Post To Louden - How's DC?

[Legion Kreinak2]

Louden, I was just curious... how is the DC training going? Is it proving to be successful? The 5x5 has grown stale after its third installment now, and I've decided to try DC training. I'm sure I'm gonna be discouraged at first, considering I won't be lifting as much as I was with the 5x5.

I forget but is DC training geared towards strength, or size? I know size comes with strength, generally, but I have to ask. I remembered the article saying something about growing twice as fast by training as soon as you can. I like the idea of only one working set, also.

So, could you possibly post the guidelines of the routine, Louden? I mean, there's 600 some posts in the sticky, and it's a pain to cycle through everything. So far I know:

1) 6-8 Second negatives, explosive positives
2) On your first workout, don't try either rest-pause or extreme stretching. Then, see how well you recover. If you can, then do RPs next workout. Then if you can do that, add in the stretching. Right?

I mean, what else could you point out? I remember reading something about NOT doing RP on squats because it could hurt the knees or something.

 

[bignate73]

lets just say, im up 13lbs this month, with strength gains each workout that havent stopped.

 

[c3bodybuilding]

13lbs natural? AWESOME brother. Congrats. Natural or with gear, thats great gains. It just goes to show you what a little HARD work can do.

I follow a similiar training method, one posted by Realgains on the women's board. It's hard to change things around, and go against the grain, but progress in one or another always seems to come with this type of training.

I look forward to hearing more about all the greats gains you'll make in the upcoming months.

 

[louden_swain]

LK,

I have had increases in strength each workout. I cannot give you any results in weight because I haven't stepped on the scale. I can tell you that I have increased flexibility, recovery time, and appetite. Overall, a very good program if you follow it with precision.

 

[casualbb]

I don't mean to rain on the parade, but weight gained is not a factor of training but of diet. Whether you're doing absolutely nothing or training the same quantity of food will give you that same 13 pounds (you'd have to eat a bit more if you're lifting to cover the glycogen used).

This is how to you eat to gain. You plan a reasonable bodyweight goal, and you plan a caloric excess. Now, as long as you stick to your diet, whether you train or not you'll hit the weight. But if you train during that overeating period some of the weight gain will be in the form of muscle.

Nate, a more accurate predictor of progress would be your bodypart measurements. Did you take any?

Strength gains in the early period of DC training I wouldn't put as much stock in either because you're gonna get stronger as your nervous system "learns" to do slow negatives.

I'm not saying you didn't gain muscle. Hell I wouldn't be surprised if you gained 4-5 pounds, as it's a good program. But 13 in a month is unrealistic, and it's likely most of it is fat.

-casualbb

 

[bignate73]

Nate, a more accurate predictor of progress would be your bodypart measurements. Did you take any?

Strength gains in the early period of DC training I wouldn't put as much stock in either because you're gonna get stronger as your nervous system "learns" to do slow negatives.

I'm not saying you didn't gain muscle. Hell I wouldn't be surprised if you gained 4-5 pounds, as it's a good program. But 13 in a month is unrealistic, and it's likely most of it is fat.

-casualbb

we'll see tomorrow. i took full measurements (circumference, bodyfat, scale weight, as well as tracked all lifts, stretches and static holds). though i did no doubt gain some bodyfat, i definitely know im thicker.

the main thing that made a difference with me was getting back to tracking my weights, overloading each workout, etc. i had gotten away from that. my training has always been tough, but maybe not tough the right way. volume was my modus operandi previously.

13 lbs in a month isnt that unreasonable, as i weighed 180 at the beginning of the year, dropped 10 lbs due to a surgery early in january, started the DC program in march and am back up and above my previous weight. my true test will be the next 10 lbs which will put me up to where i weighed a few years ago, when i dabbled in the dark arts (vitamin S).

 

[Debaser]

I'm sorry but that's not unrealistic. I'm sure a bit of it is fat but not 8 lbs worth. That would be 2 lbs of fat gain per week for a month.

 

[casualbb]

Ahh, surgery. Okay. That makes the weight gain a lot more feasible. Let us know when you get your measurements.

Debaser: If he wasn't gaining back water weight and glycogen from the post-surgery period of inactivity, than it is totally feasible that he gained 2 lbs of fat a week. If you really take overeating to heart you can put on that much weight.

Look if you want to prove to us that you're gaining 2-3 pounds per week of muscle, buy some calipers, measure your bodyparts, take some before and after photos, and then go claim huge muscle gain. But hell, man, I can gain 2-3 pounds a week just by eating like a fiend. But I know from personal experience that my upper ceiling on muscle growth is .75-1 pound/week, so eating for more than that will just make me fat.

-casualbb

 

[Debaser]

What you say may be true but if you read the Cycles on Pennies thread and some of its spinoffs, you'll see it's not uncommon for guys to put on 1.5 to 3 lbs a week, +/- 1% bodyfat (tested). Most guys gained less than 1%, while some actually lost, which is pretty incredible. I'm not taking into account "enhanced" trainees. I'm not saying those figures are what everyone will gain but all I'm saying is that it's not unheard of, or even uncommon.

 

[leatherface]

6-8 Second negatives, explosive positives

you don't do that on every rep right? So when do you do them?