Density Training-Different Approach!

**Ethan Reeve** · 03-13-2002, 09:50 AM

To all concerned,

This may be a little different training than many are accustomed to:
I have had many types of athletes have great success increase their strength
as well as strength or power endurance doing what I term "density training"
For instance, let's say your goal for the 2 pood kettlebell clean-n-press is to do
12 reps in a row. First, you want to use double the voume of your goal which is
24 reps. You will only do this workout twice per week. You will start out
doing 12 sets of 2 reps in 12 mins. Meaning you start a new set every 60 secs.
At first your rest periods will be about 50-55 secs. After this becomes easy to
you move to 8 sets of 3 reps in 8 mins. When this becomes easy move to 6 sets
of 4 reps in 6 mins. When this becomes easy move to 5 sets of 5 reps in
5 mins. You will notice by now your rest periods become shorter as your reps
increase. After this becomes easy move to 4 sets of 6 reps in 4 mins. When this
has become easy for you I can promise that you will be able to do the 12 reps
goal on the clean-n-press. Using this formula I have had many, many athletes
perform between 30-45 reps on chinups in a row. I had one wrestler do 600 chinups
in 63 mins., he was a 3-time state champion.While I have had many other
athletes do between 400-500 chinups in 90-120 mins. Our goal at UT Chatt.
was to have 90+% of our wrestlers do 10 sets of 10 reps on chinups in 10 mins.
We started with 20 sets of 5 in 20 mins. then working to sixes to 7's to 8's
to 9's until we reached 10 sets of 10 in 10 mins. This took a period of 3
months to reach.
However, we then did the 100 reps each day throughout the season along with
our rope climbs, and 3x's per week power cleans, front squats, rdls,
standing presses, bent rows,dips, etc.

Let's say your goal is to do 2 pood kettlebell snatches for 40+40. The total
volume will be 80+80. Do this only twice per week. First you might do 40
sets of 2+2 in 40 mins.
When this becomes easy move to 26 sets of 3+3. Then move to 20 sets of
4+4 in 20 mins. Notice that at first your workout might only be snatches.
However, as you spend less time on the snactches you will be able to put
more lifts into your program.Then move into 16 sets of 5+5. Then 13 sets of
6+6 in 13 mins. After this becomes easy do 11 sets of 7+7, resting one minute
after completion of each set. Then work on 10 sets of 8+8, resting one mins.
after completion of each set. Once you have reached the 10's decrease the
volume to the goal volume because now you are going for pure quality. So,
you will do 4 sets of 10+10 with one mins. break after completion of set.
Then move 4 sets of 11+11. Then to 3 sets of 12+12. Then to 3 sets of 13+13.
Once you have reached 2 sets of 20+20 WITH ONE MINS. BREAK AFTER COMPLETION OF SET
you will be very clos to the 40+40 goal. My caution to you is that you will want to do
this only twice per week. It can be very taxing. Density training is basically
squeezing alot of volume into a short period of time to make it more quality.

If you have any questions, please reply!
In Strength,
Ethan Reeve

**RDavis** · 03-13-2002, 10:19 AM

Coach Reeve,

Thank you for another excellent training idea. I plan to use this to increase my chinups. One clarifying question: after achieving the 10x10 goal by training 2x/week, did you have your wrestlers do that EVERY DAY (6-7 days/week) or just every workout day (3x/week)?

Again, thanks for your time and wisdom.

Davis

**Mike Mahler** · 03-13-2002, 10:23 AM

Wow Coach Reeve, looks like a great program! Also, looks like a great article topic.

**Stephen Wedan** · 03-13-2002, 10:54 AM

Ethan, this is great stuff. It reminds me a little of a series of articles I wrote years ago on a concept I called Total Reps, but you've gone significantly beyond it.

If you have more to report on this, whether it's students' progress or further refinement of the technique, please do so.

Steve

Pavel Tsatsouline · 03-13-2002, 11:01 AM

Com. Ethan, exceptional! May we post your piece as an article? Please e-mail me to Pavelizer@aol.com.

**Ethan Reeve** · 03-13-2002, 11:02 AM

RDavis,
Even on the days we competed we would do 10 x 10 on chins every day especially
on the last 60 days of season. Many teams gave up all strength training at
season end. We kept it up and won the Southern Conference the last 5 years
in a row. For folks that are not competing in wretling and doing olympic lifts
and kettlebell lifts I would recommend only doing chins twice per week when doing
this density training. Once you do this you will understand. I just completed 20 sets
of 5 reps myself in 20 mins. At my body weight today it is alot harder than when I was
a competitive wrestler.

I think you will find with modifications that density training will work on
almost any kind of training for strength and power endurance lifts.

In Strength,
Ethan Reeve

**ForMotherRussia** · 03-13-2002, 11:03 AM

That's a cool idea! Did the athletes gain a noticeable amount of muscle doing this? I would assume they didn't gain much overall weight since you said wrestlers did it. The reason I ask is that it sounds a little bit like the Bear, in that your examples are high volume and low rest.

Also, how's it work for fat-burning? It sounds great.

I second the idea of an article on this, if you have time! Thanks for the interesting idea!

Anthony

**jasoncbrown** · 03-13-2002, 11:14 AM

nmnmnmnmnn

**Ethan Reeve** · 03-13-2002, 11:21 AM

For Mother Russia,
Well it's something I have done for many years since the 1970's and has worked
very well. You are not going to gain any muscle because you are still practicing
wrestling. While I was moving up the volume in the density in the chins I
was decreasing the volume in the wrestling skill and scrimmage work. I wanted the
wrestlers to be fighters at season end. I hope this helps! Remmber,
Wrestling is a very intense sport for 6-7 mins. with little rest periods
(going out of bounds, injury timeouts, etc. ) so you want to condense the
intensity into short periods of time with little rest. Look at Steve Maxwell's
workout, very intense for short time frame. This is the sport of wrestling.
This is why the 10 mins. drill I designed for wrestling works so well. It is
20 sets of olympic lifts taking only 10-15 secs. with bodyweight on bar with 15-20 secs.
rest. So, you are starting a new set every 30 secs.This is tough and should
be performed only 1-3 times per week.
In Strength,
Ethan Reeve