Hypertrophy Program

[Domenic]

Well I've been doing the same thing for months and months and months. Progress has stopped. Even though I've recently begun my first-ever bulk, all of the added calories and carbs are not adding strength. Need a new program to maximize gains while on this caloric surplus. I figure I've got about 6-8 weeks left until cutting season. Any recommendations?

 

[hvactech]

I always revert back to 5x5

 

[Domenic]

If I really don't care about strength, just hypertrophy, does your recommendation stay the same?

 

[hvactech]

Any reason why 5x5 couldnt help with hypertrophy

 

[MJcarter]

Well I've been doing the same thing for months and months and months. Progress has stopped. Even though I've recently begun my first-ever bulk, all of the added calories and carbs are not adding strength. Need a new program to maximize gains while on this caloric surplus. I figure I've got about 6-8 weeks left until cutting season. Any recommendations?

What were you doing up to now?

 

[Rodja]

A stronger muscle has the potential to be a bigger muscle. One of the worst philosophies to come down the pipe regarding hypertrophy is that strength has been vastly downgraded in terms of relevance to gaining size. Become a stronger person and I can assure you that size will soon follow.

 

[Domenic]

Well I'm not dumb, just a little naive... I was thinking maybe there was a way to simply eat a lot and grow new tissue on myself. :-/

I can give 5x5 a shot.

Up to this point I've been doing...

Monday: Shoulders
Military
Front raise
Lateral raise
Rear fly

Tuesday: Back
Deads
BB rows
Cable rows
Pull ups
Curls

Thursday: Chest Tri
Bench
Incline
Dips
Skullcrushers
Rope push downs

Friday: legs
Duh

 

[Rodja]

What's your rep range(s), overload scheme, TUT, volume, etc.? Listing lifts doesn't tell much of the story.

 

[Domenic]

Well for every exercise listed, 3 sets. 12, 10, and 8. Very vanilla. No TUT scheme. How about 5x5 with 5-second negatives? Ouch.

 

[Celorza]

If I really don't care about strength, just hypertrophy, does your recommendation stay the same?

Some men just wanna see the world burn...

 

[Domenic]

Some men just wanna see the world burn...

Forgive me. I didn't know that I'm as stupid as I am, I guess.

 

[Celorza]

Forgive me. I didn't know that I'm as stupid as I am, I guess.

You are not stupid at all...I just don't like this mindset:

-I don't care what I have to do as long as I look good
-I don't care if I am weak as long as I look good
-I don't care how much of a blob I am as long as I am strong
-I don't care what I have to do as long as I am strong as an ox.

It has to have a certain balance, maturity and commitment.

 

[Rodja]

Well for every exercise listed, 3 sets. 12, 10, and 8. Very vanilla. No TUT scheme. How about 5x5 with 5-second negatives? Ouch.

I'm not a fan of 5x5 because I think it is imbalanced from a planar perspective and linear periodization has a very short shelf life.

 

[Domenic]

You are not stupid at all...I just don't like this mindset:

-I don't care what I have to do as long as I look good
-I don't care if I am weak as long as I look good
-I don't care how much of a blob I am as long as I am strong
-I don't care what I have to do as long as I am strong as an ox.

It has to have a certain balance, maturity and commitment.

I'm just looking for a change of pace, to break out of the plateau. Preferably one that doesn't require Excel because... I don't have it. I've thought about not changing my routine, only focusing more on Time Under Tension. Or trying GVT.

 

[Luke_PNI]

Check out Eric Brosers power rep-range shock program. I have had awesome gains to his program

 

[EBroser]

w w w. anabolicminds.com/forum/training-forum/217683-pnis-coach-broser.html

 

[aceroni]

A stronger muscle has the potential to be a bigger muscle. One of the worst philosophies to come down the pipe regarding hypertrophy is that strength has been vastly downgraded in terms of relevance to gaining size. Become a stronger person and I can assure you that size will soon follow.

