Escalating Density Training is hard work, but it pays off.
Co-authored by Alwyn Cosgrove, CSCS

Since the inception of the Escalating Density Training system, one of the most common inquiries we receive at the office is “When are you going to write about EDT for fat loss?”

How about right now?

As it turns out, Escalating Density Training 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 Escalating Density Training Program For Fat Loss

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 ìoffî 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.

Day One:

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

Fuel For EDT

To maximize the effectiveness of this EDT fat-loss program, employ the following nutritional strategies:

1) Reduce consumption of refined carbohydrate (breads, pastas, white rice, potatoes, grains, cakes, cookies, etc.) to a bare minimum, especially later in the day.

2) Virtually all meals should contain a fiber source, expect for post-workout meals, which should ideally be a fast-absorbing protein/carb shake. Check out a cool product called Fiber Smart. This is a unique, dietary fiber made from flax seeds and other top quality ingredients to support proper function and health. It also contains Acidophilus and Bifidus to promote a health bacterial balance and amino acids to support a healthy digestive lining.

2) Eat every 3 hours for a total of 5 to 6 meals per day. No exceptions. Schedule meals as if they were appointments with yourself, because that’s what they really are when you think about it.

3) Calculate or estimate your lean body mass (total weight – fat weight) and eat one gram of animal-source protein per pound of lean bodyweight per day, divided into 5 or 6 meals. For an individual who weighs 200 pounds and is 15% body fat, this would mean 170 grams per day, which would equate to 5 meals containing 34 grams of protein per meal.

4) Hydrate! My recommended water intake is 60 percent of your bodyweight in pounds, converted to ounces, per day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 90 ounces of water per day.

5) Watch out for “hidden” sources of fat and sodium such as various salad dressings and condiments.

6) Educate yourself on the caloric value of what you eat. If you’re not losing weight (fat) you’ll need to eat slightly less calories, and/or increase caloric expenditure (via exercise). There may be some trial and error at first as you learn more about how many calories you’ll need to create an energy deficit. COSGROVE: this is key. Violate this rule and you are toast.

7) Develop strategies to cope with difficult situations, such as family get-togethers and going out to eat. COSGROVE: Fast food? Yesó it’s called grilled chicken sandwich. Fries, no.

Virtually all breakfast cereals are to be avoided – they almost always contain high levels of calories, sugar and non-existent protein and fiber content – the worst possible type of food. COSGROVE: the only cereal you can have is oatmeal. Nothing else.

9) Some saturated fat is OK, but it’s easy to take in more than you realize – be careful with salad dressings, condiments, grilled meats, fried foods, Chinese food, gravies, etc.

10) Stop analyzing everything to death and get down to basics – it’s not that difficult to figure out how to eat right. Which brings us to…

11) Staley on “simplexity”: OK, let’s get down to brass tacks here – EAT LESS! I’m often asked about the fat loss value of various foods like grapefruit, cider vinegar, etc. My patented response is “Any food will make you lose weight- if you eat too little of it.”

A little trick is in order here – the next time you feel hungry, instead of giving in to it and feeling deprived, tell yourself “OK- this is good – it’s a sign that I’m doing the right thing.” Trick yourself into believing that being hungry is desirable.

12) Here’s what Cosgrove has to say about cheating:

If you cheat: DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT change your next meal. I see many clients who overeat at one meal and then under eat at the next meal as a kind of “payback.” All you did now was screw up TWO meals.

If you cheat: get right back on track. A lot of people think after cheating – I’ve blown it – so I might as well REALLY blow it! Let me ask you – if you get a flat tire do you get out of your car and slash the other three? Hey, you have a flat tire – might as well have four, right?

13) Cosgrove on hunger: Hunger is a sign that your body is lacking in energy. At this point your body will use stored fat as a fuel source. It’s a good thing. While I agree with Dr. Eric Serrano that calories are not created equal – it’s tough to argue that eating less calories will cause anything other than weight loss. It’s the law of thermodynamics.

