To make any workout more or less advanced, you already know that you can adjust the amount of sets, reps, or amount weight. Another variable you may not have considered is adjusting the density. 

Density refers to the amount of work you can perform per unit of time while maintaining proper form. To adjust the density of your routine, you can either…

Keep the amount of sets the same while aiming to decrease your time to complete them

…or…

Keep a designated amount of time and see how many sets you can complete in that time period, aiming to improve each time you perform the workout. The routine below uses this method. 

Today’s total body density training routine includes 5 moves and 15 reps of each move. Try to fit in as many rounds of the circuit as possible in the allotted time.

This total body routine includes a mix of upper body, lower body, and core exercises that work together to strength the entire body from every angle. Define your body from head to toe!

Increasing your workout’s density puts additional demand on your muscles, encouraging your muscles to develop strength more quickly.

4 Total-body moves.
1 Cardio move.
15 reps per move.
How many sets can you complete?

1. Start in plank position, but this time, rest on your elbows instead of your hands. Be sure to keep the shoulders depressed back and down and the neck nice and long throughout the movement.
2. Keeping your abs engaged, slowly swivel the hips underneath you to the right. Feel your obliques driving this motion as you swivel to the other side with a slow, controlled motion.

1. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, step your left foot directly behind you, taking a wide stance, and bend your legs, lowering your torso down into a lunge. Be sure and maintain that core stability to prevent injury.
2. While in lunge position, keep your shoulders over your hips, back knee slightly bent, front knee in alignment with your front toes, shoulders back and down.
3. Feel your weight in your right (front) heel as you push yourself to standing.
4. As you return to standing, do a tricep kickback: Reach your arms back behind you and extend, feeling a squeeze in the tricep.

1. Stand with dumbbells in each hand in hammerhead position, with palms facing each other.
2. Step out to the right side, with a wide stance. Bend the right leg and lower your hips down as you keep the left leg straight out to the side, feeling a slight stretch in the left inner thigh.
3. Pressing off the right foot, keeping your core engaged, push yourself back up to standing.
4. As you return to standing, curl the weights up toward your shoulders, squeezing the muscles on the front of the arms for a bicep curl.

1. Rest dumbbells on your hips as you place your left foot behind you. Instead of stepping directly back, the left foot should move diagonally back, with the back knee bending down directly outside the right foot
2. Fire up the core muscles as you squat down with the right leg, feeling the emphasis on your right glute (weight placed firmly in the right heel) as the left foot lightly supports you.
3. As you return to standing, bring the left foot forward, landing with a wide stance.
4. Punch the right hand across your body, toward the left wall, allowing your right foot to rotate as your torso twists to the left, engaging your right glute.

1. Squat down to rest both hands on the floor, similar to the Mountain Climber move. But instead of lunging one leg back behind you, jump both legs at the same time into a plank position.
2. Return to standing, and reach up to the sky.