Dajae

Tried to find an ingredient list, but couldn't seem to find any. Are you allowed to give away any info? Ah ok.. Yeah there is an 'A' workout, and a 'B' workout, which are cycled in the usual 'ABABAB' fashion. If he changes the tricep focus exercises to non-pressing moves, he should be sweet. The volume should balance out; bit of foam rolling and stretching and good to go. You're right, didn't remember that. Thoracic weakness/tightness, or he's just a bit weaker at pull ups.. either can be improved with a little bit of effort, though. I wonder if he finds chin ups/neutral grip pull ups any easier? If so, they could be good progressions to work into the routine, along with wide grip lat pull downs to simulate the movement. Not ideal, but it's a path to take. Any progress is good progress

I'll concede it's not a concrete theory so to speak, but I'm pretty sure if I dig a little in PubMed, I'd be able to find the studies I read which seemed to support this idea. Yeah totally agree, if you're using some kind of PED, you have such a huge advantage in terms of recovery abilities and growth advantage, both muscularly and CNS. I think how people react to training, can be expressed as a bell curve. As in, 96% (can't remember the exact figure, but this gives enough of an idea to present the example) of the population fit in the middle section of the curve. These people respond (usually) most favourably to a higher frequency, higher intensity, less volume type of approach. The ends of the curve are the opposites; you've got the guys that grow muscle by looking at weights, picking it up for 3 reps, then going home. Then you've got the other guys, who need to do 349584436 sets a week to see any results. It can be tailored sufficiently through exercise choice to minimise this... when doing things like pull-ups, chin-ups, seated cable rows, bent over rows, t-bar rows, etc... I tend to do quite a few warm up sets, gradually building up the weight, until reaching my working set. When you look at it on paper, the volume between pressing/pulling is basically balanced. For someone who doesn't have shit posture and thoracic health, this is plenty to keep the shoulders happy. If someone isn't so lucky though, it could be wise to swap some tricep/shoulder pressing movements for more "isolation" type movements... like lateral raises, tricep pushdowns, etc. I personally do light weight cable face pulls twice a week, just to make sure though. Yeah totally agree also, plenty of people do squats and deads in the same session. However, since the idea with DC training is to go past absolute failure as much as possible, this can put a lot of stress on the lower back, since this often tires quicker than say, the quads. I suppose the idea is to minimise the chance of injury as much as possible, especially since the intensity for each exercise is so high. This I'm cool with, since I'd rather be lifting healthy for a long time. Also, I'm not sure if someone could squat and deadlift balls to the wall 3 times a week, going to failure each working set. I don't think steroids would even save you... depending of course on your strength levels. A n00b might get away with it, but someone more advanced would find it difficult I'd imagine.

Because the majority of the fitness industry population are narrow sighted and hive-minded?

