More than just an awkwardly named fitness program, DOGGCRAPP (DC) Training is a great method to adopt for those who are looking to make some serious gains. We briefly touched upon DC Training in our “Size versus Strength” article, but this post will serve to tell you all you need to know to get started..
Where did DOGGCRAPP Come From?
DOGGCRAPP Training was founded by Dante Trudel, a bodybuilder and fitness expert. The name is not a fancy acronym, but rather just Trudel’s username on a bodybuilding forum where he first started sharing his training practices. DOGGCRAPP came from Trudel’s belief that the volume training typically utilized by bodybuilders is a complete waste of time.
What is DC Training?
DC training is designed to increase both muscle size and strength via use of heavy progressive overload, low volume/high frequency training, multirep rest-pause sets, extreme stretching, and periodization. Training under DC, sessions are an hour or less, and incredibly intense. In regards to other aspects beyond weight training, in DOGGCRAPP you are also significantly increasing protein intake, engaging in morning cardio sessions, and cutting off the intake of carbohydrates later in the day. Let’s focus on each aspect of DOGGCRAPP training, and break it down further with a sample DC-style training plan.
The Tenets of DC Training:
Progressive Overload
Progressive overload is a key principle in DC training, and requires an increase in resistance (weight) in order to increase both size and strength. Since muscles grow both larger and stronger in response to the training stimulus, you need to significantly increase load in order to grow. Lifting the same amount of weight over and over, regardless of frequency will not have you making any gains. .
Rest Pause Sets
Rest-Pause training involves breaking one set down into mini sets, taking 10-15 second rests or pauses in between each mini-set. In Rest-Pause, you perform as many reps as possible until failure, take a 10-15 sec rest, perform another mini set to failure, rest, and repeat until you reach ultimate failure. That will be 1 set.
Extreme Stretching
DC training maintains that your muscle will grow larger than it ever could, if you engage in intense stretching exercises after each working set. In extreme stretching, you are expanding the connecting tissue, nerves, and blood vessels that surround the muscle group you just worked. For example, after performing a set of shoulder presses, stretch your shoulders back as far as they will go, breathing deeply through the stretch and holding it for about 45 seconds. The stretching should be slightly painful, but not unbearable, and the trick is to push as far as you can go.
Training Periodization
As the DOGGCRAPP method is incredibly intense, and involves a great deal of stress on the body, it is recommended that one engage in this method of training for 6-12 week “blasts” at a time. After such a training blast, the resting period is typically around 2 weeks, and is referred to as the “cruising” phase. In the cruising phase, you may deload and train with significantly lower weights, or take a break from training altogether.
Dietary Guidelines
DC training promotes a very high protein intake, stating that an individual training in this style should consume 2 grams of protein of every pound of body weight. For example, a 160 pound man should consume roughly 320 grams of protein, daily. DC training also implements a “no carbs after dark” policy, where an individual should not consume carbohydrates within four hours of bedtime. The reason for this being that morning cardio should be performed with lower glycogen levels, so as to utilize fat for energy. Other guidelines that are not unique to DC training include drinking at least a gallon of water daily, and not mixing carbs and fat, to prevent insulin spikes.
Cardio Training
In DOGGCRAPP, cardiovascular training is a key element. Trudel states that cardio should be performed 3 to 4 times a week, fasted, for approximately thirty minutes. The reason for it being fasted versus fed is that in fasted cardio the body burns fat for energy, as opposed to glycogen. The cardio should be low in intensity, steady-state in nature, and performed on the days on which you don’t weight train.
Putting It All Together - A Sample Training Plan
DC training is designed to be performed on 3 nonconsecutive days a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, typically. Then, on non-weight training days, perform 30-40 minutes of low intensity, steady-state fasted cardio. The workouts are rotated in an “ABA BAB” fashion, as follows:
Week One
- Monday - Workout A: chest, shoulders, triceps, back width and back thickness
- Wednesday - Workout B: biceps, forearms, calves, hamstrings and quads
- Friday - Workout A: chest, shoulders, triceps, back width and back thickness
Week 2
- Monday - Workout B: biceps, forearms, calves, hamstrings and quads
- Wednesday - Workout A: chest, shoulders, triceps, back width and back thickness
- Friday - Workout B: biceps, forearms, calves, hamstrings and quads
You repeat this until you’ve finished your blast phase. In both workouts, order is important, as the hardest exercises are intentionally placed at the end of the workout.
In each workout, you are picking only 1 exercise per bodypart. For example, bench press for chest, military press for shoulders, or laying hamstring curls for hamstrings. For each bodypart worked and exercise chosen, you are performing rest-pause sets at a challenging weight in the following fashion:
- Set 1 - 8 reps
- Rack the weight. Breathe deeply. Rest 30 seconds
- Set 2 - 4 reps
- Rack the weight. Breathe deeply. Rest 30 seconds
- Set 3 - 1 or 2 reps
- 60-90 seconds of extreme stretching on the body part worked.
Bodyparts exempt from rest-pause style include:
- Quads, where you are performing 1 straight set of 4-8 reps, followed by one set of 20 (a widowmaker set).
- Calves, where you perform 1 set of 12-20 reps with a 10 second pause at the bottom of each rep.
- Back Thickness, where you follow the same protocol as you would for quads.
While the skeleton of the plan is fairly rigid, the exercises chosen are truly up to you. Variety is the spice of life.
A Final Word of Caution
DC training is incredibly intense, regimented, and not for beginners, so proceed with caution when implementing this particular training style. Trudel himself recommends that one must have a minimum of three years of training experience to even attempt DC.
Don’t crap out. Experience extreme muscle growth with DOGGCRAPP Training.
