Density Training Is an Incredibly Efficient Way to Build Muscle—But Is It Right for You?

If you struggle with the motivation to strength train regularly, it can pay to tap into your competitive side. That’s not to say you need to enter a strongman competition. But you might benefit from taking a gamified approach to lifting, like density training. This format of strength training requires you to hit a certain goal before you can move on to the next level—almost like playing a video game. 

“Gamification is a powerful tool,” says Peloton instructor Andy Speer, who leads a four-week density training program on Peloton. “You compete with yourself each week!” By driving you to put in a bit more work every week, this strategy can supercharge your strength gains—as long as you’re up to the challenge. 

If this sounds like something that you might be into, read on to find out more about what density training is and how it can help you meet your fitness goals.     

What Is Density Training?

In fitness, density in training refers to how much work you’re doing in a specific amount of time. Think of it as how much luggage you can stuff in a suitcase: the more luggage, the denser the suitcase. Well, the more reps you can do in, say, a 10-minute period, the “denser” the training. 

What Is Density Training In Terms of Working Out?

“At its root, density training is a strength training protocol where one progressively performs more work in a specified block of time over a period of weeks or months,” says Andy. It’s done in AMRAP format, or “as many reps as possible,” usually in 10- to 20-minute blocks. So as the weeks add up, you try to fit more reps into the same period of time with less rest. And once you hit a certain number of reps, you pick up heavier weights to make each rep harder. Either way, you’re making your training “denser” by increasing the overall volume of work you’re putting in.  

Circuit Training vs. Density Training: The Difference

Circuit training is a type of strength training that involves completing a series of different exercises for a given amount of time, with a specific rest period in between. “An easy example is 30 seconds of push ups, rest for 30 seconds, do 30 seconds of squats, rest 30 seconds, then 30 seconds of jumping jacks, rest 30 seconds, and repeat for four rounds,” says Andy. “The clock dictates work load, not the repetitions.” 

On the other hand, with density training, you’re tracking your reps and trying to minimize how much time you spend resting so that as you progress from week to week, you’re increasing those reps (or the weight used) in the same time period. 

The Benefits of Density Training

This efficient workout protocol has a few distinct perks. For starters, the format of density training makes progressive overload “fool-proof,” according to Andy. “If you don’t hit your rep goal, you try again next week and get more reps. If you do and move up in weight, your overall volume will increase,” he says. You can see exactly how you’re progressing and know when you’re ready to reach for a heavier weight because you’re tracking it all with every workout. 

At the same time, density training gives you quite the fitness bang for your buck. “The combination of mechanical tension from lifting weights under fatigue and the metabolic demand of pumping blood from one major muscle group back to the other for 10 to 20 minutes leads to strength improvements, muscle growth, and fat loss,” says Andy. And you don’t have to be working out for hours to get those results—because density training is all about fitting more work into a short period of time, the workout is incredibly efficient.  

Are There Any Cons to Density Training?

Andy says there are no particular downsides or risks to density training, aside from general lifting precautions you’d need to take during any strength training workout, like warming up first and focusing on proper form.

However, density training is not the best way for beginners to start lifting. “You don’t need to be an advanced lifter, but if you’re a beginner, start with simple straight set or superset training with specified rest intervals,” Andy says. “You’ll get more out of density if you build a strength training foundation first, then challenge yourself with the clock.”

How to Build a Density Training Plan

Andy says density training is best done by rotating through two or three exercises that use different muscles, or challenge them in different ways. “A push and a pull, or upper body and lower body, or flexion and extension,” he explains. That might be a bicep curl then a tricep kickback, or a deadlift followed by an overhead press.

Sets of five to eight reps are ideal—this range will allow you to start off with good form and still make serious strength and muscle gains, according to Andy. (If your main goal is building strength, stick to the lower end of that range; if you want bigger muscles, go for the higher end.) “Over the 10- to 20-minute set, fatigue will build both locally in the specific muscle groups being used for the lift and globally—you’ll start to sweat and feel your heart rate increase pretty dramatically,” says Andy. “You don’t want to use a rep or weight that brings you to high fatigue in the first one to three sets.”

To find the right weight and reps to use, he suggests taking your eight to 12 rep max for the exercise you’ll be doing, and using that weight but cutting the reps in half. “So, if you can do 12 reps of a shoulder press with 30 pound dumbbells, use six reps at that weight for your density set,” he says. Andy suggests aiming for six to 10 rounds in 10 minutes. If you can complete 12 to 15, that means your weights are too light.  

Although you’re challenging yourself to do as many rounds as you can, be careful to take the rest you need to maintain proper form. “This is key to safety and effectiveness,” Andy says. “Don’t rush, move methodically.” As you get toward the end of the block and start to fatigue, you’ll need more rest. “Take it and keep your technique clean!” Andy says. 

What a Density Training Progression Looks Like

Here’s what Andy says a sample density training program might include:

Week 1: Do a 10-minute work block alternating six reps of each move. Do as many rounds as you can while keeping good form. Record your total number of rounds.

Week 2: Use the same weight as you did in week one, but try to beat your rounds from last week. If you increase by 10 percent, then move up in weight (by five to 10 percent, or the next heaviest weight you have access to) for week three.

Week 3: Use the new weight.

Week 4: Try to beat your rounds from week three.

Repeat that for eight to 12 weeks, alternately increasing the weight and trying to beat your number of rounds.  

Peloton Density Training Programs

If you’re ready to get serious about density training, one of the easiest ways to start is to follow Andy’s four-week Total Strength: Density Training collection. Each week features three 20- to 30-minute full body workouts. On the other days, you can rest, or do some cardio. Andy talks you through every step of the way so you know exactly when it’s time to increase the weights. 

If you’re using the Peloton Guide, both your reps and how many rounds you complete in a given block will be automatically tracked. This makes progressing from week to week simple: The Movement Tracker stats let you know exactly where you’re coming from and, therefore, where you need to go next. 

Once you’ve finished four weeks, if you want to continue doing density training, Andy suggests taking a week off, then jumping back into week one again with the same weight that you ended week four. 

How to Implement Density Training as Part of Your Workout Routine

One of the great things about density training is that it can easily plug into nearly any fitness routine. If you want to use it as a supplement to other types of training, try doing one or two density sets per week, being sure to track your reps so you can measure your progress over time. Or, if you want to make density training your primary training method, focus on it a few times a week over the course of four to eight weeks.

Andy’s density training program on Peloton, for instance, includes three density workouts per week. “You will absolutely be able to keep up with your cardio training at the same time, and maybe add one more day of supplementary strength work,” he says. That said, he doesn’t recommend training for an endurance running event like a marathon while density training, since that would likely be a bit too much for the body. “Sticking with two to three running or cycling classes to maintain your cardio is fine,” he says. “You may have to feel out how you react to density and adjust your other training over time.” 

The key is to make sure you have enough in the tank for each workout so that density training builds you up rather than wears you down. “Density is an intense training method,” Andy says. “Respect it, and you’ll be blown away with the results.”