Ok, let's start by saying that not all facets of exercise amount to an exact science. There need not be a 'right' or 'wrong' way concerning every detail. Are 'curls' and 'deadlifts' not basic movements? So true! Being ill can hamper a lot of day-to-day things, especially training. I would recommend checking out supplementing with L-Glutamine. It's been shown in numerous studies to have a positive effect on the immune system, via interactions within the digestive tract. Seeing as how many pathogens enter via this tract, it makes a lot of sense. It also has the added benefit of being a sacrificial amino acid, in that it can be burned by gut bacteria for fuel and sustenance, instead of whole ingested proteins. Yeah the stretches are great, I find that they also help a lot with the recovery side of things. Lol, yeah the looks never seem to lessen, especially when I start making these weird faces! Yep, so basically you're meant to have 3 exercises for each of the "A" sessions and "B" sessions. For example, chest, I have the following: Incline barbell press, flat barbell press, flat dumbbell press. Nice, 120kg for 10 is nothing to slouch at, much better than your average Joe. Awesome, just remember that for your next "B" sessions, you'll need to change the squats for something else. In my own routine, for quad exercises, I have squats, leg press, and the hack squat machine. Haha, wait until you do some 20+ rep squat sets, you'll feel those the next day that's for sure There is no problem. However, because doing it like this doesn't fit in with what people think you should be doing, it inherently becomes false in their view. To strictly imply that the only way to gain positive results on squats is to have them first in exercise order, is unfounded. If you look at it from a perspective which is not tainted by dogmatic thinking and perspective, it actually makes a lot of sense to have them towards the end of the training session. See below. Birds, I like a lot of your posts, but I think you need to stop representing opinion as fact. Yes, deadlifts are a compound movement. Yes, the biceps are used during the deadlift movement.... and the absolute facts stop there. Not being able to do curls properly after deadlifts is exactly the theory and reasoning behind placing them first in a training session, ahead of deadlifts. The total taxation on the body as a whole, caused by curls, is far less than that of deadlifts. Besides, try telling the likes of Steve Reeves, Reg Park, or Frank Zane, that they only need deadlifts to have great performing, great looking arms. Whether or not they are a waste of time, as stated in the format you presented, is opinion; ultimately, this becomes subjective when the requirements are taken into account. This guy probably wants to be decently strong, and look good doing it. Therefore, strong performing and aesthetically pleasing arms are a goal. To achieve this outcome, one has to look at a more rounded approach, which entails doing direct muscle work. Is it absolutely necessary in all cases, and with all goals? Not at all. But in this case, it's a perfect use of time. If his goal was to just have huge deadlift numbers, I probably wouldn't recommend it. Potential hindrance to deadlifts, I mean, sure, anything is possible. But in all instances of DC training, those that do it correctly, do not experience any apparent or tangible loss in performance. It'll probably feel weird doing deadlifts last, but hardly a hindrance. If your sport or job required you to compete in deadlifting as the goal (such as power lifting), then yes, it would be wise to train deadlifts exclusively. But he's not a power lifter, and he is not competing in these events. Regardless, he wanted to do SLDLs, something which I already advised against since squats are to be done in the same session. The theory for leaving the big movements until last (think quad/hamstring/"back thickness" exercises) in this style of training, is that these exercises produce the greatest magnitude of stress on the body. Let's say we took the squat as an example. I rock up to the gym. Do my warm up/mobility work/whatever, then head over to the squat rack. I do a handful of warm up sets until I reach working weight. This is a heavy set of 5 - 6 reps, done with such intensity that the last rep I'm basically dying on the way up; you know, real failure. I reduce the weight a little, and via hope and prayer, somehow manage to bust out a 20+ rep set, where the last rep I'm almost (dramatic effect for this example) blacking out when I rack the bar. I now have to complete the rest of my training session with the same intensity for all exercises. Wait.. What? If someone truly went balls-to-the-wall intense like this, they would hardly have the energy and CNS ability to carry out the rest of the training session. Now, let's flip it. I do some curls until failure, no biggie. My heart is pumping and I'm sweating, but I'm far from being tired. Same with calves, no problem. Hit some leg curls; hamstrings are fairly toasted and pumped, but I'm still pretty fresh. I can now go into that squat rack, knowing that once I give it my all for those 2 working sets, I can crawl home. I don't need to subconsciously 'save' myself for the rest of the workout. Don't get me wrong, those squats will be harder because your hamstrings have already been trained. But the amazing thing about the human body, is that it can adapt to things at an incredible rate. Personally, I still manage to add weight every time I do the exercise, and so do many, many others that I've got into doing this style of training. Besides, there is the benefit of gaining acquired mechanical advantage through the increase of muscle cross sectional area. In this case, the occlusion caused in the hamstring muscles via our focused rest-pause set exercise. How much of an advantage that is gained is anyone's guess, and is probably so varied according to the individual, that it would be hard to put a value against it. But, the benefit is there nonetheless. This is a mathematical certainty. To instantly dismiss the theories and principles behind DC training, despite the fact that it has incredible success and results, because it doesn't fit in with the general paradigm of what training should look like or be structured, is a fallacy in of itself. The theories have just as much merit as theories of any other training system. To try and place absolute statements on something for which we don't yet know it's full extent, is illogical; this is a dogmatic way of thinking, which in itself is flawed. DC training works, 5/3/1 works, hell, even doing one body part a day works. How effective is each for a desired goal? Well, that's all subjective...

