DC Training Thread (Part 2)

Training Bodybuilding
461

Hello,

DC newbie here. Plan to start my first session on Monday. I have been over at IM and I have read all the stickies on the Puppy Pound forum. Took 7 hours but was worth every minute! Great information and is pretty simple and self explanatory. Can someone please take a look and critique my DC training plan?

Workout A1
Incline barbell press 11-15 RP
Seated dumbbell press 15-30 RP
Triceps dips 15-20 RP
Wide-grip lat pulldown 15-20 RP
Deadlift 5-8 + 9-12 SS

Workout B1
EZ bar curl 20-30 RP
Alternate dumbbell hammer curl 11-20 SS
Standing calf raise 10-12 SS
Seated leg curl 15-20 RP
Leg press 4-8 SS followed by WM

Workout A2
Low incline dumbbell press 20-30 RP
Standing barbell press 11-15 RP
Close grip smith machine press 11-15 RP
Hammer Strength pulldown machine 15-20 RP
Rack deadlift 5-8 + 9-12 SS

Workout B2
Seated EZ bar preacher curl 20-30 RP
EZ bar reverse curl 11-20 SS
Leg-press calf raise 10-12 SS
Lying leg curl 15-20 RP
Back squat 4-8 SS followed by WM

Workout A3
Hammer Strength incline chest press 11-15 RP
Hammer Strength shoulder press 11-15 RP
Reverse grip smith machine press 15-30 RP
Wide grip pull-up 15-20 RP
Barbell row (close neutral grip handle) 10-12 SS
(one end of barbell in corner)

Workout B3
Alternate dumbbell curl 20-30 RP
Alternate dumbbell pinwheel curl 11-20 SS
Seated calf raise 10-12 SS
Machine hack squat 6-10 SS followed by WM
Barbell Romanian deadlift 10-15 SS

462

Hello,

DC training noob here. Iā€™ve been over at IM and read all the stickies for noobs. Took 7 hours but it was worth every minute! Can someone please give me feedback on the DC training routine Iā€™ve created below. Thanks in advance!

Workout A1
Incline barbell press 11-15 RP
Seated dumbbell press 15-30 RP
Triceps dips 15-20 RP
Wide-grip lat pulldown 15-20 RP
Deadlift 5-8 + 9-12 SS

Workout B1
EZ bar curl 20-30 RP
Alternate dumbbell hammer curl 11-20 SS
Standing calf raise 10-12 SS
Seated leg curl 15-20 RP
Leg press 4-8 SS followed by WM

Workout A2
Low incline dumbbell press 20-30 RP
Standing barbell press 11-15 RP
Close grip smith machine press 11-15 RP
Hammer Strength pulldown machine 15-20 RP
Rack deadlift 5-8 + 9-12 SS

Workout B2
Seated EZ bar preacher curl 20-30 RP
EZ bar reverse curl 11-20 SS
Leg-press calf raise 10-12 SS
Lying leg curl 15-20 RP
Back squat 4-8 SS followed by WM

Workout A3
Hammer Strength incline chest press 11-15 RP
Hammer Strength shoulder press 11-15 RP
Reverse grip smith machine press 15-30 RP
Wide grip pull-up 15-20 RP
Barbell row (close neutral grip) 10-12 SS
(one end of barbell in corner)

Workout B3
Alternate dumbbell curl 20-30 RP
Alternate dumbbell pinwheel curl 11-20 SS
Seated calf raise 10-12 SS
Machine hack squat 6-10 SS followed by WM
Barbell Romanian deadlift 10-15 SS

463

I just wrote on the big things that stuck out to me hereā€“

[quote]Ripped Fury wrote:
Hello,

DC training noob here. Iā€™ve been over at IM and read all the stickies for noobs. Took 7 hours but it was worth every minute! Can someone please give me feedback on the DC training routine Iā€™ve created below. Thanks in advance!

