T Nation

Question Regarding Muscle Density

#1

I'm a 19 year old college student at the University of Alabama. During high school I competed in track and football and decided to forego track in college in order to focus on school and lifting weights.

I'm the definition of an easy hard gainer, I'm 6'2" 185 right now, have been as high as 205 during football, and I generally train with low reps, heavy weight. However, no matter how much size I gain, I don't have the muscle density other people have. My muscles are big and I'm strong for my body type (275 bench, 385 squat, 300 clean in high school), yet I don't have the "hardness" and density that others have.

Any way to remedy this??

#2

I think I sort of understand what you mean by density.

In any case 185 @ 6'2 doesn't seem like you have much bulk. I'm 5'10 and about 195lb and I wouldn't call myself a really bulky guy(at least I'm not where I want to be). You might want to train for mass a bit. So you've been doing heavy low reps all the time? Try to break the barrier by training 3 times a week.

Here's a sample prog.
Have one heavy workout like you always do, then a light second workout (4x12) and then a medium(3x8) for the third. That should do it.

Example:
Mon: Heavy
Wed/Thu: Light(4x12)
Fri/Sat: Medium(3x8)

No need to use isolation movements(do curls and french presses if you REALLY want to, but I wouldn't). Pull-ups, chinu-ps, overhead presses and deadlifts are my favorites. But since I'm nobody you can use whichever compounds you like. Just don't do the same exercise all through the week.

Hope it helps. By the way, did you have a higher bodyfat at 205lbs?

#3

Actually I didn't, I hovered at around 5% no matter my weight. I was probably in my best shape when I was at about 195-200 when I was running track in the spring, even though I was the biggest sprinter on the track each time I was running consistently in the 10.65-10.70 range.

I've been trying to train for mass a bit more lately, it'll be easier while I'm home over the Christmas break, eating correctly is a problem here at college.