I have been giving the DC training protocol a try and so far have nothing but good things to say about it. It would appear that for me, this was the right thing to try at the right time.

The results are certainly preliminary, but so far after three weeks my strength is up in every exercise, my body fat levels have stayed constant or perhaps have only increased very slightly and I have averaged a gain of about one pound a week of LBM. (I bumped my daily total k/cals by about 500-700 over maintenance with a 50/20/30 P/C/F split over six meals)

For those of you who are familiar with the DC program - I have been able to beat the log on every exercise every time sometimes with both a weight and rep increase. While the weight jumps are modest, I feel that I began at a level that was pretty challanging so I am satisfied with the progress.

The program takes some time to become comfortable with it and I'm still working at that, but each training session helps me feel more familiar with the program.

It has really boosted my enthusiasm for training and has definately increased my intensity level. I feel a little like a kid with a new toy - can't wait to play with it again - which in this case translates to can't wait for my next workout.

The keys to the programs success appear to be four fold - less volume, more intensity, aggressive stretching and constantly striving for progress (more weight and/or more reps)

If I end the six week session with a 6 pound gain in LBM I am going to be one happy camper and I am on track for that now. The plan is to then take a two week break - still training but with less intensity - then to jump in to another intense six week session.

I guess that us old dogs still have a trick or two left Now if I can only keep up with Aram not likely - but I can try!

VA,
This is how your last sentence should read - "Now if Aram could only keep up with ME, not likely but HE could try!" -

I predict that for next year, you will compete with an additional 8-10 lbs of lean mass, with even better conditioning.
The fact that you're remaining relatively lean while bulking up on more calories, is a definite advantage especially when you begin pre-contest dieting.You'll find that your calories can remain higher, avoiding typical starvation diets which will wipe out all offseason gains. Combined with the fat loss "tricks",( and pulling a trump card or two ) the final 4-6 weeks, you will wind up fuller, harder, and more ripped than ever.

Great.... now I have to include your name on my "Competitors-To-Avoid-List" for 2005.
Looks like I'm stuck doing "Mr. Backyard" and "Mr. Front Lawn" contests for next year

Could someone post this DC program. I'm hearing so much about it but have no clue what it is or how to do it. I would love to try it out if someone has a sample program they could share though.

Dave - Send me your email address by PM or email and I can give you a copy of my training log spreadsheet and point you to a good link that gives a basic explanation. I really like the program so far.

VA,

Thanks for the info. I tried my first workout today, and I'm not sure whether I like it or not. When I was done, I could feel that I had worked out, but I didn't feel quite as completely spent as after my normal workouts. The working sets were definately hard, but I'm just not sure whether it's going to be enough growth with only one working set per body part per workout. The less is more philosophy is just SO counter intuitive, and I've had good results with high volume. I'll give it a try for a little bit though. Maybe it will just take awhile to get used to the whole system. (Especially with regards to how to properly do the extreme stretches. Many of them really take a toll on my shoulders.)

Keep us updated from time to time, and I will do the same if I decide to stick with the program.

Dave - The program does take some time to get comfortable with it, especially the stretching. I would suggest two things if you want to give it a fair shake - first be as true to the program as you can be (i.e. don't do it half way or as a mix with other protocols) and secondly give it a chance to have an effect on you. The first couple of workouts are misleading - but once you get into the groove I think that you will better understand and feel the benefits of the stragetgy.

Different approaches work for different people. For me, this program appears to have been the right thing at the right time. Good luck with it.

Dave, I am like you, just starting the DC training. I just finished the for 6 workouts so I am beginning the second cycle through it. VA forwarded my his excel spreadsheet and I have found that to be pretty helpful. I do agree with you that it doesn't feel as if you are as spent after the workout is done but it is definitely intense during the exercises. One way I look at it is that I am able to hit a muscle group much more often this way and can really shorten the conditioning phase. Also, I notice that I don't have near the level of soreness in any muscle group as I did with a multi-set workout. I think you are going to like it in time.

