Dual Factor Hypertrophy Training [A complete breakdown]

[phoenixcor]

thanks for the info

This is very helpful, should be sticky

 

[Freddy]

Very good, thorough post.

And like Phreezer said, board presses are very different than lockouts.

I would bother AnimalMass all the time about this subject...and he can give you the in depth answer if he wants (I could too...but this will save us both time):

Just try both. You will see how different they are.

 

[lionel]

Hey! thank you so much for this great article. butwhy does the attachment for the 8 week breakdown of 1 cycle only consist of 1 upper body and 2 lower body workouts? There is no session c.

 

[Phreezer]

Hey! thank you so much for this great article. butwhy does the attachment for the 8 week breakdown of 1 cycle only consist of 1 upper body and 2 lower body workouts? There is no session c.

You're correct..somehow session B didn't make it in the cell I cut out...I'll try and dig it up and edit it for you guys...

Maybe if we're lucky...AnimalMass will post it for us....With some of the changes he's talked about making....

 

[lionel]

Hey phreezer! Thanks for helping to try and get that training log fixed.. Real excited bout embarking on this new training split. Was on the normal mon:chest,tris wed:back fri: legs.. etc. Whats wrong with this kinda training split anyway? Tried out session A of the workout attached today and have some problems. 1) how long should the rest period be? i did it with bout 45-60s rest. 2) What do you mean by max? As in the max effort method used by the westside lifters? eg the one mentioned here:http://www.t-mag.com/html/body_133per.html Thanks a lot!

 

[lionel]

Hey, c'mon.. somebody help me please!

 

[Phreezer]

Hey, I'm sorry... I forgot all about this post...I'll post workout b right now..


Decline Dumbell Press 3x8 (-) 3x8(-) 3x8(-) 3x8(-) 3x8(-) 2x8 2x15 3x8(-)

Flat Flys ------------ 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 1x8 1x15 2x8

Push Press ----------3x3-5 3x3-5 3x3-5 3x3-5 max 3x3 2x12 3x3-5

pullups (widegrip) 3xfail 3xfail 3xfail 3xfail 3xfail 2xfail 3xfail 3xfail

Low Cable Rows 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 (off) 2x15 2x8

Lat Raises (rear side) SUPERSET x10 x10 x10 x10 x10 (off) 1x15 x10

Rotator work 2x10 2x10 2x10 2x10 2x10 (off) 1x15 2x10

Skull Crushers 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x15 2x8

Barbell Curls 3x5 3x5 3x5 3x5 3x5 3x5 2x15 3x5

Pushdowns 2x10 2x10 2x10 2x10 2x10 (off) 2x15 2x10

Hammer Curls 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 (off) 1x15 2x8

Forearms 1x45 1x45 1x45 1x45 1x45 (off) 1x45 1x45


Okay that's it...

 

[Phreezer]

Hey phreezer! Thanks for helping to try and get that training log fixed.. Real excited bout embarking on this new training split. Was on the normal mon:chest,tris wed:back fri: legs.. etc. Whats wrong with this kinda training split anyway? Tried out session A of the workout attached today and have some problems. 1) how long should the rest period be? i did it with bout 45-60s rest. 2) What do you mean by max? As in the max effort method used by the westside lifters? eg the one mentioned here:http://www.t-mag.com/html/body_133per.html Thanks a lot!

1) The rest period varies a little but I think about 1.5 - 3 minutes is about right...You should try and keep the workout around 1 hr - 1.5 hours... I talked to Animal Mass on the phone the other night, and he is going to tweak the program a little and back off the overall volume..I believe he wants to be able to finish each session in about an hour..

2) It's Max..as in 1 Rep Max. Although Dual factor and West side have similarity, they are differant workouts. Max Effort days with West side are Heavy Singles, Doubles or Triples with lots of rest in between...Where Dynamic effort will focus primarily on speed like 8X2 @ 70% 1rm with only 45 seconds to one minute between sets...

I like West Side...and am Definatly an advocate of the program. If you want to learn more about West Side..post something here, and I'm sure that between AM, Freddy, Gavin and Myself,,,we'll be able to give you the in's and out's of the program


Take care,

Phreezer

 

[lionel]

Thanks phreeze! Didin't expect a reply after so long but i appreciated it. Will try to start a post once i get freed up from school work.

 

[rjl296]

i cant seeem to open the file , i have winzip though ???

