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We turn on the acceleration: high-intensity interval training. High intensity training High intensity training training program

The best path to muscle mass and strength is through basic, short, hard training—what many call high-intensity training. Like other adherents, I believe in the effectiveness of this method for both muscle hypertrophy and strength gain. But unlike others, I don't think this is the only way to huge muscles. The preachers of high-intensity training are too dogmatic and cannot tolerate those who believe in other ways to build muscle. They will tell you that training is a science and there is only one scientific method for gaining mass.

This is what I disagree with. For me, this is not science, but a kind of art form, so there is not just one path, there are many. Taking into account at least three parameters - hard, short and infrequent - you can find hundreds of paths that satisfy these requirements. You don't have to train the same way your whole life. On the contrary, you can enjoy many methods and still it will be hard, short and infrequent.

Intensive strength training

You may doubt the effectiveness of a short training session consisting of several approaches. Plus, you know many people who have gotten bigger and stronger by doing more sets. It is true that some people respond very well to this type of training, and you can try it, but once you have done the following, you will never again doubt the effectiveness of basic and short training.


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One of the most effective ways to lose weight High-intensity interval training is considered. This fitness method formed the basis for most workouts, including home workouts. The famous Insanity program is a prime example of high-quality high-intensity interval training.

What is high-intensity interval training?

High intensity interval training or HIIT (High-intensity interval training) is a training method that alternates between periods of high and low intensity. For example, you sprint for 30 seconds at your maximum and then recover for 60 seconds by slowing down to a moderate pace. And then you return to the fast pace again. This method of training is used in both strength and aerobic training. Moreover, the period of intense load may be longer than the rest period.

HIIT compares favorably with standard workouts that take place at the same pace. First, you burn more calories due to a higher heart rate. Second, your body expends extra energy to complete powerful bursts of activity. High Intensity Interval Training several times more effective than regular exercise. In 20 minutes of HIIT you can burn about the same number of calories as in 1 hour of regular aerobics.

10 Benefits of HIIT: High Intensity Interval Training

1. During high-intensity interval training, it burns several times. more calories than during regular cardio workouts. This occurs due to high heart rate and b O higher energy consumption.

2. Thanks to HIIT, you will burn fat intensely with minimal risk of losing muscles. Unlike regular aerobic exercise.

3. Plus, you'll burn calories within 24-48 hours after finishing the workout. The effectiveness of training increases significantly.

4. Such training helps to develop endurance, because you are not working in a comfortable mode, but at the limit of your capabilities.

5. Most beginners quit because routine and monotony. Interval training is never boring or monotonous.

6. It’s more difficult for the body adapt to such activities. Regular cardio training after 4-5 sessions no longer has the same effectiveness. With HIIT you will be able to avoid the decline in results.

7. You will need less time to get the most out of the session. For example, in the Insanity Max 30 program, even half an hour is enough to achieve the goal.

8. Thanks to high-intensity interval training, you improve your metabolism and reduce the risk of developing plateau and stagnation in results.

9. This type of load can be applied absolutely to any activity: running, jumping, exercise on an ellipsoid, stepper, exercise bike. The main thing is to monitor your heart rate.

10. HIIT increases your body's sensitivity to insulin. This will allow you to more effectively use carbohydrates as an energy source instead of directing them to fat tissue.

As you can see, doing high-intensity interval training is much more effective for losing weight. In less time you will get more quality results. Train with HITT based programs and improve your body.

From easy HIIT workouts be sure to try:

After reading the article, beginners and experienced athletes will be able to improve their training program by building up the necessary muscle corset.

The need for high-intensity training


After prolonged exercise at high intensity, at some point growth slows or stops altogether. And there is no need to panic here. It is enough to understand exactly how the body adapts to high-intensity training. In addition, you should pay attention to the duration of rest. And then everything will work out - progress will resume.

If a bodybuilder trains regularly for two to three years, then his muscles get used to the high intensity of training, which means he needs to switch to a more powerful product, the level should now be even more impressive.

Intense training affects the rate of skeletal muscle growth. Thanks to efforts, stress occurs in the muscles, which forces the body to adapt to impressive loads. As a result, both muscle size and strength increase. But for constant progression, it is necessary to constantly increase the load from training to training. Thus, novice athletes increase the intensity of their training while performing basic, traditional training.

The thing is that doing exercises that do not create stress for the body will not lead to stimulation of progress. After all, muscle growth is nothing more than the body’s response to stress during overload. If the efforts generated are not intense enough for the body to defend itself and adapt, then growth stops.