I have just suffered my second injury DC training. The 1st was trying to do heavy hack squats and I was going deep and I pulled a muscle running down the back of my knee and through my shin. The 2nd injury is my shoulder I guess it was from heavy reverse grip smith, and military press it is real sore in the joint under my musculature I hope it is not my rotator cuff. I have gained alot of strength/size on this program but now it is time to change my routine because my body cannot handle DC anymore for awhile.

Mecca - Sorry to hear about your injuries. One of my initial concerns about the DC program was the fact that a person would be more suseptable to injury if they were regularly working at a high level of intensity with the goal of continual progression of weight, reps or both.

I would have to say that it is essential to pay very close attention to form, to warm up adequately and to really be focused on the execution of each rep. A couple of times I have felt like I was close to an injury, mostly with dead lifting, and when that occured I have backed off rather than push forward.

While DCing requires a person to constantly push thenselves, it is also important to know where to draw the line - which of course is before you do something that might result in an injury. It is a fine line to follow, but I'd rather back off and be able to come back another day and hit it hard again.

My suspicision is that you can again see good gains from DCing even if you dial back your intensity to about 95% in order to stay this side of potential injury.

My left shoulder has been bothering me more since starting DC. I tore that rotator cuff about 15 years ago and it has never been back to 100%. I have to stay away from heavy flat benches because of it. I also have a low back issue that cause me to avoid heavy squats. I can load up a leg press without an issue, but can't support heavy weights on my shoulders/spine.

We each have anotomical and structual peculiarities and weaknesses that we need to be aware of and acknowledge. There is almost always an alternative exercise that will give good results without the risk of injury.

I hope that you feel back to normal again soon - time for a cruise to let things settle down so that you can hit it hard again in a couple of weeks.

Thanks VA you made me feel better. I got the injury evaluated and it is the bicep tendon attachment that runs under the shoulder joint. I too have lower back issues and must stick with rack deadlifts or semi stiff legged deadlift. Deadlifting from the floor always ends up ending my lifting cycle so
I do not anymore. I do not agree with the big weight jumps that DC recommends this is just asking for a injury because I always bite off more than I can chew.

I don't recall "big weight jumps" in the program. I even remember DC stating to "make the 2 1/2 lb weights your best friends". By continuously increasing 5 lbs at a time (2x2.5)your muscles will slowly adapt.

This being said, I'm nearing my second week of DC and still skeptical. I want to start into my second cycle of exercises to see what progress I've made, but it just doesn't feel like I'm working the muscle enough for recovery. I'll give it a little more time though. I do like the extreme stretching though. I may keep that component even if I eventually abandon the rest of the program.

He talks about it, it may be in the cycle for pennies-I have to go back and look and find it.

Dave - You are correct in your understanding, but Mecca is also right - let me explain.

The weight jump is dependent on the individual - your comment about the 2 and 1/2's is a direct quote and essentially supports the continual progression concept - more reps, more weight and/or both within the total rep guidelines even if more weight is as little as 5 lbs. Meccas comment about larger jumps might also apply for some. For example if you can hit the top rep goal, and have to add (can handle) significant weight increases (while still maintaining strict form)to stay in the recommended rep range some people might find themselves using larger weight jumps. It also varies greatly from exercise to exercise. A 5 lb increase for barbell curls might be a lot, but for the leg press a 50 lb jump might be right.

Hang in there for at least one six week cycle so that you can get a sense for the progression and have time to get into the groove. It was my third or fourth week before I felt like I was really into the program and seeing steady progresion. I'm also sensing that a six week blast is enough for me - I'll be ready for a two week cruise after this week.

Let us know how it goes for you. Did you bump your total k/cals?

I just wanted to see if anyone was doing this style of routine and experiencing gains.

