Are you curious about DC Training?

Do you wonder how to use DC Training to build size and strength?

Then you’ve come to the right place.

In this simple, step-by-step guide, I will show you how to use DC Training to take your physique to the next level!

Introduction

• Part 1: The 2-Way Split
• Part 2: How To Rotate Exercises
  
• Part 3: Rest-Pause Sets
• Part 4: Extreme Stretches
• Part 5: A Sample DC Training Program
  
• Part 6: Beat The Logbook!
• Part 7: The Best DC Training Exercises
• Part 8: Blasting And Cruising
• Part 9: Nutrition And Cardio
  

DC Training is one of the most popular bodybuilding training programs in the world.

Many of the world’s top bodybuilders such as David Henry and Cedric McMillan have used DC Training to take their physique to the next level.

If you want to build muscle mass as fast as humanly possible then DC Training is for you!

DC Training is a low-volume, high-intensity and high-frequency bodybuilding training program invented by Dante Trudel.

DC Training is all about getting stronger over time on your key bodybuilding exercises. If you consistently get stronger and “beat the logbook” in the 6-20 rep range then you will be building muscle mass as fast as possible.

DC Training uses many advanced training techniques like rest-pause sets and extreme stretching to increase the intensity of your workouts and speed up your progress.

Rest-pause sets are a high-intensity training technique where you train to failure 3 times in a row on an exercise with 20-30 seconds rest in between each attempt. For example:

The Rest-Pause Set

• Step #1: Train to failure in the 7-10 rep range, then take 10-12 deep breaths
• Step #2: Train to failure with the same weight, then take 10-12 deep breaths
• Step #3: Train to failure with the same weight, done!

Here is the DC Training guru Dusty Hanshaw demonstrating a rest-pause set on the incline bench press:

Dusty trains to failure 3 times in a row with 405 pounds on the bar. He gets 8 reps on his first attempt, 4 reps on his second attempt and 2 reps on his third attempt.

Dusty Hanshaw would say that he got 14 reps in rest-pause style on the incline bench press.

Rest-pause sets are unbelievably effective for building size and strength. Unfortunately they are also very difficult to recover from. Dante Trudel says you should only perform 1 rest-pause set per exercise.

The other high-intensity technique that Dante Trudel likes to use is called “extreme stretching.” You are going to hold the bottom position of an isolation exercise for 60-90 seconds with a moderately heavy weight.

Here is Dusty Hanshaw demonstrating an extreme stretch for the chest:

Dusty Hanshaw is holding the bottom position of a dumbbell fly for 60-90 seconds. Don’t worry – this stretch perfectly safe if you perform it after your rest-pause exercise when your chest is fatigued and full of blood.

The combination of a rest-pause set and an extreme stretch is a tremendous way to stimulate size and strength gains. With DC Training you are going to perform 1 rest-pause set and 1 extreme stretch for most body parts. Don’t worry, I’ll cover all of the exceptions.

The DC Training Split

DC training uses a 3 days per week upper body / lower body split called the “2-way split.”

You are going to rotate through three different upper body training days and three different lower body training days. These workouts are very similar to each other but feature different exercises for each muscle group.

Here is what your weekly training schedule might look like:

Week #1

• Monday: Upper Body Workout #1
• Wednesday: Lower Body Workout #1
  
• Friday: Upper Body Workout #2
  

Week #2

• Monday: Lower Body #2
• Wednesday: Upper Body #3
• Friday: Lower Body #3

On week 3 you start repeating your workouts. You would perform your upper body workout #1 on Monday, your lower body workout #1 on Wednesday and so on.

You can train on Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday or any three days of the week that you want. Just make sure that you have at least one rest day in between each workout.

For each workout you will perform 5 total exercises. Here is how the DC Training workouts are organized:

The DC Training Upper Body Workout

• Exercise #1: Chest
• Exercise #2: Shoulders
• Exercise #3: Triceps
• Exercise #4: Back Width
• Exercise #5: Back Thickness

The DC Training Lower Body Workout

• Exercise #1: Biceps
• Exercise #2: Forearms
• Exercise #3: Calves
• Exercise #4: Hamstrings
• Exercise #5: Quads

These workouts might look a little weird at first.