I agree completely. It just seems to be a misunderstanding among people that the two variables are separate

 

[Domenic]

Looks like I've settled on DC (although I've filed P/RR/S! away for later use), but one thing I'm missing about DC. Say the three exercises are smith flat bench, dumbbell incline, and smith decline... Do I do one on Monday, the next on Friday and the last the following Wednesday in a cycle or do I just do the first one over and over until it stalls, then move to the second?

 

[bla55]

Doggcrapp 4x a week is what has personally given me the most in regards to size, perhaps worth a try.

 

[Celorza]

Doggcrapp 4x a week is what has personally given me the most in regards to size, perhaps worth a try.

If I were to go down the path of physique right now , I would go for either Doggcrapp or PHAT from Layne Norton. His best bet would be on Doggcrapp for now, PHAT requires a tad bit more knowledge on movements, yet doggcrapp ain't easy either since you need to know a wider range of movements to keep shifting it around.

 

[dmmcclair]

When in doubt, get back to basics... Total Body Training, you want bulk, eat as much as you can, clean, and train your entire body 3x a week. The greatest body builders like Steve Reeves, Marvin Eder (19 inch arms at 198lbs), John Grimek (who was freaking massive and definitely had the strength to match), and many others.
The best thing about a full body routine in my opinion, they usually only have you in the gym for about 45 min and everyone I've tried has led to great strength development, and the mass has come fairly well. Also if you're that dead set on hypertrophy you may not be conditioning, run some sprints 20 minutes twice a week. Will do wonders for your body

 

[dmmcclair]

Minor edit, ...and many others in their era used this training philosophy to great results.
Sorry using the iPhone, paragraph corrected

 

[ZiR RED]

A stronger muscle has the potential to be a bigger muscle. One of the worst philosophies to come down the pipe regarding hypertrophy is that strength has been vastly downgraded in terms of relevance to gaining size. Become a stronger person and I can assure you that size will soon follow.

Agreed^^^

Lifting, specifically the load you lift, is the stimulus for growth. Being stronger means you can lift a heavier load in the typical hypertrophy rep range (6-12) which means you can place a greater stimulus on the muscle, and thus induce greater growth.

Block periodization is my favorite for taking advantage of this phenomenom. 4:2 cycles of hypertrophy based frequency toleration to strength based fatigue toleration.

Br

 

[dmmcclair]

Okay question to BR, 4:2?

 

[ZiR RED]

Okay question to BR, 4:2?

4 cycles of hypertrophy followed by 2 cycles of strength. We define a cycle as how often you do all the different workouts, with each run through as one cycle. So for example (HT - hypertrophy; LB - lower body, UB - upper body, ST - strength)

HT UB 1
HT LB 1
HT UB 2
HT LB 2

Thats one cycle. You would run through it 4 times. Because it is a frequency toleration phase, the workouts occur with less rest between, such that it might go:

UB 1, LB 1, UB 2, LB 2, rest, rest repeat.

ST - UB1
ST - LB 1
ST - UB 2
ST - LB 2,

As a fatigue toleration, the workouts require more sets and might go as

UB 1, rest, LB 1, Rest, UB 2, LB 2, rest

Br

 

[VS91588]

I don't like doing the same rep range and weight each week. I think changing up the intensity of your workout is what is gonna change your body. Changes in your resting time, increase or decrease in weight, increase or decrease in reps, increase or decrease in sets, and adding an exercises are ways to change up intensity in your workout. Works for me. Give it a try and see how your body is affected by the changes you are putting on your body each workout.

 

[ZiR RED]

I don't like doing the same rep range and weight each week. I think changing up the intensity of your workout is what is gonna change your body. Changes in your resting time, increase or decrease in weight, increase or decrease in reps, increase or decrease in sets, and adding an exercises are ways to change up intensity in your workout. Works for me. Give it a try and see how your body is affected by the changes you are putting on your body each workout.

This is a good point too. Usually when I program in block format it uses an extensive to intensive scheme. The exercises remain pretty constant over the 4 microcycles, but the intensity and volume changes to allow for more weight and/or reps (progression).