Don't you love how life can give the finger to your plans? Sucks training while being sick. Taking vitamin C and all that? Yeah nice! So most of it looks pretty much spot on. Those stretches are pretty intense eh? I love them. Only a few things I might suggest.. Do only as many warm up sets as you need. And yes, try to pick an exercise which focuses more on the target muscle. While pull overs are definitely an awesome exercise, I'd choose something like the OHP, dumbbell OHP, push press, something like that. I prefer lower rep deadlifts, max 5 reps, but it really just comes down to personal preference Workout B looks good. I'd be super cautious about pairing a low back intensive exercise like SLDL with squats. Maybe swap the squats for leg press, or swap the SLDL for some kind of leg curl. If you MUST do SLDL within the same session as squats, do the squats first. And spot on with the days as well.. You could also go Tues/Thurs/Sat, or Wed/Fri/Sun if it suited your schedule better.. personal preference once again. Haha yeah the protein part can be a bit much; I figure if you're hitting about 300 grams, it's more than enough. Our bodies have a hard time absorbing huge amounts of protein (without any "help", if you know what I mean), not impossible, just a bit different. I find that the difference between approx. 300 grams a day, and 400 grams a day, isn't any noticeable or tangible difference. See how you go, you might get far better results with eating a bit more! After a while you'll really enjoy those stretches. Wait until you do the biceps one... ho-ly-fu-ck-in-g-sh-it. That hurts! And the pump is pretty intense as well.

I remember reading an article about people with similar issues.. Can't remember the solution though your toes point outwards when you squat, don't they?

Squats are improving! Now to solve world hunger..

I thought he wanted more muscle mass? So when he dieted down, he didn't look 'skinny', as he put it. Totally agree, diet is the key. However I think you're not taking into account the fact that he often can't perform at 110% all the time, due to his work habits. Asking him to do HIIT after his weight training, or before, could lead to sub par performance. He can't do it on his off days, because then he is 'exercising' the muscles rather than letting them rest. And I think we can both agree that the demands put on the body from HIIT and from walking are worlds apart. Haha, touché.. I probably give it too much credit. But I think on the same coin you're discrediting it a little too much. Active recovery is a big topic in the fitness industry, and one of the best ways to incorporate this into a weekly routine is via brisk walking. I have cut it out, and I gained fat. Albeit slowly-ish, but gained it nonetheless. What we have to remember is that walking and running both burn the same amount of calories for a given distance. Walking 3-4 times a week adds up over the course of the month, and you'll soon see that you're walking up to 24km a month, without any real backwards steps in muscle/strength gains. Basketball is awesome, I used to play in high school when I was actually taller than everyone else. So, gaining extra strength for something we are already capable of doing, is not needed? Why do we add weight to a bar and pick it up off the ground then, and keep adding weight? Agreed, I've never heard a power lifter say that either. And I probably won't. Ever. But, we're not talking about power lifters here. But, you can't argue against the fact that a limb/body part with a bigger cross sectional area, will give you better leverage. Whether or not it is strictly required for strength, is a matter of debate (as we've proven ).. However, the guy wants bigger calves. Doesn't sound like he wants a 800lb squat. Sounds like he wants a good looking leg. So, 9 times out of 10, this means direct calf work. Also, agreed. Devoting time to the basics is the best way to go. But it's not necessary for him to completely disregard training the calves (since big calves is a goal of his) when we can cut out other "fluff" exercises.. like tricep kick backs, tricep pushdowns, chest flyes, lateral raises, etc. I don't think being a body builder is the only time one is allowed/should train calves. Fair enough, I should have been more specific and stated that quads are the strongest muscle in the leg. But now you're twisting what I said to suit your statement haha.. like I said, I was more using the example to state that training a specific muscle, to the best degree possible, which is used within a movement, on it's own, can have an additive effect on the movement when performed as part of a whole. And yeah.. golden rule about calves... if you want calves that make people stare, get the right parents.

