by Jeremy Markum
Are you looking for another way to progress that doesn't require adding more weight to the bar? Are you stuck and stagnate? Well give Density Training a try. If you don't, I guarantee you will hit a plateau.
Density, as it pertains to resistanct training, is the amount of Work performed per unit time. And yes, "time" is critical here, because it's the variable we're going to manipulate to ensure Progression, and a simple one at that.
(By the way, Work equals Force X's Distance, and when we're talking engines and sports cars, it's called "Horsepower." I mention this, because everyone knows that, a bigger engine with more cylinders produces more Horsepower, all else equal. Same with your muscles.)
I won't go into why Density Training works, other than to say it preferentially targets Intermediate Twitch Muscle Fibers, and also the nutrient delivery / waste removal systems associated with these fibers, which means that these fibers and these systems will hypertrophy in response (sorry for the science speak!). If you're more curious about the mechanism than that, you can buy my Advanced Training & Nutrition Guide, where I do go into a little more detail, while at the same time, keeping it in laymen's terms. For now, here's the workout:
Let's pretend it's your day to train biceps. Here's what you do:
You will perform Standing Curls (I like doing these with an Elastic Band rather than a dumbbell).
1) Select a load (or a color with the bands) such that you think you can perform about 15 reps on your first set before reaching failure (where failure means that your form isn't PERFECT anymore, not what you can cheat up with a backward lean to shame the tower in Pisa). The exact number of reps you get isn't important anyway, only that it's over 8 reps at least.
2) Do as many reps as you can in good form, and then write down the load used (or the color of the elastic band) and the number of reps.
3) Rest EXACTLY 20 seconds.
4) Do another set of as many reps as you can. Obviously, you won't get as many reps this set as you did on your first, provided you challenged yourself on the first set, and assuming you're not some sort of genetic Density freak. 5) Rest EXACTLY 20 seconds. 6) Repeat steps 3-6 using the same load each set until you get to a total of 50 reps.
7) Once you've achieved 50 reps (or even up to 100 if you're an advanced trainee who knows they respond better to higher volume), you're done!
8) On your subsequent workout, you'll do everything exactly the same, EXCEPT, you'll cut your rest periods by 5 seconds to 15 seconds.
9) Once you're down to 5 second rest periods, you can move on to something different (ideally a routine that stresses progression by Load or Acceleration), or you can repeat this routine for one more cycle using slightly heavier loads.
This is only one variant of Density Training you could employ, but it's one of the simplest, and that's why I like it so much!
The Fitness Sage always favors the Simple, Balanced, and Profound approach to building a better body.
Are you looking for another way to progress that doesn't require adding more weight to the bar? Are you stuck and stagnate? Well give Density Training a try. If you don't, I guarantee you will hit a plateau.
Density, as it pertains to resistanct training, is the amount of Work performed per unit time. And yes, "time" is critical here, because it's the variable we're going to manipulate to ensure Progression, and a simple one at that.
(By the way, Work equals Force X's Distance, and when we're talking engines and sports cars, it's called "Horsepower." I mention this, because everyone knows that, a bigger engine with more cylinders produces more Horsepower, all else equal. Same with your muscles.)
I won't go into why Density Training works, other than to say it preferentially targets Intermediate Twitch Muscle Fibers, and also the nutrient delivery / waste removal systems associated with these fibers, which means that these fibers and these systems will hypertrophy in response (sorry for the science speak!). If you're more curious about the mechanism than that, you can buy my Advanced Training & Nutrition Guide, where I do go into a little more detail, while at the same time, keeping it in laymen's terms. For now, here's the workout:
Let's pretend it's your day to train biceps. Here's what you do:
You will perform Standing Curls (I like doing these with an Elastic Band rather than a dumbbell).
1) Select a load (or a color with the bands) such that you think you can perform about 15 reps on your first set before reaching failure (where failure means that your form isn't PERFECT anymore, not what you can cheat up with a backward lean to shame the tower in Pisa). The exact number of reps you get isn't important anyway, only that it's over 8 reps at least.
2) Do as many reps as you can in good form, and then write down the load used (or the color of the elastic band) and the number of reps.
3) Rest EXACTLY 20 seconds.
4) Do another set of as many reps as you can. Obviously, you won't get as many reps this set as you did on your first, provided you challenged yourself on the first set, and assuming you're not some sort of genetic Density freak. 5) Rest EXACTLY 20 seconds. 6) Repeat steps 3-6 using the same load each set until you get to a total of 50 reps.
7) Once you've achieved 50 reps (or even up to 100 if you're an advanced trainee who knows they respond better to higher volume), you're done!
8) On your subsequent workout, you'll do everything exactly the same, EXCEPT, you'll cut your rest periods by 5 seconds to 15 seconds.
9) Once you're down to 5 second rest periods, you can move on to something different (ideally a routine that stresses progression by Load or Acceleration), or you can repeat this routine for one more cycle using slightly heavier loads.
This is only one variant of Density Training you could employ, but it's one of the simplest, and that's why I like it so much!
The Fitness Sage always favors the Simple, Balanced, and Profound approach to building a better body.
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About the Author
Jeremy (aka The Fitness Sage) is the author of the upcoming guide: "The Tao of Functional Fitness." He has recently appeared on the "Pat Croce: Moving In" TV show, and has appeared on the cover of Men's Workout Magazine twice. You can learn more about his Profound approach to health and fitness at http://www.JeremyMarkum.com or his members-only site at http://www.JeremyMarkumInnerCircle.com.
About the Author
Jeremy (aka The Fitness Sage) is the author of the upcoming guide: "The Tao of Functional Fitness." He has recently appeared on the "Pat Croce: Moving In" TV show, and has appeared on the cover of Men's Workout Magazine twice. You can learn more about his Profound approach to health and fitness at http://www.JeremyMarkum.com or his members-only site at http://www.JeremyMarkumInnerCircle.com.
