Natural Al's DC training Journal

[natural al]

started a new blast last week, had some trouble right off the bat with thie wierd pain in my one bi when I was doing an incline movement, that kinda bummed me out. Not the way I wanted to start off.  Everything else has been good, here's what I did last workout:

decline's on the smith-300*13RP
chest Widowmaker-122.5*21
90 second stretch on the assisted dip machine-really as deep as I can go with about 90lbs, I'm gonna bump this up alot.

fly machine-100*13RP plus a 20 second static-I slowed down the negative alot, this was really brutal considering it was a fly machine.

front pulldowns-236*18RP, I need wrist straps really bad, my grip isn't that great and the bar I have has some really deep knurling, it just f'n hurts after awhile.

BB rows-275*4
            225*12 with a reverse grip

I don't really do any direct tri work right now, I want to work in that second chest movement, it's not really recommended to use a widowmaker on this type of split but I can't get to the gym enough to go to the 2 way so I'm giving this a try.

I weigh about 195lbs right now but I'm in decent shape, doing alot of different types of cardio-long sessions, HIIT sessions, Tabatta sessions, just trying to break it up.

[thewickedtruth]

dude where you been man?!

[natural al]

dude where you been man?!

just busy....still training but busy as hell.

[natural al]

Preacher Curl-120*15RP with a static and a stretch-5 more lbs than last wo and 1 more rep

wrist curl-65*31 straight set, really slow negative, just going for a burn with the higher reps cause my forearms are OK but I want to try something new so I'm using higher reps this blast

Toe Press on the Paramount Leg Press-270*9 done DC style, pretty good set, 5 more lbs than last time and 1 more rep

Squat-300*4, my knee popped on the 4th rep which I really didn't like, I've never really had issues with my knee so that was alarming.  I just went and did some high rep leg extentions afterwards just to be safe, I skipped hamstrings cause I just didn't like how my knee felt and didn't want to push it.

1 did a quick tabatta cardio session yesterday morning and did 1/2 hour on the bike this morning, another tabatta session at about noon and maybe another one before bed.

[natural al]

DIP MACHINE 190*16r RP, first time. 
wm-125-21 (SS) with a 45 second streatch

press behind the neck on a smith (don't know if I like this or not yet) 160*21RP, 30 sec static and a 60 sec stretch

pullover with a db-90*19RP, I wanna get to 25ish before  up the weight cause my DB's only go up to 100's

seated row-285*5, 205*15

some light cardio and that was it.

[natural al]

worked out at 6 am this morning...that's something new

Spider Curls-55*28RP with a static and a 1 minute stretch, these are pretty cool but I'm just getting used to them so I'm going a little higher in reps.

1 arm reverse cable curl 25*25 each arm, straight setted

paramount calf sled-182.5*8 with about 15 partials, this 182.5lbs is heavy as fuck on this machine, I don't know why, I've used more than double this on a regular calf sled, something about the way it's set up just makes this a hard machine to work on.

seated leg curl-182.5*14RP, skipped the static cause of my knee problems last week, didn't feel anything but I wanted to be careful, did a minute stretch at the end.

High rep leg press-I have limited equipment so I do 2 workouts on the only real good leg press I have, one is "heavy" and I try for 20 reps straight setted, this one I modify my foot placement-high on the platform and feet together and go for 50 reps, I used 325 today, I took one brief pause at 40 reps, did a stretch and was done.

I rode the bike for a few mintues just to loosen up the knees afterwards.

[natural al]

I took a break and started my blast over cause I was just running into all kinds of problems, just wierd stuff like my bi hurting while I was inclining and then my knee made a wierd sound while I was squatting and it hurt for days, really nothing seemed to be going right so I stepped back and reworked some stuff.  I dropped the incline machine I was using and I tried this new cybex bench that the gym I go to has, it's pretty cool so I worked that in.  I dropped my regular inline press and added heavy dips, I use a paramount machine which seems to be almost tailored to my body, it just feels great.  I've had  afew workouts but haven't recorded them so here's what they were:

Chest-Dip Machine-190*16RP with a static and stretch
    (chest widowmaker 135*17 SS)

Press Behind the Neck (on a smith) 165*21RP with a static and stretch

Dumbbell Pullovers-90*22RP

Seated Row-290*5
                 206.5*13

did an ab workout after...

then this morning I did:

drag curls (I'm doing these different than last blast, I want to see how they work before I get into exactly what I'm doing) 110*18RP with a static and  a stretch

hammer curls-25*30ish (I'm trying to do straight sets and keep my reps at about 30)

toe press-675*8 with a few partials..heavy as hell.

sumo leg press 680*12-straight set no static (taking it easy on the knee)

Leg Press 685*22-straight set.



no problems with the knee while I was doing the workout so that was great....