Having a muscle that is stronger through a range of motion, will also be stronger in a isometric/stabilisation position. I didn't mention that a power lifter required bigger calves. As for the comparing of calves to triceps, it was more to illustrate the fact that training a specific muscle which is used in a particular movement can have an additive benefit to the whole. Also, I would argue the fact that quads are the largest force developer in the lower body, dependant on movement and style of movement. Can this carry over to the triceps? Hm... I completely agree with genetics playing a big role in calf development, which is why I stated it prior. However... It's my opinion, that training just compound movements will not bring them up to be 'proportionate' with the rest of the legs musculature.. If to be 'proportionate' is the goal, that is. While I have no studies to support this view, a quick look around your average gym gives adequate anecdotal evidence in support of this. A ton of guys with *cough* decent *cough* quad development, but with pathetic excuses for calves. The lack of hamstrings/glutes is for another discussion though, lol. That would probably require it's own thread.. haha

Agreed, nutrition is key. However.. Your definition of "cardio" here will define whether or not its a 'waste of time and valuable resting period'.. A fast paced walk, will actually benefit your recovery capabilities, and it is hardly a waste of time. I can think of worse things to do with that 30 minute period. Moderate weight for high volume.. Yes. It will get your heart bumping. But the calorie burning you're referring to is the EPOC effect.. Which no one really has an 'absolute' definition for how much calories are burned for the period after exercise. Yes, EPOC is great.. but DC training has this effect anyway. So point is moot. I also agree that you don't need to run to lose fat, and that it is detrimental - but a fast paced walk, keeps your heart healthy, and it burns fat without loss of muscle. It also helps recovery and can act as a nice break from simply hitting the iron. I listen to audio books while I walk; helps 'reset' my mind and keep my stress down. You're right though, I don't think it's necessary to train 7 days a week either. But... To call a 30 minute brisk walk as full blown training, I wouldn't agree with. Tell me, do you do anything other than lift weights? Basketball, yes?

Your definition of "pointless" is a subjective one. Yes, a compound movement will build required strength/size in them. But once a certain level of development has been reached, then 'isolation' focus is required. Once again, this comes down to what you subjectively view as 'required'.. Anyone who is simply looking to 'look better naked', so to speak, or be more 'aesthetic', will benefit from direct calf development. Besides... Don't power lifters train their triceps in an 'isolation' fashion (think board press, CGBP), to benefit their bench? Why would training calves not have the same carry over into other lower body movements? Albeit it would probably be much less, but benefit much the less.

Interesting.. How so?

