This is about making each exercise count, taking advantage of that one opportunity to cause as much ‘inroading' as possible to the muscle in order to maximise the amount of adaptation possible.
High Intensity Training Instructions
- Perform one or two exercises per body part, for only one set each exercise
- Choose a weight which you can only just manage to move for 60-90 seconds – This is your ‘Time Under Tension' and if you go beyond this time (and you should be trying to!) you should increase the weight on the next workout, if you cannot reach this time decrease the weight on the next workout
- The weight is to be moved in a slow and controlled manner – taking between 5-15 seconds on the lifting (concentric) and 5-15 seconds on the lowering (eccentric) phase
- Keep the muscle under constant tension – there is to be no ‘lock-out' at the top or resting the weights on the stack at the bottom, do not cheat yourself!
- Aim for minimal rest time between each exercise – 30-90 seconds is sufficient
- Log every single thing every single time – Seat position, Time Under Tension, weight lifted, reps, rest
- Allow at least 5 days rest before working the same muscle group, but preferably 7!
What exactly do you mean by ‘failure'?
There are a few definitions of muscular failure, but for everything we are discussing here, failure is the point at which you are no longer able to successfully perform another repetition with good form.
Reaching a point of true failure is as much a mental feat as it is to do with your muscles no longer being able to exert any force. Our minds are much more likely to convince us that we must drop the weight before we are no longer able to move it.
Go through your workout in your mind in advance so that you are mentally prepared and will therefore prioritise maximum results over release from a temporary discomfort, by holding on for 5 seconds longer!
You never know, you may even grow to love the burn, or is that just us?!
Wont I have to use all of those big scary free weights though?
No! In fact, using machines instead of free weights is recommended. By using machines you dramatically minimise your possibility of injury.
By using machines we may also receive another added benefit by not being limited by the smaller, weaker muscles, so we are better able to work the larger muscles, thus prompting greater gains and all of the benefits associated with having more muscle.
There is one caveat though, the machines which you use must have a smooth flow of motion. If they are beat up old machines with a jerky movement, your muscles will not be under a constant tension, so it wont be as effective.
Saying that though, it is possible to perform HIT training using free weights, just ensure you are performing your exercises with the assistance of spotter catchers, or within a power rack to ensure your safety when you take it to the point of muscular failure.
Is this suitable for beginners?
Yes! However, if you have never lifted weights before then you must be able to perform the exercises with perfect form before working to failure.
Initially spend a few weeks practising with lighter weights first then once you feel confident you can increase the intensity. Again, this is where opting for machines over free weights is the safest option.
Do I need to do a warm-up?
Life itself can and should be your warm up. Our bodies were designed to move, so walk or cycle to the gym. Once you arrive, take the stairs instead of the lift!
However, if you really cannot get a warm up on your way to the gym, you can use the treadmill at the gym for a brisk walk for a few minutes to get started.
After you have been performing the workouts over a course of weeks and have progressed to heavier weights you may also prefer to perform a couple of brief warm up sets at a regular tempo of around 2 seconds on the lifting and 2 seconds on the lowering phase which would look like this:
- Brisk walk on treadmill for 3 minutes
- 10 repetitions at 50% of target weight (the weight you wish to use in your main set to failure)
- 2 repetitions at 75% of target weight
- Rest 2 minutes
- Perform main set to failure
How to cover the whole body in only 5 exercises
If you are looking for a good base point with which to start you can perform the following full body routine in only 11 minutes using machines at your gym.
- Seated Row
- Chest Press
- Pulldown (underhand grip)
- Overhead Press
- Leg Press
Once this has become a routine and you have been making steady progress over a course of months you may wish to progress by adding exercises and moving into a split routine of performing all of your pushing exercises on one day, all of your pulling exercises on another day and then all of your leg exercises on another day. When opting for this schedule, allow at least 48 hours between each workout and 5-7 days before working the same muscles again (Mon, Wed, Fri suits most people).
How do I know if I'm doing it right?
You will make improvements in either amount of weight lifted or your total Time Under Tension on each and every workout provided that you are adhering to the two golden rules of lifting with all your might and then allowing enough time to fully recuperate and adapt. Don't even start a workout unless you feel ready to give it your all.
One set at extreme intensity does the muscle-building job. It must be stressed that the one final, all-out set I do takes me to the very limit of my capabilities. If you feel you can attempt a second set, then you couldn’t have been pulling out all the stops during the first set. It's not pretty, but it works.Dorian Yates
Why doesn't everybody do this?
Firstly, it sounds too good to be true!
Secondly, this doesn't suit everyone as it requires a very intense effort, albeit for a very brief period of time each workout (even though the increase in effort means you spend two-thirds less time in the gym!).
Thirdly, in the top spectrum of bodybuilders in the world, they are genetically gifted and also usually hormonally assisted, so they are able to positively respond to a greater volume of training so instead most opt for a high volume style.
However, that's not to say that multiple competition winning bodybuilders haven't employed the intense and infrequent HIT technique, you only need to look at the likes of HIT pioneer Mike Mentzerand 6 time Mr Olympia winner Dorian Yates.
For the rest of us, though, we can achieve dramatic results in a fraction of the time commitment! We can spend the rest of our time eating right and sleeping right to allow our bodies to positively adapt.
Action Plan
- Supercharge your results and gain back valuable time in your life by upping your training intensity whilst decreasing your total workout time
- Offset this increase in intensity and allow your body to adapt by focusing on longer rest between workouts and good nutrition
- Most importantly, when you do train put 110% effort in – make it count!
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