[slaveboy1980]

you love those high rep ranges 

another thing you can do to save the joints, is to do the DC training split but periodize it like this: (it isnt DC training anymore tho..i know dante hates it when people modify his routine and call it DC) 

4-6 weeks: 2-4 working sets on everything (straight sets)
2 light weeks
4-6 weeks: do the reps "ladder" style (ladders have many names..and come in many variations)...take a weight you can do 10 reps with...after 5 reps, rack the weight and rest 20 seconds and do it for 5 sets..so you do 25 reps total. as the weights progressively get heavier  you decrease the reps but increase the sets..in order to keep the total volume the same. there is more to it..but i wont go into it all on here. but basically it lets you get in lots of reps with a heavy weight but at the same time saves the CNS. (compared to normal sets)
2 light weeks.
4-6 weeks: rest pausing it DC style.
repeat.

also if you get bicep pain during incline press movements...try doing a couple of light sets of curls before you do the incline press.

[natural al]

I appreciate your input, the joint problems are new and I think it was just bad luck.  I've never had issues like that before, once in the past I had some problems with my Bi hurting during inclines but it went away.  I ran it across some people and everyone seems to think that it's a form of tendonitus and I need to be very careful with it.  I've been advised to stop using that movement so I stopped, at my age the last thing I need is to tear a muscle like that.

maybe if new problems come up I'll consider the stuff you posted, I don't have a problem looking at things if they seem logical.

[natural al]

you love those high rep ranges 

yeah, it looks that way doesn't it.  Really this was the first new rotation in this new blast so some of the movements are new.  I like to take a movement and start with a high rep range and pound it by using gradual but continual increases in weight.  Eventually I'll get down to the 12-15 rep range in a rest paused manner but I find that if I just go nuts right off the bat my form goes to shit.  Stuff like Leg presses I keep the reps hight cause of the equipment I have (the legpress has a 900lbs limit, I've done over 950 for 6 so by upping the rep range to 20 I can keep that movement in my rotation longer.)

[natural al]

declines (on the smith machine) 315*9 (7-2-failed) heaviest I've ever gone and I made a pretty big jump poundage wise, it felt really light when I started off but by the 6th rep it was heavy as hell, barely got a 7th, unracked it after my pause and it felt pretty good but those 2 reps were hard as hell, I wanted one with the last go but it didn't happen.  I'm still happy with the set cause I busted my balls.

Widowmaker-135*20 straight set then I did a stretch for 60 seconds and that was a killer.

lateral machine-100*14RP with a static and a stretch.  I go really, really slow with the negative aspect, pause at the bottom and explode up.  I might drop this and try a new pressing machine but I like doing these alot so I'm not sure.

front pulldown-230*18RP...my grip is really the limiting factor here, the bar I have to use sucks ass, really deep sharp knurling on it.  I need to re-invest in some starps and see what happens.

BB Row-275*4 and then I did 225*12 with a reverse grip

did a set of ab work on this new crunch machine...95*50reps rest paused.

[Stavios]

thanks for the log book NA, i am training to understand how the DC training works as I will do it for the whole off-season after my show.

I think I am starting to undertand the basics with this thread 

[Stavios]

a little question: we need to chose 3 exercise per body part so we will actually do 2 other workouts ( 2 other workouts of the same "day 1 ", if you know what i mean)  before doing the same movement again ?

