The Famous 20 Minute (Have It All) Exercise Session

Editors Comment: There are a lot of fancy exercise systems available today, and it seems the prices keep rising, along with the zen-like oceans of fancy rhetoric and half-page pull quotes. However, the best systems are still the most simple. The article below gives a great workout by Bryce Lane

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The Famous 20 Minute (Have It All) Exercise Session

The basics

I have thougth many times about one workout that could give you “it all” or as close to it as possible. A simple, short, to the point workout where you would get stronger in a very practical sense, increase your work capacity and conditioning level and add bulk if you eat like you mean business. A no-nonsense workout that could take you from dweeb to superhuman for the price of blood, sweat and twenty minutes of your TeeVee time a few days a week. I got the basic idea for this from an article by Charles Staley called “Escalating density training” which was more about bodybuilding. This is a great deal more general and is aimed at people who want “the big picture”, and the bigger the better.

Here’s how it works. For twenty minutes you do as many reps as you can of your chosen compound exercise, squats, deadlifts, power cleans or snatches, clean & presses etc. You do this twice a week. You use the same weight throught the twenty minutes. About 75-80% of your gym-maximun in good clean form is fine to start. Begin with something you can easily do and add as you can.

Do sets of twos, threes or even fives or tens, your choice, mix it up if you need to. Do a set and when you are able to focus again, then do another. When you can get the right number of reps in that twenty minutes then up the weight 5-10% next time and work up again. I like 10% jumps since I tend to do better with a bigger drop in volume and more of a challenge with the weight. However if you like the more gradual approach then by all means, use it.

I try to shoot for fifty in that twenty minutes since that number both keeps up my heart rate and breathing and makes it possible for me to use heavy weight in the 75-85% range. However the number you choose could just as well be anywhere between 20 (anything less than this isn’t really doing much) and 100 reps (higher than this and the weight may be too small). If you can do 100 reps with 1.5 x bodyweight in 20 min. in the squat then you are one very conditioned individual with plenty of useful strength as well. That’s something to shoot for; or 50 reps 2 x bodyweight in 20 min. in the squat or 50 reps x bodyweight in the barbell clean and press are other worthy goals. I’m sure you can see the idea.

Here are a few exercise combinations you might consider:

My Favorite:

Mon/Thur.– Barbell Clean & press-20min

Tues/Fri– OL Squat -20min

Another:

Mon/Thur–Deadlift–20min

Tues/Fri–Dips + chins supersetted-20min. (there are many combinations to do this way)

Or:

Mon/Thurs–DB Clean & Press–20min

Tues/Fri–DB Farmers walk–20min (intervals of as long as you can go instead of reps)

For odd object fanatics

Mon/thur–Barrel or sandbag clean & press–20 min.

Tues/fri–heavy object carry for distance–20min (intervals of as long as you can go instead of reps)

Or:

Mon/thurs–Rock or barrel lift –20min

Tue/Fri–Sandbag curl& press, Farmers walk each 20min. (if you are very-very serious)

You get the idea. Use compound exercises that will get your heart and lungs going along with everything else. If you want to do an assistance exercise or two, do them afterwards and not too many of them. For most of you that won’t be much of a problem for obvious reasons. I like doing rockovers (tilt up barbell then support in balance with one hand) and curls. When you are finished, lay down, get your breath back and go have a carton of milk, a protein drink, or eat a nice big meal. You just earned it.

At the same time you have done many lifts with a high percentage of your max, you have gotten your heart and lungs working “overtime-plus”, you have done a great deal of “work” in the mechanical sense, and you have only used twenty minutes to do the whole job.

If you start by doing 30 reps with say 300# in the squat and after a couple of sessions you get fifty, You are of course stronger, you have increased your conditioning and work capacity and if you eat enough decent food you will likely increase your muscle mass also. You can pretty much forget about all the complicated set/rep and weekly schemes and simply concentrate on doing more work in your alloted time. When you reach fifty reps or your chosen number, then you increase the weight and work up again.

Helpers

Is it really that simple? For the most part, yes. However not everything is so smooth sometimes, you will have staleness and reverses eventually. Here are a few little detours to make sure your progress continues.

The first is to take a week off from the regular work and do only heavy singles. Go in and work up to one to three reasonably heavy singles in your chosen lifts, You can do this every day or every other day. I like every day, but some people don’t get along well with that and should go every other day or monday/wed/friday. Some of you may find it useful to do three weeks of the regular twenty minute sets and then on the last week of the four, do the singles, find out how much stronger you are now and get a little bit of a rest before you go full out again.

Another approach is suppose you simply can’t get past 300# x40 in your twenty minutes of squatting? You can keep hammering away or you can increase the weight to 325# or 330#, then work up to thirty with that, then drop back to the 300#’s and get the fifty much easier. You can also take all the time you like to get the correct number of reps and then aim for decreasing the time it takes you to do them till you get down under 20min.

Yet another is for if you are more interested in the conditioning aspect or tend to run out of breath quicker than you might like. You drop the weight a bit and work towards doing many more reps than fifty. Use that as a starting point and shoot for the moon. Work up to one hundred reps if you can. If you can do that with anything over 1.5x bodyweight then there is not much in nature, sports, work or life that will wear you out.

