The elusive key to training success: Intensity

As a trainer I get to see the varying fitness levels in my clients. I am fortunate to have a good number of clients that already bring with them, or learn from me, the last key to fitness success: Intensity. I am often asked questions about types of exercises, number of sets, number of reps and number of days of training per week they should perform to meet their goals. But what is rarely, if ever, questioned is intensity. It is the final, and most important key, to fitness success. I’d like to take this opportunity to define intensity as it relates to physical training and fitness:

Intensity- The perception of difficulty in completing a workout. Here is a simple formula for resistance training (pure cardio is slightly different):

Learn about the importance of intensity in training in this entry. What should you expect by applying a higher intensity level? Read more...

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Training sets x reps x resistance x tempo x the perceived ease of completion

Basically I am stating that the number of sets of an exercise times the number of repetitions performing each exercise at a given weight, or resistance level will be the base of the equation. Now compound that by the speed at which you are completing each repetition and your interpretation of how difficult that actually feels. Huh? What was that?

Simply put, the more resistance, or weight you can do for more reps, given the total number of sets, adjusting for the speed at which you are doing each repetition will determine your intensity. The higher the intensity at which you perform the exercises, the higher the benefit your workout delivers. Not all workouts are created equal; or performed equally. So how do you train with intensity? What does high intensity feel like? What are visual and physical signs of intensity?

Training with intensity:

My philosophy, and that of many other fitness experts, is this: Train hard or don’t bother even stepping in the gym! If you are going to bother to exercise your body, what’s the point of not giving yourself 100% of your effort? I mean, it’s your body you are trying to improve, right? I’m going to qualify this stating that one should not push hard through injuries with lack of caution and illness. Both should be taken seriously and will limit your capacity to train hard. You don’t have to be a bodybuilder or elite athlete to train like one. You will get more out of your time in the gym by training at a higher intensity. This means you won’t need to spend HOURS in classes,and or doing cardio, then lifting weights, etc... Training using high intensity intervals will allow you to skip the hour on the cardio deck and spend 20-30 minutes taxing your cardiovascular system and producing REAL results.

Intensity can be increased by reducing rest between sets when resistance training, or recovery time when doing cardio. Taking each set to the near failure will allow you to complete the maximal number of repetitions. Doing 12 reps because that’s what you were planning on doing gets you nowhere fast; that is unless that 12th repetition is completed just prior to failure. Then you are getting some where.

Intensity feels like...

You can do virtually no more. As if your life depended on it. You want to stop due to pain from lactic acid build up in your muscles, but you need to press on until you can no longer make your body move, with proper form, in the manner in which you are training. That’s about it. The caveat is that you need to meter your internal intensity gauge so that you have enough in the tank to make it to the end of your workout. This very important fact is why so many people are capable of training for 2 or 3 or 4 hours in a single day! Why? Because their intensity meter is turned down to a dribble! Professional athletes will barely be capable of pushing all out 100% for 4 hours straight in a race scenario. Not the average human! The average human is going through the motions the entire time, for 4 hours. This is a colossal waste effort. More can be gained from 30 minutes of extremely high intensity training than can be gained from 4 hours of low intensity training. That’s a fact! I have to say that I believe that most of the people that are in the gym for that long have nothing better to do with their time and are happy to waste it in this manner. There are worse things to do with your time, i suppose.

Physical Signs of Intensity are...

• Heavy breathing
• Sweat, dripping preferably
• Pain in your muscles during each set due to lactic acid build up
• Noises escaping you during sets in exasperation. “Ugh, Argh, God!”
• Pounding heart rate.
• Fatigue. Feeling like you really don’t want to do another set...

The old saying is true in a way: No Pain - No Gain. The caveat being that there should be no sharp pains during training, just the dull burning of lactic acid in your muscles and your lungs expanding and contracting much more than while resting.

It’s up to you to decide how much you want to get from your training. Great conditioning is possible, but it takes that final key element: Intensity. Intensity is not just turned on, but grown with practice, confidence in your ability to execute an exercise with good form and no fear of injury. A good trainer can get you over the hump on most of these issues. So if you are not training with intensity, and want to learn how to, watch the trainers in your gym and see who is pushing their clients hard and who is just counting reps. Expect more from yourself, and your trainer, as you are capable of more. Train with intensity to reach your new personal best next time you walk in the gym. Remember, it’s your time to improve yourself, so make sure to give it your 100% effort!