Workout A1
Incline barbell press 11-15 RP
Seated dumbbell press 15-30 RP
Triceps dips 15-20 RP
Wide-grip lat pulldown 15-20 RP
Deadlift 5-8 + 9-12 SS

Workout B1
EZ bar curl 20-30 RP
Alternate dumbbell hammer curl 11-20 SS
Standing calf raise 10-12 SS [/quote] People donā€™t seem to love these for calvesā€“some peopleā€™s calves keep slipping on the platforms with these guys. You may wanna do calves on the hack squat instead. [quote]
Seated leg curl 15-20 RP [/quote] bump this up to something like 15-30 rp [quote]
Leg press 4-8 SS followed by WM

Workout A2
Low incline dumbbell press 20-30 RP
Standing barbell press 11-15 RP[/quote] Iā€™d take the rep range up on these, as you start from a very weak position on militaries, and itā€™s gonna be tough getting the first rep up after going to failure twice with a very heavy weight[quote]
Close grip smith machine press 11-15 RP
Hammer Strength pulldown machine 15-20 RP
Rack deadlift 5-8 + 9-12 SS

Workout B2
Seated EZ bar preacher curl 20-30 RP
EZ bar reverse curl 11-20 SS
Leg-press calf raise 10-12 SS
Lying leg curl 15-20 RP [/quote] 15-30 or 20/30 here [quote]
Back squat 4-8 SS followed by WM [/quote] donā€™t put something like back squats right after rack deads. Your lower back will still be recovering=bad idea to squat. You could MAYBE get away with this if you did A2 on friday and B2 on monday. I still wouldnā€™t personally. [quote]

Workout A3
Hammer Strength incline chest press 11-15 RP
Hammer Strength shoulder press 11-15 RP
Reverse grip smith machine press 15-30 RP
Wide grip pull-up 15-20 RP [/quote] are you sure you can progress on something like pull-ups week after week? Rack chins would work better here IMO. [quote]
Barbell row (close neutral grip) 10-12 SS
(one end of barbell in corner)

Workout B3
Alternate dumbbell curl 20-30 RP
Alternate dumbbell pinwheel curl 11-20 SS
Seated calf raise 10-12 SS
Machine hack squat 6-10 SS followed by WM
Barbell Romanian deadlift 10-15 SS[/quote]

464

doing back to back rdlā€™s to floor deads might murder the back and hinder your performance on the floor deads. one of the things people do with the standing calf raises is to go with a shorter up and down time (maybe 2 seconds down, 2 second hold) and then just do more reps. iā€™ve seen as high as about 20-30 for this. just a thought

465

Regarding his rack deads/back squats, theyā€™d fall on friday/monday or saturday/tuesday which I think would be fine. Depends on the person I guess.

I agree on the rep range for militaries and the comment about the pullups regarding progression issues.

466

Man these routines are harder to write then I thought. Hereā€™s what I came up with.

A
HS Incline Press RP 11-20
Seated BB Press RP 15-30
Smith RGB RP 11-20
Wide Lat Pulldown RP 15-30
Deadlifts SS 8-12 , SS 4-6

B
HS Preacher Curl RP 11-20
Pinwheel Curl SS 11-20
Standing Calves HS Squat Machine SS 10-12
Lying Leg Curl RP 11-20
HS Hack Squats SS 6-8 + WM

A2
DB Flat Bench RP 15-30 Rather inclines but not sure if they go well with SHIPs?
SHIPS RP 11-20
Smith CGB RP 11-20
Rack Chins RP 20-30
HS Low Row RP 20-30 Are rack pulls doable here? I would prefer to do them.

B2
Ez Curls RP 11-20
BB Reverse Curls SS 11-20
HS Seated Calf Raise SS 10-12
Leg Press SS 6-8 + WM
SLDL RP 11-20

A3
Incline BP RP 11-20
HS Shoulder Press RP 11-20
Dead Skulls RP 11-20 Not a fan of these, but donĆ¢??t think my triceps can handle dips atm
HS Pulldown Machine RP 20-30
Kroc Rows SS 10-12

B3
Alt DB Curl RP 11-20
Hammer Curl SS 10-15
Leg Press Calf Raises SS 12
Seated Leg Curl RP 11-20
Back Squats SS 4-8 + WM

A few notes:
-Shoulders are basically my weakest bodypart, so I think that 15-30RP might not be a enough weight, but I think I will try it since Iā€™m confident they will get strong pretty fast providing I keep them in good shape.