Yeah, not too many people have a DEXA machine lying around at home or similar there is an online calculator I use to gauge an estimate, the link is: http://www.calculator.net/body-fat-calculator.html Also some other really helpful calculators on there too, such as the calorie and BMR ones. So I'm about the same as you then, in terms of fat percentage. I also have the "V" lines and a bit of definition on the lower abdominal section. I'm sitting at around 12% - 13% body fat, give or take 0.5%. So by the sounds of it, you're not too far off. You've definitely made some awesome progress, good stuff! Once you get into doing the walks, you'll really start to enjoy them. Of the 4 'off' days I have a week, 3 are at the gym, and the other I just walk around my neighbourhood. Cardio on my 'off' days (at the gym) consists of the following: Foam roll + stretch, all up takes about 8 - 10 minutes. Cable crunches - working up to a 'heavy' set for 12 reps. Usually includes around 4 - 5 warm ups. 25 minutes fast paced walk on treadmill, at 6% incline. Usually around 6km/h speed. Your heart rate should be somewhere around 120bpm. Planks - front then sides, holding for 30 seconds, then 45, then 60. Foam roll + stretching. I'm usually in and out, in under 75 minutes. And yes, incline work is great for some extra calf work. On the 4th day outside of the gym, I walk around with a loaded backpack. If you notice you're getting a bit of extra 'softness' around the midsection (best way is to measure on a weekly basis), then increase the walking by 5 - 10 minutes each session. The cable crunches I like to treat as any other exercise, and try to increase weight used. Just be careful to not hurt yourself. Because DC training can be quite intense, cardio is kept to just enough to minimise fat gain. Yeah so you're definitely on the right track with the routine.. However if you're going DC, it's just one exercise per muscle group. I would also, however, try to choose mainly compound movements that allow for more measurable gains in progression. So for example, my corresponding workout for Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Back Width, Back Thickness, would be: Incline barbell press - 3 warm up sets, then 87.5kgs until failure, 15 deep breaths, failure again, 15 deep breaths, failure for the last time. Overhead press - 1 warm up set, then 45kgs, same as above. Parallel Bar Triceps Dip - 1 warm up set, then attaching 20kgs to weight belt, and same as above. Neutral grip pull up - no warm up, same as above. Deadlift - For these, I just do triples until I max out. The idea is to get your rest-pause sets to end in a certain rep range. So, for chest its 11-15, shoulders its 15-30, triceps its 15-20, back thickness its 15-20. In my case for chest, my weight is too light, because with those numbers, my rest-pause set ends up being 24 total reps. Oops so the idea is to keep adding a little bit of weight each session to try and get in those suggested rep ranges. What you'll probably find, however, is that you just keep getting stronger.. and keep going higher than the suggested rep range! Lol. For example with my dips, I started out with just body weight, and my rest-pause set looked like this: 18, 12, 7.. I then added 5kg, and got: 19, 12, 7.. I then added 10kg, and got: 21, 12, 6.. My last attempt I got, with extra 20kg: 22, 11, 5. So as you can see, your strength goes up regardless.. good times! Haha yeah calves.. largely it will come down to genetics (I have a long calf muscle belly... the bottom ends a touch further than half way down my lower leg, so I'm a little lucky in that regard), but usually a little tweak in how you train them can yield better results. On all eccentric portions of the lifts, make it a 5 second negative. When you get into the bottom stretch position, really try to get a deep stretch by forcefully trying to pull your toes/foot towards the front of your leg. Hold that stretch for 5 seconds (I'm currently holding the stretch for 15 seconds.. trust me... work your way up!), then explode up, and hold for a count of 2 in the top position. Do these for 12 reps. Maybe do one or two warm up sets prior to the work set, though. I really can't stress enough about progressing slowly with the bottom stretches.. I went all out guns blazing the first time and held for 12 seconds. Man, I couldn't walk properly for a week! Probably didn't help that I did x2 working sets either, ouch. But, doing this, my calves are now a touch bigger than my arms. I'm happy with the results thus far.

Agree with many points Rev. Especially point number 3.. Very true! And something which a lot of guys will often not take into account.. Great post. Oh, and it looks like he was looking to get the gainzz before dieting down. The suggestion to change up his training routine came from the fact that his current routine looks like it has a little to be desired.. I thought DC would have been a decent suggestion because it limits the amount of work sets he has to do. Something which he stated can be affected by his work day. I initially thought about SS or 5/3/1, but to see decent gains in muscle mass along side the strength gains, the volume required still heads into more sets per workout, something which could still be affected by his work day.

