Doggcrapp Training Explained: How To Do It and What You Should Know

If you were active in the fitness community online in the late 2000s, you’ve probably heard of DoggCrapp Training at one point or another. Born from the mind of industry veteran Dante Trudel, DoggCrapp has built a reputation as a no-frills, down-and-dirty approach to bodybuilding training.

DoggCrapp is a lean and mean training method that promises to transform your physique by combining principles of strength and power training with physique-focused intensity training techniques.

A bodybuilder holding dumbbells. — Credit: Fotokvadrat / Shutterstock

But before diving into DoggCrapp, you must understand how it works. And, more importantly, whether it stands up to scientific scrutiny. Here’s the deal on DoggCrapp.

What Is DoggCrapp Training?

First things first, DoggCrapp Training (DCT) has nothing to do with canines (or their excrement). Dante Trudel, the creator of the DCT system, explained in an interview for Simply Shredded that he would frequent internet fitness forums under the username “DoggCrapp.”

As his philosophy spread and his approach to programming took hold online, his unfortunately-named handle came to be associated with his approach. Hence, Trudel’s training plan is known as DoggCrapp.

How Does DoggCrapp Training Work?

Trudel has remarked that DCT differs from conventional bodybuilding workout styles, which he regards as haphazard and unplanned. Many bodybuilders opt to slam their muscles with high-volume, high-intensity training with little thought behind specific progression pathways or tactical exercise selection.

DCT goes in a different direction. Trudel admits that his plan is remarkably similar to the modern phenomenon of powerbuilding; blending high force production strength training and conventional hypertrophy exercise to both grow muscle and push performance in the gym.

A bodybuilder showing his shoulder muscles. — Credit: Nikolas_jkd / Shutterstock

In short, DCT works like this:

Choose one single movement per body part and focus on getting stronger over time in that movement.
Perform only one working set per exercise, with as many warm-up sets as necessary.
Train multiple body parts in each workout.
Work out three times per week, on a rotating “A-B” schedule (each individual muscle is trained thrice every two weeks).
Never perform the same exercise for the same muscle group twice sequentially.
Measure progressive overload and strive for one more rep, or more weight, as you did two weeks prior.
If you cannot progress on a given exercise within the two-week rotation, change exercises.
Utilize rest-pause training to increase your training intensity.
Incorporate extended fascial stretching protocols at the end of each workout.

DoggCrapp Workout Schedule

DCT utilizes an A-B rotating workout scheme, which isn’t all that dissimilar from powerlifting programs like Starting Strength or The Texas Method. It is fitting, given Trudel’s dramatic emphasis on building strength to build muscle.

“A” Workouts: Chest, shoulders, triceps, back.
“B” Workouts: Biceps, forearms, quads, hamstrings, calves.
“1, 2, 3” Workouts: Designate that you should perform different exercises.

So, if you hit the gym on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, your three weeks of training under DCT would look like this:

Week 1: A1, B1, A2
Week 2: B2, A3, B3
Week 3: A1, B1, A2

This allows you to effectively hit each of your major muscle groups multiple times per week while regularly rotating which exercises you push to the limit for maximum stimulation.

A muscular person lifting a barbell. — Credit: ALL best fitness is HERE / Shutterstock

Regarding accessory training like ab exercises, Trudel notes that you can do core work on any day following the same general protocol of several warm-up sets and then one max-effort set.

DoggCrapp Sample Workout

Here’s what a standard DCT “A” workout might look like. Note that the prescribed rep ranges are intended to be performed in a rest-pause fashion and that your “B” exercises should be different.

Trudel suggests doing 8 or 9 reps, taking a brief break, performing another handful of reps, resting again, and finishing the set.

Barbell Bench Press: 1 x 11-15
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 1 x 11-15
Skull Crusher: 1 x 11-15
Hammer Strength Row: 1 x 11-15

DoggCrapp Training Principles

Before you dive into DCT, you should understand its guiding principles. Luckily, Trudel isn’t shy about explaining his approach to strength training. Here are DoggCrapp’s primary training principles:

Progressive Overload

Any program worth its salt relies on progressive overload in one way or another, and DCT is no different. Increasing the weight you work with, the reps you perform, or the volume of exercise you carry out on a weekly basis is mandatory if you want to gain strength or size. (1)

DoggCrapp incorporates a lot of exercise variation by default and Trudel is very specific about the idea that you shouldn’t fill your workouts with multiple sets of “junk volume.” So, to create progressive overload with DCT, you’re going to have to put pounds on your barbell on a regular basis.

Low Volume, High Frequency

DCT’s high-intensity approach means you’ll have to make concessions in other aspects of your programming if you want to stay with DoggCrap for the long haul. The program is pretty lean in terms of overall training volume, relying instead on higher workout frequencies and regular “practice” of its main compound exercises.