The first weird thing is biceps and forearms are trained on the lower body day. Don’t worry – your biceps won’t be too sore for your upper body days.

The second weird thing is back training is divided into “width” and “thickness.” Back width exercises include vertical pulling exercises like pull ups and lat pulldowns while back thickness exercises include deadlifts, rack deadlifts and heavy rowing exercises.

The third weird thing is you are performing the toughest exercises like deadlifts and squats last in your workouts. This is on purpose! Dante wants you to perform 1-2 all-out sets on these exercises and then be finished.

If you performed them first in your workout then you might not have enough energy for your other exercises.

The DC Training 2-way split might look strange but it works like magic for building size and strength.

The DC Training 3-Way Exercise Rotation

With DC Training you are going to train each muscle group with one exercise per workout. This means you are going to perform 5 total exercises per workout.

Don’t worry, you are not performing the exact same exercises every workout. You are actually going to rotate between your 3 favorite exercises for each workout.

Let’s say that your three favorite chest exercises are the incline bench press, the incline dumbbell press and the flat hammer strength machine press.

Here is how you would cycle through your chest exercises for each workout:

First Rotation

• Workout #1: 30 degree incline bench press
• Workout #2: 30 degree incline dumbbell press
• Workout #3: Flat hammer strength press

Second Rotation

• Workout #4: 30 degree incline bench press
• Workout #5: 30 degree incline dumbbell press
• Workout #6: Flat hammer strength press

Third Rotation

• Workout #7: 30 degree incline bench press
• Workout #8: 30 degree incline dumbbell press
• Workout #9: Flat hammer strength press

And so on. With DC Training you are always rotating through three different exercises per body part.

Dante Trudel believes this 3-way exercise rotation helps you avoid strength plateaus so you can make progress for a very long time. Some powerlifting programs like the Westside Barbell training program rotate through different exercises for very similar reasons.

Every time you go to the gym your goal is to “beat the logbook” on all five upper body or lower body exercises.

There are two ways to beat the logbook: you can add more weight to the exercise or you can keep the weight the same and perform more reps.

Here is what “beating the logbook” might look like in the real world:

• Workout #1: 225 pounds x 8 reps
• Workout #2: 230 pounds x 8 reps
• Workout #3: 235 pounds x 7 reps
• Workout #4: 235 pounds x 9 reps
• Workout #5: 240 pounds x 9 reps

And so on. Every time you workout you have to record your performance in a training journal. Dante Trudel calls this “the logbook.”

Your goal is to beat the logbook on all 5 upper body or lower body exercises every time you train.

Of course you can’t make progress on an exercise forever. Eventually you will stall or hit a plateau on every exercise in your program. At that point you drop the old exercise from your program and switch to a new exercise to dominate.

Dante Trudel says that if you go 1-2 workouts in a row where you cannot beat the logbook then you should switch to a new exercise.

For example if you stall on the incline bench press then you would swap it out for another “meat and potatoes” chest exercise like the incline smith machine press, the flat dumbbell press, or some other machine press exercise. The choice is up to you.

Don’t worry, you can always include the exercise you lost at some point in the future.

In an ideal world you want to have 5-10 exercises per muscle group that you can rotate in and out over time. If you have more exercises to rotate through then you will be less likely to hit a long-term plateau for that muscle group.

For each exercise you are going to perform 1-2 sets to failure. This can be 1 rest-pause set or 1-2 straight sets to failure depending on the exercise. For most exercises you will also perform an “extreme stretch” immediately after training that muscle group.

Here is what your upper body and lower body workouts will look like:

The DC Training Upper Body Workout

• Exercise #1: Chest, 1 rest-pause set —–> extreme stretch
• Exercise #2: Shoulders, 1 rest-pause set —–> extreme stretch
• Exercise #3: Triceps, 1 rest-pause set —–> extreme stretch
• Exercise #4: Back Width, 1 rest-pause set ——> extreme stretch
• Exercise #5: Back Thickness, 1-2 straight sets

DC Training Lower Body Template

• Exercise #1: Biceps, 1 rest-pause set —–> extreme stretch
• Exercise #2: Forearms, 1 straight set
• Exercise #3: Calves, 1 straight set
• Exercise #4: Hamstrings, 1 rest-pause set OR 1-2 straight sets
• Exercise #5: Quadriceps, 2 straight sets ——> quad / hamstring extreme stretches

As you can see you are going to perform 1 rest-pause set for most exercises.