About The Author

Charles Staley…world-class strength/performance coach…his colleagues call him an iconoclast, a visionary, a rule-breaker. His clients call him “The Secret Weapon” for his ability to see what other coaches miss. Charles calls himself a “geek” who struggled in Phys Ed throughout school. Whatever you call him, Charles’ methods are ahead of their time and quickly produce serious results.

Click here to visit Charles’ site and grab your 5 FREE videos that will show you how to literally FORCE your body to build muscle, lose fat and gain strength with “Escalating Density Training,” Charles’ revolutionary, time-saving approach to lifting that focuses on performance NOT pain.

…you always seem to have MORE POWER than you think, don’t you?

But what if you don’t HAVE an adrenaline-jacked training buddy?

Never fear! Here’s…

How To Increase Your Reps On Any Exercise

Stupidly simple yet amazingly POWERFUL, this “quick tip” works every time for generating a bit more power…

…and it’s all PSYCHOLOGICAL!

All you have to do is, instead of counting your reps 1-2-3-etc.

Count BACKWARDS!

(Told you it was stupidly simple)

Here’s Why It Works

Just as having a spotter who’s jacked on adrenaline and caffeine forces you to dig down deep and push your body beyond any MENTAL blocks you have…

…counting BACKWARDS also “tricks” your brain to get more power out of your muscles.

Knowing that you’re getting closer and closer to the “end” of your set, your brain will almost MAGICALLY flip the switch on the afterburners and you’ll be able to get more reps than if you’d been counting the “traditional” way.

Your “Champion For The Average Joe & Jane”

The “Muscle Nerd”
Jeff Anderson
Author of Combat the Fat Workout and Hardgainer Project X

I’ve got an exercise and nutrition plan in place, clearly outlined, for the entire first 6 months of 2009.

I have a plan in place detailing

• What exercise program I’m following
• Planned increases in the work load
• Planned time off from training
• Planned changes to the program for diversity and muscle confusion
• What nutrition program I’m following
• Scheduled cleanse days
• Scheduled back to back cleanse days
• Planned single refeed days
• Planned double refeed days
• Planned reward meals
• Planned reward beverages (red wine)

Before I sat down to schedule in these various parts of the program, I took into account holidays where food might play a role, a 5 day mini vacation to Las Vegas, a wine tasting event I wanted to attend, a social get together we put together, and a possible vacation to Peru.

I find that I can focus on short intervals of time, such as 9 days or 30 day type programs, so I plan and commit to programs I create with those type of time frames in mind.

I do however, keep the bigger picture in mind so that the 9 day and 30 day minicycles piece together into larger 90 day macrocycles.

I begin with the larger picture in mind, in my case 6 months, Jan 1 2009 through July 1st, 2009. I know I’ll be away in February for 5 days, on February 17th, so I first tackle the days from the new year through February 17th, or roughly 47 days.

I calculate in a rough “working break” while I’m in Vegas, expecting to do some sort of travel workout using body weight for convenience, but allowing myself some freedom that week. It’s essentially a week off from training intensely, while switching to a lighter workout maybe twice that week. I’m also allowing for deviance from a strict nutritional program, and while keeping my goals in mind, factor in the food in Vegas. Meal replacement shakes fit the bill allowing me to keep nutritional intake steady.

I consider the first 47 days phase 1.

It seems like the trip to Vegas, creating a week off, to be a natural place to recover while preparing for phase 2, where I increase my training intensity and modify my nutritional program.

So here it is

My Exercise Program for 2009

For the first 6 months of 2008, I will be training using the Seven Minute Muscle Workout program designed by Jon Benson. (also known as 7 Minute Muscle)

The Seven Minute Muscle Workout takes me back to my earlier days of exercise when I first began working out at my lowest weight of 187 pounds. In looking back at my training journal from 1993 through 1995, it was the principles Jon outlines in the Seven Minute Muscle Workout that I was following.

The logic behind it is sound, and it’s the intensity of it that I’ve been craving for the past two or three months.