Oh sorry, my mistake. Liquid egg whites huh? Interesting.. Works out cheaper than just buying eggs does it or? Ah ok then, if you're doing it for the taste factor, then I can understand why you'd leave out the yolks. I personally love the taste, but that's probably because I cook with real butter only. Usually about 15 - 25 grams or so melted in the saucepan (just as it turns to a slightly brownish colour) before adding in the whisked eggs. This gives it a real nice full flavour, creamy, with a bit of a "nutty" undertone.. really helps to kill the usual 'egg' taste. Also, I don't season until after cooking. This stops it from going too watery. And usually just season with freshly ground pepper. Usually the case with lack of results is eating habits.. And that usually means they aren't eating enough. But since you have said you seem to gain a bit more fat, do you mind if I ask where you are at "fat wise"? Can you see any definition on the abdominal region? I'd still say eat more. Perhaps change the ratio of protein/carb/fat... Fasted cardio (low intensity, like a brisk walk) also really helps to limit fat gain. Yeah Bulk Nutrients seem to be really good. I've never used them personally, but their products look really high quality. And from the last time I was on their site, they also get products lab tested. Haha yeah the packs are annoying! Bulk powders do the same. I actually have a few spare protein powder tubs that I use for the protein (I buy 9kg at a time, cheaper).. The tub is about 3kg, so I only have to open the zip lock bag twice to fill the tub. Haha, definitely not a unit! But definitely not the smallest guy at the gym either. No cheat days here, I just eat like this all the time. If I feel I went a bit overboard on one particular day, I'll put the brakes on a little bit the next couple of days, but other than that I eat what I feel like. As long as I'm hitting protein grams (about 1.5 - 2 grams/lb bodyweight) on a daily basis, while eating lots of veggies, I'm content. I thought the same thing as you before heading into DC training, about the fat gain. But surprisingly, the training style and cardio on 'off' days really does limit the amount of fat I gain, if any at all. Proper use of certain supplements can also assist in this. Yeah dude, hit the nail on the head. Use only as many warm up sets as you need, then go balls-out in the RP set. If you're really honest with the breaks for the pauses, you'll be surprised how much wind you'll be sucking by the end of it. Least amount of time spent between exercises also serves to keep the heart rate up. If done properly, by the end of the session, you'll feel absolutely wiped. But there will be a part of you that says, "I feel like that wasn't enough".. but it's definitely enough! Plus the way they do calves is BRUTAL. I can't get over it. I'm pretty sure I've added half an inch to my calves in 3 months, lol.

Sweet, well it looks like you have a decent idea about eating properly.. If I could make a few suggestions, however... Don't separate the egg whites from yolks. Unless you're trying to get to 4% bodyfat for a bodybuilding comp and you're 4 weeks out, it's crazy to be throwing away all that extra protein, vitamins and minerals, and calories from the yolks. Whole eggs for the win. Also, try to treat your 'snack' meals as whole meals. Looks like you're doing that already, but just try to keep your portion sizes up. I would also probably recommend spending a little less on supplements, and instead getting more food. I'd ditch the pre-workout, protein custard, the BCAA intra-workout supp, and swap out the wpi/wpc blend for just a straight WPI powder. If you're after a nice buzz for your training session, eat 3 big bananas and have a strong coffee about an hour before you train. If you get the rest of the supps from a bulk supplier, even better. A lot of the folks on here use BN, I personally use Bulk Powders, and I'm pretty sure a couple use True Nutrition. All are very good options. Most of the GNC type products, with the fancy labels, are usually junk. But yeah, nutrition would be your first point to double check on. I find that counting grams of protein, and just eating carbs/fats until I'm over full makes it easy. As an example, this is what I ate yesterday: Breakfast - 6 scrambled eggs (min 67g each total), 2 bananas, 2 pieces of toast, 2 sausages. Meal 2 - Chicken breast, pasta, broccoli. Enough pasta to fill 3/5 average plate. Broccoli to fill the rest. Chicken breast on top. Lunch - 2 big macs, 1 litre of milk, and a salad. Meal 4 - "naked burrito" from MadMex, with double meat and extra rice. Large milkshake from donut king (choc caramel is sick) Dinner - 300gram steak, 3 large baked potatoes, broccoli and beans steamed mix. Meal 6 - 500ml milk, hand full of nuts. Cashews and almonds are my choice. This is basically what I eat on a daily basis.. The only things that really change is the big macs or madmex, and the milkshakes. On training days, one of the meals get replaced with my PWO shake (600ml milk, 45 grams protein powder (wpi), 8 tspns of milo, l-glutamine) and a piece of fruit, and I eat 2 - 3 bananas pre-workout, along with my little supplement cocktail (ask for details). I consume fish oil capsules throughout the day, usually with meals. I also drink at least 2 litres of filtered water, in addition to all milk and shakes, etc. Looking at that, I'm hitting at least 3500kcal for the day. About what's needed for my 93kg-ish frame. If you have a hard time eating a lot.. Try drinking lots of whole milk. If you're not lactose intolerant, crazy easy way to get lots of good quality calories. If you can, work up to 3 - 4 litres a day. That's anywhere up to an extra 2400kcal a day! Plus its like 80-something% water, so you're getting hydrated too. Just make sure you take at least 50% of the amount of calcium contained, in magnesium. I personally take 900mg before bed, as part of my ZMA supplement. Just another perspective for you to look from best of luck dude!

