Last Tuesday, my copy of the two-disc set Project Superheavyweight arrived in the mail during the middle of finals week, and it took a lot of strength not to put down the books and watch it right away. I have been looking forward to this DVD for a while, and I am glad to say it was more than worth the wait.
The first disc is the training disc, about two hours long. Justin Harris (Troponin) and his training partner Steve Kuclo lead us through their three-day split. If you are unfamiliar with the basics of DC training, you might want to do a bit of reading online beforehand to learn the lingo (terms such as "rest pause" and "widow-maker"). Justin and Steve are incredibly strong. They use heavy weights and know how to handle them with proper form. They both come off as very humble guys, and dress accordingly, in loose fitting clothes. They are not the sort of guys who would want to grab attention in the gym, and are far removed from the stereotype of the vain bodybuilder. They work very well together. When you are using this much weight, your training partner had better be a reliable spotter!
The training DVD is easy to navigate, which is good because you will want to watch various parts of it again and again. So much information has been crammed into it that you almost feel the need to take notes. (Do you rest-pause front squats?! What is a good range of reps for incline bench?) Fortunately, you get to see both Justin and Steve do every movement so if you miss something the first time, you can see it with the other guy. They both take the time to explain in detail what is going on, what they usually do, what purpose every movement and set serves, etc, even when they are out of breath. My only complaint is that some of the stretches were not shown in as much detail as I would like (Stretches are an integral part of DC training).
After watching this DVD, you will have re-newed zeal and dedication to your weight training. You see firsthand how much hard work and dedication goes into building a top notch physique. At the end, Justin tells an anecdote of how he used to be a skinny kid, who was too ashamed to buy bodybuilding mags himself because he was afraid store clerks would laugh at him. Over a decade of hard work later, he is the very strong 280 pound bodybuilder we see in the video.
The second disc is a bonus disc (about an hour long) in which Justin discusses nutrition. Justin's monologue was very informative, and I will definitely watch this disc over and over. He talks a lot about the final phase on contest prep (his specialty), which may not be of much interest to a person who is not a competitive bodybuilder. There is also some science in here that went right over my head (osmolality?! is that even a word?!) but Justin speaks with the authority of an expert on the subject. We then see him preparing his meals for the day before going off to work, weighing and measuring his meat and rice.
At the end, he gives a glimpse into his every day life, how he and Mrs Troponin manage between school, work, bodybuilding, and taking care of their young daughters. The punch line here is that Justin cooks his own food and washes his own dishes, in addition to having a job and being a family man. I'll try and remember that next time I get lazy with cooking my meals. Justin emphasizes pragmatism throughout both discs: there is no set formula, whether for eating, or how far apart your hands should be when holding a bar. Everyone must learn what works for them, by some trial and error, if necessary, and then keep refining their techniques.
I will most probably never come close to moving the weights these guys use, but I can safely say that my training has been changed forever. This is probably the best $25 I ever spent.
Justin and Steve, thank you for producing a high quality product that is very informative, and very reasonably priced.