A muscular person doing single-arm dumbbell rows. — Credit: Andy Gin / Shutterstock

When it comes to exercise frequency, the data is crystal clear: Training a muscle more than once weekly is essential for optimal growth. (2) DCT hits that mark. Moreover, the minimal effective dosage of volume to create the majority of muscle gain is surprisingly low. As few as one or two high-effort sets per week have been shown to induce significant hypertrophy, provided you actually work very close to muscular failure. (3)

Rest-Pause Training

Rest-pause sets, or what are sometimes known as cluster sets, are an advanced training technique that Trudel makes a cornerstone feature of DCT. Some literature has shown that cluster work can induce tremendous amounts of mechanical stress in a short period of time, which makes this high-intensity approach both effective and time-efficient. (4)(5)

Loaded Stretching

Trudel recommends performing moderate-duration “extreme stretching” for certain body parts at the end of each workout. Namely, the chest, quadriceps, and calves. He recommends holding the muscle in a stretched position for 60-90 seconds right after you finish training it.

Stretching protocols like these are commonplace in high-level bodybuilding routines, but lack substantial empirical support. However, there’s a lot of compelling data behind the value of placing tension on a muscle while it is stretched as a main contributor to hypertrophy. (6)

Exercise Selection for DoggCrapp Training

The A-B rotating scheme of DCT is intended to help you maintain a level of variety in your routine while also avoiding potential strength training plateaus. Trudel doesn’t mandate any specific exercises, but highly encourages that most of your work consist of multi-joint compound exercises that have a viable pathway of progression to them.

A muscular person on a bench press lifting a barbell on an incline bench. — Credit: ARENA Creative / Shutterstock

It’s simply easier to incrementally add weight to an exercise like the barbell bench press than, say, a cable flye. By relying on compound movements, you can ensure that you’re adding poundage to your workouts on a regular basis.

Suggested Diet for DoggCrapp Training

Trudel also makes several dietary recommendations for practitioners of DCT. Note that while he does own several nutritional supplement companies, Trudel himself is not a registered dietitian. The recommendations below are based on his firsthand experience while developing DCT:

Consume a high amount of dietary protein, between 1.5 and 2 grams per pound of body weight.
Drink the same amount of gallons of water per day as your protein-to-bodyweight ratio.
Consume no carbohydrates after 6:00 p.m., unless they come immediately post-workout.
Avoid meals that consist solely of carbohydrates and fat.
Within individual meals, consume protein-rich foods first, followed by fruits or vegetables, and then carbs last.

While Trudel’s general DCT dietary advice is sound, not all of it stands up to contemporary scientific literature. For instance, while increasing dietary protein does appear to encourage further muscle protein synthesis, this only occurs up to a point. (7) If you’re in a caloric surplus, consuming above 1 to 1.2 grams per pound of your weight may not confer additional benefits. (8)

A muscular person eating in the gym. — Credit: Bojan656 / Shutterstock

[Read More: The Definitive Guide to Bodybuilding Meal Prep]

Furthermore, there’s no specific harmful effect of consuming carbohydrates in the evening or close to bed with regard to body composition or performance. Eating a sugary meal may affect your ability to fall asleep, but there’s no biological switch that flips after 6:00 p.m. that will lead to those carbs being stored as fat. In fact, some data have shown that pre-sleep carbs mixed with protein elicit “favorable effects on next-morning metabolism.” (9)

References

Williams, T. D., Tolusso, D. V., Fedewa, M. V., & Esco, M. R. (2017). Comparison of Periodized and Non-Periodized Resistance Training on Maximal Strength: A Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 47(10), 2083–2100.
Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2016). Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 46(11), 1689–1697.
Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2017). Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of sports sciences, 35(11), 1073–1082.
Oliver, J. M., Kreutzer, A., Jenke, S., Phillips, M. D., Mitchell, J. B., & Jones, M. T. (2015). Acute response to cluster sets in trained and untrained men. European journal of applied physiology, 115(11), 2383–2393.
Krzysztofik, M., Wilk, M., Wojdała, G., & Gołaś, A. (2019). Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(24), 4897.
Nunes, J. P., Jacinto, J. L., Ribeiro, A. S., Mayhew, J. L., Nakamura, M., Capel, D. M. G., Santos, L. R., Santos, L., Cyrino, E. S., & Aguiar, A. F. (2020). Placing Greater Torque at Shorter or Longer Muscle Lengths? Effects of Cable vs. Barbell Preacher Curl Training on Muscular Strength and Hypertrophy in Young Adults. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(16), 5859.
Tagawa, R., Watanabe, D., Ito, K., Ueda, K., Nakayama, K., Sanbongi, C., & Miyachi, M. (2020). Dose-response relationship between protein intake and muscle mass increase: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition reviews, 79(1), 66–75. Advance online publication.
Morton, R. W., Murphy, K. T., McKellar, S. R., Schoenfeld, B. J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., Aragon, A. A., Devries, M. C., Banfield, L., Krieger, J. W., & Phillips, S. M. (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British journal of sports medicine, 52(6), 376–384.
Madzima, T. A., Panton, L. B., Fretti, S. K., Kinsey, A. W., & Ormsbee, M. J. (2014). Night-time consumption of protein or carbohydrate results in increased morning resting energy expenditure in active college-aged men. The British journal of nutrition, 111(1), 71–77.

Featured Image: Fotokvadrat / Shutterstock

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