Entries from May 2008 ↓

Escalating Density Training. Sounds promising, does it not? Well, here’s my story before I delve deeper into the almighty glory and mystique that it is. Yesterday marked my bi-weekly trip to Barnes and Noble and I happened to catch a glimpse of an interesting book called Muscle Logic. Had it been any ol’ book, I’d have put it back on the shelf, but I noticed it was written by Charles Staley. If you haven’t heard of the man, he’s a nationally-recognized training coach, and a darn good one I might add (he’s got plenty of credentials to go along with his ways too). He is certainly visionary and his methods produce incredible results. Anyway, I skimmed through the book and ran up to the counter to buy it. I found what I was looking for.

Before my trip to the bookstore, I was lingering between all these different training methods we have today. Let’s see, there’s the mediocre-at-best, purely overtraining, for-steroid-users-only magazine routines. There’s German Volume Training (GVT). There’s High-Intensity Training (HIT). There’s DOGGCRAPP Training (DC). There’s Hypertrophy-Specific Training (HST). There’s Max-OT. There’s Westside Training. There’s Power/Rep Range/Shock (P/RR/S). There’s Starr’s 5×5. And then there’s Escalating Density Training (we’ll call it EDT). And let me tell you, EDT is a different kind of beast.

EDT is the culmination of many age-old strength principles, which is perhaps why it is so effective. It goes by the Principle of Progressive Overload, the Principle of Specificity, the Principle of Variation, the Principle of Individuality, and several others, all which contribute to a highly functional short and long-term program.

Here’s How EDT Works:

• Every workout contains three 15-minute segments nicknamed “PR Zones.”
• Each PR Zone typically consists of two or three exercises in antagonist pairings (opposing muscles), performed in a superset-style fashion.
• In each 15-minute PR Zone, you set a stopwatch for 15 minutes and continuously switch between the two exercises with the goal of amassing as many reps in that time limit as you can.
• The exercises are performed at a weight that would be your 10-12 rep max.
• For the first exercise, you stop reps short of fatigue and switch to the next exercise in that PR Zone. After a few reps, you switch back to the first. Repeat until time is up.
• You log the total number of reps for the each exercise within each PR Zone. The objective is to accumulate more reps on your next session. If you end up with 20% more reps than your last workout, you increase the weight.

It’s a bit confusing at first since it’s a relatively uncommon style of lifting, but once you grasp the basics and perform your first workout, you’ll understand just how much more simple it is than regular routines to gauge your progress.

Here’s an EDT routine written up by Staley as per T-Nation.com:

EDT Program

Day One (Monday)

First 15-Minute Segment:

• A-1: Machine Bench Press

• A-2: Straight Barbell Curl

Second 15-Minute Segment:

• A-1: Pec Dec

• A-2: EZ-Bar Preacher Curl

Third 15-Minute Segment:

• A-1: Flat Dumbbell Flye

• A-2: Left Arm Preacher Curl

• A-3: Right Arm Preacher Curl

Day Two (Wednesday)

First 15-Minute Segment:

• A-1: Machine Hack Squat, Feet Low on Platform, Heels-Elevated

• A-2: Seated (Supine) Leg Curl

Second 15-Minute Segment:

• A-1: Left Leg Stationary Lunge (i.e., quad emphasis)

• A-2: Right Leg Stationary Lunge (i.e., quad emphasis)

Note: Assume a short stance that promotes maximal flexion of the front knee and use dumbbells for additional loading, if needed.

Third 15-Minute Segment:

• A-1: High Cable Crunch

• A-2: Back Extension

Day Three (Friday)

First 15-Minute Segment:

• A-1: Close, Parallel-Grip Pullup

• A-2: Lying EZ-Bar Tricep Extension

Second 15-Minute Segment:

• A-1: Wide-Grip, Straight-Arm Pushdown

• A-2: Bench Dips

Third 15-Minute Segment:

• A-1: Machine Seated Row

• A-2: Reverse-Grip Tricep Pushdowns

Additional Notes

• Taking 500 mg of vitamin C a few hours prior to the workout may help to reduce post workout soreness.

• Workouts should be performed on non-consecutive days (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday.)

• I recommend 10-15 minutes of light to moderate cardio, followed by 10-15 minutes of light stretching on “off” days for the purpose of promoting active recovery and reducing soreness.

• It’s OK to make exercise substitutions if you don’t have the equipment or experience required to perform a particular exercise. However, it must be kept in mind that EDT generates massive amounts of fatigue. Therefore, this program isn’t particularly suited to exercises that require high levels of skill and concentration (e.g., power cleans, squats, deadlifts, etc.). Please use good judgment and caution should you choose to make substitutions.