 

[Phreezer]

* (-)Low Incline Barbell Press/ Closegrip/ 5 Board Closegrip
Dips (Low Chest Dips Followed by one set of Tricep Dips)
Dumbell Extensions
(-)Seated Military Press
Dumbell Overhead Press
Barbell Rows
(-)Pulldowns
Upright Rows
(-)Barbell Curls
Dumbell Curls
Forearms (one superset of wrist curls, reverse wrist curls, and twists)

Session B (Thursday):

(-)Decline Dumbell Press
Flat Flys
*Push Press
(-)Pullups
Low Cable Rows
Lateral Raises (rear, followed by side), Rotator Work (front, side, and rear)
Skull Crushers
(-)Barbell Curls
(-)Pushdowns
Hammer Curls
Forearms (one superset)

Lower Body:

Glutes
Hamstrings
Quads
Calves
Lower Back
Traps
Abs, Obliques

Session C (Tuesday):

*Squats
*Goodmornings
*Cleans
Hack Squats (Old school barbell style are my favorite)
Straight Leg Deadlifts
Calves
Reverse Hypers
Abdominals
Obliques

Session D (Friday):

Squats (lighter)
*Deadlifts/ Trap Shrugs
Front Squats
Glute/Ham/Calf Raises
Donkey Calves
Reverse Hypers
Abdominals
Obliques

 

[Phreezer]

i cant seeem to open the file , i have winzip though ???

You should just run winzip..it's a word doc file...

 

[finafreak]

Hey, I'm sorry... I forgot all about this post...I'll post workout b right now..


Decline Dumbell Press 3x8 (-) 3x8(-) 3x8(-) 3x8(-) 3x8(-) 2x8 2x15 3x8(-)

Flat Flys ------------ 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 1x8 1x15 2x8

Push Press ----------3x3-5 3x3-5 3x3-5 3x3-5 max 3x3 2x12 3x3-5

pullups (widegrip) 3xfail 3xfail 3xfail 3xfail 3xfail 2xfail 3xfail 3xfail

Low Cable Rows 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 (off) 2x15 2x8

Lat Raises (rear side) SUPERSET x10 x10 x10 x10 x10 (off) 1x15 x10

Rotator work 2x10 2x10 2x10 2x10 2x10 (off) 1x15 2x10

Skull Crushers 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x15 2x8

Barbell Curls 3x5 3x5 3x5 3x5 3x5 3x5 2x15 3x5

Pushdowns 2x10 2x10 2x10 2x10 2x10 (off) 2x15 2x10

Hammer Curls 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 2x8 (off) 1x15 2x8

Forearms 1x45 1x45 1x45 1x45 1x45 (off) 1x45 1x45


Okay that's it...

Do you go up on weight,.on every 2 sets?


fina

 

[finafreak]

Box Squatting
By: Louie Simmons

Box squatting is the most effective method to produce a first-rate squat. This is, in my opinion, the safest way to squat because you don't use as much weight as you would with a regular squat.

Let me say first that, no, they won't hurt your spine, you don't use1000 lbs. on a 25 inch tall box, you don't rock on the box, you don't touch and go, and there is no need to do regular power squats before a meet. No knee wraps are worn nor are the straps of the suit pulled up.

By doing sets of 2 reps for at least 8 sets with short rest periods, you will get about a 200 lb. carryover to your regular squat. Two of our lifters finished their lifting cycle before a meet with 8 sets of 2 reps with 505 lbs. off a slightly below parallel box, and both squatted 700 for a meet PR One was competing in the 242s and the other as a 275. Two years before, in his first meet, our 275 pounder squatted 465 - quite an improvement!

There are many advantages to box squatting. One of the most important is recuperation. You can train more often on a box than you can doing regular squats. The original Westside boys (Culver City, CA) did them three times a week, which I feel is a bit extreme, but they paved the way for this type of training. We do them for the squat part of our workout on Fridays and occasionally on Mondays to build hip and low back power for deadlifting. The NBA's Utah Jazz do box squats for the same reason - recuperation. Greg Shepherd, their strength coach, is a former member of the Culver City gym.


