DFT 5x5

[fryzie]

is 10 sets of chest per week really enough?

[_Wolf_]

retarded question^^^^^^^

[_Wolf_]

Originally Posted by Skeetopunk01

So.... I made some more progress here. I'm a 5x5 believer and squats are now my fav. exercise. As a matter of fact..... I don't see anybody at my gym hitting the squat rack like I do.

5X5
Bench: 235lbs ..... maxed 290lbs last week.
A2G Squats 325lbs..... maxed 405lbs last week. I could have done more too.
I need to max on the deads to see where I'm at.

Thanks for all the helpful advice people.... I just keep growing and getting stronger.

u monster!!!

congrats on the sucess

[bts]

I have tried the 5x5 routine and it works great for size and strength! Brian

[medium sized]

its very interesting, but for the last section on the dual factor training, does anybody have an example of a program already written up?? i'm more visual, and also i was reading and they were saying that if you reach into the regions of 10-15, more build up of lactic acid and fatigue, so my question is, if your doing 15 reps, should you switch and have a heavier weight and do lets say 10 reps??
Thx

[Darkhorse]

Originally Posted by medium sized

its very interesting, but for the last section on the dual factor training, does anybody have an example of a program already written up?? i'm more visual, and also i was reading and they were saying that if you reach into the regions of 10-15, more build up of lactic acid and fatigue, so my question is, if your doing 15 reps, should you switch and have a heavier weight and do lets say 10 reps??
Thx

Well, a deload could mean a lot of things. I personally prefer to keep the intensity HIGH (meaning weight heavy), and slashing the overall volume down.

Visual Example:

Dual Factor Hypertrophy Training

Upper Body Workout One:

1./// Barbell Bench Press: (flat or incline, primarily wide grip, hypertrophy reps; ex. 4x10 with the same weight for each set)
2./// Dumbell Press (flat, incline, or decline for 3x8-12 same weight)
3./// Horizontal Lat Work (Barbell JS Rows, 5x5)
4./// Shoulders/ Traps (emphasis on medial delts - Shrugs, High Pulls, Dumbell Cleans, Lateral Raises, Shoulder Horn, Face Pulls – pick 1-2 exercises for 4-6 sets total)
5./// Tricep Extension (skull crushers, French presses, JM Presses, rolling dumbbell extensions, Tate Presses, Pushdowns – pick one exercise for 3x10-12)
6./// Biceps (1-2 exercises, 3-5 sets total)

Lower Body Workout One:

1./// Heavy Squats (butt to ankles, 5x5 working up each set to a 5rm, or try for a 3rm or even an occasional 1rm)
2./// Goodmornings (3x5 same weight or work up to 5rm)
3./// Pullthroughs (3-5 sets of 10-12, some arched back, some rounded back)
4./// Glute Ham Raises or Hamstring Curls followed by Leg Extensions (2 sets each)
-or-
4./// Leg Presses (3-4 sets of 10-12) –or- Occasionally a Hack Squat (for 3-4x10-12)
5./// Weighted Abs/ Obliques (5x10 total – weighted situps, ab pulldowns on high cable or with bands, dumbbell side bends, etc.)
6./// Calves (most of you know what works best for your calves)

The above is the first two days of DFHT. Dual Factor means you are doing a loading phase followed by a deloading phase. For this DFHT, it has a ton of volume, enough to where you would overtrain if you kept doing it for months on end. So a loading phase for this would run you anywhere from 3-5 weeks (less depending on how heavy you're lifting) followed by a week of deloading.

For a DELOAD week, using the example above, you'd do this:

Dual Factor Hypertrophy Training

Upper Body Workout One:

1./// Barbell Bench Press: (flat or incline, primarily wide grip, hypertrophy reps; ex. 4x10 with the same weight for each set)
2./// Dumbell Press (flat, incline, or decline for 3x8-12 same weight)
3./// Horizontal Lat Work (Barbell JS Rows, 5x5)

Lower Body Workout One:

1./// Heavy Squats (butt to ankles, 5x5 working up each set to a 5rm, or try for a 3rm or even an occasional 1rm)
2./// Goodmornings (3x5 same weight or work up to 5rm)

Matt Reynolds, the guy who wrote up the DFHT training, basically says to do the first 3 exercises on upper days, first 2 on lower days, thereby taking the guesswork out of the equation.