• Each workout consists of (3) 15-minute time frames separated by short (5-minute) rest periods. In each time frame, you’ll perform two exercises, for a total of 6 exercises per workout.

• In each time frame, the two exercises are performed in alternating fashion, back and forth, using the same weight for all sets, until the time frame has elapsed.

• After warming up the first exercise(s), select a load that approximates a 10-12RM for each exercise. Ideally, the weight used for each exercise should be equally difficult.

• Sets, reps, and rest intervals: Most people will find it most productive to do higher repetition (but not maximal effort) sets and shorter rests at the beginning, and then gradually progress to less reps per set and longer rest intervals as fatigue accumulates. As an example, you might begin by performing sets of 6 with very short (15-30 second) rests. As you begin to fatigue, you’ll increase your rest intervals as you drop down to sets of 4, then 2, and as the 15-minute time limit approaches, you might crank out a few singles in an effort of accomplish as many repetitions as possible in 15 minutes.

• Do not perform early sets to failure, or even near failure. My recommended starting point is to do 1/2 of what is possible (e.g., 5 reps with a 10RM weight) at the beginning of the time frame. As the time limit approaches however, you’ll find yourself working at or near failure as you attempt to break your rep record.

• Progression: Each time you repeat the workout; your objective is to simply perform more total repetitions in the same time frame. As soon as you can increase the total number of reps by 20% or more, start the next workout with 5% more weight and start over. Now pull out that stopwatch, let everybody around you know that you’re not available for schmoozing, and get to it!

The routine above is an absolute killer so you may want to start with lighter weights than you normally would, so you can establish a baseline that you can exceed on your next workout. If you want to know more about EDT, the science behind it, and how you can go about creating your own routines to follow, I recommend that you purchase the book:

Muscle Logic: Escalating Density Training by Charles Staley

If you are tired of the same old monotonous, boring workouts, give EDT a go. It’s a lot of fun pushing yourself to beat your PR’s and you’ll be glad you tried it!

1. Fat Man Unleashed
2. Body Recomposition
3. Health Nut Wannabee Mom
4. The IF Life
5. Zen Habits
6. LifeDev
7. LifeHacker
8. LeanGains

If you haven’t checked these blogs out before, I highly recommend that you do. Each of these provides a wealth of information that you can’t miss out on!

Have you heard the story of Milo of Crotona? This ancient Olympic wrestler (532-516 BC) exhibited qualities similar to Hercules in that he was of massive size and stature, he possessed great strength, and he was an extraordinary athlete. He was also five times victorious from the 60th and the 62nd to the 66th Olympiad. And here’s an interesting little tidbit: Earlier in his life, upon rising each day, this old chap would hoist a young calf above his shoulders. As months passed, the calf grew larger, and Milo found himself lifting increasingly heavier loads. Even as the calf developed into a full-grown steer, Milo continued to haul it atop his shoulders. The end result of his heifer hoisting: An impressive physique  and the brute strength of a god in those primeval times.

Milo’s story presents an important lesson to be learned in human physiology. In order to obtain the muscularity and strength you desire, you must continually stress your muscles with progressively heavier loads. This is a problem I see many times in the gym when I’m not training someone. It’s surprising how many I’ve seen that lift the same weight day in and day out, and then they ask why the can’t seem to get bigger. Progression is key, and without overload, there will be no progression.

An easy solution to this problem: track your weights. Write them down in a training log and assess your performance at the conclusion of each workout. The moment you do this, you will start to recognize when the time has come to increase the weight. Strength precedes size, so as you grow stronger, you will experience gradual gains is muscle size.

I know I haven’t been as up-to-date as I usually am, too many things on my plate I guess. I’ve been studying for another certification test and I’ve also been researching and experimenting on something that is nearly dead opposite what most fitness professionals and doctors will tell you. It’s called intermittent fasting and it’s quite interesting, to say the least. Instead of five or six small meals a day, at a two to three hour frequency, I eat within an eight hour window- from 1 pm to 8 pm, consuming all of my calories during this time. And from 8 pm till 1 pm the next day, I’m fasting. I won’t go into too many details so as to keep this post short and sweet, but let’s just say the results have been amazing. My strength and lean mass has went up slightly and I’m losing fat at incredible rates. Energy levels through the roof. I’ll be posting more in-depth real soon, so keep an eye out- I’ll include what you’ll get out of intermittent fasting, how to approach it, and how to tailor it to your needs.

What is Fish Oil? Sounds [insert derogatory comment here].