If we talk about beginners, then any training provides a sufficient load for them. This means that adaptation will be excellent, muscle strength is growing quite quickly. To create an overload for the body, it is enough to switch from complete inactivity to training with moderate or even low intensity in this case.

By increasing the working weight, novice athletes manage to progress. The same goes for reducing rest time between sets. But when a beginner reaches a more advanced stage, the training regimen becomes more complicated, because there are already acquired physiological changes that are associated with muscle growth.

The more muscles, the more impressive the pressure on recovery abilities. The same applies to the body's reserves, which are used during intense muscle contractions. The average athlete is able to increase strength and intensity production capacity by approximately three hundred percent, but can only increase recovery capacity by fifty percent. It turns out that as you become stronger and bigger, the risk of overtraining increases.

High-intensity training method "Rest-pause"

Many athletes, instead of increasing the intensity and decreasing the duration of training, reduce the intensity and increase the duration. They believe that this way it is possible to extend the training time. But as a result, what happens is not at all what we would like. The intensity of sessions decreases and progress slows or stops altogether.

Features of the “Rest-Pause” method


With the help of this training technique, it becomes possible to gain strength and muscle size. A similar form of training is used in bodybuilding and powerlifting. Now athletes can work with the heaviest weight possible for certain muscle groups.

Bodybuilders, trying to increase the intensity of training, use supersets and dropsets, as well as forced repetitions. The “Rest-Pause” technique also belongs to this list. With its help, it is possible to break one large approach into several small ones - there is a short rest between them.

There are two main ways to perform this technique - it all depends on the goal and how impressive the weight used in the training is. The first method is aimed at muscle hypertrophy - here you train until muscle failure. As for the second, it is more aimed at increasing strength. Here refusal is optional.

Before exercising using this method, you should warm up to warm up your muscles. Otherwise, negative consequences are possible. Basic exercises with free weights are most suitable for this form of training.

This technique is not used in every workout - you can use it only once a week. At the same time, you can make one session as difficult as possible for a particular muscle group.

This form of training should not be used alone. During the exercise, there must be an assistant nearby who will back you up.

Lifting the maximum weight requires a tremendous amount of mental effort. The same applies to concentration - it should be maximum. As a result, it becomes possible to achieve the maximum calculation in one single approach.

“Rest-pause” is a very effective form of training. But only for experienced athletes. The thing is that beginners’ musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems are not adapted to single maximum and supermax loads. For those who are just starting out in bodybuilding, this method is not suitable, as it can lead to injury in this case.

Hypertrophy training


Features of this method:
  1. Start your set with six to ten repetitions. The maximum possible weight should be used.
  2. Next, you need to rest for fifteen seconds, take a deep breath and exhale, then continue the approach with the same weight until failure.
  3. Repeat the second point as much as necessary. Most often, a couple of times is enough.
Despite the fact that you will be able to perform no more than two or three repetitions, the effect from them will be impressively greater than from regular repetitions.

You should not perform several approaches in a row in this technique. For one session, one approach using the rest-pause method for each muscle group is enough.

This is an excellent exercise option for muscle hypertrophy - here you can achieve the maximum level of muscle fatigue. In addition, it becomes possible to overcome a plateau - the muscles are exposed to significant stress and react to it. Therefore, the next time you perform a regular approach, you can do a few more repetitions.

Strength training


Let's look at how the workouts are performed:
  1. Choose a weight between eighty-five and ninety-five percent of your one-rep maximum.
  2. Perform one repetition with this load.
  3. Next, rest is necessary - thirty to forty-five seconds is enough.
  4. Repeat six to ten times.
As a result of extreme muscle tension, microtraumas form in the muscles. The muscle becomes clogged with protein breakdown products and its strength decreases. This method should be accompanied by long breaks between repetitions so that the blood cleanses the muscles of waste products.

Inphytonic training technique


This is an even more high-intensity method than rest-pause - they are basically similar. In the case of inphytonic training, maximum effort is generated in each repetition. In addition, negative repetitions are also maximum in this case. That is, it turns out that with this method the usual maximum repetition is performed in a rest-pause style, you lower the weight slowly, and here a partner helps you, although only slightly.

What is multi-contract training?


Skeletal muscles have 3 levels of strength: positive - lifting a weight, static - holding a load, negative - lowering a weight.

Each level corresponds to one or another type of abbreviation. These can be concentric or static, or they can be eccentric contractions. Thanks to the latter method of increasing intensity, it is possible to develop force in each type of contraction. The same goes for repetitions. We are talking about multi-contract training.