Br

 

[Domenic]

I love this thread.

 

[EBroser]

Looks like I've settled on DC (although I've filed P/RR/S! away for later use), but one thing I'm missing about DC. Say the three exercises are smith flat bench, dumbbell incline, and smith decline... Do I do one on Monday, the next on Friday and the last the following Wednesday in a cycle or do I just do the first one over and over until it stalls, then move to the second?

Dom -- Dante is a great guys and a brilliant one as well. Good luck with his program. Thank you for also considering PRRS! Check out my thread on FDFS as well if you can, as it can bring about some very quick and serious gains.

 

[Domenic]

Dom -- Dante is a great guys and a brilliant one as well. Good luck with his program. Thank you for also considering PRRS! Check out my thread on FDFS as well if you can, as it can bring about some very quick and serious gains.

Oh I just saw it in this same forum, I'll give it a read right now.

 

[EBroser]

Oh I just saw it in this same forum, I'll give it a read right now.

Thank you iron brother!

 

[bla55]

DC will depend on what you choose to go with. If you do the 3x week split, you're looking basically at 6 series; A1,A2,A3 / B1,B2,B3. So, A1 first Monday, A2 Friday, A3 next wednesday indeed, if that answers your question.

 

[OrganicShadow]

Looks like I've settled on DC (although I've filed P/RR/S! away for later use), but one thing I'm missing about DC. Say the three exercises are smith flat bench, dumbbell incline, and smith decline... Do I do one on Monday, the next on Friday and the last the following Wednesday in a cycle or do I just do the first one over and over until it stalls, then move to the second?

DC will put size on you. It was my biggest gains and considering going back to it but PHAT has caught my attention. No, you pick 2 exercises for each body part and alternate them A and B. Theoretically you should hit each body part 3 times over 8 days.

Doggcrapp 4x a week is what has personally given me the most in regards to size, perhaps worth a try.

Only for more advanced lifters does Dante recommend 4 days to fix lagging body parts. Its an 8 day cycle of 3 days a week. My only hang up with DC is that it's under the notion that the body grows evenly. So if you're looking to develop a balanced physique I would suggest another program. If you just wanna grow regardless of what comes about - go for it. DC is no walk in the park, I strongly recommend having a spot at all times.

-OS-Team AppNut

 

[bla55]

DC will put size on you. It was my biggest gains and considering going back to it but PHAT has caught my attention. No, you pick 2 exercises for each body part and alternate them A and B. Theoretically you should hit each body part 3 times over 8 days.


Only for more advanced lifters does Dante recommend 4 days to fix lagging body parts. Its an 8 day cycle of 3 days a week. My only hang up with DC is that it's under the notion that the body grows evenly. So if you're looking to develop a balanced physique I would suggest another program. If you just wanna grow regardless of what comes about - go for it. DC is no walk in the park, I strongly recommend having a spot at all times.

-OS-Team AppNut

I was under the impression it was 3 exercises per body part, no?

And indeed, I made a few personal changes to my DC as I felt my Biceps and Calves especially were lagging behind. Just basically introduced a widowmaker to those particular exercise days and it boosted up gains again. My calves recently have grown 1.4 inches in just under a month after this.

 

[OrganicShadow]

I was under the impression it was 3 exercises per body part, no?

And indeed, I made a few personal changes to my DC as I felt my Biceps and Calves especially were lagging behind. Just basically introduced a widowmaker to those particular exercise days and it boosted up gains again. My calves recently have grown 1.4 inches in just under a month after this.

Nope. Example:
Day A/Week A
Flat BB Bench press (chest)
Seated Military Press (shoulders)
Skullcrushers (tricep)
Close grip seated cable row (back thickness)*
Wide grip pulldown (back width)

Day B/Week A
Standing BB Curl (biceps)
Machine Shrugs (Traps)
Seated Calve Raise (Calves)
Seated Hamstring Curl (Hamstring)
Leg Press (Quads)*

Done in an 8/20 fashion, not rest pause due to potential loss of form and large muscle taxation on the body overall. One set for 8, rest (a while), blow out a 20 rep set possibly with help as the weight is only slightly less heavy than the 8 rep set.