One more idea is to pick a similar exercise and change to that one for awhile. It should be very similar though. Switching from full squats to leg presses, isn’t going to be a big help, but changing from squats to, front squats or deadlifts would be fine. You will still be getting plenty of work, that’s for sure!

One way to arrange a program using a couple of these strategies is:

Three weeks:

Mon/Thurs –BB Clean & Press–20min

Tues/Fri–OL Squats–20 min

One week

M,W,F,–BB Clean & press–work up to near max single

T,Th, Sat,–OL Squat–work up to near max singl

Three weeks

Mon/thur–Bench press–20min

Tues/Fri– Deadlift, trap bar Deadlift or high pull–20min

One week

Mon/thur–Bench press– work up to near max single

Tues/Fri– Deadlift, trap bar Deadlift or high pull– work up to near max single

And so on in a two month repeating cycle. There are other ways using these ideas also that you can easily imagine on your own.

This is “the whole enchilada” so to say. I could make this a much longer article but it really is this simple. You can get stronger, better conditioned, and even bigger in twenty minutes a day, four days a week. If there is a better deal out there, buy it, then write me!

Source: www.ironsports.tv

Escalating Density Training: Not For The Faint Of Heart

Well, I’ve been working out with a technique called Escalating Density Training for a few weeks now and I’ve got to admit, it is brutal training. I wrote a post about it on December 16, 2007 and then went at it to prove it.

On a personal level, this type of training will fit well into a complicated work schedule. It emphasizes compound movements in a restricted time period to greatly increase the intensity, volume and density of training without adding hours to your fitness regimen.

The training concept is simple: you perform (3) 15-Minute PR Zones where you’ll attempt to accumulate as many total reps as possible and then improve upon that number every workout. Each and every workout you know how long it’ll last and you also know exactly what you need to accomplish. Note that you can also reduce the rest periods between PR zones thereby further increasing the density.

Anyways, came home tonight from my leg workout and am still heavily fatigued. I performed 74 sets in 26 minutes, keeping the PR zones to 10 minutes each (since I am working out legs alone) and did not rest between the zones. Figured that was enough for the initial workouts, and my legs agree, as they feel like they’ve been pounded heavily and continuously with a rubber mallet. Of course such a hectic pace prevents me from using really heavy weights, but as I keep at it, I will go heavier to break previous records.

Have a look at my previous post on this subject (see link above) to familiarize yourself more with the training concept and then give it a try. It’s not for the faint of heart, but I think the results will speak for themselves.

Escalating Density Training: Taking It To The Next Level

Editors Comment: the following article is from staleytraining.com, and I think it will give you some great insight into taking your training to the next level. The subject is on Escalating Density Training, and it could just be what you need to get out of your training rut.

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The EDT Fat Loss Solution: Lose 1/2% Fat Per Week With NO Dietary Changes!

By Alwyn Cosgrove, CSCS and Charles Staley, MSS

As it turns out, EDT is perhaps the simplest and most effective training technique available for body composition training. I was recently talking to my colleague Alwyn Cosgrove, owner of Results Fitness Training in Newhall, California has been using EDT-inspired training programs to facilitate rapid losses in bodyfat with his clients for several months now. In fact, Alwyn claims an average loss of 2% bodyfat per month with no dietary changes at all. However, there is a price to be paid for quick results, and this program does exact a heavy toll. Cosgrove joking refers to it as Rambo training it’s not for wussies. I agree, but at the same time, this is about as fun as hard work can be. Have a look.

The Program

This EDT cycle is simple, brief and yet quite brutal. You’ll perform (3) 15-Minute PR Zones where you’ll attempt to accumulate as many total reps as possible and then improve upon that number every workout (see EDT Loading Parameters for more details). Each and every workout you know how long it’ll last and you also know exactly what you need to accomplish. It’s that simple. Here’s your program, make exercise substitutions if equipment or injury restrictions warrant.

Monday

First PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Chins
A-2: Hack Squat

Rest: 5 Minutes

Second PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Rows
A-2: Seated Leg Curl

Rest: 5 Minutes

Third PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Overhead Press Machine
A-2: Incline Board Sit-Ups

Wednesday

First PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Dips
A-2: Back Extension

Rest: 5 Minutes

Second PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Incline Press Machine
A-2: Leg Extension

Rest: 5 Minutes

Third PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
A-2: Reverse Trunk Twist on Ball

Friday

First PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Dumbbell Deadlift
A-2: Push Press

Rest: 5 Minutes

Second PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Preacher Curl
A-2: Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension

Rest: 5 Minutes

Third PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A-1: Standing Lateral Raise
A-2: Prone Ball Roll

COSGROVE: Note that you can also reduce the rest periods between PR zones thereby further increasing the density. I also prefer to have a bigger rep buffer. In regular EDT I allow 20% more reps before I increase the loads. In Fat loss EDT I don’t increase the loads until you perform 30% more reps. I think the higher volume helps with fat loss (this assumes a good load selection initially). Another rule I use is that the eccentric phase should be controlled, the concentric should be accelerative.