Each workout you can experiment with all three methods of increasing intensity.


This principle is quite specific, which is why it is often called discarding. From the name you can understand that the essence is a sharp transition from heavy to light weight. Here we need two assistants who will simultaneously remove the weight from both ends of the bar when the athlete cannot press the bar any further. Next, a few more repetitions are done above the norm.

Thanks to the weight lost on time, it is possible to prolong the approach and increase the intensity of the training. This is a complex technique, so you can use it no more than once in one workout.

Basic requirements of high-intensity training


Let's consider the requirements for high-intensity training:
  1. It is necessary to approach the exercises thoughtfully and under control. Throwing or hitting heavy weights can cause joint injury. Therefore this cannot be done. Injuries are possible due to jerks and rebounds, as well as the use of inertia. The lifting of impressive loads itself does not injure you.
  2. Focus on negative repetitions. According to experts, it is this phase that helps achieve the greatest effect during superstrength training.
  3. The number of sets must be limited - a maximum of three sets per body part. When you notice progress, you will of course want to do more sets, because your enthusiasm and energy will increase. But self-restraint is very important here: you need to do everything possible to restore the body, which cannot happen with a large number of high-intensity sets.
  4. You cannot train more than once in four to seven days. If after using the rest-pause technique there are no results, it means that you are not allowing the body to recover - you are not providing the necessary time for this. With sufficient intensity of exercise, lack of recovery is the only factor that holds back progress.

Basic principles of high intensity training


Let's take a closer look at the principles of high-intensity training:
  1. Muscle shocking. This program is quite monotonous. As a result of such training, it is possible to quickly get used to it and stop progress. In order to avoid this, you should ensure that the body does not have time to fully adapt to new weights. Stress is necessary to achieve muscle growth. Therefore, you should change not only the number of repetitions, but also the weight. The same goes for the angles at which the muscles work. Change the exercises, do not make the classes monotonous. This is the only way the muscles will not have time to adapt to the loads during training.
  2. Work to failure. This is one of the particularly important conditions that must be observed in order for muscle growth to occur quite impressively. Give your all during training, and then the processes of muscle growth will begin to take effect.
  3. A priority. First of all, it is necessary to work out weak muscle groups - when energy reserves are at their maximum level.
  4. Cheating. This is an excellent way to further increase the load. It is necessary to give the muscles more work. Therefore, this technique is used only as a supplement to the main exercises. If necessary, additional forces are activated to complete the exercise, cheating is performed by connecting other muscle groups to those already trained.
  5. Super series principle. This is performing two exercises in a row - they are worked by antagonist muscle groups. It turns out that you perform two approaches together through a short pause or without it.
  6. Constant voltage principle. Due to the fact that working at a high pace with weights is often not very effective, slow movements help create constant tension in the muscles. In addition, meaningfulness in actions and concentration are important. This will be an excellent impetus for further muscle development.
  7. The principle of quality training. Over time, breaks between approaches are reduced to a minimum. At the same time, the loads with each subsequent workout increase compared to earlier sessions. If you follow this rule, you will be able to obtain a venous appearance and improve the definition of muscle tissue.
Watch a video about high-intensity training:


Everyone can achieve their goal - the main thing is to strive for it and not give up. If you build a training scheme correctly, it will be possible to increase your muscles and noticeably change in a positive direction and increase your strength.

Why you shouldn’t be afraid of the word high-intensity, and how exactly such interval training helps you say goodbye to extra pounds.

High-intensity interval training (or as it is also called HIIT training)- one of the most effective ways to combat extra pounds and beer belly. The research results speak for themselves - with HIIT training, 6 times more fat tissue is lost than with regular cardio. And it takes less time to exercise - only 10-15 minutes (you must admit, everyone can find 10 minutes a day for sports). True, during this time your body will have to work to the limit of its capabilities. And it is precisely this moment that scares away many.

Ilya Karyagin

trainer of the Reebok CrossFit Stolitsa club, administrator of the cfft.ru portal

I highlight 3 basic rules on which high-intensity interval training is built: Mechanics, stability And intensity.

1.About mechanics.

The secret ingredient is the absence of a secret ingredient.

I’ll tell you the main secret - there is no secret! No matter how trivial it may sound, the fact remains: mechanics (amplitude and correct technique of movements) are higher than the result on the board. Learn to perform movements masterfully, that is, to do ordinary things extraordinarily well.

2.About stability.

