Sharing Some Thoughts

This is not exhaustive, but I'd like to help some of the newer DC trainees with some basic but important facets of DC training.
Dante - If any of the info here is overstepping the mark, please let me know

(I will add to this thread when time permits - no doubt I have left some things out, so bear with me).

PRE-DC

1. Before Even Considering Beginning DC:
> you should have exhausted all other avenues; i.e. DC should not be one of the first dozen or so routines which you have attempted;
> you should have built a solid foundation (mass/strength) from a few years of consistent training;
> you should have learnt a great deal about nutrition and how your body reacts to different foods; i.e. are you sensitive to carbs; are you lactose intolerant etc;
> you should have learnt how to perform al of the major lifts with correct form;
> you should have learnt how to train with very high intensity without sacrificing good safe form;
> you should have learnt how to read your body and gauge recovery to prevent going into overtraining;
> you should have your body fat under control; and
> you should have learnt that consistency in training, diet, rest etc over long periods of time is the key to transforming your body.

2. Before Starting War with the LogBook:
You should:
> Read all you can here at this forum - read and re-read all of the stickies; search all threads/posts made by Doggcrapp, In-Human, KidRock, MassiveG, SuperD, Gollum, BigDownUnder and BrianB2368: copy the important info to a word doc for future reference;
> Put together a DC routine and diet based upon the info which you have found here and according to YOUR BODY;
> 90% of trainees make the best gains on the 2 way split done three non-consecutive days per week (i.e. Mon/Wed/Fri) - do not make the mistake of doing the 3 way split because it will most likely not be the most suitable DC routine for YOU;
> the 3 way split is used by highly advanced trainee's to bring up weaker body parts and in some cases those with sub-par recovery levels, in which case it is done on a lower frequency;
> Start a new thread in here - post your training history; age; weight; height; bodyfat; photos; activity levels during the day (student/labourer); metabolism; carb sensitivty; food allergies; any pre-existing injuries etc; your DC routine and diet to get some constructive criticism;
> Take a week off training while you are finalising your DC Program;
> Order any supplements which you may need from trueprotein.com and use a discount code to get a 5% off (mine is in my signature), or even better yet order in bulk and get a larger discount in conjunction with the discount code;
> Make sure that your gym is very well equipped because eventually you will need to switch exercises;
> When selecting exercises, choose compound movements which allow you to use heavy poundages and allow for greater progression;
> Use a controlled negative on all exercises;
> Get yourself a logbook to record your workouts - the primary aim with DC is to use progressively heavier weights with strict/safe form;
> Get yourself some scales to measure your food;
> Take some pictures of yourself and also take your body measurements;
> Get yourself some wrist straps for deadlifts, barbell rows, hammer curls, rack chins etc;
> Get some Inzer knee wraps to use for squatting;
> Have a look at the following videos online of DC trainee's using correct form:
http://www.youtube.com/user/daisimae
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPxtk6EzSAs
http://www.youtube.com/user/BrianB2368
http://www.youtube.com/user/skuclo
> Consider purchasing the following DVD's by advanced DC trainee's (note: these trainee's are highly advanced and may not be using the 2 way split which is more suitable for you):
http://www.jasonwojo.com/dvd.html
http://www.troponinnutrition.com/ind...d=19&Itemid=37

3. Nutrition
DC Nutrition is highly individual but having said that there are some basic guidelines which most can follow and adapt to suit their specific situation.
I'm not going to divulge anything here which is not already freely available (otherwise Dante would have my head on a platter).
Food is like the engine for the machine with DC - without it you will remain in neutral and make no progress.
DC is all about making mass gains and keeping bodyfat in check (more on this later).
You will need to monitor your nutrition every month based upon strength gains and other measurements (photo's and body measurements - the most important being waistline).

Assuming you have already contacted Dante and he cannot take you on (for whatever reason), I suggest that you contact Skip for nutritional guidance - it will be well worth the investment

General
Eat 6-8 meals per day every few hours.
Try to stick to protein/carb and protein/fat meals; i.e. avoid mixing carbs/fats where possible.
Eat as many 'real food' meals as possible - at least 50 per cent minimum.
Prepare your meals in advance - plan ahead and it will make it easier.
Buy your food in bulk to get discounts and use coupons.
We use a 'carb-cutoff' in DC - i.e. we do not take in any carbs after say 6 p.m. (depending on the individual).
Most meals after the carb-cutoff comprise of protein and salad/veggies.
An important exception to carb-cutoffs is the post workout shake and meal - you take that in no matter what time you workout.

Protein
Should be 1.5g~ x bodyweight for naturals and around 2g x bodyweight for enhanced trainee's.
Dante is very fond of beef - make that a staple of your diet and you'll find out why.
Good sources of protein = beef, eggs, egg whites, chicken, fish, turkey, whey, casein etc.
If you are going to use protein shakes as a meal, I suggest you use the 'TeamSkip' blend from trueprotein:
http://www.trueprotein.com/Product_D...cid=31&pid=534
This can be used with some fat (olive oil or almonds) or carbs (ground protein or waxy maize) to make a meal for on the run.
Stick to faster acting protein for post-workout shakes - this will be addressed later.

Carbs
Just how many depends on your carb sensitivity - do you get fat just looking at rice?
If so, you will need to be very strict with carbs and limit them to breakfast, pre/post workout only.
If you are not carb sensitive and have a roaring metabolism (like many ecto's) - you will not need to be nearly as strict.
This is where experience comes into play - you should already be advanced and know how your body reacts.
Good carb sources = oatmeal, rice, potatoes, yams, waxy maize starch or dextrose/maltodextrin or even grape juice for post-workout, etc.

Fats
Olive oil is often used in DC for those who really struggle to put on weight - start slowly and work your way up, otherwise as Dante says you'll be strapping yourself to the toilet.
Make sure you buy it in a dark container and keep it in cool place - otherwise it can go rancid.
Good fats = olive oil, fish oil, avocado, almonds etc.

If you are an endo:
1. Limit carbs to breakfast, pre & post workout.
2. Keep protein levels high (ie 1.5-2g x BW)
3. Stick to protein/fat or protein/carb meals, except after carb cutoff which should be protein + vegetables.
4. Protein sources - lean beef, chicken breast, tuna, turkey breast, egg whites.
5. Carb sources - white rice or white potatoes (only for post workout meal), basmati or brown rice, yams & oatmeal predominantly.
6. Fats - try to incorporate some fish oil or olive oil, but don't go overboard.
7. Cardio - BCAA's then 45 mins in the morning on off days.
8. Green Tea.
9. Stay well hydrated.
10. Focus on beating your log book.
11. If beat up, take a day off.
12. Keep a food diary > just as important as your log book.
13. Stick to the diet for at least 4 weeks & make adjustments from there.
14. If you hit a plateau:
> first reduce carbs a little for breakfast.
> second increase frequency of cardio to every morning except leg days, & increase duration of cardio to 60 minutes.