  • I originally had Rack Pulls in over Kroc Rows but is obviously too much to do SLDL/Rack deads/ and Back Squats in one week(duh lol). The only place I can maybe fit them is in A2, but donā€™t want them to interfere with SLDLā€™s. Think this is ok or no?

  • Like I commented, I wanted to do incline DB in A2 for chest, but to follow it with SHIPS seems like too similar a movement? I already am doing 2 other version of incline pressing though.

  • Never really got anything out of skulls before, but Iā€™m having issues with my left tricep on pressing movements. I think it may be tendonitis and I think Dips plus all the pressing is a little much for it. Any other exercises to recommend? Iā€™ve never really done PJRs before so Iā€™m not sure how I will go with those.

467

[quote]hardgnr wrote:
Man these routines are harder to write then I thought. Hereā€™s what I came up with.

A
HS Incline Press RP 11-20 - [/quote]CAN DO 11-15RP IF YOU WANT[quote]
Seated BB Press RP 15-30
Smith RGB RP 11-20
Wide Lat Pulldown RP 15-30
Deadlifts SS 8-12 , SS 4-6

B
HS Preacher Curl RP 11-20
Pinwheel Curl SS 11-20
Standing Calves HS Squat Machine SS 10-12
Lying Leg Curl RP 11-20
HS Hack Squats SS 6-8 + WM

A2
DB Flat Bench RP 15-30 Rather inclines but not sure if they go well with SHIPs? - [/quote]IF YOU MEAN DB INCLINES, I SAY GO FOR IT[quote]
SHIPS RP 11-20
Smith CGB RP 11-20
Rack Chins RP 20-30
HS Low Row RP 20-30 Are rack pulls doable here? I would prefer to do them. [/quote]GO WITH THE RACK PULLS, I THINK THEY CAN FIT INTO IT[quote]

B2
Ez Curls RP 11-20
BB Reverse Curls SS 11-20
HS Seated Calf Raise SS 10-12
Leg Press SS 6-8 + WM
SLDL RP 11-20 - [/quote]IF YOU ARE AFRAID OF THE LOWER BACK GIVING OUT, TRY CONSIDERING THE SUMO LEG PRESSES HERE INSTEAD OF SLDL UNLESS YOU FEEL SLDL IS VERY CRITICAL FOR HAM DEVELOPMENT FOR YOU[quote]

A3
Incline BP RP 11-20
HS Shoulder Press RP 11-20
Dead Skulls RP 11-20 Not a fan of these, but donƃĀ¢??t think my triceps can handle dips atm
HS Pulldown Machine RP 20-30
Kroc Rows SS 10-12

B3
Alt DB Curl RP 11-20 - [/quote]20-30RP[quote]
Hammer Curl SS 10-15 - [/quote]11-20SS[quote]
Leg Press Calf Raises SS 12 - [/quote]9-12SS[quote]
Seated Leg Curl RP 11-20
Back Squats SS 4-8 + WM

A few notes:
-Shoulders are basically my weakest bodypart, so I think that 15-30RP might not be a enough weight, but I think I will try it since Iā€™m confident they will get strong pretty fast providing I keep them in good shape.

  • I originally had Rack Pulls in over Kroc Rows but is obviously too much to do SLDL/Rack deads/ and Back Squats in one week(duh lol). The only place I can maybe fit them is in A2, but donā€™t want them to interfere with SLDLā€™s. Think this is ok or no?

  • Like I commented, I wanted to do incline DB in A2 for chest, but to follow it with SHIPS seems like too similar a movement? I already am doing 2 other version of incline pressing though.