The second reason is equally important. It is generally accepted that you should keep your shins perpendicular to the floor when squatting. With box squatting, you can go past this point (that is, an imaginary line drawn from your ankle to your knee will point toward your body), which places all the stress on the major squatting muscles- hips, glutes, lower back, and hamstrings. This is a tremendous advantage-

Thirdly, you don't have to ask anyone if you were parallel. Once you establish a below parallel height, all of your squats will be just that -below parallel. I have seen it over and over. As the weights get heavier, the squats get higher. This can't happen with box squats.

If your hips are weak, use a below parallel box with a wide stance. If you need low back power, use a close stance, below parallel. If your quads are weak, work on a parallel box. If you have a sticking point about 2 inches above parallel, as is common, then work on a box that is 2 inches above parallel. Our advanced squatters use all below parallel boxes. This builds so much power out of the hole that there will be no sticking points.

As an added bonus, box squats will build the deadlift as well by overloading the hips and lower back muscles. Your ability to explode off the floor will increase greatly. One of our 275 pounders, Jerry Obradovich, put 50 lbs. on his dead lift in 3 months by doing extra box squats during that time period, going from 672 to 722 at the 1994 APF Junior Nationals. Chuck Vogelpohl deadlifts only about once in 8 weeks yet pulls 793 in the 242s. Chuck relies on wide box squats on a low, 12-inch box and does a lot of reverse hypers and chest-supported rows.

Now, how do you do a box squat? They are performed just like regular squats. Fill your abdomen with air, and push out against your belt. Push your knees out as far as possible to the sides and with a tightly arched back, squat back, not down, until you completely sit on the box. Every muscle is kept tight while on the box with the exception of the hip flexors. By releasing and then contracting the hip flexors and arching the upper back, you will jump off the box, building tremendous starting strength. Remember to sit back and down, not straight down. Your hamstrings will be strengthened to a high degree, which is essential. Many don't know this, but the hamstrings are hip extensors. Some great squatters have large quads and some do not, but they all have large hamstrings where they tie into the glutes. Remember to sit on the box completely and flex off.

Now, how do you know how much you can full squat if you box squat all the time? Well, let's say you have squatted 600 lbs. in a meet and decided to box squat. Let's say you can do 550 off a parallel box; that's a 50-lb. carry-over. Now you are doing only box squats and you take a weight 4-6 weeks into the cycle. You hit a 575 squat, a 25-lb. jump on that particular box. This will carry over to your 600 contest best. So now expect a 625 at your next meet.

I recommend that you train with 65-82% of your box record on each particular box height that you use. Change box heights every 3-4 weeks. Do not base the training weight on your full squat record! Box squats are much harder than full squats! Do 8-12 sets of 2 reps with 1 minute rest between sets. This is a tough workout! The week that you reach 82%, reduce the sets to 6. Don't train with more than 82%. You can try a max the after you train with 82%. If you are going to a meet, take a weight 2 weeks before the meet. The week before the meet use 70% for 6-8 sets.

This type of squatting is hard work, but each rep shouldn't be hard. Don't get psyched up to do your sets. We have found that 2 reps is ideal because any more may cause bicipital tendonitis and if you are doing 12 sets, you are doing 12 first reps per workout. After all, the first rep is the most important one. This will make your contest squat much better. Our most talented lifters will do best on their first rep and then tire quickly whereas our lower skilled people will do better after the first rep is completed because they use the first rep as a body awareness tool. As they become more skilled, their first rep will be their best.

I know box squatting is not common, mostly because no one knows how do them. After reading this or watching my squat tape you should be fully aware of the benefits. Many great squatters have done box squats including Marv Phillips, Larry Kidney, Roger Estep, Matt Dimel, and of course George Fern, who did an 853 squat in track shorts in 1970. If box squats didn't work, we wouldn't do them. We have 20 lifters who have squatted over 700 lbs. in a meet including a 198 who has done 804. 1 hope this article clears up any misconceptions and leads to great success on the lifting platform.

When doin the box squat,.would you have be maxing out??


fina

 

[Phreezer]

Are you asking if you should max out while doing box squats?

If that is your question then the answer is no... You use box squats to make your trad squat increase..

 

[bas4lizzife]

" Intense rest and recovery techniques should be utilized on a daily basis (10 min. cardio blasts, ultra-light load high rep work for flooding an area with blood 24 hours after working that area, contrast showers, massage, water consumption, stretching, etc. although, occasionally these should be avoided to allow the body to respond to a higher state of fatigue.)
"

How do you incorporate this? For the high rep stuff would somethign like this be suitable..

mon: workout a
tues am: workout b tues pm: workout a high rep
wed pm: workout b high rep
thurs am: workout c
friday am: workout d friday pm: workout c high rep
saturday: workout d high rep

and what about cardio blasts?? Is this just a short HIIT session?