The rest-pause set is the heart and soul of DC Training. It is one of the biggest reasons bodybuilders build size and strength so incredibly fast with DC Training.

In case you forgot here is another demonstration of the rest-pause set by Dusty Hanshaw:

Dusty is training to failure 3 times in a row with 20-30 seconds rest between each attempt. Dusty’s goal for the first mini-set is 7-10 reps.

With DC Training you have a target rep range for each exercise. Dante says that you should shoot for 11-20 total reps on your rest-pause sets on most muscle groups.

For some exercises like dumbbell presses and lying triceps extensions you should aim for 20-30 total reps rest-paused for safety reasons.

For your rest-pause sets you should perform as many warm-up sets as you need to get ready for your main working set. Don’t wear yourself out too much on the warm up sets. They are just there to get you ready for the one rest-pause set.

There Are A Few Muscle Groups That Are Not Rest-Paused:

• Muscle Group #1: Back Thickness
• Muscle Group #2: Forearms
• Muscle Group #3: Calves
• Muscle Group #4: Quads

Back thickness exercises are never rest-paused for safety reasons. Performing a rest-pause set on deadlifts is just asking for a back injury.

For back thickness you should perform 1-2 straight sets just shy of failure. For example you could perform one set of 6-9 reps and one set of 9-12 reps for deadlifts.

Dante does not want you rest-pausing forearm exercises so that you don’t overtrain them. One straight set to failure for 8-12 reps is plenty for forearms.

For calves you are just performing one straight set to failure in the 7-10 rep range.

For hamstrings you can rest-pause smaller isolation exercises like leg curls and glute ham raises. Larger exercises like stiff-legged deadlifts and sumo leg presses should be performed for 1-2 straight sets.

Finally we have quads. Quads are trained with 2 straight sets:

• Set #1: A heavy 4-8 rep set
• Set #2: The widowmaker

The first set is pretty simple: you perform a heavy set of 4-8 reps on squats, leg press, hack squats or any other big compound quad exercise. The second set is a little more complicated.

The widowmaker set is basically a “20-rep breathing squat.” You load up the bar with your 10-rep max and bust out 10 hard reps.

Instead of racking the weight you lock out your legs, take several deep breaths and then perform another 1-3 reps. You repeat this process until you have performed 20 total reps with your 10-rep max.

Here is Tom Platz giving a perfect demonstration of a back squat “widowmaker” set:

The widowmaker set is brutal but it is a core part of the DC Training program. It will make your legs and the rest of your body grow incredibly quickly.

For most exercises you are going to perform an extreme stretch after your rest-pause set or 1-2 straight sets to failure.

An extreme stretch is a deep static stretch that you perform with extra resistance. Your goal is to hold the stretched position for 60-90 seconds or more per exercise.

Here is Dusty Hanshaw giving a perfect demonstration of a chest extreme stretch:

Dante Trudel swears by extreme stretching! They are a core part of the DC Training program and cannot be skipped.

Some of the benefits of extreme stretches include faster recovery, stretching out the fascial tissue surrounding the muscles and potentially even muscle hyperplasia.

Many DC Trainees say that their chest, triceps, back width and quads take on a completely different look after 1-3 months of extreme stretching.

Here is Dusty Hanshaw demonstrating the extreme stretches for every body part:

• Extreme Stretch: Chest
• Extreme Stretch: Shoulders
• Extreme Stretch: Triceps
• Extreme Stretch: Back width
• Extreme Stretch: Biceps
• Extreme Stretch: Hamstrings
• Extreme Stretch: Quadriceps

Some exercises like back thickness and forearms are not stretched.

The calves do not have a separate extreme stretch because Dante has you perform a 10-second isometric hold in the stretched position on every rep.

You lift the weight up, lower the weight down and then hold the weight with your calves stretched for 10 seconds. That counts as 1 rep!

Dante wants you performing 1 straight set of 7-10 total reps for calves. This set will last 1-2 minutes and will be incredibly painful but your calves will faster than ever before.