  • Never really got anything out of skulls before, but Iā€™m having issues with my left tricep on pressing movements. I think it may be tendonitis and I think Dips plus all the pressing is a little much for it. Any other exercises to recommend? Iā€™ve never really done PJRs before so Iā€™m not sure how I will go with those.

[/quote]

i am in caps above and have tried to use the multi color font thing, i donā€™t know if it will work or not. dead skulls will work pretty well and for me donā€™t hurt my elbows while things such as regular skulls and dips do aggravate it a bit. for your incline db, make sure that you use a lower incline on it (maybe 20 degrees or so) and see if that would be sufficient to make it different enough from ships.

468

Thanks for the advice Josh, drop and Mein.

How does the progression for the exercises done with straight sets go?

For example on the Deadlift 5-8 + 9-12 SS, if I keep adding weight to the bar every time I do this exercise, I think Iā€™ll stall pretty soon, and then do I change the exercise as done with the RP exercises.

Also, is progression required for the widowmaker sets as well? I ask because if Iā€™m already busting out 20 reps with a 10 rep max, progressing on this every time I do them will be extremely difficult. I think Iā€™ll have to go with 5 pound increments. Thats gonna look funny, adding 2.5 pound plates to the leg press and such haha.

469

Thanks dropshot. My lower back is pretty good, but so far I have found SLDL to be unmatched in terms of hitting my hamstrings since Iā€™m pretty glute dominant. Not familiar with Sumo Leg Presses so I will look them up. I know Sumo Deads donā€™t hit my hamstrings like they do some people.

Good point on the low incline, feel like an idiot since that didnā€™t even occur to me lol.

470

[quote]Ripped Fury wrote:
Thanks for the advice Josh, drop and Mein.

How does the progression for the exercises done with straight sets go?

For example on the Deadlift 5-8 + 9-12 SS, if I keep adding weight to the bar every time I do this exercise, I think Iā€™ll stall pretty soon, and then do I change the exercise as done with the RP exercises. [/quote] You change it when you stall, yes, but you shouldnā€™t be stalling on lifts such as the deadlift anytime soon.

Squats and Deads for DC newbies = +20 lbs and roughly same reps every 2 weeks :wink:

Seriously, you can often add 10-20 lbs to those lifts and keep them in the rotation for a long time.

Also, progress on both sets every time by adding weight and/or reps, though not necessarily by the same amount of weight (i.e. heavy set can be +20, light set +10, youā€™ll find out what works for you in that regard).

The triple rotation and 2 rep ranges should easily be enough to keep you progressing.
Just donā€™t forget that only hitting the same exercise every 2 weeks means that +1 rep is not really progress unless youā€™re really damn advancedā€¦ Too slow. +2 reps minimum and/or a weight increase.

Also, is progression required for the widowmaker sets as well
[/quote] Of course. [quote]? I ask because if Iā€™m already busting out 20 reps with a 10 rep max, progressing on this every time I do them will be extremely difficult[/quote] Not really. Donā€™t be a pussy here. You can easily add +10 at the very least every 2 weeksā€¦ +20 will happen more often than not. The ā€œ10RMā€ thing is just to get you started at the beginning, you could also start light with a weight you can do 15 times before you need to take a breatherā€¦ Itā€™s ultimately all about progressing. You arenā€™t going to gain those 30, 40, 50, howevermany pounds of mostly muscle per year unless you make fast progress. Just make sure your technique doesnā€™t go to hell.[quote]. I think Iā€™ll have to go with 5 pound increments. Thats gonna look funny, adding 2.5 pound plates to the leg press and such haha.
[/quote]

471

[quote]hardgnr wrote:
Thanks dropshot. My lower back is pretty good, but so far I have found SLDL to be unmatched in terms of hitting my hamstrings since Iā€™m pretty glute dominant. Not familiar with Sumo Leg Presses so I will look them up. I know Sumo Deads donā€™t hit my hamstrings like they do some people.[/quote] Very wide stance and you should be hitting your hams plenty if you ever get around to doing sumo deads again. Just be careful. [quote]

Good point on the low incline, feel like an idiot since that didnā€™t even occur to me lol.[/quote]

472

[quote]hardgnr wrote:

A few notes:
-Shoulders are basically my weakest bodypart, so I think that 15-30RP might not be a enough weight, but I think I will try it since Iā€™m confident they will get strong pretty fast providing I keep them in good shape.