[natural al]

a little question: we need to chose 3 exercise per body part so we will actually do 2 other workouts ( 2 other workouts of the same "day 1 ", if you know what i mean)  before doing the same movement again ?

yes, if I'm understanding your question right.  For arms lets say you pic the following:

dB curls

Preacher curls

machine curls


if you do the standards split the first week you'd do DB curls...then the next week you would have 2 workouts so that week you would hit Preachers and machine curls.

ask away, I'll answer what you got....I'll be around this weekend but not the whole weekend



worked out today so I finished my whole first rotation without incident:

DB Curls 55*14 RP-havent' done these in about a year did a stretch when I was done (no static)

Wrist curls...I won't put the weight down, lets just say it was light and I did 30 reps straight setted,  set the weight down for a sec and then I did another 5 or so.  Heavy wrist curls just aggrevate a wrist injury I have from my wrestling days so I'm gonna try going a little higher in the old rep range with these this time.

Toe Press on the Paramount leg press 280*9 done DC fashion with 20 partials

Parillo Stiff Legged dead Lifts-you can't go heavy on these so don't rag me 45*15 SS

I was gonna do front squats, set it up and did my first rep and my quad cramped up...arrrgggggg...really bad to, that's never happened, oh well it was going so good.  I'm not discouraged though, this stuff happens once in awhile, over-all it was a great first rotation.

[natural al]

Tuesday I did:

Paramount Press-I upped the weight 10 pounds a side and got about 18 reps rest paused, did a static for about 22 seconds.

Widowmaker-137.5*17, gonna stick with this weight and go for 20 then up it.

Paramount Shoulder Press-this is a new machine we got, I maxed out the other one (250lbs) so I gave this a try, not a ton of weight but I got 22 reps rest paused...we'll see what happens with this.

Behind the neck pulldowns-195*14RP

T-Bar Rows-210*4 SS and then I did 90*14 but I did a super slow negative, really tore up my lats...


Today I did:

spider curls-65*24RP with a static and a stretch-up 5lbs from last workout

Reverse grip cable curls-27.5lbs * 27 with my right arm and 25 with my left, straight setted-I'm going for 30 reps a set on these (added 2.5lbs)

Paramount Calf-187.5*8 done DC style then I did 16 partials after about a 5-6 second rest, this machine is brutal..I don't know how they came up with the weights that are on the stack cause there's no way 187.5 = 187.5, I've done the plate loaded hammer machine and hve done over 400lbs for more reps, this thing is just brutal.

Seated Leg Curl-187.5*16RP with 20 second static and a 1 minute stretch

Leg Press-335*52 reps, rest paused to save my knees.....(added 10lbs)

then I was out of there..

I've been fooling around with Max-OT cardio for a few days, it's pretty cool I guess.  We'll see what kind of results I get (weighed 189.7 this morning and I look alot leaner than I have in awhile.  I'm trying to get into shape and maybe just maybe I'll do a show...we'll see.  but my days of going up to 215-220 are pretty much over..oh, well.  I just can't breath right when I get that heavy-asthma and all that stuff.)

[natural al]

had a great bi, forearm, leg workout but that was over the weekend and I don't have my book infront of me.  I don't want to make shit up so lets just say I had a good workout.

This morning I did:

declines on teh smith-315*14RP-5 more reps than last time..woo hoo.

widowmaker 137.5*20, 2 more reps upping the weight to 140 next time.

lateral machine-100*18RP, nice slow negative.  gonna add some weight next workout

did my chest and shoulder stretches

front pulldown 230*17RP, upped the weight a couple of pounds and I'll do the same next workout

BB row-277.5*4 and 227.5*13 with a reverse grip, I hung this little helper plate then have in my gym in the middle of the bar so I could go up 2.5lbs.  I'm near the top end at these and I hope that by doing small jumps I can keep on progressing.

[MisterMagoo]

i forget, what's a widowmaker?

[natural al]

i forget, what's a widowmaker?

when you have a weak bodypart DC suggests you pic a second movement for that bodypart, and hammer it after every time you train that weak bodypart-straight set-20-30 reps-each workout you add weight but keep on pushing for 20-30 reps, once you can't get 8 (cause your reps are eventually gonna come down if you constantly add weight) you drop that movement and pic a new one.