Let’s take another look at the upper body and lower body workouts:

The DC Training Upper Body Workout

• Exercise #1: Chest, 1 rest-pause set —–> extreme stretch
• Exercise #2: Shoulders, 1 rest-pause set —–> extreme stretch
• Exercise #3: Triceps, 1 rest-pause set —–> extreme stretch
• Exercise #4: Back Width, 1 rest-pause set ——> extreme stretch
• Exercise #5: Back Thickness, 1-2 straight sets

DC Training Lower Body Template

• Exercise #1: Biceps, 1 rest-pause set —–> extreme stretch
• Exercise #2: Forearms, 1 straight set
• Exercise #3: Calves, 1 straight set
• Exercise #4: Hamstrings, 1 rest-pause set OR 1-2 straight sets
• Exercise #5: Quadriceps, 2 straight sets ——> quad / hamstring extreme stretches

As you can see you are performing a rest-pause set OR 1-2 straight sets to failure for each body part.

Most body parts also have an extreme stretch that you perform right after working that muscle. The combination of the rest-pause set and the extreme stretch is absolutely brutal but you will grow like a weed.

Now let’s take everything we’ve learned and put it together in a complete DC Training program!

You may not like all of the exercises that I choose for this program. That’s perfectly OK. My goal is to show you what a complete DC Training program might look like.

If you understand how it all fits together then you will be able to write your own program using the exercises you like best. Check it out:

DC Training Upper Body Workout #1

• Exercise #1: 30 degree incline DB press, 1 x 20-30 RP**
• Exercise #2: Hammer strength overhead press, 1 x 11-20 RP**
• Exercise #3: Dead stop skull crushers, 1 x 11-20 RP**
• Exercise #4: Rack chins, 1 x 11-20 RP**
• Exercise #5: T-bar row, 2 x (8-10, 10-12)

**Performed as a rest-pause set.

Here are some sample training videos for this workout: exercise A1, exercise B1, exercise C1, exercise D1, exercise E1.

DC Training Lower Body Workout #1

• Exercise #1: 45 degree incline DB curl (supinated grip), 1 x 11-20 RP**
• Exercise #2: Cable 1-arm reverse curl, 1 x 12-20
• Exercise #3: Leg press calf raise, 1 x 7-10
• Exercise #4: Kneeling unilateral leg curl (feet plantar flexed / pointing straight), 1 x 11-20 RP**
• Exercise #5: Back squat (medium stance / heels flat), 2 x (4-8, 20****)

**Performed as a rest-pause set.

****Performed as a DC-style widowmaker set for quads.

Here are some sample training videos for this workout: exercise A1, exercise B1, exercise C1, exercise D1, exercise E1.

DC Training Upper Body Workout #2

• Exercise #1: Hammer strength flat press, 1 x 11-20 RP**
• Exercise #2: Seated barbell military press, 1 x 11-20 RP**
• Exercise #3: V-bar dips (upright torso), 1 x 11-20 RP**
• Exercise #4: Cable pull down (wide / pronated grip), 1 x 11-20 RP**
• Exercise #5: Barbell dead stop row, 2 x (8-10, 10-12)

**Performed as a rest-pause set.

Here are some sample training videos for this workout: exercise A1, exercise B1, exercise C1, exercise D1, exercise E1.

DC Training Lower Body Workout #2

• Exercise #1: Preacher ez-bar curl (close / supinated grip), 1 x 11-20 RP**
• Exercise #2: Standing bilateral DB curl (hammer grip), 1 x 12-20
• Exercise #3: Standing machine calf raise, 1 x 7-10
• Exercise #4: Sumo leg press, 1 x 11-20 RP**
• Exercise #5: Leg Press, 2 x (6-10, 20**)

**Performed as a rest-pause set.

****Performed as a DC-style widowmaker set for quads.

Here are some sample training videos for this workout: exercise A1, exercise B1, exercise C1, exercise D1, exercise E1.

DC Training Upper Body Workout #3

• Exercise #1: Smith machine 30 degree incline press, 1 x 11-20 RP**
• Exercise #2: Seated DB overhead press, 1 x 20-30 RP**
• Exercise #3: Smith machine close grip bench press, 1 x 11-20 RP**
• Exercise #4: Hammer strength bilateral pull down (supinated grip), 1 x 11-20 RP**
• Exercise #5: Conventional deadlift, 2 x (5-7, 8-10)

**Performed as a rest-pause set.

Here are some sample training videos for this workout: exercise A1, exercise B1, exercise C1, exercise D1, exercise E1.