[/quote]

If they are a week point then starting out in a higher rep range is actually going to help you out. Hit say 25RP on your first workout and then continually add weight and the reps will drop as you continue to grind out this exercise

473

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Ripped Fury wrote:
Thanks for the advice Josh, drop and Mein.

How does the progression for the exercises done with straight sets go?

For example on the Deadlift 5-8 + 9-12 SS, if I keep adding weight to the bar every time I do this exercise, I think Iā€™ll stall pretty soon, and then do I change the exercise as done with the RP exercises. You change it when you stall, yes, but you shouldnā€™t be stalling on lifts such as the deadlift anytime soon.

Squats and Deads for DC newbies = +20 lbs and roughly same reps every 2 weeks :wink:

Seriously, you can often add 10-20 lbs to those lifts and keep them in the rotation for a long time.

Also, progress on both sets every time by adding weight and/or reps, though not necessarily by the same amount of weight (i.e. heavy set can be +20, light set +10, youā€™ll find out what works for you in that regard).

The triple rotation and 2 rep ranges should easily be enough to keep you progressing.
Just donā€™t forget that only hitting the same exercise every 2 weeks means that +1 rep is not really progress unless youā€™re really damn advancedā€¦ Too slow. +2 reps minimum and/or a weight increase.

Also, is progression required for the widowmaker sets as well
Of course. ? I ask because if Iā€™m already busting out 20 reps with a 10 rep max, progressing on this every time I do them will be extremely difficult Not really. Donā€™t be a pussy here. You can easily add +10 at the very least every 2 weeksā€¦ +20 will happen more often than not. The ā€œ10RMā€ thing is just to get you started at the beginning, you could also start light with a weight you can do 15 times before you need to take a breatherā€¦ Itā€™s ultimately all about progressing. You arenā€™t going to gain those 30, 40, 50, howevermany pounds of mostly muscle per year unless you make fast progress. Just make sure your technique doesnā€™t go to hellā€¦ I think Iā€™ll have to go with 5 pound increments. Thats gonna look funny, adding 2.5 pound plates to the leg press and such haha.

[/quote]

Thank you C_C.

Is there any specific rule on when the first failure point should be in the RP sets? Or is it irrelevant as long as Iā€™m in the rep range after the entire set is over?

474

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Ripped Fury wrote:
Thanks for the advice Josh, drop and Mein.

How does the progression for the exercises done with straight sets go?

For example on the Deadlift 5-8 + 9-12 SS, if I keep adding weight to the bar every time I do this exercise, I think Iā€™ll stall pretty soon, and then do I change the exercise as done with the RP exercises. You change it when you stall, yes, but you shouldnā€™t be stalling on lifts such as the deadlift anytime soon.

Squats and Deads for DC newbies = +20 lbs and roughly same reps every 2 weeks :wink:

Seriously, you can often add 10-20 lbs to those lifts and keep them in the rotation for a long time.

Also, progress on both sets every time by adding weight and/or reps, though not necessarily by the same amount of weight (i.e. heavy set can be +20, light set +10, youā€™ll find out what works for you in that regard).

The triple rotation and 2 rep ranges should easily be enough to keep you progressing.
Just donā€™t forget that only hitting the same exercise every 2 weeks means that +1 rep is not really progress unless youā€™re really damn advancedā€¦ Too slow. +2 reps minimum and/or a weight increase.