If you don't know the ford, don't go into the water. So says the popular saying, but is it really true?

There are no people who do everything perfectly from the very beginning. In order to perform an action, you need to try-fail-try-fail and repeat this cycle again and again. Mistakes are not some side effect that can be avoided. This is the very essence of any action.

But you need a guide! This is your coach who will help you avoid common mistakes and will “drive” the basic mechanics of movements from training to training.

3.About intensity.

High intensity here, high intensity there. We often meet, we often fear, we often refuse...

Under the general concept of “high-intensity” there are two parts: absolute and relative.

Absolute intensity refers to the amount of work performed per unit of time, that is, how hard, far and quickly you performed this or that action. For example, Rich Froning is the fittest person on Earth in absolute terms for all movements. He beat all his competitors four times.

And under relative - how much effort you spent, both physical and psychological. An example here is an old woman who, in terms of absolute intensity, is clearly losing to Rich, but in terms of relative intensity, due to age and physical training, can beat him.

That is, intensity is a measure of the load that you receive during training to trigger the adaptive mechanisms of your body. A coach will always help you maintain the fine line between complete exhaustion and the ability to get an adequate load.

We practice for the sake of health, so in every lesson we pay attention technology performing movements. remember, that There is no result without mistakes, but when all your actions are one continuous mistake, then this is very bad for your health. Intensity- this is when it’s hard, far, quickly and with full dedication to the process, perhaps with errors in mechanics, but small ones. The circle is closed.

Especially for those who are not sure that high-intensity interval training is for them, Challenger reveals five secrets of such training that will help you not only cope with exhausting exercise, but also love it.

1. Don't try to do everything at once

flickr.com/photos/keithallison

Don't be intimidated by stories about pistol squats and one-arm push-ups. Forget about the video of pumped-up athletes turning over huge car tires! As with any workout, HIIT starts small. There are several dozen training options online for beginners, which consist of the simplest and most basic exercises: push-ups, jumping jacks and lunges. The main thing is to do them quickly, with minimal rest and several cycles. Well, as soon as high-intensity training becomes a cakewalk for you, begin to complicate the exercises. And within a few months, one-arm push-ups will turn from a horror story into a daily norm.

2. Quality is more important than quantity

Even though the workout is called high-intensity and interval training, this does not mean that the number of repetitions should come at the expense of their quality. If you can’t do 8 push-ups to the end, then you shouldn’t do the exercise carelessly just to check a box. It is important to do everything correctly - do 6 push-ups, but high-quality ones, to the end, to the limit of your capabilities. Believe me, this will be much more useful.

3. Try to always work to your maximum.

flickr.com/photos/aandaphotography

We understand that it is not always possible to complete all exercise cycles (especially at the very beginning of HIIT training). You should not make excessive efforts on your own body, after which you will have to miss several days of training. Replace the exercises with simpler ones (for example, one-arm push-ups with regular ones) if you feel that your strength is running out. But try to complete at least a few cycles completely and to the maximum.

And do at least 1-2 difficult reps in each next step before making it easier. This is the only way your muscles will grow and become stronger and stronger.

4. Rest

Robert Spector - "High Intensity Training Questions and Answers."Basics of HIT

First of all, let's give a clear definition - what is intensity? Intensity is identified as the single most critical factor required for successful training. "Intensity" is the amount of effort you develop when performing an exercise, which is expressed as a percentage of your maximum possible effort in this exercise. Intensity has nothing to do with what specific weight you use, or what percentage of the weight you use in an exercise is compared to your maximum one-time weight for that exercise. "Intensity" is, if you will, the amount of "difficulty" you experience when performing an exercise. The specific amount of intensity required to achieve “optimal” strength gains remains unknown. However, if you are a healthy person and perform the exercise to the point of "short-term muscle failure" (i.e. 100% intensity), you can be sure that you are achieving the intensity level that turns on the mechanism of muscle mass and strength growth.

What is "VIT"?
The acronym stands for "high-intensity training."

HIT is, to put it extremely simply, a method of constructing training in such a way that it is:

Heavy - as heavy as possible without violating the correct training technique;
Short - 1 to 3 sets of several basic exercises performed in an hour or less;
Infrequent - no more than 3 times a week, sometimes 2 or even 1 time a week;
Safe - HIT is an extremely effective technique, but also safe. One of the main goals of strength training is to prevent injury.
That's the whole essence of VIT. There is nothing complicated or “magical” about it. Many athletes have successfully trained in this system for decades, not knowing that it is called "HIT". It should be noted that HIT is not a set of principles etched in stone forever. This is a disciplined training style that is based on two well-known factors responsible for muscle growth - MUSCLE OVERLOAD AND WEIGHT INCREASE. The repetitions are performed measuredly and under control, so that there is constant tension on the muscles. Some spend 2 seconds on the concentric phase of the movement (lifting the weight), while others spend 20 seconds. The key to success is to perform quality reps until muscle failure.