DC Training Lower Body Workout #3 

• Exercise #1: DB concentration curl, 1 x 11-20 RP**
• Exercise #2: Preacher ez-bar curl (wide / pronated grip), 1 x 12-20
• Exercise #3: Machine hack squat calf raise, 1 x 7-10
• Exercise #4: Bilateral lying leg curl (Poliquin method*** / feet pointing in), 1 x 11-20 RP**
• Exercise #5: Machine hack squat (medium stance), 2 x (4-8, 20****)

**Performed as a rest-pause set.

**Dorsiflex your ankles (point your toes towards your shins) on the concentric range and plantar flex your ankles (point your toes away from your shins) on the eccentric range. See the video below for more details.

****Performed as a DC-style widowmaker set for quads.

Here are some sample training videos for this workout: exercise A1, exercise B1, exercise C1, exercise D1, exercise E1.

If you want to design your own DC Training program then you have to be smart with how you schedule your exercises. Here are a few tips.

It is a good idea to use a wide variety of exercises for your chest, shoulder and triceps.

If you use three free weight exercises then you will be absolutely smoked by the time you get to triceps. It’s better to use a mix of free weight and machine exercises for your chest, shoulders and triceps.

The same is true for your quads exercises. If you use back squats, front squats and smith machine squats then you are going to overtrain yourself into the ground.

You will have more success if you rotate three different exercises like back squats, leg presses and hack squats.

Finally you have to be careful with where you put squats and deadlifts in your routine. If you squat one workout and then try to perform deadlifts the very next workout then your lower back will be smoked.

If possible you should keep squats and deadlifts 1 week apart from each other in your program.

For example you could deadlift on your first upper body workout and squat on your second lower body workout. That way you always have 1 week of rest in between these two exercises.

Beat The Logbook, Beat The Logbook, BEAT – THE – LOGBOOK!!!!!

As you already know the most important part about DC Training is beating the logbook. Every time you hit the gym your goal is to hit a personal record on all five upper body or lower body exercises.

Here is what your logbook might look like for a lower-body training day:

A1: Preacher ez-bar curl (wide / supinated grip), 1 x 11-20 RP

• LT: 95 x 10/4/2 = 15 RP
• TT:

B1: 1-arm cable reverse curl, 1 x 8-12 SS

• LT: 50 x 9
• TT:

C1: Leg press calf raise, 1 x 7-10 SS

• LT: 360 x 9
• TT:

D1: Bilateral lying leg curl (feet plantarflexed / pointing straight), 1 x 11-20 RP

• LT: 110 x 8/2/1 = 11 RP
• TT:

E1: Machine hack squat, 2 x 6-8, 20

• LT: 360 x 6, 270 x 20
• TT:

The symbol “LT” stands for “Last Time” and the symbol “TT” stands for “This Time.”

Dante Trudel says that you should write down your old record right next to the “LT” symbol. The “TT” space should be blank when you go to the gym.

Right before you perform each exercise you should look back at your previous performance for that exercise. Doing that will “light a fire under your ass” and motivate you to push yourself as hard as you can.

You are going to beat the logbook on that exercise come hell or high water! No excuses!!

OK, maybe I’m being a little dramatic. But you get the point!

There is nothing worse than leaving the gym knowing the logbook kicked your ass that day and having to switch that exercise out for a new one. Whenever possible you must beat the logbook!

The Best DC Training Exercises For Every Body Part

Here is a list of the best DC Training exercises for each body part. You can use this as a reference guide if you want to design your own DC Training routine.

If you really believe in an exercise and it is not on here then you can use it in your routine. However, these are the exercises that work best according to Dante Trudel and many long-time DC Trainees.