So finally back home.. Here are some links you can read about to gain a bit of an idea of the whole 'DC Training' thing I keep going on about. Enjoy! http://muscleandbrawn.com/a-concise-guide-to-doggcrapp-training/ http://www.simplyshredded.com/a-load-of-doggcrapp-is-dante-trudels-doggcrapp-training-system-the-next-big-thing-in-bodybuilding.html http://dc-training.blogspot.com.au/ http://goonlifter.wikispaces.com/DC+Training+Example+Workout http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/how_to_build_50_pounds_of_muscle_in_12_months Any questions, feel free to ask

Sorry for double post, couldn't figure out how to multi quote on my phone. Glad to hear you're getting some solid results. What are you assistance exercises like?

Warm ups are awesome. If you do some Site specific stretching, for the muscles being trained that day, also lots of benefit to be had. DC training has a couple of layouts that can be followed.. However exercise selection comes down to personal preference and requirements. I'm using my phone at the moment so don't have access to a lot of the saved pages, but I'll be back home tomorrow and I'll give you some info to read. Really easy once you understand the basic principles of the training style. I think 10 weeks will give you enough time to see some good starting changes.. But don't expect huge transformations lol. What's your diet/nutrition/supplements like?

Generally the fitness industry is full of differing opinions and views.. Just makes it a bit more interesting Just remember you'll need to make a change and keep to it for 8 weeks to see any real changes.. But as for getting a pump.. While they're awesome, they aren't the best indicator of growth/adaptation. In saying that though, DC training done properly will give you pretty sick pumps, especially with the 'extreme stretches' between each exercise. Are you doing stretching and foam rolling before and after your training session? I found that once my flexibility got better, so did my lifts. Especially squat and DL. It's good that you have a decent foundation to work from then.. I think using the "basic" movements in a slightly more advanced layout could have a lot of benefits for you. Sorry, this is another shameless plug for DC training lol. It's just such an awesome routine. My brothers now do it, a few mates now do it, and I'm now in the process of converting a few others haha.. It's does require very laser like focus and consistency though. Lift heavy shit, put it back down, eat enough for 2 people, sleep at least 6 hours, and you'll be sweet.

That's true. Recovery ability is usually better, if all else is on point. I'd like to throw in the "depends on goals, requirements" card at this point... .... and lead into this. I mean, sure, 5/3/1 and it's variants are great for powerlifters. There is no doubt about it. But just because it works great for powerlifters and some others, doesn't necessarily mean it's what this guy needs. Sure, he could be squatting twice or even three times a week. But what if he has muscular imbalances that can be easily diagnosed? You know, too much pressing, not enough pulling. That's usually a dead give away. Doing a template like that leaves much to be desired IMHO.. 5/3/1, having to calculate percentages, etc. How applicable is this to a novice/intermediate lifter, who as stated before, has an incredible rate of adaptation? Why limit the rate of growth/results by a perceived increase according to a percentage that becomes null and void after 2 sessions? I just don't see why it's practical to give the old blanket statement, 'just do 5/3/1' ... by the sounds of it he's not a competing powerlifter, nor does he have any intention... Sucks you missed some reps bro. Maybe you just had an off-week. How long until you deload? Maybe you need an early deload... BB.com is f**king pathetic these days. I have a hard time staying on the site for more than 5 minutes. I totally agree with you on all points. Similar can be said for T-Nation. That site was great until they started plugging their shit-house supps into all their articles. I mean really... it's just gone too far now. OH YEAH. So, thought I might share... I got some colostrum. Yeah I know.. rip off.. but I got it decently cheap! And it's got more goodies per gram than anything else I've been able to come across. I've got enough to go 40 grams/day for 4 months. The studies I've seen and read mostly agree that for a given time frame, you get more results using colostrum. So will be interesting to see how it goes... Starting some time in may. Anyone else used it at a similar dose? Results?

