Early Offseason Lifting

Before you start lifting heavy, it's a good idea to take 1-2 weeks and do some lower intensity lifting. I suggest doing the following Escalating Density Training workout two times per week.

EDT guidelines:

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

• Each workout consists of 2 PR Zones of 15-minute duration each, separated by a short (5-minute) rest period. In each PR Zone, you’ll perform two exercises, for a total of 4 exercises per session.

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

• 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.

The workout:

PR Zone 1 (15 minutes)
A1. Step-up into reverse lunge (alternate legs each rep)
A2. Chinups

PR Zone 2 (15 minutes)
A1. Pushups (on knuckles, hands shoulder width apart, palms facing)
A2. Inverted Row