Super Dave: David Henry's artillery for building wide lats may be light on sets but is heavy on firepower

Muscle & Fitness, August, 2006 by Bill Geiger

IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO THAT DAVID HENRY served somewhere in the sweltering heat of the Middle East during Operation Enduring Freedom. He declines to give more than a few details about his ordeal or the difficult conditions that give new meaning to the phrase survival of the fittest. Now serving in his 11th year for Uncle Sam, Dave has relocated to the safer desert confines of Tucson, Arizona. But that's not all that has changed. Quite frankly, you don't expect a guy who competed in the middleweight classes at amateur events--at a whopping 167 pounds, no less--to make much of a splash in the pro ranks, even after his 2002 Nationals win. But in his blossoming career, Dave has already notched a pro title and a second-place finish. Now 31, he shares his insight into what it's like behind enemy lines, and how he became involved in an unusually short but highly intense and effective training program called D.C. We'll explain that later.

M&F: You're still active in the military, but it's been a while since you served in the Middle East, Looking back, how did those experiences affect you?

DH: I found out how easy it is to die in a foreign country; you never know who the enemy is. There are so many infiltrators, you don't even know whether the guy serving your food is hooking you up for something or what. You better believe it made me extra-cautious.

M&F: How do you balance the long days of your dual professional careers--military and bodybuilding?

DH: It's very difficult. You make the time to do what you gotta do--that's the biggest challenge. I've been traveling the past three weekends on the road, doing photo shoots, contests. Body-building is by no means a part-time activity. It's also a challenge to find time to spend with my daughter.

M&F: You follow a somewhat unusual training system of very heavy weights and few sets and exercises. Where did you pick that up?

DH: From a guy named Dante who, along with other moderators, runs the website intensemuscle.com. I checked out some of the people he had worked with and read up on his style of training, called D.C.--it sounded awesome, and I wanted to try something different. You never want to stagnate; you always want something more. It was the first time in my career that I put my trust into a system that wasn't my own.

M&F: What's D.C.?

DH: It's kind of a long story, and I'm not sure how it came about, but it stands for doggcrapp [laughs].

M&F: You said in FLEX [March 2006] that 2005 was a big turnaround year for you. What happened?

DH: Times were tough, man. I just got a divorce and had to make some very emotional decisions. I just had to get my head together. A number of high-quality people who I call friends helped me through that, prayed for me, helped me with contest prep. Never in my life had I relied on people for emotional backing as I did recently; it helped me grow both emotionally and physically. And I made a conscious decision to try and be the best guy in this industry that I can be and show the world that I'm capable and worthy of standing on the same stage as all the top guys.

M&F: Your first pro win was the Olympia Wildcard. How did you beat out a lot of bigger guys?

DH: You don't win because you're bigger; aesthetics plays a key part, too. I thought I brought proportion, symmetry and conditioning--everything--which is what it took to win.

M&F: What was it like to compete the following night alongside guys like Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler?

DH: The feeling backstage was phenomenal--no words in my vocabulary can describe it other than I was elated, anxious, overly excited. This wasn't just another night on the job; I was truly happy to be there. These guys were the names I looked up to long ago when I was still thinking about hitting the national level. And they gave me props for my win the night before. I loved hearing that.

SNAPSHOT

BIRTHDATE

Feb. 24, 1975

BIRTHPLACE

Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center, Colorado

RESIDENCE

Tucson, Arizona

HEIGHT

5'5"

WEIGHT

203 pounds contest, 225-230 off-season

RELATIONSHIP STATUS

Single

COMPETITIVE HIGHLIGHTS

2006: Colorado Pro, 3rd; Ironman Pro, 2nd. 2005: Europa Southwest Pro, 4th; Olympia Wildcard Showdown winner

TO CONTACT

david@toopumped.net

THE ROUTINE *

EXERCISE                SETS     REPS

Pull-Up                  4        12

Reverse-Grip Bent-Over   1    8-10   6-8
 Barbell Row                     4-6 **

Seated Cable Row         1    8-10   6-8
                                 4-6 **

Dumbbell Pullover        3    to failur ^

* David chooses only two exercises from this group (which might also
include a few others) to construct a workout that's short on sets but
high on intensity.
** David starts with a very heavy weight that he can lift for just 8-10
reps, takes a 15-breath rest, then continues with 6-8 more reps,
followed by another 15-breath rest, and finishes with 4-6 reps.
^ David pyramids up the weight on successive sets, reaching failure at
about 8-10 reps.

TRAINING SPLIT

DAY  BODYPARTS TRAINED

 1   Chest, shoulders, triceps
 2   Back, biceps, forearms
 3   Legs
4-5  Rest
 6   Cycle repeats