In order for the training to be productive, it is enough to perform 1 set per exercise, although there are supporters of HIT who sometimes recommend doing more than 1 set. Some people may need to do additional sets. As a general rule, to which there are of course exceptions, one set performed HIIT style will provide all the stimulation needed for muscle hypertrophy (growth).

Below is a quote from Dr. Ken Leistner, which perfectly sums up the whole essence of HIT: “HIT is a total effort of 100%, not “almost” 100%. HIT is when you take a single set to your absolute limit, and not to “almost” "the limit. This is the use of any available equipment, and not just one machine or group of machines. This is not just words, but a voluntary commitment to work in the gym in a real way - forget about "chattering" with others, prolonged rest between sets, or that "if that doesn't work, I'll try that star technique from the magazine." If the exercise is performed in a high-intensity manner, as described above, one set usually provides the body with optimal stimulation for strength gains. Additional sets of the same exercise are simply not necessary."

Dorian Yates' (Mr. Olympia 1992-1997) coach Mike Mentzer recommends the following: "Train intense, train short and train infrequently - it's effective and works for everyone."

Mike Mentzer on the “copying of stars”, which is so prevalent in the gym and promoted in “muscle magazines”: “... it is impossible, pointing to the “obvious” success of a handful of people who hold the highest titles in bodybuilding, to say that this is undoubted proof of effectiveness their approach to training. If you look carefully into the past, at how their bodybuilding careers developed and count all those hours, months and years wasted due to a blind, untheoretical, “volumetric” approach, you can’t help but wonder: Is the word “success” even appropriate to describe their achievements?”

Mike Mentzer, IronMan Magazine, .

20 general rules

HIT supporters have different views, but there is one thing they all agree on. They all promote short, hard work done infrequently. When you are in the gym, you need to concentrate your energy on doing only the work that produces results, i.e. leads to growth. Each set is performed with good technique and with 100% effort - you give it all your strength. It is clear that, training like this, it is simply IMPOSSIBLE to train like a marathon runner for 2-3 hours, copying the “champions” from muscle magazines. HIT can be summarized in a few general rules. These rules have formed the basis of strength training programs for many years:

1. Train at a high level of intensity
Intensity can be defined as "percentage of momentary effort." In other words, intensity corresponds to the degree of stress being placed on the muscles at any given moment, or muscle fatigue.

Nearly 100 years of research has consistently shown that intensity is the single most important factor needed to achieve results in strength training. It has been proven that the harder (i.e., more intense) you train, the greater the adaptive response the muscle exhibits.

A high degree of intensity is achieved by performing the exercise until the moment of concentric (positive) muscle failure, i.e. when you have tired your muscles so much that you can no longer do any more repetitions with the weight.

Failure to achieve the desired level of intensity - or muscle fatigue - results in decreased or no growth in strength or muscle size, because... low-intensity training stimulates very little, or does not stimulate at all, the growth of muscle strength/volume.

2. The number of repetitions and weight should be increased according to the principle of “double progression” In order for muscle strength and volume to grow, the muscle must be subjected to progressive load. Your muscles should be loaded with weight that is increased gradually and systematically throughout your training program. This is often called "progressive loading." This means that in each workout you should try to increase either the weight you use or the number of repetitions you perform - compared to your last workout. This is called "double progression" (i.e. increasing the weight and repetitions). By loading your muscles in this way, you will force them to adapt to increasing demands on them (i.e. stress).

Every time you reach the maximum number of repetitions, you should increase the weight on the next workout. The increase should not occur in large steps, although this is possible. Remember the most important thing - the weight should always be new. The weight should be increased to such an amount that it is comfortable for you to work with it. Athletes, even experienced ones, often make the mistake of adding weight too early or too much. Stuart McRobert advocates very small additives - discs weighing 250 g or even 100 g. Such small (1 oz to 1.75 lb) steel discs are produced, for example, by Piedmont Design Associates. The plates are added to an Olympic bar or attached to a machine weight.