[medium sized]

thx, that was really helpfull, now i'd like to clear up some definitions, volume is meaning the sets and reps right?? Then when they use the word intensity they mean the weight used?? and finally when they say frequency, they mean how often your doing this exercises??? (i.e. twice per week). I can't seem to notice any "deloading" in the week of deloading could someone bring to my attention what's the "deloading" since it seems that they have the same intensity and same frequency and everything???

Thx

[Darkhorse]

thx, that was really helpfull, now i'd like to clear up some definitions, volume is meaning the sets and reps right??

Sets x reps x exercises per muscle x one day

Then when they use the word intensity they mean the weight used??

Yup, intensity is % of 1 RM. Example: Flat bench (1x5) is a higher intensity than doing (1x12)

and finally when they say frequency, they mean how often your doing this exercises??? (i.e. twice per week).

More like how often you're working your muscles. Example: Doing 2 upper, 2 lower workouts per week means hitting muscles twice in a given week.

I can't seem to notice any "deloading" in the week of deloading could someone bring to my attention what's the "deloading" since it seems that they have the same intensity and same frequency and everything???

If you're referring to my loading/deloading example, what's not to get? For the deload week, you're keeping the intensity and frequency the SAME, but slashing almost all the volume. If you compare the two:

Upper Body Workout One: LOADING

1./// Barbell Bench Press: (flat or incline, primarily wide grip, hypertrophy reps; ex. 4x10 with the same weight for each set)
2./// Dumbell Press (flat, incline, or decline for 3x8-12 same weight)
3./// Horizontal Lat Work (Barbell JS Rows, 5x5)
4./// Shoulders/ Traps (emphasis on medial delts - Shrugs, High Pulls, Dumbell Cleans, Lateral Raises, Shoulder Horn, Face Pulls – pick 1-2 exercises for 4-6 sets total)
5./// Tricep Extension (skull crushers, French presses, JM Presses, rolling dumbbell extensions, Tate Presses, Pushdowns – pick one exercise for 3x10-12)
6./// Biceps (1-2 exercises, 3-5 sets total)

Upper Body Workout One: DELOAD

1./// Barbell Bench Press: (flat or incline, primarily wide grip, hypertrophy reps; ex. 4x10 with the same weight for each set)
2./// Dumbell Press (flat, incline, or decline for 3x8-12 same weight)
3./// Horizontal Lat Work (Barbell JS Rows, 5x5)

It's a absolute VACATION doing the deload workout when you've been doing the high volume loading workout for 3-5 weeks.

There's plenty of other ways of doing it [deloading] also. You could do a lot of things:

-> Cut the frequency, volume, or BOTH. This means doing ONE upper body workout (Monday) with or without the volume, and ONE lower body workout (Thursday). That's if you have subpar recovery. This is another idea of a deload week.

There are so many individualized options, it's rediculous. Just picture a deload week as a week that'll MAINTAIN your strength (keeping intensity high) while allowing your body to recover throughout the week (slashing volume, frequency, or both). There's many programs that want you to take a full week OFF completely from the gym. This type of training can keep you in the gym indefinately, without even needing a week completely away from the gym.

You have to read Kelley Baggett's article I posted on one of the previous pages or else you'll be lost in the sauce pertaining to the concepts of dual factor theory.

[medium sized]

yeah i see the difference now, makes a lot more sence.
Thx

[Eric3237]

Medium, please, please don't take any offence to this question. It's meant to help. What is you training experience? What have you done? If your are still struggling with these basic defintions than perhaps a DFT, which is basically a form of ADVANCED periodization, is neither necessary or appropriate. You don't have to post here. You could make a thread.

I know that some people believe that it's either supercompensation or two factor and that the latter is "superior", but that is not really how it works. What is superior is what allows you the quickest progression (for the longest period of time hopefully) for the level of training you're at. They are not really mutually exclusive it is only that we are more conciously manipulating them on a broader time scale for the "DFT" programs.