DC Chest Exercises

• Option #1: Incline / decline barbell presses
• Option #2: Flat / incline / decline dumbbell presses
• Option #3: Incline / decline smith machine presses
• Option #4: Flat / incline / decline hammer strength presses
• Option #5: Any other good machine pressing exercise

DC Shoulder Exercises

• Option #1: Barbell overhead presses
• Option #2: Dumbbell overhead presses
• Option #3: Smith machine overhead presses
• Option #4: Hammer strength overhead presses
• Option #5: Any other good overhead machine press

DC Triceps Exercises

• Option #1: Dips (free weight or machine)
• Option #2: Close grip bench press (free weight or smith machine)
• Option #3: Reverse grip bench press (free weight or machine)
• Option #4: All forms of triceps extensions, especially flat or decline extensions
• Option #5: PJR pullovers
• Option #6: Dead skulls

DC Back Width Exercises

• Option #1: Rack chins (Dante’s favorite)
• Option #2: Pull ups / chin ups
• Option #3: Lat pulldowns
• Option #4: Machine pulldowns
• Option #5: Machine pullovers

DC Back Thickness Exercises

• Option #1: Deadlifts
• Option #2: Rack deadlifts
• Option #3: Barbell rows
• Option #4: T-bar rows
• Option #5: Smith machine rows
• Option #6: Seated cable rows

DC Biceps Exercises

• Option #1: Dumbbell curls
• Option #2: Barbell curls
• Option #3: Cable curls
• Option #4: Preacher curls
• Option #5: Incline curls
• Option #6: Machine curls

DC Forearms Exercises

• Option #1: Cable reverse curls
• Option #2: Dumbbell hammer curls
• Option #3: Reverse ez-bar curls
• Option #4: Zottman curls
• Option #5: Machine reverse curls

DC Calves Exercises

• Option #1: Seated calf raise
• Option #2: Standing calf raise
• Option #3: Leg press calf raise
• Option #4: Any other good machine calf raise

DC Hamstrings Exercises

• Option #1: All types of leg curls
• Option #2: Glute-ham raise
• Option #3: Sumo leg press
• Option #4: Stiff-legged deadlift

DC Quads Exercises

• Option #1: Front squats
• Option #2: Back squats
• Option #3: Smith machine squats
• Option #4: Machine hack squats
• Option #5: Any good leg press machine
• Option #6: Any other good machine squat exercise

These exercises are not set in stone. If your favorite exercise is not listed then you can still use it in one of your 3 workouts.

These are just the exercises that Dante Trudel likes to use with his advanced bodybuilders.

Blasting And Cruising, Or How To Make Long-Term Progress

We’re not done yet! Anyone who has trained for a long time knows that you cannot train all-out all the time. Eventually you need to take it easy for a week or two or take some time off from the gym.

DC Training uses a very simple form of periodization called “blasting and cruising.”

During your blast phase you are going to train all-out and beat the logbook. Most DC Trainees can blast for about 6-12 weeks before they need a break.

After 6-12 weeks you will start to feel like you are overtraining and that you need a break. Rest-pausing does that too you!

When you feel beat up you switch to a cruise phase. The cruise phase lasts 1-2 weeks or even as long as 3 weeks for some very advanced bodybuilders.

During your cruise you can either skip the gym completely or you can perform some very easy workouts with lighter weights. After your 1-2 week cruise you start your next blast and get back to beating the logbook.

Here are some sample blasting and cruising phases from some of Dante Trudel’s training clients:

• Option #1: Blast 7 weeks, cruise 7-10 days
• Option #2: Blast 12 weeks, cruise 14 weeks
• Option #3: Blast 10 weeks, cruise 10 days
• Option #4: Blast 12 weeks, cruise 7 days

There is no official DC Training blast and cruise phase. It completely depends on you and your recovery ability. You have to “listen to your body” and figure out when you need a cruise and when you are ready to blast again.

This is one of the reasons Dante Trudel says that DC Training is only for people with 3+ years of training experience. You need to be very experienced to know when to train hard and when to back off.

Some DC Trainees also find that they need to skip a workout once every 3-5 weeks during their blasting phase. For example they might skip their Friday workout once every few weeks.

If they were supposed to do their upper body #1 workout on Friday then they just push that workout back to the following Monday.

This can be a great way to squeeze in a mini-deload so that you can extend your blast for several more weeks.

DC Training Nutrition And Cardio

Dante Trudel wants you to follow some rules for your nutrition and cardio while using the DC Training program. These rules are not set in stone. For example if you are working with a diet coach then you would follow what they say and ignore these rules.