-OS- Team AppNut

 

[Spaniard]

DC will put size on you. It was my biggest gains and considering going back to it but PHAT has caught my attention. No, you pick 2 exercises for each body part and alternate them A and B. Theoretically you should hit each body part 3 times over 8 days.


Only for more advanced lifters does Dante recommend 4 days to fix lagging body parts. Its an 8 day cycle of 3 days a week. My only hang up with DC is that it's under the notion that the body grows evenly. So if you're looking to develop a balanced physique I would suggest another program. If you just wanna grow regardless of what comes about - go for it. DC is no walk in the park, I strongly recommend having a spot at all times.

-OS-Team AppNut

I agree doggcrapp is a great way to put on size and this ^^^ post right here is very dialed in.

If you don't have a spotter utilize either a power rack or Smith machine. If you don't the probability for injury is extremely high.

I was under the impression it was 3 exercises per body part, no?

And indeed, I made a few personal changes to my DC as I felt my Biceps and Calves especially were lagging behind. Just basically introduced a widowmaker to those particular exercise days and it boosted up gains again. My calves recently have grown 1.4 inches in just under a month after this.

Negative, one of Dante's biggest complaints is the bastardizing of his program. If not followed to a "T" it is not DC.

Nope. Example:
Day A/Week A
Flat BB Bench press (chest)
Seated Military Press (shoulders)
Skullcrushers (tricep)
Close grip seated cable row (back thickness)*
Wide grip pulldown (back width)

Day B/Week A
Standing BB Curl (biceps)
Machine Shrugs (Traps)
Seated Calve Raise (Calves)
Seated Hamstring Curl (Hamstring)
Leg Press (Quads)*

Done in an 8/20 fashion, not rest pause due to potential loss of form and large muscle taxation on the body overall. One set for 8, rest (a while), blow out a 20 rep set possibly with help as the weight is only slightly less heavy than the 8 rep set.

-OS- Team AppNut

Good post.

- Valdez

 

[Celorza]

On a good note...Frank Reynolds and RickRock are experts at this art of DC and they can help and guide anyone along the way...Given they like you or have enough time at the moment. But indeed I have seen Frank being HIGHLY helpful and eager to teach the mythical arts of the DoggCrapp.

 

[bla55]

I can't find the original Dante's website, but it was pretty much in lines with what I see here:

http://www.mm2k.com/doggcrapp-training-workout.html

Did this change within the last year?

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Base Program:
How I set bodybuilders workouts up is I have them pick either their 3 favorite exercises for each body part or better yet the exercises they feel will bring up their weaknesses the most. For me my chest exercises are high incline smith machine press, hammer seated flat press and slight incline smith press with hands very very wide----this is because I look at my physique and I feel my problem area is upper and outer pecs---that is my focus. Whenever I train someone new I have them do the following --4 times training in 8 days---with straight sets. Sometimes with rest pause sets but we have to gauge the recovery ability first.

Does anyone have the link to Dante's forum / original website? Can't seem to find it anymore.
[/FONT]

 

[Spaniard]

I can't find the original Dante's website, but it was pretty much in lines with what I see here:

http://www.mm2k.com/doggcrapp-training-workout.html

Did this change within the last year?



Does anyone have the link to Dante's forum / original website? Can't seem to find it anymore.
[/FONT]

Intense muscle

- Valdez

 

[aceroni]

So it's seven am and I just got home from work.. Forgive me if it's already been stated but I've written myself a mountain dog program and had good success. I did not create this program. It is by John Meadows and you can find it by searching on t-nation.com

 

[Cajun driller]

This is an old thread but just wanted to point out that DC chooses 3 exercises per bodypart, NOT 2. The lady is correct.