This article discusses the High Intensity Training (HIT) workout method.

Basic principles of HIT Basics
When you are training according to the HIT method, you perform only one set of each exercise and you train each muscle group only one single time per week.

No, I’m not pulling your leg. As an example, if you’ve just completed a set of squats today (one single set, that is), then you wouldn’t be doing any more squats until this same time one entire week from now!

The concept here is that with high intensity training, you place your muscle groups under utterly extreme stress, creating a huge growth impulse, after which you give your body a whole lot of time to recover and build.

Just how can you get such a powerful growth impulse with just one set? HIT has two factors to it, that make it exceptionally intensive:

1. Perfect Form
You need to do each repetition of an exercise with thoroughly perfect execution and you do the repetitions very slowly. This means: Absolutely no cheating or yanking your weights, zero excessive stiffness in any areas of the body not specifically involved in the weightlifting and gratuitous amounts of of soreness in the muscle groups.

2. Going Beyond Failure
Following the majority of training methods, reps are done to the point of failure. I.e. you keep pressing right up until you simply cannot move the weights anymore, regardless of how hard you are trying. That is the point of muscle failure and also the point where a set comes to an end. In HIT, you go beyond that point.

This needs to be further explained, of course. After all, how can you go beyond failure?

Going Beyond Failure
There are various methods used to help you move beyond failure in HIT. Below are a few of these:

Spotting
For many physical exercises, this can be quite a straightforward option. Everybody knows the spotter may help out just a little on that last repetition, when you’re performing bench-presses. With high intensity training, the spotter can wait until you get to the point of failure and then very softly give you support for an additional 2-3 repetitions.

Weight Step-Down
A different technique is to instantly lower the weights right after failure is reached, and complete a few additional repetitions while using reduced weights. When using machines, you can have a spotter who takes away 1 or 2 plates for you and when training with dumbbells and barbells you can prepare one heavy and one less heavy set and then change between these as quickly as (safely) possible.

Five Second Rest
This final one is a technique you can also employ when training solo: As soon as you have reached the point of failure, go back to a neutral (non-tense) posture, wait for five seconds and then have another go at completing as many sets as possible.

How I Experienced HIT
Training according to the HIT method is a agreeable experience for around six and three quarters of the week and then an absolutely excruciating experience for the rest of the week, beginning with the beginning of the exercise routine and concluding an hour or two after it is finished.

I was surprised with just how much strength I accumulated in the course of my time doing HIT. I kind of thought that performing only one set a week would have me stagnating, at best, however I made just as much, if not more, progress as I did with volume training before. I should also mention that when training HIT, I felt in good, pain-free shape at least five days of the week. With more traditional split-training type of routines, I usually ache all over on most days of the week.
The most interesting facets of HIT are actually the mental ones, though. To begin with, it’s simply very challenging to train as hard as is needed. Without someone spotting for you, and motivating you to keep going, it’s very difficult to push yourself far enough. I also noticed that my attitude approaching each exercise was effected by the fact that I always knew this one was going to be the only set for an entire week. You always approach each set resolved to give it all you got – this drive is hard to keep up towards the end of a set, however.

In conclusion: High Intensity Training is definitely an interesting, advanced workout method.

Visit the Workout Experiment blog to learn how to gain lean muscle.

Other Great Weight Loss Articles

• High Intensity Resistance Training – Fat Loss Workouts | SECRET Fat Loss Site
• PHYSICAL FITNESS | All Fitness News
• Sweat Science » Perceived exertion, not muscle failure, determines “exhaustion”
• Physical Therapy Exercises and Stretches for the Shoulder Muscles : Upper Middle Back Stretch for Shoulder Physical Therapy | Shoulder Exercises
• Stress Relief And Some Great Herbal Remedies For Stress | I am pregnant!
• Workout to Muscle Failure | TRAINING
• What Causes Panic Attacks and How to Tell If you Are Having One | Help for Depression – cures for depression – depression treatments – anxiety cure – Stress – Panic attacks
• Strength Training – Get A Bigger Bench Press. | Tooth Treatment
• Natural Remedies
• WOD 6/7/10 | MMAHITFIT – Mixed Martial Arts High Intensity Training and Fitness in Sacramento. CA

Be Sociable, Share!

•