Doggcrapp is rather crude name, but believe it or not, this is a very popular weight training program.

What is Doggcrapp Training?

Doggcrapp training was started by a man named Dante Trudel (A K.A Doggcrapp). After starting out volume training, he realized that low volume and high intensity is best. Since the 90’s he has gained a reputation and following in the bodybuilding community. DoggCrapp believes that it is impossible for bodybuilders to get big without ultimately getting stronger. For this reason, you won’t see a 5′10 250 lb ripped bodybuilder maxing out with 150 lb bench press. Lifting very heavy weights, helps with strength, which ultimately helps muscle growth.

Doggcrapp principles:

Every workout routine will follow these general guidelines:

- Very heavy weights
- Blasting and cruising phases
- One set per excercise
- One excercise per muscle per workout
- one or more warmup sets
- hit each muscle 2 times every 7-9 days
- very slow negatives and a fast positive rep speed

DoggCrapp believes that hitting a muscle more frequently, is more effective than many traditional training routines which advocate only once a week.

DoggCrapp Advanced Training Techniques

Doggcrapp must be tailored based on your recovery abilities. If your recovery abilities allow it, you may incorporate some or all of the following:

- Multi-rep rest pause sets
- Extreme stretching
- static holds
- workout each muscle twice every 7 days

The Rest pause sets and extreme stretching, is used to increase the intensity of the training.

Sample Doggcrapp Split:

Beginners and those with average recovery will workout the muscle 2 times every 8 days using the following split:

Monday: chest, shoulders, triceps, back width, back thickness
Wednesday: biceps, forearms, calves, hamstrings, quads
Friday: repeat of Monday (different excercises)
Monday: repeat of Wednesday (different excercises)

Those with advanced recovery or a slightly busy work schedule will have a slightly different workout schedule.

Who is the Doggcrapp workout geared for?

Doggcrapp training is for everyone who wants to build muscle, whether you are a hardgainer or easygainer. For those with better recovery it can be extremely intense with the added techniques. Doggcrap training is great for veteran bodybuilders who need to shock new muscle growth.

Max O-T has become very popular among bodybuilders in the last few years. Why is this?

What is Max O-T?

Max O-T is a 12 week workout program developed by the nutritional company AST. It stands for Maximum Overload Training. Max O-T is a low volume high intensity philosophy similiar to HIT training. It is geared to work for both, the genetically and not so genetically gifted bodybuilders. Advocates of Max O-T such as natural bodybuilders like Skip Lacour, have helped catapult it’s popularity.

Max O-T Routine:

The Max O-T workouts always follows these specific guidelines.

1) 1-2 muscle groups each workout.
2) 6-9 heavy sets for each muscle.
3) 4-6 reps each set.
4) 2-3 minute rests between sets.
5) Workouts should only be 30-40 minutes.
6) Each muscle trained once every 5-7 days.
7) 5 day split.

1 week break every 8-10 weeks.

Sample Max O-T Routine:

One way to setup the 5 day split could be as follows:

Monday – Legs
Tuesday – Shoulders and traps
Wednesday – Arms and abs
Thursday – Rest day
Friday – Back
Saturday – Chest
Sunday – Rest day

It’s summer and your headed to the beach. Having a nice pump workout is what you need to look your best in these kinds of situations!

Pump Workout Routine:

A good pump will only last an hour. It will start to slowly dissapear from the time you finish your workout. It is therefore important, that you do the workout immediately before you want to be seen.

If you have access to a gym closeby, then do the following workout: 1 set of bench press and barbell rows for a weight you can handle at 15 reps to failure. Then do one set of 15 reps of chest flyes, barbell curls, tricep pushdowns, and shrugs to finish off these muscles. If you had already worked that muscle the previous day or it’s still sore, skip the excercise for that muscle.

If you won’t have access to a gym closeby, but can bring your dumbells, then do the following: 3 sets of pushups to failure, 3 sets of dumbell curls and one set of dumbell shrugs at 15 reps. Allow 30 seconds of rest between each set.

Hardgainers often feel the need to listen to the advice from easygainers. Following the routines of other bodybuilders with good genetics is a recipe for disaster. What you need is a hardgainer workout routine geared for the extreme hardgainer.

How do you know if you are a hardgainer? Hardgainers are usually naturally skinny or small boned. If you been lifting for months with a high protein calorie surplus diet, yet you can’t pack on significant muscle, then your a hardgainer.