Also, is progression required for the widowmaker sets as well
Of course. ? I ask because if Iā€™m already busting out 20 reps with a 10 rep max, progressing on this every time I do them will be extremely difficult Not really. Donā€™t be a pussy here. You can easily add +10 at the very least every 2 weeksā€¦ +20 will happen more often than not. The ā€œ10RMā€ thing is just to get you started at the beginning, you could also start light with a weight you can do 15 times before you need to take a breatherā€¦ Itā€™s ultimately all about progressing. You arenā€™t going to gain those 30, 40, 50, howevermany pounds of mostly muscle per year unless you make fast progress. Just make sure your technique doesnā€™t go to hellā€¦ I think Iā€™ll have to go with 5 pound increments. Thats gonna look funny, adding 2.5 pound plates to the leg press and such haha.
[/quote]

Thank you C_C.

Is 8-10 rep range always the first failure point in the RP sets or can it be lower/higher?

475

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Ripped Fury wrote:
Thanks for the advice Josh, drop and Mein.

How does the progression for the exercises done with straight sets go?

For example on the Deadlift 5-8 + 9-12 SS, if I keep adding weight to the bar every time I do this exercise, I think Iā€™ll stall pretty soon, and then do I change the exercise as done with the RP exercises. You change it when you stall, yes, but you shouldnā€™t be stalling on lifts such as the deadlift anytime soon.

Squats and Deads for DC newbies = +20 lbs and roughly same reps every 2 weeks :wink:

Seriously, you can often add 10-20 lbs to those lifts and keep them in the rotation for a long time.

Also, progress on both sets every time by adding weight and/or reps, though not necessarily by the same amount of weight (i.e. heavy set can be +20, light set +10, youā€™ll find out what works for you in that regard).

The triple rotation and 2 rep ranges should easily be enough to keep you progressing.
Just donā€™t forget that only hitting the same exercise every 2 weeks means that +1 rep is not really progress unless youā€™re really damn advancedā€¦ Too slow. +2 reps minimum and/or a weight increase.

Also, is progression required for the widowmaker sets as well
Of course. ? I ask because if Iā€™m already busting out 20 reps with a 10 rep max, progressing on this every time I do them will be extremely difficult Not really. Donā€™t be a pussy here. You can easily add +10 at the very least every 2 weeksā€¦ +20 will happen more often than not. The ā€œ10RMā€ thing is just to get you started at the beginning, you could also start light with a weight you can do 15 times before you need to take a breatherā€¦ Itā€™s ultimately all about progressing. You arenā€™t going to gain those 30, 40, 50, howevermany pounds of mostly muscle per year unless you make fast progress. Just make sure your technique doesnā€™t go to hellā€¦ I think Iā€™ll have to go with 5 pound increments. Thats gonna look funny, adding 2.5 pound plates to the leg press and such haha.

[/quote]

Thank you C_C.

Is the 8-10 rep range always the first failure point in the RP sets or can it be lower/higher or is it irrelevant as long as Iā€™m in the final rep range at the end of the set.

476

[quote]hardgnr wrote:
Man these routines are harder to write then I thought. Hereā€™s what I came up with.

A
HS Incline Press RP 11-20
Seated BB Press RP 15-30
Smith RGB RP 11-20
Wide Lat Pulldown RP 15-30
Deadlifts SS 8-12 , SS 4-6

B
HS Preacher Curl RP 11-20
Pinwheel Curl SS 11-20
Standing Calves HS Squat Machine SS 10-12
Lying Leg Curl RP 11-20 [/quote] 15-30rp here

[quote]HS Hack Squats SS 6-8 + WM

A2
DB Flat Bench RP 15-30 Rather inclines but not sure if they go well with SHIPs?
SHIPS RP 11-20
Smith CGB RP 11-20
Rack Chins RP 20-30
HS Low Row RP 20-30 Are rack pulls doable here? I would prefer to do them.[/quote] yes rack pulls are doable, 6-9ss + 10-12ss ā€¦ or something like that

As far as triceps goes, you really should try PJRS, they did nice things for me

477

[quote]Ripped Fury wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Ripped Fury wrote:
Thanks for the advice Josh, drop and Mein.

