By Charles Staley, B.Sc,
MSS
Director, Staley Training Systems
During my recent talks in Bellaria
Italy, a theme developed which reflects what I consider to be a
problem in the way that most people think about resistance training.
In particular, during one roundtable discussion on EDT training,
I fielded numerous questions about the so-called “correct”
number of sets, reps, rest duration, etc., etc., for EDT workouts.
Finally, I saw the underlying problem
behind the various questions I was fielding: the
attendees were focusing too much on the means of optimal weight
training and not enough on the ends. As I thought about
it, virtually ALL resistance training systems and philosophies focus
on means, often to the total exclusion of the ends.
Case in point: HIT training. HIT (which
stands for "High Intensity Training") revolves around
the performance of only one (or sometimes two), all-out sets to
failure, as opposed to the more conventional methodology of several
sets per exercise. Thus, the defining feature of HIT is the use
of an unusual set of means.
Another example of a popular training
system that focuses on means is Power Factor Training. This system
advocates the use of restricted range of motion (for example, performing
leg presses over the last 6 inches of extension only) in order to
allow for the use of heavier loads. Again, the salient feature of
this system is the means rather than the ends.
Enter Escalating Density Training
As I described to my lecture audiences
in Italy, when I set out to codify the training system I had been
gradually developing over the course of several years (the system
that eventually came to be known as Escalating
Density Training, or EDT for short), I eventually arrived
at an arresting premise: in resistance
training, the ends must dictate the means.
This realization struck me as profound,
because it’s the exact opposite approach that virtually all
other systems are based on! So in other words, what I became focused
on is this question: "How can I organize sets, reps, rest intervals,
etc., in such a way that I can perform the most amount of work possible
in a pre-determined time frame?" (which in EDT parlance, we
call "PR Zones").
In the process of asking this question,
a fundamental truth emerged: work capacity is a function of managing
(rather than seeking) fatigue.
This principle is universal in the
lives of all successful people in all fields of endeavor. It is
the hallmark of all effective people. In his excellent book Leadership,
Rudolph Giuliani states that one of his primary objectives was to
get as much done as possible in the first hour of the day, while
his energy was still high.
This is a strategy that I have used
in my own professional life for many years, and maybe you have too.
The point is simple: effectiveness, whether at the office, at
home, or in the weight room, is a function of managing energy.
EDT manages energy expenditure in
the following seven ways:
1) Antagonistic Pairings:
Sherrington’s Law states that
when a muscle contracts, it’s antagonist must relaxó
otherwise, no movement would occur. Therefore, if the trainee performs
a set of leg extensions in between two sets of leg curls, each muscle
group recovers faster as a result of the work performed by it’s
antagonist. In EDT, three type of antagonists are recognized:
True Antagonist:
For example, pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi
Bilateral Antagonist:
When using unilateral exercises (such as dumbbell rows for example),
the left side becomes the ìantagonistî for the right
side, and vice versa.
Proximal Antagonist: In
some regimes of EDT training, two distal muscle groups are trained
together in the same PR as a way to manage fatigue. For example,
leg curls and incline presses.
2) Optimal force-velocity relationship:
In the body composition aspect of
EDT training, trainees are advised to select a weight that can be
lifted 10 (but not 11) times - in other words, a 10RM weight. Most
importantly, each PR Zone starts with sets of 5 with this 10RM weight
- exactly the opposite of what most training systems recommend.
The rationale? By selecting a moderate
weight and lifting it acceleratively (See point # 7 on CAT training
below), we strike a balance between force and speed which results
in the highest possible motor unit recruitment and work output.
3) The Chronological Governor (PR
Zones):
Most automobiles have a "governor"
which sets a limit on how fast the vehicle may be driven. This is
designed to protect both the vehicle and yourself. EDT training
uses a similar device, called the PR Zone, to limit the amount of
high intensity work you perform in an exercise session.
Typically, EDT workouts feature 2-3
PR Zones, usually 15 minutes in duration. Note that most exercise
systems provide you with a certain number of exercises, sets, and
reps, and then you perform that workout, regardless of how long
it takes to complete. EDT employs the opposite approach: you
first set the time limit, and then perform as much work as possible
within this time frame.
4) Definitive Progression Targets:
Unlike most training systems, EDT
workouts provide a specific performance goal for each PR Zone. You
start the workout knowing exactly how much time you have and exactly
what must be accomplished. This provides focus and clarity each
and every workout.
5) The Distraction Principle:
During an EDT workout, you’ve
always got one eye on the clock and the other on your training log.
There’s little time to consider how tired you are, what you’ll
eat for lunch afterward, or any other distracting thoughts.
6) The Conscientious Participation
Principle:
Workout by workout, each individual
finds the best set-rep-rest strategy to permit a maximal performance.
Slow-twitch dominant exercisers often find that higher reps and
shorter rests result in the best performances. Fast-twitchers, just
the opposite.
There are a number of individual factors
that determine optimal exercise performance for each person, and
EDT provides the flexibility to capitalize on individual talents
and predilections.
Consider this analogy: water, being
flexible and adaptable, always fills the shape of it’s container.
Most systems are more like ice however - it only fits if you’re
the right container!
7) CAT: Compensatory Acceleration
Training
This phrase was coined by Dr. Fred
Hatfield, the first man to officially squat 1000 pounds in competition.
The central premise is that you move the weight quickly, and compensate
for momentum by accelerating the weight even faster.
The body is hard-wired to accelerate
heavy objects, and training styles should reflect this reality.
After all, if you had to move a 100 pound box from the floor onto
a high shelf, would you move slowly in order to maintain continuous
tension, or would you move it with as much speed as possible?
When you run a one mile course, your
rate of energy expenditure is greater than if you walk that same
course - in other words, you did more work per unit of time. Similarly,
when you move a weight a certain distance, a faster execution results
in greater work per unit of time. Forget about Super Slow training
- it only applies to Tai Chi molasses wrestling events.
Static Versus Dynamic Systems
Another shortcoming in most training
systems is that they are static. In other words, "Here’s
the program, now go do it."
The problem with this approach is
that everyone is different. Not only that, but each individual has
different needs at different points in their lives. Most training
systems prescribe a particular exercise/set/rep/rest/tempo recommendation
for everyone.
A select few do a little better by
tailoring these parameters for the individual exerciser. EDT takes
it a step further by enabling the exerciser him or herself to participate
in the design of the workout.
Even further, the exact parameters
of each workout often change in accordance to the trainee’s
innate experience and understanding about what it will take to beat
the pervious best numbers. Interestingly, the flexibility just described
does not blur the basic structure of the system.
The Perfect Training System
In fact, there is no singular "perfect"
system, in any field of endeavor. However, the "best"
systems are dynamic, flexible, and respect the established principles
that are known to guarantee a successful outcome.
In the field of resistance training,
EDT dynamically conforms to the end-users needs from workout to
workout while at the same time ensuring the stringent application
of the established principles of athletic training.
About
The Author
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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. His counter-intuitive
approach and self-effacing demeanor have lead to appearances
on NBC’s The TODAY Show and The CBS Early Show.
Currently, Charles competes
in Olympic-style weightlifting on the master’s circuit,
with a 3-year goal of qualifying for the 2009 Master’s
World Championships.
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Learn More
About
EDT Training!
Charles Staley’s
training package "The Complete
Video Guide To Escalating Density Training" is available
now!
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