Currently, I'm doing the MWF protocol alternating between 2 workouts. My strength has gone through the roof. I didn't really notice it, till I tried one workout w/ straight sets again. Although I'm precontest right now, I'm still making gains (largely due to heavy supplementation, 24 synergy, 30 muscle mass, 8U40's, 6 Mass, and some stuff to aid fat loss).

What does everyone think of following this type of workout all the way into the competition? It is suggested that you raise the number of reps, to 20-30. Supposedly you can continue to "add weight to the bar", which is the mantra of DC training, all the way up to the contest. I do miss exercises like lateral raises and extra little things that I think help bring out some definition during the contest dieting.
Has anyone tried this up to the contest or have any advice on this?

There is a sticky on precontest training on the intense muscle board. I did DC a few months ago and also experienced great strength gains. But I also suffered some injuries. I have switched back to a more normal workout now with some isolation mvmnts. I think there is some merit to POF-positions of flexion for each muscle group for precontest training. With DC training you pretty much blast away with multi joint mvmnts.

Mecca, I did read that sticky, but just as you mentioned I kinda feel i need some of those isolation exercises. Luckily I suffered no injuries (mabye I'm young and will notice later), but I feel like blasting shoulders up to twice a week with pressing movements, even with a lighter rest-pause set for precontest might be a little much. On the plus side of switching is that I now have alot of newfound strength (at about 5 1/2 weeks out) so this is a good mentatlity to carry into a competition. I still might continue some of the stretches to help with muscle separation.

I especialy love the leg stretch, once i stand up it feels like my legs blow up two inches! I'm not quite sure about the bicep or shoulder stretch, awkward and the bicep one kind of pulls on my chest/shoulders too. Mabye I will discontiue those.

His stetches are awesome I have also kept them in my training. His quad stretch I actually like doing it one legged, I face away from a glute ham machine and I kick my foot on top of the pad and then I put my other foot on the floor and lunge out and down.

RyPat - As your body fat levels drop close to a contest your joints, tendons and ligaments all become more susceptable to injury. You also become more prone to overtraining as your reserve and recovery capacities are simply less than normal. Lots of solid supplementation helps keep you from getting into a catabolic state - but you can only push so hard the final few weeks when total calories are much lower than maintenance levels.

My suggestion to you is to feel good about the gains that you have made using DC, but to dial back on the intensity during your final three weeks. You are not going to be adding any new muscle then anyway because of the total k/cal deficit. Continueing to push yourself on reps and/or weight during those final three weeks could be a big mistake if you end up injured. You can still lift heavy, and still challange yourself - but beating the log has to wait again until you are back to a gaining diet. My humble opinion, but I think that it is in line with most of the advice I see in the DC section.

By the way - I'm in my second blast now, gaining LBM again with decent strength gains. I have had to back off just a bit on some movements, however, as I did run into both shoulder and elbow issues that I now have to be careful of. Perhaps the fact that I'm a lot older hurts me in the joint department when compared to you young pups Good luck with your prep!

Thanks.

I took your advice and backed off the training. I did however, keep the stretches and the DC workout schedule. MWF, alternating between two workouts. However, now I do straight sets, with 3 workings sets, sometimes 2 different exercises depending on the body part. I do abs 3-4 days a week.

Good luck on your next blast. Check in and let us know how your gains are and what kind of diet you're using with it. Did you're back respond well during your first blast? For the life of me, I could never get my BW chins up past 6 reps, but now I can do 12-15! I do have to tip the cap to DC training.

RyPat - One of the exercises that I have had to switch out were the wide grip chins - they were causing me a lot of stress on my shoulder joints and the shoulder discomfort was getting in the way of progressing on that movement.

I think that you will be glad that you have dialed back on the intensity a bit for the final weeks of your contest prep. Your focus now can be directed more towards your nutrition, supplement plan and posing. It is the nutrition and posing that will get you a high placing in a show. You have to be able to show what you have built in the best light by coming in very lean and by posing well, if not then the building process you have worked so hard at is for naught. Good luck.