How does the progression for the exercises done with straight sets go?

For example on the Deadlift 5-8 + 9-12 SS, if I keep adding weight to the bar every time I do this exercise, I think Iā€™ll stall pretty soon, and then do I change the exercise as done with the RP exercises. You change it when you stall, yes, but you shouldnā€™t be stalling on lifts such as the deadlift anytime soon.

Squats and Deads for DC newbies = +20 lbs and roughly same reps every 2 weeks :wink:

Seriously, you can often add 10-20 lbs to those lifts and keep them in the rotation for a long time.

Also, progress on both sets every time by adding weight and/or reps, though not necessarily by the same amount of weight (i.e. heavy set can be +20, light set +10, youā€™ll find out what works for you in that regard).

The triple rotation and 2 rep ranges should easily be enough to keep you progressing.
Just donā€™t forget that only hitting the same exercise every 2 weeks means that +1 rep is not really progress unless youā€™re really damn advancedā€¦ Too slow. +2 reps minimum and/or a weight increase.

Also, is progression required for the widowmaker sets as well
Of course. ? I ask because if Iā€™m already busting out 20 reps with a 10 rep max, progressing on this every time I do them will be extremely difficult Not really. Donā€™t be a pussy here. You can easily add +10 at the very least every 2 weeksā€¦ +20 will happen more often than not. The ā€œ10RMā€ thing is just to get you started at the beginning, you could also start light with a weight you can do 15 times before you need to take a breatherā€¦ Itā€™s ultimately all about progressing. You arenā€™t going to gain those 30, 40, 50, howevermany pounds of mostly muscle per year unless you make fast progress. Just make sure your technique doesnā€™t go to hellā€¦ I think Iā€™ll have to go with 5 pound increments. Thats gonna look funny, adding 2.5 pound plates to the leg press and such haha.

Thank you C_C.

Is there any specific rule on when the first failure point should be in the RP sets? Or is it irrelevant as long as Iā€™m in the rep range after the entire set is over?[/quote]

There is no set point but for lets say a 11-15rp set it would usually look like : 6-3-2 or 8-4-2

Something like thatā€¦

Altough for higher rep ranges my rp sometimes look like this : 19-7-3

478

[quote]Ripped Fury wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Ripped Fury wrote:
Thanks for the advice Josh, drop and Mein.

How does the progression for the exercises done with straight sets go?

For example on the Deadlift 5-8 + 9-12 SS, if I keep adding weight to the bar every time I do this exercise, I think Iā€™ll stall pretty soon, and then do I change the exercise as done with the RP exercises. You change it when you stall, yes, but you shouldnā€™t be stalling on lifts such as the deadlift anytime soon.

Squats and Deads for DC newbies = +20 lbs and roughly same reps every 2 weeks :wink:

Seriously, you can often add 10-20 lbs to those lifts and keep them in the rotation for a long time.

Also, progress on both sets every time by adding weight and/or reps, though not necessarily by the same amount of weight (i.e. heavy set can be +20, light set +10, youā€™ll find out what works for you in that regard).

The triple rotation and 2 rep ranges should easily be enough to keep you progressing.
Just donā€™t forget that only hitting the same exercise every 2 weeks means that +1 rep is not really progress unless youā€™re really damn advancedā€¦ Too slow. +2 reps minimum and/or a weight increase.

Also, is progression required for the widowmaker sets as well
Of course. ? I ask because if Iā€™m already busting out 20 reps with a 10 rep max, progressing on this every time I do them will be extremely difficult Not really. Donā€™t be a pussy here. You can easily add +10 at the very least every 2 weeksā€¦ +20 will happen more often than not. The ā€œ10RMā€ thing is just to get you started at the beginning, you could also start light with a weight you can do 15 times before you need to take a breatherā€¦ Itā€™s ultimately all about progressing. You arenā€™t going to gain those 30, 40, 50, howevermany pounds of mostly muscle per year unless you make fast progress. Just make sure your technique doesnā€™t go to hellā€¦ I think Iā€™ll have to go with 5 pound increments. Thats gonna look funny, adding 2.5 pound plates to the leg press and such haha.

