Density Training: The Choice for Conditioning

Builder · White Belt

Density training is basically either performing more work in a given amount of time or performing a given amount of work in a shorter amount of time. The concept sounds complicated, but all it is is performing more work in a short amount of time.

How does this help an athlete? Well, depending on the way it's tweaked, it can put on muscle mass, increase strength, increase endurance and even increase agility, speed and power. Of course, every single workout will produce heaps of sweat and cause you to collapse while gasping for air.

Short rest periods help with strength endurance. Increased volume helps with muscle mass and heavier weight helps with strength. In all these workouts, you'll be getting the benefits of improved work capacity and overall metabolic conditioning.

It's an obvious fact that anaerobic training is far more beneficial than aerobic training for the majority of sports including martial arts, because martial arts is an anaerobic sport. It's also proven that anaerobic training improves both anaerobic endurance and aerobic endurance, while aerobic exercise only improves aerobic endurance.

How do you do density training? A simple example would be performing an anaerobic exercise. Let's pick the clean and jerk. Perform the clean and jerk for five minutes. You can rest as long as you want, but try to complete as many as you can for the duration of five minutes. Let's say you used a weight of 75 pounds and were able to get in 20 reps. Your goal for the next workout is to try to get in at least 21 reps in 5 minutes. Once you get up to a high number, such as 30 reps, start over and continue in the same way.

Many strength coaches suggest performing the same exercise for 20 minutes, but this can get boring. You can split up the twenty minutes by alternating between two exercises, such is the case in Charles Staley's Escalating Density Training. You can choose more exercises, up to five or even devote five minutes each to four different exercises. There is a myriad of ways that you can apply this concept of achieving more in a shorter amount of time.

We looked at time, now lets look at reps. You can choose a particular set of reps and try to complete them as fast as possible. For example, let's say you choose to do one arm barbell snatches for 30 reps in each arm. Keep going, resting as long as you need, until you reach 30 reps in each arm. Record the time and try to beat the time in your next workout.

We've already looked at the benefits of density training. I mentioned that density training can not only improve your aesthetic components, such as fat loss and muscle gains but can also improve your endurance and strength. This is great, but what about during a fight where you need power, strength and most importantly, agility. Well, it all depends on what exercises you choose. For power, you can choose an Olympic movement like the the clean and jerk. For speed, you can perform sprints. For agility, you can perform an agility drill.

Because you're not performing a set amount of sets and reps and you're including the time factor, you'll be battling with fatigue. This fatigue will come faster than usual, if you were to just perform straight sets or jogging and thus the fatigue will mimic a real fight, where you're not in control of the intensity of your opponent.

The most important thing is proper form. Do not substitute form for anything. You will be endangering yourself for injury the worse your form gets, especially when you try to increase your reps or lift more weight.

Now that we have a basic understanding of density training, let's take a look at some common density workouts.

Escalating Density Training
I've mentioned this before. You basically alternate between two antagonistic exercises for a duration of time. Usually the time is between 10 to 20 minutes.

Singles and Doubles
Matt Wiggins focus is working with singles and doubles for multiple sets while keeping rest periods low.

Density Conditioning
Matt Wiggins once again applies the concept of density training to include more sport related conditioning, include sprinting and agility.

Circular Strength Training
Coach Sonnan's own adaptation of density training, which seems to be the most fun out of all of them.

I hope that all of you will experiment with density training and will be able to implement the concept of density training into your regular martial arts conditioning.
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Patrick · KF Administrator

Thank you for the submission.

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ninjanurse · KF Sensei

Informative article!

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Heidi-A student of the arts
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italian_guy · Black Belt

Yep, very interesting.

JimmyNewton · Green Belt

ive been working out in the gym as well as karate practce for years and this denisty training cincept is new to me, but one that i think I will give a shot
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kchenault · Black Belt

Thanks for the article. I am currently undergoing trying to start-up a workout routine at home to go with my new dietary goals. I have lost a total of 16.5 lbs. My main concern is losing muscle mass as opposed to fat. Could you detail or list some good exercises for building muscle and burning fat. I have recently purchased an ebook by Tom Venuto entitled Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle. Very informative. Lots on nutrition and exercise, as well as, body typing and fat loss. He is a ntural body builder that compiled all the info in the book. Sorry, I ramble sometimes.

Anyway, good article. Where would hitting the bag for 5 minutes straight with intensity fall in the scheme of things?
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Low Blue belt - ITF MDK TKD
High Blue belt - WTF MDK TKD
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bushido_man96 · KF Sensei

These are some very interesting workout ideas. Thanks for sharing them.
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