 

[Gavin Laird]

"How do you incorporate this? For the high rep stuff would somethign like this be suitable..

mon: workout a
tues am: workout b tues pm: workout a high rep
wed pm: workout b high rep
thurs am: workout c
friday am: workout d friday pm: workout c high rep
saturday: workout d high rep"

No. Just do 1 pressing and 1 pulling movment or 1 lower body movement if followiing a lower body day. Do it for time (2-6 minutes non-stop) with a load of around 30% 1RM. You should feel "better" when done than when you started.

"what about cardio blasts?? Is this just a short HIIT session?"

Can't speak for AM but here's 2 possibilities....

1 - Active recovery - Would'nt even have to be interval work - i have a few guys doing a quite lengthy active warmup that focuses on the lower body prior to training upper body - they get the effective rise in temp pre-training but also get a chance to push some more blood through their legs and get mobile again. Seems to work just fine without doing an actual HIIT type session.

2 - 30 second blasts on the stationary bike to increase blood flow and build just a little lactate. These can aid recovery from heavy low rep sessions and also speed rae of growth from what i have seen - presuem it is due to some growth factors / hormonse being mediated by lactic acid buildup but have no geek stuff on hand to prove it.

Cheers,

G.

 

[unknownskull]

muy ineteresante, ahora tendre que traducir todo esto.

 

[Oregongearhead]

Dual Factor Theory (by Animal Mass) Fitness Training Routine Guide

The Dual Factor Theory, also called Fitness Fatigue Theory is somewhat more complex than the Supercompensation Theory. The theory is based on the fact that and individual's fitness and fatigue are totally independent of each other. This theory is entirely dependant on one's base conditioning (or physical preparedness or fitness). The thing is, when you have a high level of fitness (or conditioning/ preparedness) this level changes fairly slowly. This is because over the short term fitness does not fluctuate often. (However, fatigue can change (increase or decrease) fairly quickly when compared to fitness).

"The theory works like equilibrium in that training will have an immediate effect on the body (similar to supercompensation). This effect is the combination of fatigue and gain (again, remember the equilibrium thing). So after a workout, because of the stimulus that training provides, preparedness/conditioning/fitness increases (gain) but at the same time will decrease due to fatigue from the training."

"So, the outcome of the training session is the result of both the positive and negative consequences of the training session. These two outcomes depend on time. By striking the correct balance, fatigue should be large in extent but short in how long it lasts. Gain on the other hand should be moderate, however, and is longer in duration. Typically the relationship is 1:3, if fatigue lasts x amount of time then gain lasts 3x amount of time."

"Given the two factor theory, which separates physical fitness or preparedness and fatigue, you see that the timing of individual workouts is unimportant to long term gains (unlike Supercompensation)... in other words regardless of whether or not fatigue is or is not present, fitness can and will still be increased" (which is the goal)...

So what you get concerning the two-factor theory is a period of peaking fatigue (maybe 6 weeks), followed by a period of rest (maybe 2 weeks deloading, then one or two weeks of total rest). You view entire weeks and maybe months, as you would have viewed just one workout with the single factor theory. For example, in the single factor theory, one workout represents a period of fatigue. But, in the two-factor theory, 6 weeks would represent a period of fatigue. In the single factor theory, a day or two (up to a week) represents a period of rest. But in the two-factor theory, up to four weeks may represent a period rest.

"What is important to note is that there is almost universal agreement among scientists and athletes and coaches in all sports EXCEPT bodybuilding that the two factor theory is correct and the single factor theory is not correct and is in fact suitable only for beginners to follow when planning training."

"It is also important to note that most athletes in most sports are experiencing some level of constant fatigue ALWAYS, except for maybe a couple of weekends a year, when they are peaking. Training takes place daily against a backdrop of fatigue". Therefore, you should be able to see why, concerning the single factor theory; it would be very hard to ever fully recover, unless you sat on your ass for two weeks and did nothing."