-you're only supposed to use this technique on the "3 way split" but due to school/work/family commitments I can't do the 3 way so I dropped tri movement for a bit and added the widowmker instead.  My tri's are getting hit pretty hard with the pressing and dips so I'm not worried about them for now. 

for pecs DC likes guys to do a push press on an old fashioned pec dec but I don't have one so I'm trying my own thing ( he did recommend me trying a DB movement BUT I decided to give something I came up with a go...if it works I'll describe it here but I'm not sure about it yet.)

[natural al]

I actually missed a workout yesterday cause I was up watching the wings win the stanley cup...that NEVER happens..lol.

my weights gone up the last couple of days and I don't know why, I was coming down at a nice rate but all of a sudden I'm 6lbs heavier which is really odd cause I was eating pretty clean.  We'll see what happens this weekend, hopefully this is just a fluke.

anyway I did this last workout:

DB Curls-60*16RP no static but a 60 second stretch, added 5lbs on each arm and got 1 or 2 more reps so that was great.

wrist curls-55*30 straight set and then a few reverse curls with the same weight, I let the BB roll down and extend my fingers for each wrist curl so I get a big range of motion, forearms burn like a muther after these.

To Press on the Paramount Leg Press Machine-285*9 done DC fashion, nuthin to fancy here, got 1 additional rep and added 5lbs so I was happy with that.

parillo stiff legged dead lifts-65*13 SS, decent jump in poundages, I keep my form so f'n strict on these and as soon as it breaks I end the set, these are pretty brutal if done the right way, it doesn't seem like alot on paper but they're a very effective variation of the regular SLDL.

Front Squat-still kinda breaking this one in, didn't use a ton of weight but I did the set without incedent, next week I'm gonna add some weight and see what happens.  Once I get going on this I should be able to move along pretty quick so I'll start posting some poundages when they get out of "girly" range.  lol.

still doing max-ot cardio, none this morning cause of leg training but I might do a session tonight, I will do one tomorrow morning and I've been thinking of adding a session in the evening but instead of the standard 16 min. the evening session will only be about 8-10 min long.

[natural al]

again, I hit it over the weekend but forgot to post what I did and again I don't have my log book   so I'll just say I had a good chest, shoulder, back workout, I'm almost up to t-bar rowing 5 plates which will be really good for me with all my back issues.

today I did:

spider curl-70*16RP with a 30 second static and a 60 second stretch

reverse cable curl-30*30 (straight sets, 1 arm at a time, both arms got right around 30 reps, my left might have only gotten 28 but I kinda lost count  )

paramount calf-190*8 done DC style with 17 partials

seated leg curl-190*16RP with a 20 second static and a 1 min stretch

high rep leg press-340*60

I beat all my totals from last workout, 1 thing I'm really trying to do is slow down the negative aspect of each rep and really explode up.  I really wish my gym would get a hack squat or a v-squat or something cause I hate doing the high rep leg press but until my back is 100% I'm not gonna do back squats, I think i'm pushing it doing front squats but I really want to do them for some reason.

[slaveboy1980]

again, I hit it over the weekend but forgot to post what I did and again I don't have my log book   so I'll just say I had a good chest, shoulder, back workout, I'm almost up to t-bar rowing 5 plates which will be really good for me with all my back issues.

today I did:

spider curl-70*16RP with a 30 second static and a 60 second stretch

reverse cable curl-30*30 (straight sets, 1 arm at a time, both arms got right around 30 reps, my left might have only gotten 28 but I kinda lost count  )

paramount calf-190*8 done DC style with 17 partials

seated leg curl-190*16RP with a 20 second static and a 1 min stretch

high rep leg press-340*60

I beat all my totals from last workout, 1 thing I'm really trying to do is slow down the negative aspect of each rep and really explode up.  I really wish my gym would get a hack squat or a v-squat or something cause I hate doing the high rep leg press but until my back is 100% I'm not gonna do back squats, I think i'm pushing it doing front squats but I really want to do them for some reason.

could try one legged leg press. if you have maxed the legpress machine.

[MisterMagoo]

smith front squats are pretty hellish if you can't do back squats.