Thank you C_C.

Is the 8-10 rep range always the first failure point in the RP sets or can it be lower/higher or is it irrelevant as long as Iā€™m in the final rep range at the end of the set.[/quote]

Itā€™s irrelevant. Although you wonā€™t hit the 11-15 rep range by only getting 6 reps for the first set. On average (and this depends on the person and the exercise) you get somewhere around half the number of reps for the second set, then half again for the third.

For an 11-15 range, shoot for at least 7 the first set as a minimum (cause 6 reps will go something like 6, 2 or 3, then 1).

Again its almost irrelevant because the main thing is how many you get total, but for obvious reasons if you do poorly on the first you most likely wonā€™t make up for it on the second and third.

479

[quote]Ripped Fury wrote:
Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
Ripped Fury wrote:
Thanks for the advice Josh, drop and Mein.

How does the progression for the exercises done with straight sets go?

For example on the Deadlift 5-8 + 9-12 SS, if I keep adding weight to the bar every time I do this exercise, I think Iā€™ll stall pretty soon, and then do I change the exercise as done with the RP exercises. You change it when you stall, yes, but you shouldnā€™t be stalling on lifts such as the deadlift anytime soon.

Squats and Deads for DC newbies = +20 lbs and roughly same reps every 2 weeks :wink:

Seriously, you can often add 10-20 lbs to those lifts and keep them in the rotation for a long time.

Also, progress on both sets every time by adding weight and/or reps, though not necessarily by the same amount of weight (i.e. heavy set can be +20, light set +10, youā€™ll find out what works for you in that regard).

The triple rotation and 2 rep ranges should easily be enough to keep you progressing.
Just donā€™t forget that only hitting the same exercise every 2 weeks means that +1 rep is not really progress unless youā€™re really damn advancedā€¦ Too slow. +2 reps minimum and/or a weight increase.

Also, is progression required for the widowmaker sets as well
Of course. ? I ask because if Iā€™m already busting out 20 reps with a 10 rep max, progressing on this every time I do them will be extremely difficult Not really. Donā€™t be a pussy here. You can easily add +10 at the very least every 2 weeksā€¦ +20 will happen more often than not. The ā€œ10RMā€ thing is just to get you started at the beginning, you could also start light with a weight you can do 15 times before you need to take a breatherā€¦ Itā€™s ultimately all about progressing. You arenā€™t going to gain those 30, 40, 50, howevermany pounds of mostly muscle per year unless you make fast progress. Just make sure your technique doesnā€™t go to hellā€¦ I think Iā€™ll have to go with 5 pound increments. Thats gonna look funny, adding 2.5 pound plates to the leg press and such haha.

Thank you C_C.

Is there any specific rule on when the first failure point should be in the RP sets? Or is it irrelevant as long as Iā€™m in the rep range after the entire set is over?[/quote]

Total reps are whatā€™s important, not where exactly you reached failure in each of the 3 legs of an RP set.

Total reps also dictate whether you add weight or keep weight next time or if you stalled or not.

480

[quote]Ripped Fury wrote:
Is 8-10 rep range always the first failure point in the RP sets or can it be lower/higher?
[/quote]

Depends on the rep range and the individual.

Someone may do (15-30RP range now) 16+8+4=28RP, basically often hit exactly half his previous reps on subsequent RP legsā€¦
Others may do 12+9+7=28RPā€¦

Donā€™t worry about that kind of stuff, itā€™s not really important.
Just go to failure or as close as safely possible 3 times with 15 (or anywhere from 12-20, just keep the number the same) deep breaths in-between leg 1 and 2 and leg 2 and 3 and youā€™re golden.

Once youā€™ve set up your baselines during weeks 1 and 2 (first cycle), you can then add or keep or even reduce (if you fell short of your rep range right at the beginningā€¦ We want you to start high in the range so you can keep adding weight) weight as necessary.