Gravity Fx Fitness

I recently switched my workouts to density training to add some lean muscle tissue while losing fat.  This is a little different than “bulking” phases that bodybuilders sometimes use.

In my previous article, I talked about how density training involves getting more work done in a set amount of time.  Most people can increase the weight or reps they do for a limited amount of time.

To get further results you have to make changes in your routine.  EDT has you seeing how many total reps you can achieve in a time period, usually 15 minutes.  Next time you would try to do more reps for the same weight and exercise.

This is a very time efficient way of training and gets great results.  It allows you to delay fatigue and get more work done (total reps) which can simultaneously build muscle and burn a lot of calories.

For example, Saturday I did sandbag squats with 135 pounds.  Holding a large sandbag across the front of your shoulders is a great challenge for your abs and low back, besides the lower body work being done.

I haven’t been doing this exercise recently and am using the density method to strengthen my body with this challenging exercise.  Saturday I did 18 reps in 15 minutes.  The idea is to increase the total number of reps in the next workout and the workouts to follow.

By not going all out on each set, I delay fatigue and am able to do more total reps this way.  By increasing the amount of work with every workout, my body is forced to make changes – increased strength, lean muscle tissue and increased calorie burn (weight loss).

Usually you would switch back and forth between two opposing exercises, but this exercise strongly challenges not just your lower body but your core, as well.

I noticed some soreness in my abs yesterday even though I didn’t do any direct exercises for them – compound exercises (multi-joint) are the way to go if you want a time-efficient workout.

Get moving!

Brian

Tweet This Post

Density training is a way to increase your fat burning potential while building lean muscle tissue.

Resistance training is important for elevating your metabolism.  When you build lean muscle tissue, you end up with a faster metabolism, as you now have more muscle tissue that burns more calories.

When you first start lifting weights, you quickly increase the amount of weight you can use and/or the number of reps you are capable of.

This is due to your nervous system learning how to move the weights more efficiently – your muscle coordination increases quickly, for a while…..over time, the strength gains slow down and you sometimes struggle to lift more weight.

Typically, you either increase the amount of weight (load) and/or the amount of sets and reps.  For example, if you lift a 100 lb. weight for 2 sets of 10 repetitions, you can increase the amount of work you do, by doing 3 or 4 sets of 10 with the same load (weight).

With density training, you would seek to do more work in a set period of time.  Say it takes you 10 minutes to lift the 100 lbs. for 4 sets of 10 reps (40 total reps).

If you now do 45 reps in the same time period (10 min.), your muscles did more work.  More work = more gains/better benefits.  Density training will have you choose two opposing exercises for a set period of time – usually 15 to 20 minutes.

You might do a pushing movement paired with a pulling movement, like a bench press with a seated row, or a leg movement paired with a shoulder exercise.  Pick a weight that you can do 10 reps maximum and do only 5 reps of the first movement before doing the alternative exercise.

At first, the rest periods will be short, then getting slightly longer as you start to get fatigued.  By doing less reps, you avoid getting fatigued early, allowing you to do a lot of total reps in the 15 or 20 minute period.

Keep track of how many reps you do and try to beat that number with each training session.  Over time, you would increase the weight a small amount.  This type of system allows you to set a new PR (personal record) each time out, so you have a goal to beat with every training session.

Besides providing plenty of motivation, this allows you to avoid hitting a plateau as often as the traditional method that most people use.  Obviously, this will lead to greater results.  By choosing exercises that involve compound movements (multi-joint), you end up working a lot of muscle fibers in each workout.

Generally speaking, the more muscle fibers worked, the greater the number of calories burned.  So if looking to build overall muscle and/or burn more fat, you would minimize the number of isolation exercises.

You could use three 15 minute sessions per workout or two 20 minute periods per workout, usually resting about 5 minutes in between.  This system is called EDT (Escalating Density Training) and was developed by coach Charles Staley.

With this method you don’t need to do much, if any cardio to burn fat, but be prepared - you will be working harder than normal and may have a little more soreness!

I am going back to using this system for a while to try and increase my strength and lose some fat at the same time.  Staley’s  clients have seen some great progress with this method.  I’ll keep you updated on my own progress over the coming weeks.

Get moving!

Brian Morgan

Tweet This Post