A few of you have sent me e-mails asking if High Intensity Training (HIT) would be a good fit for you. I wish I could respond with a simple “yes” or “no,” but it’s not that easy. I don’t know enough about your lifestyles to give you the right answer. It is something you have to figure out for yourselves. That being said, I do want to help you figure it out, so I’m going to share my thoughts on High Intensity Training.
If you don’t have the discipline to commit to an exercise program on a regular basis, be it running, swimming, working out, etc. you probably won’t have the discipline to stick to High Intensity Training. Although HIT involves working out only 1-2 times per week, you need plenty of mental fortitude and discipline in order to stay committed. Why?
Because this workout is NOT easy. The intensity is really high and when you’re doing the exercises your muscles are in massive pain. If you don’t believe me, I urge you to do some seated bicep curls using the same cadence (5 seconds on the positive and 5 seconds on the negative side of the exercise) I did. Do as many as you can and then when you can’t do any more, hold the weight in place a few extra seconds and really fight through the pain. Fight it. Keep fighting it. This is just a small sample of how tough this workout can be.
Now if you are already disciplined and you have the ability to endure pain, then High Intensity Training can provide you with some amazing advantages.
Saves Time
The first involves time. High Intensity Training will free up massive amounts of time for you to do the things you really want to do and also keep you in great physical shape while you’re doing them. Now you may be thinking, “But I already get great results with my current fitness routine.” That’s great, I’m not dismissing your traditional fitness program in terms of results; I am just questioning its ravenous use of your time. Most fitness programs have you exercising anywhere from 5-10 hours a week. Now if you could get similar results in just 20 minutes a week, wouldn’t you change your routine? I know that’s why I chose High Intensity Training over the regular gym routine. Using HIT, I work out 1½ hours a month. My free time is increased between 15 to 20 hours a month. These are hours that I can use as I see fit.
Reduces Injuries
Another factor to consider is that High Intensity Training is incredibly safe. Most people think it is excessive weight that causes injuries during exercise, but that’s not the case at all. It’s actually the force that’s involved that causes injuries. When you sustain an exercise related injury, it’s usually because your body was exposed to a force that exceeded its natural strength. You either jerked a weight too quickly or forced yourself to do a rep using momentum. By heaving or jerking the weight, you didn’t give your body enough time to adjust to the weight. Since the weight was too heavy for you – your body sustained an injury. How could you have prevented this? Controlled movement.
The High Intensity Workout involves controlled movement with maximum efficiency – thus will minimize any possibility of bodily injury. By doing the exercises slowly you give your body a chance to adjust to the weight. As your body tries to lift the weight, your brain determines that more muscle fibers need to be recruited. Your brain then recruits as many muscle fibers as possible. If the weight is too heavy, your brain lets you know that through the stress on your body. If you still can’t move the weight it’s a safe bet you’ll know it, you’ll be able to realize that fact long before the potential for injury arises. Most High Intensity Workouts utilize Arthur Jones’ Nautilus machines which target specific muscle groups. This use of machines also greatly reduces the potential for injury since the machines work in sync with the body’s natural mechanics.
Injuries don’t just come from force though. Some come from the wear and tear we put our bodies through. Long distance runners are a prime example of this. They continually wear out the cartilage in their knees, pounding the pavement thinking that what they’re doing is beneficial to their health. A good way to avoid that wear and tear is exercising less frequently, but more intensely.
Gets Results
As you can see from my High Intensity Training Experiment, I got results working out under 1½ hours the whole month. Now I want you to name just one traditional exercise program that would guarantee me similar results in under 1½ hours. There aren’t any. High Intensity Training provides the most bang for your time in the gym. It’s not easy and it’s not pleasant, but if you are looking to maximize your results in as little time as possible, without using supplements, then I would highly recommend High Intensity Training.
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Is High Intensity Training the best exercise program for you? You be the judge. There are advantages and disadvantages to everything you chose to do in life, but in my humble opinion, High Intensity Training is heavy on the advantages and light on the disadvantages. If you are looking to get results fast, this program can do that for you. It’s not a magic pill, but it sure looks like one.
Teodor,
Very good article. I am a brazilian guy that like HIT and I am start my routine soon, I had help from some HITers like Dr Darden and Drew Baye.
Conratulations,
Carlos