Applying it to the real world

When setting up dual factor periodization for the bodybuilder, it is important to remember to plan for periods of fatigue and periods of rest. During a fatigue period (say, 3 weeks), you slowly build up fatigue, and never fully recover. Then you have a period of recovery (another 1-3 weeks) where you train with reduced frequency, volume, or intensity. (My preference is to keep intensity high, while drastically lowering volume and slightly lowering frequency.) At any rate, the fatiguing and recovery periods most likely won't be as drastic for a bodybuilder as it would for a strength athlete because there will be no peaking phase for performance (at no point are you required as a bodybuilder to perform a competition based on strength). Additionally, bodybuilders need less fatigue and more recovery present at any given time (outside of the actual training sessions) when compared to strength athletes.

So here's what I've come up with

The general layout of the program will be to train upper body twice per week and lower body twice per week (so, we'll be providing double the training stimulus of typical one body part per day programs). The workouts will be fairly intense, heavy on free weight compound exercises, lower volume (per workout, and drastically lower volume per body part), and higher frequency than normal bodybuilding workouts. (Now, again, this is individual). Some of you won't be able to handle this amount of frequency yet, because your fitness level sucks. Some power lifters, OLY lifters, and other strength athletes train up to 20 or 30 times each week (and most of them a minimum of 10 times per week) because their fitness level is so high. If you find this level of frequency is too high, shorten the loading period and lengthen the recovery period, at first. Or, reduce the frequency to training three times per week, on a Mon, Wed, Fri, scheme, etc. until your preparedness is increased, and your body can handle the frequency.)

The real difference is in failure and periodization (this is so each body part can be trained twice per week as opposed to only once)

No exercise should be taken to failure when using sub maximal reps, however, all exercises should be taken to within one or two reps of failure by the final set of the exercise. If muscular failure is reached, there is no way you can train with an increased frequency without overtraining.

Periodization will be individual to the lifter. However, for the sake of this program a 3-week period of loading followed by one week of recovery is given. (Additionally, if one isn't fully recovered after the one week recovery period, and fatigue still builds, increase the recovery period to two weeks, or have a "recovery month" every 4 or 5 months where you'll have one week of loading and three weeks of recovery during that month to allow your body to fully recover.)

Progressive Overload is absolutely imperative in every exercise, making sure that load or reps are increased, or that rest periods are decreased to keep intensity high (during loading phases). (Of course, during the recovery phases, if volume is lowered, and frequency reduced slightly, then intensity can and should still be kept high, although the load should be reduced just slightly (approx. 10%) as there is no reason to attempt to set records through progressive overload during this time of recovery.)

Many different rep ranges will be used. I am partial to the use of rep ranges in the 3-10 range, as it tends to give the lifter a great balance of extreme muscle thickness (like the look of a bodybuilder with a power lifting background) as well as great neural efficiency.

A. Use of Neural Efficiency (as well as some Myofibril Hypertrophy) occurs in rep ranges of 1-3. (Neural Efficiency increases the percentage of motor units that can be activated at any given time. There is little to no effect on size but increases strength will be great. Little to no protein turnover occurs in this rep range as load is too high and mechanical work is too low.)

B. Mostly Myofibril and Sarcomere Hypertrophy and very little Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy occur with rep ranges of 3-5. (Sarcomere hypertrophy increases contractile proteins in muscle thereby increasing strength directly and also size. Book knowledge suggests that growth here will be mostly myofibril/ sarcomere hypertrophy and will be accompanied with strength gains in other rep ranges and improvements in neural efficiency. Therefore this is perhaps the best rep range for increasing strength. Better balance of load / work done for hypertrophies so no surprises there.)

C. Myofibril, Sarcomere, and Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy (lots of growth as well strength gain within this rep range with little transfer to 1rm) occur with rep ranges of 5-10. (Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy does not directly increase strength but can affect it by increasing tendon angle at the attachment - but of course it increases size.)

D. Some Sarcoplasmic with little Myofibril and Sarcomere Hypertrophy occur in rep ranges of 10-15. (More fatigue and a greater extent of waste products are associated with this rep range. Possibly increase in capillary density.)

E. Capillary density increases with little Sarcoplasmic growth with rep ranges above 15. (Muscle endurance begins to become a factor (but who needs that?). Also, waste products are intense lactic acid buildup to the point of making some individuals sick.)

BUMP . For Weighted chin-up and Trukker.....More Dual Factor Training (2003)

 

[showstoppa]

Bumping this to the top. This is AnimalMass's DFHT training. Many on this board used it very successfully during the early 2000's (right when the board switched to the current layout.)