[natural al]

so I get up and go in this morning, I got there right at 6,  set up the dip machine with a little over 200lbs and started working.  I do my first "set" rest for about 20 seconds go again, rest again and finish up.  This old man that works at the rec center where I train comes up to me and says that I'm being to rough with the equipement and that I'd really be better off doing less weight and more reps.  This fucking guy looked like Bud Abbot for god's sake.  I stopped him mid sentence and said if you think I'm being rough with the equipement that's fine, I'll pay more attention to how I lower the weight but don't even start to tell me how to train, put my headphones back on blasted the music and went back to work.  He just stood there staring at me for about 20 seconds while I pumpe dout my widowmaker.  I was so f'n pissed off.  I never bother anyone in the gym, and this old fat fuck had the balls to bother me....I'm thinking of calling and talking to the manager to find out what the fuck is wrong with this guy and who the hell he thinks he is.

Anyway:

dip machine-205*14RP, with a 1 minute stretch

WM-140*21


behind the neck press on the simith-175*21RP with a stretch

DB pullover-95*17 RP

seated row-298*4 and 212*14

[Miss Demeanor]

Very strong training, Al.  I'm glad things are going well for you!

I commiserate with your bad experience.  That old man sounds creepy.  (He STARED at you?  Oh, wow.  That is soooo bizarre.) 

Something about as weird happened to us one time.  My boyfriend does DC (I think I told you this).  I was working out with him once when he was coasting for a couple of weeks -- just doing light stuff for very high reps.  He moved a flat bench into a Smith machine, put a 45 on each side, sat down and started doing front presses.  I lost count of his reps after awhile and just started over.  He laughed and racked the bar.

Apparently this snotty, wiry little older woman nearby didn't like us; she came over, muttered something at him really fast and started walking away.  I called out to her and asked her what she said.  She didn't even look at me; she looked at Sean instead and said, "Don't you think you'll break your back without the back support?"  Then she turned her back to us again 

I was furious.  Don't come up to my boyfriend, mouth off, walk away and then ignore me when I'm talking.  But Sean just laughed at her and said something like, "Wow, thanks darlin'.  I actually am terrified for my back.  I can only do deep squats with 380 for ten reps, so all this 'heavy' pressing might kill me someday."

Or something like that   But she was a real bitch.  She wasn't an employee so I didn't bother saying anything to the manager.  But you should definitely complain about this old man you're talking about.  Let the manager know Mr. Creepy Bigmouth will hurt their business.  That'll get the old fart reigned in real quick

[natural al]

Very strong training, Al.  I'm glad things are going well for you!

I commiserate with your bad experience.  That old man sounds creepy.  (He STARED at you?  Oh, wow.  That is soooo bizarre.) 

Something about as weird happened to us one time.  My boyfriend does DC (I think I told you this).  I was working out with him once when he was coasting for a couple of weeks -- just doing light stuff for very high reps.  He moved a flat bench into a Smith machine, put a 45 on each side, sat down and started doing front presses.  I lost count of his reps after awhile and just started over.  He laughed and racked the bar.

Apparently this snotty, wiry little older woman nearby didn't like us; she came over, muttered something at him really fast and started walking away.  I called out to her and asked her what she said.  She didn't even look at me; she looked at Sean instead and said, "Don't you think you'll break your back without the back support?"  Then she turned her back to us again 

I was furious.  Don't come up to my boyfriend, mouth off, walk away and then ignore me when I'm talking.  But Sean just laughed at her and said something like, "Wow, thanks darlin'.  I actually am terrified for my back.  I can only do deep squats with 380 for ten reps, so all this 'heavy' pressing might kill me someday."

Or something like that   But she was a real bitch.  She wasn't an employee so I didn't bother saying anything to the manager.  But you should definitely complain about this old man you're talking about.  Let the manager know Mr. Creepy Bigmouth will hurt their business.  That'll get the old fart reigned in real quick

the thing that pissed me off about it was I'm always considerate in the gym, I always rack my weights, I never bother anyone, I don't hog equipment and I'll help someone out when they need it.  I'm not jay cutler but I'm in decent shape and this old fuck thinks he can just interupt my workout and bother me wiith this bullshit.  I've been going to gyms for 20 years and have never, ever had anyone way a word to me about this kind of thing.  I can't wait to see the look on his face when I start pinning an extra 45 to some of the machines in a few weeks...lol.  Fuck em.