Powervision’s BodyBlog

Hi all,

Since a lot of people have inquired about my pre-contest diet/cut plan, i’ve decided to deliver. Before I lay it out, I need to make clear that these portions of food are designed for my metabolism/bodyweight, and should merely be used as a guideline. I have used this diet for two contests now. The first time I used it I dropped 45lbs in 14 weeks. My most recent cut was more gradual 17lbs in 11 weeks. This diet is used in conjunction with cardiovascular activity and intensive weight training. Here it is:

Meal 1: 12 egg whites; 1 cup dry oats (~54g carbs; can substitute 2 scoops of whey for the eggs)

Meal 2: 7oz chicken, 6oz carbs

Meal 3: 7oz steak, 5oz carbs

Meal 4: 7oz chicken, 5oz carbs

Meal 5: 7oz chicken, 4 oz carbs

Meal 6: 7oz chicken (or 12 egg whites) with 10 almonds

Nothing fancy; green vegetables are optional throughout meals. Multi-vitamin and high water intake is highly recommended.

Any questions feel free to ask.

AB "Powervision"

On Inspiration and Ego:

There’s nothing more dangerous that thinking you’re too big for your own shoes. You think you’re it, but you’ll surely lose. In times like those, when looking high. The sky falls down. You want to cry. Here’s to those who keep me grounded. Egos roll, they grow unbounded. I turned around and he said this rhyme. Saved my ass for one last time. Here’s what he told me:

Little Bird,

You win? Check the news Jim. This kid is a true gem. I’m a solider with a rude grin lookin’ for a box to put my boots in. Tanned and dark as the soil I lay my roots in. You know I’m gettin’ checks. I’m like a box, I’m gettin’ checked. Your gettin debt, you can’t keep up you’re gettin’ left. Too much weight and you’re gettin’ thin. You’re gettin’ stretched. Call it cut, gettin’ etched. But don’t forget the best. Gave you your start, showed you the way of the art. Showed you the shape of your heart. Tryin’ to take me place when I took the plates and helped them stay with the bar. Now I’m raisin’ the bar. Raisin’ it far, and I see you pacin’. Chasin’ it hard. Yeah that old sand blows but the old man knows that the youngster knows what the old hand showed. Leavin’ the scene till its empty and gone.

With love,

Big Byrd

Preface:

Before I begin, I want to briefly clarify a few points. Firstly, this article is intended to provide an overview of DC training in addition to my personal experience with this system. I am not claiming to be an authority on DC training, merely a practitioner hoping to inspire others to try this unique training program.

Introduction:

Since the 1970s, many strength athletes have utilized high intensity training principles in order to maximize muscle stimulation and recovery. Old-school bodybuilders such as Mike Mentzer have argued that high intensity, low volume routines are the most efficient way to build muscle; yet, many modern bodybuilders still perform marathon routines with laughable intensity. Dante Trudell, founder of DC training, enters the scene providing an alternate program focusing on heavy poundage and progressive intensity in order to achieve maximum muscle stimulation.

Assumptions:

DC training can only be understood after outlining the assumptions behind its methodology.

1) Muscular strength is a prerequisite to muscular size.

2) The human ability to recover from exercise is limited.

3) Higher training frequency leads to higher growth. In other words, a body part that is trained more frequently will grow more quickly.

4) A body part should only be trained after it is fully recovered.

5) Training with maximal intensity is the most efficient way to build muscle and increase strength.

Program:

DC training is a deviation from traditional high volume routines. The program incorporates advanced lifting techniques such as rest-pause sets and stretching. Traditional DC routines are broken into two groupings of workouts. For simplicity, we will call these groupings A & B respectively. The design of these groupings promotes high work frequency while ensuring muscular recovery. There are many variations of DC training splits, but for the purposes of this article we will assume 3 workouts per week.

“Group A” workouts focus on developing the following: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Back Width, and Back Thickness.

“Group B” workouts focus on developing the following: Biceps, Calves, Forearms, Quads, and Hamstrings.