Fish oil is, well, oil from a fish. It’s extracted and processed from the fatty acids of a cold-water fish (think tuna, salmon, albacore, and every other fat brother and sister fish). This oil provides omega-3 fatty acids, a rich source of fat which has innumerable health benefits.

What’s in it for me?

Well, for starters, by supplementing with fish oil, you can:

• Lower LDL (bad cholesterol).
• Increase HDL (good cholesterol).
• Reduce triglycerides in the bloodstream.
• Reduce blood pressure.
• Improve overall cardiovascular health and function.
• Prevent clot formation, thereby reducing risk of stroke or heart attack.
• Boost cognitive function, imemory capacity, and focus (brain power, baby!).
• Slap depression and anxiety in the face.
• Blunt breast, colon, prostate, and many other cancers.
• Relieve asthma symptoms.
• Reduce allergies.
• Prevent type-2 diabetes.
• Burn fat!
• Reduce inflammation in joints and muscles.
• Improve skin composition and tone.
• Ease Chron’s disease symptoms.
• Reduce or eliminate acne breakouts.
• Relieve PMS symptoms.
• Treat ADHD symptoms (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder).
• Reduce risk of contracting Alzheimer’s Disease.
• Maintain healthy hair.

What can’t fish oil do?

Unfortunately, supplementing fish oil won’t:

• Bring your dead grandma back to life.
• Make you rich (although you’ll be rich with good health!).
• Power your muscle car.
• Help you foresee the future.
• Grant you three wishes.

What’s the best fish oil product?

I’ve tried many different products and I’ve found that the best are available at health food stores like GNC and Vitamin Shoppe. I recommend a liquid version of fish oil because you get more omega-3’s per serving and its easier than swallowing handfuls of capsules every day.

MuscleBits recommends Health From The Sea Pure Fish Oil. This brand far exceeds any that I’ve seen or used and has a great price per serving. You get almost double the amount of omega 3’s per serving than you would with the generic, encapsulated forms of fish oil.

1. Stay hydrated. With the body being composed of sixty percent water, it is vital that you consume enough water. A lack of water leads to dehydration and that leads to excess water retention, catabolism, fatigue, and a whole host of other complications. Aim for a full glass of water with each meal and one-two glasses post-workout.
2. Shift calories post-workout. Adjusting calories to support more calorie consumption in the hours following your workout not only replenishes nutrients you have lost, but it also allows to maximize anabolism (a state of muscle-growth) without additional fat gain (due to an elevated metabolism).
3. Consume carbohydrates. Eating a meal higher in carbohydrates in that one to two hour window following strenuous activity will replenish glycogen reserves that have been burnt out.
4. Consume protein. Having some protein within an hour after your workout will ensure you have an ample supply of amino acids necessary for tissue growth and repair.

When most shed the sweaters for spring and summer, they reveal a smoothed-out physique as a result of winter hibernation. Then spring comes and folks begin their “diets” in pursuit of the prized beach bod, hoping they’ll turn a few heads when they hit the sand. Along comes a big problem: diet adherence. Many fall off and give up altogether for a multitude of reasons, whether it be lack of proper planning, unrealistic goals, insufficient time allotted, or what have you. Listed below are four ways you can ensure consistency and success:

1. Set obtainable goals. I’ve trained many that claimed that no matter what they tried, they were never able to lose enough weight. The first thing I asked them is what short and long-term goals they set, and how long they expected it would take. Not surprising to me, most expected drastic changes in little time. Strive for continuous weight loss at no more than one or two pounds a week. Set incremental goals and each time you reach that goal, set another. This will help you hold fast to your diet.
   
2. Stay organized and plan for success. Another commonality of my previous clients was the absence of planning. I cannot stress the importance of planning your approach and devising a system. The best tools for guaranteed success: food logs and exercise journals. Logging your daily food intake and activities will allow you to examine what’s contributing to or hindering your success. My favorite tool for logging: FitDay. FitDay is an online food journal that allows you to track food, exercises, weight, and goals you have set. It even has a public journal feature that allows you to share your successes with others and receive critique. Give it a try!
   
3. Remember your reward. If you really stop and think about it, you are working toward something that benefits you- you aren’t trying to torture yourself without reason. Whether it be added confidence, better health, or pure physical attraction, it’s ultimately a reward that you are trying to reach. If it helps, find a picture of the ideal physique and use it as motivation. Write down that you will reach the reward, no matter what it takes.
4. Regard your diet as a “lifestyle change.” Instead of setting up something that is temporary, make a change that impacts the present and the future. Throw out that fad diet and make lasting changes that will benefit your health in the long-run. Not only does this help you reach your goals, but it also gives you the ability to maintain them for years to come.