EDT Loading Parameters

For those not yet familiar with EDT’s unique loading parameters, here’s the nuts and bolts:

• Escalating Density Training is based on the concept of doing more and more work from workout to workout. Therefore, it’s critical that your exercise biomechanics (i.e., technique) is consistent on every workout. If you perform strict curls on one workout and loose form the next, you aren’t really doing more work (for the arms at least!)

• 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.

• Each workout in this cycle consists of (3) PR Zones of 15-minutes duration separated by a short (5-minute) rest periods. In each PR Zone, you’ll generally perform two exercises, for a total of 3-4 exercises per workout.

• In each PR Zone, you’ll typically perform two antagonistic exercises in alternating fashion, back and forth, using the same weight for all sets, until the PR Zone has elapsed.

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

• Sets/Reps/Rest Intervals: This is where EDT is truly unique. 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 fewer reps per set and longer rest intervals as fatigue accumulates. As an example, you might begin by performing sets of 5 with very short (10-15 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 time limit approaches, you might crank out a few singles in an effort of accomplish as many repetitions as possible in the time allotted.

• NOTE: 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 percent or more, start the next workout with 5 percent more weight and start over. Similarly, if you manage to improve upon your last performance (for the same workout) by 40 percent, then you’ll increase your weights by 10 percent on the next workout.

PROGRESS ACCELERATION TIPS:

I like amino acids as the post workout meal – an hour later I have a shake with fiber when training for fat loss.

Aerobics: avoid like the plague – they cause you to lose muscle, and they help you to become more efficient at burning fat. So how would you like your fat burning machinery to get smaller and more efficient when you are trying to lose fat ? Thought so.

For the EXTREME RAMBO HARDCORE ADDICT: Do EDT using hybrid lifts – see below. Another very cool yet brutal tip is to do TWO 15 min periods in the workout but perform TWO EDT workouts per day. Brutal but it’ll carve you up.

First PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A1 Alternating max lunge
A2 Seated Cable Rows

Second PR Zone (15 Minutes)
B1 Step Up
B2 Push up-prone tuck combo

Third PR Zone (15 Minutes)
C1 DB Squat and Press
C2 Close Grip Pulldown

Day Two :

First PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A1 Bulgarian Split Squat
A2 Push Press

Second PR Zone (15 Minutes)
B1 SHELC
B2 Seated Row to neck

Second PR Zone (15 Minutes)
C1 Good morning squat hybrid
C2 Incline Db Press

Day Three :

First PR Zone (15 Minutes)
A1 Deadlift
A2 Pullover

Second PR Zone (15 Minutes)
B1 Lateral Lunge and touch
B2 Arnold Press

Third PR Zone (15 Minutes)
C1 DB Swiss Ball Crunch
C2 Bent Over DB Row

Density Training For Infinite Intensity

When a biological system (like muscle) experiences a challenge, it modifies itself in order to be able to more easily meet similar challenges in the future. That’s quite a statement, but factually true. Muscle adapts – growing (or atrophying) in direct proportion to the amount of stimulus it is forced to endure.

There’s a lot of recommendations in the world of training systems; with an endless array of often conflicting recommendations regarding exercise selection, reps and sets, rest periods, partials, supersets, and so on. But what matters most in training is the work per unit of time, which causes increased muscle growth.

Work is reflected in the following equation: M x D = W (M= mass or weight, D = distance, and W = work). In relation to engines and sports cars, it’s called “horsepower.” Everyone knows that, a bigger engine with more cylinders produces more horsepower, all else equal. The same applies to your muscles.

All training principles motivate you to do more and more work over time, and if your’s is getting somewhat stale, then try “Density Training” – a time efficient, foolproof workout routine which will improve your weak areas, up your numbers and deliver rapid results.

In a nutshell, density training preferentially targets “Intermediate Twitch Muscle Fibers, as well as the nutrient delivery and waste removal systems associated with these fibers, which all then hypertrophy in response. Use it as another weapon in your training arsenal to generate a high mass (of exercise) per unit (of time).

The goal of density training is to perform as much as possible in a given time frame. For example, how long would it take you to swing a sledgehammer onto an old tractor tire 100 times? You must do this as fast (and safe) as possible and also to strive to reduce the time required to fulfill this objective over time. When 100 repetitions becomes easy for you, either increase the weight (of the sledgehammer) or increase the number of swings. Not too complicated, right?

Density training is useful for many exercises:

1. 50 metre sprints – sprint this distance as many times as possible in 10 minutes.
2. Heavy bag training – how many punches can you throw in three, five or ten minute intervals?
3. Dumbbell snatches – how many of these can you perform in ten minutes?
4. Burpees – do as many as possible in ten minutes
5. Sandbag clean and press – clean and press a 50 or 100 pound sandbag as many times as possible in ten minutes.
6. Squats - how many squats can you perform in ten minutes?

Each time you repeat the workout; your objective is to 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.

All conditioning workouts can be approached with a density mindset. Perform as much as possible during each session; maximizing your time and minimizing the lazy attitude. Then get ready for some pain – but also some sweet results.