However, if you are in charge of your own diet and cardio then these rules work awesome with the DC Training program. Check it out:

DC Training Nutrition And Cardio Guidelines

• Rule #1: Eat 1.5-2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight
• Rule #2: Don’t eat lots of carbs and fats at the same meal
• Rule #3: Use a “carb cut-off” 4-6 hours before bed
• Rule #4: Perform 20-60 minutes of fasted morning cardio 0-7 days per week
• Rule #5: Green tea – consume as much as 5-10 cups or 3-6 capsules per day
• Rule #6: Lower your calories slightly during your cruise phase

Dante wants to turn you into a “muscle-building, fat-burning blast furnace” and this is the best way he knows how to do it.

Some of these rules may look silly. However, Dante Trudel has a track record for taking average Joe’s and turning them into advanced bodybuilders faster than almost anyone else alive.

If you are going to use the DC Training program then consider using these diet and cardio strategies as well. These strategies work synergistically with the DC Training workouts.

DC Training While Dieting

DC Training is designed as a mass-building program. It exists to help you build as much muscle mass as possible in the shortest time period possible.

Of course DC Training also works if you have some excess body fat that you want to use. Just make sure you use the DC Training system for at least a few weeks before you start your diet.

Some people find they can use the 2-way split for their entire diet without any issues. Other people find that their DC Training workouts are just too hard to recover from as they diet down.

If that describes you then you may want to transition to the 3-way split or the 5-way split.

The 3-way split is a 4 days per week push / pull / legs split. Dante Trudel uses it with his bodybuilders who are dieting and are having a hard time recovering from their workouts.

Here is how the body parts are organized each day:

3-Way Split Pull Day

• Exercise #1: Biceps
• Exercise #2: Forearms
• Exercise #3: Back Width
• Exercise #4: Back Thickness

3-Way Split Push Day

• Exercise #1: Chest
• Exercise #2: Shoulders
• Exercise #3: Triceps

3-Way Split Legs Day

• Exercise #1: Quads
• Exercise #2: Hamstrings
• Exercise #3: Calves

As you can see the workouts are very short. Dante says these workouts should take you 30-45 minutes to complete and then you are out of there.

If you are dieting for several months and even the 3-way split is too hard to recover from then you may want to transition to the 5-way split.

The 5-way split is just Dante’s version of a bodybuilding “bro-split” where you train each muscle group once per week. For example:

DC Training 5-Way Split

• Day 1: Chest
• Day 2: Biceps / Forearms
• Day 3: Calves / Hamstrings / Quads
• Day 4: Off
• Day 5: Shoulders / Triceps
• Day 6: Back Width / Back Thickness
• Day 7: Off

The workouts are very, very short with this split. For example on your chest day you would perform 1 rest-pause set, one extreme stretch and then you are out of there.

If you have a lot of cardio to do then it is very easy to perform your cardio right after your workout while you are already in the gym.

The big downside to the 5-way split is that you are only training muscle groups once per week.

DC Training is all about training body parts as frequently as possible so you can grow as fast as possible. You should consider the 5-way split as a last-resort to help you make it through a grueling diet or pre-contest phase.

Conclusion

DC Training is a reasonably complicated training program. However, once you learn the program it is very easy to use.

You just rotate through your three exercises per body part and get as strong as possible while eating a lot of high-quality bodybuilding food. What could be simpler than that!?

If you are a bodybuilder and you love training heavy and training to failure then you will love the DC Training program. It has stood the test of time as one of the most effective bodybuilding training programs ever invented.

So what are you waiting for? Go design your own DC Training program using your three favorite exercises per body part and start beating the logbook!

Before you go, check out my other world-class articles on DC Training:

• DC Training: The Ultimate Guide!
• DC Training: A Simple Step-By-Step Guide!
• DC Training Splits: The Ultimate Guide!
• DC Training While Cutting: The Ultimate Guide!
• The Dusty Hanshaw DC Training Program!

Trust me – you won’t find this cutting edge information available anywhere else!

Here’s a great quote by Ronnie Coleman to pump you up even more:

“Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder but nobody wants to lift no heavy ass weights!”

Thank you for reading and I wish you the best of luck on your strength training journey!