Hardgainer Routine:

The author of the book Beyond Brawn by Stuan McRobert is often seen as a guide for hardgainer routines. He advocates a 2 day split low volume, similiar to one below. You will do this split once a week with 3 or 4 days of rest between each workout day.

Sample Hardgainer Routine:

Day 1

Squat 20 rep squat
Bench Press 2 X 8
Overhead press 2 X 8

The 20 rep squat may sound too easy. However this is not your ordinary squat. It will be a weight you can handle for only 12 reps. In order to get to 20 you will be taking a few seconds of rest between each rep after the 12th rep, holding the weight the entire time. It will become one long set, where you will be pausing for a few seconds between each rep, from 12 and 20. It is a notorious well known squat workout, that is so grueling only one set is needed. The first time you try it you will be ready to pass out.

Day 2

Stiff Legged Deadlifts 2 sets of 12
Pullups 2 sets of 10
Seated Calf Raises 2 sets of 12

R.E.S.T workout system has been around for more than a decade.

What is R.E.S.T Training?

R.E.S.T was created by prominent natural bodybuilder and doctor Dr. Pete Samra. Pete Samra has won prestigious natural competitions Natural Mr. USA and Mid-America Championship. He has been president of Samra Nutrition, holds degree in nutrition, and advocated R.E.S.T training on radio and televesion. His advocacy of his program was in deep contrast to most current philosophies in the southern California bodybuilding scene.

Principles of R.E.S.T:

The R letter Relaxation, Rejuvenation, Rest. Samra believed that bodybuilders become too obsessive and don’t know how to relax and enjoy life. He believed in having a life outside of gym and taking vacations occasionally. Do not let your life revolve around bodybuilding completely.

The Letter E stands for eating. Dr. Samra believed it was important to eat healthy. He also advocated to stay away from dairy, beef and eggs.

The Letter S stands for spiritual. Dr. Samra became a born again Christian in 1979. He believes that having a healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body. He also believes that both work for or against each other. Being moral and spiritually at peace, will help you physically in your goals.

Finally the letter T stands for, you guessed it training.

R.E.S.T Workout:

Samra has different workout splits. Below is just one example.

Sample R.E.S.T Workout

Workouts are full body for about one hour. He does 4 sets per excercise with reps between 10 and 15 to muscular failure. Whether it is 10 or 15 reps will depend on the phase. Every 2 weeks he will change the rep scheme and weights. If he is at 10 reps, after another 2 weeks he will lighten the weight and do 15 reps for all sets. After 2 weeks then Samra will increase weight and do 10 reps. After another 2 weeks he will lighten the weights and do 15 reps again. By alternating back and forth, it helps the body to not plateau.

This program was developed a few years ago based on research.

What is S.A.I.S training?

S.A.I.S stands for Specific Adaption to Imposed Stress. It is based off the research of Nutrex Research Group. This research was based around many years of studies on the cause of muscle growth.

S.A.I.S Principles:

S.A.I.S teaches that the 3 different muscle fibers, fast twitch, medium twitch, slow twitch, must be stimulated simultaneously for maximum muscle growth. S.A.I.S acheives this by doing different rep ranges for each excercise to target the specific muscle fibers. Fast twitch are stimulated by heavy weight at low reps. Fast twitch fibers do better at higher reps at a lighter weight.

S.A.I.S Workout:

Each muscle group will be assigned 3 excercises. Each excercise targets a different muscle fiber type. The excercise targeting fast twitch will be done at low reps heavy weight for 3 sets. The next excercise will be done at medium reps medium weight for 2 sets. The final excercise will be done for one set at high reps light weight.

Sample Chest/Bicep day:

Bench press 3 sets of 6 (fast twitch)
Incline Bench 2 sets of 10 (Medium twitch)
Decline Bench 1 set of 20 (slow twitch)

Close Grip Pushdowns 3 sets of 6
Skull Crushers 2 sets of 10
Tricep Pushdowns 1 set of 20

The Nutrex Research Group used a 4 day split for 6 weeks.

Reverse Pyramid Training workout routine do the opposite of conventional weight training routines.

What is Reverse Pyramid Training?

