What formalized, progressive overload based programs have you followed in the past?...

-Scott

[sykedtotrain]

I'm 5'10. Best deadlift 190kg (have only done them on an off as have been playing rugby and training and playing is hard when your erectors are sore, rugby is over for the year now), best bench is 150kg, best best squat is 160kg and haven't done a best rack deadlift but have done 8 reps on 170kg in the past. I haven't got any photos but I'd say I'm about 13-14%bf, I'll get some pics up soon. I have only really done volume training and also 5x5 but have always focused on continual progression.

[mentalflex]

Question just to add to what Scott asked, if you have put on 20kgs doing volume training, apparently while still in athletics, why do you think DC is the route for you if you have never done this style of training in the past?

Syked, FYI - Scott is THE DC coach. Think of him as the all knowing mystical sage who lives in a far off land and sits in a pagoda at the top of long, tall set of stairs where he trains those with the desire to reach levels of superhuman strength in the ways of the masters and guides them in the process of enlightenment through physical transformation.

[sykedtotrain]

flex im hanging up the rugby boots (retiring) the passion is gone for that. So ive decided to turn my attention to gym and training. DC makes sense to me. As i said i study sports science and DC is the first training system ive seen that physiologically makes sense. Also i like the challenge of beating my mind and not letting it fatigue before my muscles. And continual progression is the key to hypertrophy and DC has one of the simplest ways to monitor progression. It all makes sense to me and its fun, motivation is easy when your always trying to beat yourself (log).

[sykedtotrain]

Also my gains have slowed I've tried changing exercises and made
Much slower gains (have gradually increased calories to meet increased demand with added lean mass), and have tried tweaking volume and frequency but gains have slowed to near none. That's why I am keen to start DC

[mentalflex]

Also my gains have slowed I've tried changing exercises and made
Much slower gains (have gradually increased calories to meet increased demand with added lean mass), and have tried tweaking volume and frequency but gains have slowed to near none. That's why I am keen to start DC

Can you elaborate on these "tweaks"?

Can you attribute the reduced gains to other factors? Stress? Health? Nutrition?

[sykedtotrain]

I tried increasing volume adding exercises and sets, I tried reducing the volume and training more frequently by grouping body parts, I tried 10-12 rep range, 6-10, 3-5 and a mix of them all (pyramid).

When trying different approaches I was training for a month on each method. My diet hasn't really changed.

Breakfast- 200ml egg whites, 300ml milk, 1 cup of mixed berries, 2 bananas, 1 scoop of whey isolate (40g scoop). Blended up as I feel it easier to get in a high calorie shake then I do a solid meal.

Mid morning-150g basmati rice, 160g chicken, 1/2 cup of broccoli,

Lunch-200g lean beef burger (wholemeal roll and salad)

Mid afternoon-150g basmati rice, 160g chicken, 1/2 cup of broccoli

Train

PWO-2 bananas & 50g whey protein in 150ml of milk

Dinner-200g steak, lots of salad

Before bed-40g protein shake with tablespoon of peanut butter

Health and stress are fine. I'm lucky if I get sick once a year (must of eaten lots of dirt as a kid) I have a good immune system.