It’s also short – very short, so it works into my business goals as well. I’ve found that it takes me longer to get to and from the gym than the time I actually spend IN the gym, and yes, it’s really only a 7 minute workout. At least that’s phase 1. It does get more intense.

The 7 Minute workout program also calls for 3 minutes of abs and 9 minutes of cardio.

That’s it.

This allows me to achieve 8 hours of sleep, a drive to the gym, a quick workout and then be at my desk on time to start work. It’s quite brilliant.

In a short 26 minute audio clip, you can listen to Jon explain how the 7 Minute Muscle Workout works.

As for my nutritional program, I’ll leave that for another post.

Phase 2 Of My 2009 Training Program

After my scheduled down time in Vegas, I begin phase 2 of the Seven Minute Muscle Workout. I increase the training time to 14 minutes. Jon explains that the training time can either be doubled during one visit to the gym, or can be broken into 2 parts with one in the morning and the other in the afternoon or evening.

I plan to break them up allowing for maximum intensity during both training sessions. Breaking them apart also allows for me to increase my metabolism at two different times in the day helping to burn more calories and improving my mood from the endorphins that get released.

Phase 2 will last for a full 2 months ending one week prior to the end of April when I have another scheduled 5 day break from training.

Phase 3

Phase 3 gets more intense yet as I begin the busiest time of the workout. Phase 3 is a full 21 minutes of training per day, which I will break into 3 parts. A morning workout of 7 minutes, and afternoon workout of 7 minutes and a third workout in the evening of 7 minutes for 21 minutes total.

The third session is unlike the other 2 and again, Jon’s brilliance comes to light where he fully loads both fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers (type 1 and type 2) at each workout making sure the muscle has been fully loaded and fully thrashed, sparking new growth and while being able to do it on a calorie restricted nutritional program.

Training three times a day requires a great deal of commitment.

• Drive time to and from the gym
• Attention to laundry duties while sweating through so many clothes
• Setting priorities with training coming first, movies or social gatherings second
• Making sure to get enough sleep each night facilitating Human Growth Hormone output
• Pre-preparing meals in batches to reduce cooking times
• Factoring in shopping time for fresh vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds

Because the 7 Minute Muscle Workout can be scheduled to be a Monday to Friday program, this allows the weekends for cleansing, or catching up on other duties left out while training 3x a day. Basically, I can catch up on the weekends or factor in my cleanse days.

The third phase of my program may be 30 days long, May 1st through June 1st, or it may be 45 days long – continuing through June 15th when I’m done the Transformation contest . The unknown factor is a trip to Peru we just found out about. My fiancé has been asked to lead a photo tour of Peru with Red Lotus Tours, and I will be her assistant. We do not have a final date set for that yet.

July 1st brings phase 4, where I completely change things up and begin an Advanced Mass Building program a little different than this program, but with the same goals.

The overall goal of this training program is to gain 15 pounds of muscle and achieve single digit body fat, whatever number that may be when the time comes.

I’m having body composition measurements taken on a monthly basis by my fitness club using the laser method. This will keep me informed as to progress as I move through the various phases and help me tweak my nutritional program as required.

I trust the Seven Minute Muscle Workout. It’s sound and I will follow the principles as outlined. I wanted to jump forward to the 14 minute workout, but after a discussion with Jon, he advised me to begin at the beginning and so I am. Funny, he sounds like me. Just what I tell my own clients when they ask me how to start.

For the record, my Fiance, all 102 pounds of her, is beginning this same training program with me. It’s NOT for muscle heads and Darlene will prove that she too can begin with the beginner program for 4 to 8 weeks. Because she HAS trained before, she will be doing this for 4 weeks and then moving to the 7 minute muscle workout. Her goal is an increase of 8 pounds of muscle and to achieve 16% body fat.

As I said, it’s not for muscle heads, but apparently a professional body builder was not able to complete the 21 minute portion of it. So yes, it would kick the ass of a body builder too.