So much want! Are those injectors a straight plug and play? The surge tank setup.. Going an off the shelf item or something custom? Hopefully she's all sorted for May skidzzz will be sweet

I'd respectfully disagree that DC is too advanced for his current level. By building in progressions into the DC style of training, he basically starts at "easy", and works his way up. What I mean by this is, for the first 'cycle' or two, don't do the rest-pause sets. Just do one all-out set to failure. Well, "failure".. You want to be able to re-rack the weight by yourself for the last rep. Then the next cycle, go all out to real failure.. the kind where the rack pins save your life. Then the cycle after that, do half the rest-pause sets. So on so forth. Gets all the benefits without taxing himself too much early on. Besides, not enough people (the gym bros) know what it's like to REALLY push yourself. If you set your program correctly, you're basically doing just compound movements, you're balancing out your pressing with equal/greater pulling (which is something that often lacks with 5/3/1 - powerlifting style routines...) so your shoulders and posture stay healthy. You're only training 3 times a week, hitting the same body part 3 times in 8 days. The beauty I think, is that you have a full 14 days between doing the same exercise. Example, lets say yesterday (Wednesday 23/4) I did Squats (singled out exercise from the whole day) .. I wouldn't do them again until the 7th of May. This gives the CNS plenty of time to recover for those specific nerves and gives ample time to rebuild and repair. But because you're also doing the same "body part" twice more, but with different movements, you're essentially "cheating" your body into doing more, without really having too much backlash, so to speak. To me that's an awesome cost/benefit ratio. Beginners will often find that they can add 5kg, 10kg, even 15kg to certain lifts every workout. Do for 6-8 weeks, have a week or two off, then get back into it. Total volume over, say, a month is great for hypertrophy, and the increased time between doing movements allows your CNS to really get buffed up, allowing huge jumps in weight. This is of course all assuming he can Squat, Deadlift, Bench, and Pull-up with proper form. Oh and dips... I fkn love dips I do however completely agree with the diet part. That is SUCH an important aspect. Also with what Birds touched on about diet too. So no bosu-ball-one-legged-one-arm-over-my-head-balancing-a-tea-cup-on-my-hand-bodyweight-squats for being functional?! Yeah. Eat more, rest more. You're in the gym for an hour. The other 23 hours are much more important. A lot of good advice here guys! Good work so much better than the shit dribble you find on bodybuilding.com, lol.

Haha, seems like I wasn't the only one then

Ever been sunburnt/burnt and applied the juice from a freshly cut open aloe vera leaf? It basically forms a thin layer on the skin and gives a very... different 'feeling'. With the throat gargle, I've yet to master the plant gel to water ratio.. So occasionally you get the same sort of "something is in my mouth" feeling. Not bad or a discomfort, just... weird. Lol. Just did a little google search and found this... interesting! Haven't checked out too much of what is contained against scientific resources, but I can definitely say that drinking a homemade aloe vera juice/smoothie thing really does make you feel good from the inside out And no problem.. Being ill is never a good thing! My girlfriend just copped a runny nose... *keeps distance* I seem to be sneezing a lot lately. Must be pollen in the air.. strange for this time of year though.