Most routines will advocate keeping the weight the same or increasing for each successive set for an excercise. Reverse Pyramid training in contrast, starts out with the heaviest set and you reduce the weight for each successive set. Reverse Pyramid Training is for both, beginners and veterans.

Reverse Pyramid Training Workout:

Reverse Pyramid training has no specific workout. It is only a philosophy of how you should structure your weight and reps for each excercise. Your first set should be a weight you can only handle for 6 reps. The next set you will lower the weight and do slightly more reps.

Benefits of Reverse Pyramid Training?

Reverse Pyramid training is based off the fact that for your first set, you will have the most energy and strength. As a result, you will therefore stimulate the most muscle fibers by taking advantage of a very heavy weight first. Psychologically it will be easier to do this workout because you know you can give it your all for one set, then go for a pump for the rest of the sets.

Polish Power Training is a newly designed workout routine based off basic principles of popular GVT(German Volume training).

What is Polish Power Training?

PPT workouts consists of the following:

1) Compound excercises are done for 10 sets, isolation for 4 sets.

2) All compound excercises done before any isolation excercises.

3) Do a weight you can handle initially, for a 15 rep max.

4) Rest is 30-60 seconds between sets.

5) Each muscle can be excercised 1 or 2 times a week, depending on recovery abilities.

Polish Power Training Sample Workout:

Depending on your recovery you will do a 3 day or a 6 day split.

The 3 day split will be: Chest/Shoulder/triceps, Back/Traps Biceps, Legs. You would do it on Monday, Wednesday, Friday(or whatever 3 days you can arrange it).

The 6 day split would be the 3 day split done twice. For example, you would space out the workouts:

Monday – chest day
Tuesday – back
Wedensday – legs
Thursday – chest
Friday – back
Saturday – legs
Sunday – rest

An example of how you could set up each workout day:

Chest/Shoulder/Tricep day

Bench Press 10 sets of 10
Shoulder press 10 sets of 10
Flyes 4 sets of 10
Later raises 4 sets of 10
Tricep pushdowns 4 sets of 10

Back/Traps/Biceps day

Barbell Rows 10 sets of 10
Lat pulldowns 4 sets of 10
Shrugs 4 sets of 10
Barbell curls 4 sets of 10

Leg day

Squats 10 sets of 10
Stiff leg deadlifts 10 sets of 10
Leg extensions 4 sets of 10
Leg Curls 4 sets of 10
Seated calf raises 4 sets of 10

Isometric training is touted by some strength training gurus who swear by it. It’s popularity has come in waves over the years.

What is Isometric Training?

Regular weight training is isotonic movements, consisting of concentric or eccentric contractions(the positive and negative portion of reps). Isometric Training, in contrast, is strength training where you hold the weight static for a specific time period. The workout is centered around holding the weight still, instead of moving it through a full range of motion.

Does Isometric Training really work?

Many advocates of the Isometric Training have shown people who gained signifanct muscle mass using isometric training. Studies show that isometric training improves strength isometrically at the specific excercised joint angles. Recent research has come out, that suggests isometric excercise as even being as effective as dynamic training for muscle growth.  I have yet to see any significant research, showing isometric being less effective to dynamic, for actual muscle gains.

Military training is very different from Bodybuilding. Military focuses on endurance excercises, while Bodybuilding is around heavy lifting weight training with little to no cardio. These goals can conflict, which means young bodybuilders will have to train very differently to prepare themselves for boot camp. Even after bootcamp, you will have to prepare for the periodic military PT excercise tests. Once again, this will mean you will have to leave bodybuilding behind temporarily, in order to prepare for the test.

Boot Camp excercise preperation:

All branches of the military focus around these excercises: Pushups, situps, and running. Marines also do Pullups.

Every military branch, has slightly different requirements for how much you do of each one. Pushups will be done as one long 2 minute set, usually somewhere around 40 reps to pass boot camp. Situps will be similiar in time and rep requirements. Running will depend on the branch anywhere from 1.5 to 3 miles in a certain amount of time.

The best way to train for endurance excercises is to do them more than once a week. If you run only once a week you will never get your running time shortened significantly if it is poor to begin with. You should start doing sets of pushups once a week to get used to them. Once you stop getting sore from doing them, increase it to two times a week. Eventually you should be doing pushups, situps and running 3 times a week. You will need at least 6 months to prepare your body for boot camp.

Good luck and thanks for deciding to defend our country!