The first step to developing a DC training program is choosing three exercises for each of the body parts listed above. Here are examples of the exercises I frequently use:

Group A:

Group B:

The program incorporates a rotation between all the A & B exercises. The entire cycle (lifting A1-3 & B1-3) should take 2 weeks. On a Monday, Wednesday, Friday training split, the workout schedule should look as follows: Monday- A1, Wednesday- B1, Friday- A2. The following Monday would resume with B2. This program incorporates variety, providing many movements and opportunities for muscular stimulation. The DC lifter does the same workout every two weeks; therefore, frequently alternating workouts helps slow the body’s tendency to stagnate on repeated training programs thereby avoiding plateaus.

Specifics (Rep Ranges, Rest-Pause, Static Holds, and Stretching):

At this point, the basic structure of DC training has been outlined; however, the true essence of the training is still missing. DC training is by nature high intensity, and consequently it utilizes various techniques to make sure workout intensity remains high. Firstly, DC training incorporates different rep ranges to maximize the effectiveness of each set. As a rule of thumb, most DC sets are performed within the 8-25 rep range. This may seem like a wide range, but after understanding how higher rep ranges are incorporated with rest-pause training it will make more sense. Generally work sets on legs fall on the higher end of the rep range whereas compound upper body movements tend to fall on the lower end of the spectrum. Secondly, almost every DC exercise incorporates rest-pause sets. If you are unfamiliar with rest-pause techniques, the following link will be helpful: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mahler71.htm. It is important to note that the DC lifter only performs one exercise per muscle group on a given day. Each exercise has one work set that exercise incorporating rest-pause techniques. For example, on the flat bench press the lifter will attempt to press 225 for 12 reps to start his set. After completing his first “set” the lifter will rest thirty seconds and press 225 for an additional 6-8 reps. After completing his second “set” the lifter takes another thirty seconds of rest before performing his final press at 225 to failure (around 2-4 reps). It is important to note, that rest-pause “drop-offs” from set to set will vary between people. Some people tend to recover quickly in between sets, and will consequently hit the higher end of the rep range on the second and third rest-pause sets. The number of reps performed is not important; it is the intensity of the rest-pause sets that really counts. Thirdly, after finishing the final rest-pause set, many DC lifters incorporate a ten second static hold into their final rep. The intention of the static hold is to completely overload the muscle group. Static holds are extremely difficult after finishing the rest-pause sets, and are consequently only advised for lifters who have been training DC style for a few weeks. Finally, after performing the “giant rest-pause” set and static holds, the lifter immediately begins to stretch the given body part. The stretching in DC training is extremely painful. Who would have guessed right? Stretches are often performed with weights, and are intended to loosen the fascia surrounding the muscle tissue to increase the room for new muscle growth and increased blood flow. Stretching will also help induce the recovery process for the muscle. I will explain the specifics of each body part stretch later. Right now, the important thing to understand is that static stretches are performed for each body part immediately following the work set.

Stretches Explained:

Chest: Hold a pair of dumbbells while lying on a flat bench. Lower the dumbbells to the bottom of a dumbbell bench motion and hold them slightly outside the chest. Allow the dumbbells to deeply stretch the chest, and maintain proper breathing. The dumbbells should be heavy. I recommend choosing 65-70% of your 6-8 rep range weight. Towards the end of the sixty seconds, the stretch should become difficult. It is important to remember to relax, allowing the dumbbells to really stretch the chest.

Shoulders: Place a barbell in a power/squat rack around shoulder height. With your back facing the barbell, reach back with both hands grabbing the barbells with palms facing upward. Both hands should be gripping from the bottom of the bar. Begin to slowly sink your hips while keeping your arms straight until you can feel a deep shoulder stretch. Rotate shoulders downward, holding the stretch.

Triceps: Hold a heavy dumbbell, once again about 60-70% of your 6-8 rep range, and sink the dumbbell behind your head exactly like an overhead dumbbell extension. Allow the dumbbell to stretch both triceps while maintaining proper spinal positioning.

Back Width/Thickness: Grab a pull-up bar with a wide grip. Allow both arms to be fully extended, really sinking into the bottom position of the pull-up.  Hold for sixty seconds. Weight may be needed in order to make this stretch effective. I recommend wrist straps to maintain grip when adding weight in between your legs. This stretch may be performed after both back width and thickness exercises have been completed.

Biceps: Much like the shoulder stretch, place a barbell in a power/squat rack around shoulder height. With your back facing the barbell, reach back with both hands grabbing the barbells with palms facing downward. Both hands should be gripping from the top of the bar. Begin to slowly sink your hips while keeping your arms straight until you can feel a deep biceps stretch.

Hamstrings: Place a single leg on a waist height platform/barbell etc. Keep the extended leg straight and reach with same side arm attempting to touch your toes. This is a typical hamstring stretch—nothing fancy here. Hold each leg for sixty seconds.

Calves: In this section I plan to explain both how to perform DC Calves work sets as well as stretching, because the two are really one in the same. Unlike the other DC work sets, calf work incorporates stretching into the exercise. There is no rest-pause lifting for calf work. The work set, however, is still unbelievably difficult. Each set consists of fifteen reps. At the bottom of each rep, allow both heels to fall into a deep stretch for a slow fifteen seconds. That’s right. Every rep in the DC calf work set takes over fifteen seconds including the contraction. After the fifteen seconds, explode up to peak contraction, hold momentarily, and slowly lower to the bottom of the motion for another fifteen second stretch. Fifteen reps are performed. Trust me, you will not need a stretch after this set.

Quads: Place a barbell/platform at hip height. With your back facing the barbell/platform, put a single leg over the barbell/platform while sinking your hip/leg into a deep quad stretch. This is a typical quad stretch; it is similar to pulling a single leg backwards except you are utilizing a barbell/platform to elicit a deeper stretch. As always, hold each leg for sixty seconds.

Final Program:

Although this information may seem very overwhelming at first, DC training is very simple once all aspects of the methodology are working simultaneously. DC workouts are intense but very rewarding. The following are sample A1 & B1 workouts with stretches and static holds incorporated to help solidify the structure of the workout.

A1*

Flat Bench: 245-(12-15) rest pause (6-8) rest pause (2-4) static hold, chest stretch
Smith Shoulder  Press: 200-(10-12) rest pause (6-8) rest pause (2-4) static hold, shoulder stretch
Skull Crushers: 100lb bar-(10-12) rest pause (6-8) rest pause (2-4) no static hold, triceps stretch
Pullups: +35-(12-15) rest pause (6-8) rest pause (4-6) static hold, back stretch
T-Bar Row: +5plates –(15) straight set (no rest pause), optional back stretch

B1*

EZ-Bar Curl: +45/side-(8-10) rest pause (4-6) rest pause (2-4) static hold, biceps stretch
Reverse Barbell Curl: 95-(20) straight set (no rest-pause)
Leg Press Calves: +4+25/side –(15) with 15s stretch
High & Wide Leg Press: +9/side-(20) rest pause (10-15) rest pause (6-8) static hold, hamstrings stretch
Hack Squat: +6-(10) straight set then +4+25-(20) straight set, quad stretch

*Note: this is a balanced DC routine; yet, not every set is rest-paused.

My experience/application:

DC training is not for everybody. It is mentally and physically taxing, and it requires an extreme amount of concentration and determination. During each workout, you only get one chance to blast a body part to its fullest. There is no second set. There is no excuse for sub-maximal intensity. I don’t mean to sound like a drill sergeant; I am merely being realistic. For this training to be effective, you need to push your intensity to uncharted territories. Since DC training is so taxing, I recommend it primarily for off-season mass-gaining endeavors. After my last bodybuilding contest I began DC training for my off-season and went from 195lbs to 230lbs. Granted, a good portion of this was “off-season” weight, but I can honestly say I gained a lot of mass and have never been stronger. At the peak of my off-season I rack dead-lifted 505 for 9 reps. I had never been this strong before. Now that I am dieting for another show I am taking a break from DC training. I continued to DC train from 13-7 weeks out, but after that point I found the training too difficult to maintain with my pre-contest schedule. For those looking to gain a lot of strength and size, I recommend giving DC training a try. Chances are it will be a big change from your current training, but if your adventurous give DC a try and let me know how it works for you.

Anthony Balduzzi
Teen Bodybuilder

“Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, handsome, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some; it is in everyone. And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

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