Adding 0.5 kg per week to your squat or deadlift weight may seem insignificant to some, but as Stuart McRobert noted, “if there are those among you who would not be happy to add a “paltry” 50 kg to their 8 in two years -my repetitions in squats?

A note about progression:
There was a lot of debate about whether it was necessary to pump up “for mass” or “for strength.” Strength training methodology does not recognize this difference. Training for strength leads to increased mass (even though the percentages of increase do not have to be the same, increasing one will always lead to increasing the other).

I will give two quotes:

Arthur Jones is the creator of Nautilus simulators, the former owner of MedX Inc., and is also considered by many to be the “progenitor” of the HIT system. Jones stated, using the barbell curl as an example, that if an athlete could do a 200-pound bicep curl with good form without having to swing his entire body, “then his arms would be so huge that they would be used for almost any form of exercise.” sports, well, except perhaps for fighting bears."

Dr. Ken Leistner: "I like to tell my doubting students that all they need to do is just add a little weight to the bar, add some reps. Do you think you can get to the point where you can squat 400 pounds? x 20 reps, stiff-legged deadlift 400 lbs x 15, barbell curls 200 lbs x 10, bench press 200 lbs x 10, push-ups with additional weight 300 lbs x 10, pull-ups with 100 lbs - what do you think you won't "Are you big - I mean monstrously big? Will you be strong? Yes!"

That's the whole point of progression.

3. Perform 1 to 3 sets of each exercise
To increase muscle strength or volume, they must be tired or overloaded - only then does an adaptive response occur. In how many sets - one or several - you tire the muscle, it doesn’t really matter - as long as it is brought to a certain level of fatigue.

When performing several sets of one exercise, the cumulative effect of each subsequent set leads the muscle to a state of greater and greater fatigue, thereby achieving muscle fatigue. When performing one set to failure, the cumulative effect of each subsequent repetition causes the muscle to become more and more tired, thereby achieving muscle fatigue. Numerous studies show that there is no significant difference whether you do several sets of an exercise (two, three) or just one. Provided, of course, that the sets are brought to the appropriate level of intensity (i.e., until the moment of concentric muscle failure).

However, there are always exceptions to the rule. But the general rule is that the vast majority of people don't need to do more than 1-3 sets.

4. Achieve muscle failure within the target number of repetitions.
As stated above, research suggests that our intensity level is the most important factor in strength training performance; all other things being equal, the HARDER you train, the BETTER the result.

Since muscle hypertrophy is the body's adaptive response to stress, you should always try to go as far as possible and push yourself as hard as you can during those "impossible" reps. Every centimeter is precious. This “impossible” repetition should last 10-15 seconds. You can call it "isometric repetition" if you like.

As for partial repetitions, i.e. performing as many partial positive reps as possible after completing the last full rep, there is no consensus. In addition, after performing an “isometric” repetition, you are unlikely to have any strength left for partial repetitions.

If you are just starting a program or if you are changing exercises within your program, it may take several workouts just to find the optimal weight for you. Then just keep adding weight little by little.

The rep range for each body part is different, and you can get very different recommendations depending on who you ask. But remember that the number of repetitions is not the most important thing, the key factor is time. You can perform a set of 10 repetitions in 10-15 seconds, or you can extend one repetition for 60 seconds.

Most often it is recommended to perform 8-12 repetitions. This needs to be approached individually, depending on the specific person and part of the body. Most people get good results from high reps for the lower body (12-15) and low reps (6-8) for the upper body.

So how many seconds should each repetition last? The most general rule is: 6 seconds - 2 seconds for the concentric phase (lifting) and 4 seconds for the eccentric (lowering). The emphasis should be on lowering the weight, on the negative side of the repetition, because research shows that this part of repetition is the most productive.

Lowering the weight should also be emphasized because it makes the exercise more effective: the same muscles that are used to lift the weight concentrically are also used to lower the weight eccentrically. The only difference is that when you lift the weight, your muscles shorten under tension, and when you lower the weight, your muscles lengthen under tension. So by focusing on lowering the weight, each rep becomes more effective and each set more productive. Due to the fact that the muscle stretches under tension when you lower the weight, it is important to lower it under control - this not only ensures a good stretch for the muscle, but also the safety of the exercise.

Doing 8-12 reps as described above, each set should take you 48 to 72 seconds to reach concentric muscle failure. However, there are techniques that can help you find your “optimal” number of repetitions, or, more correctly, the duration of one set. See section 3.2.

5. Work each set to concentric (positive) muscle failure.
If concentric muscle failure occurs before you reach the lowest number in your planned rep range, then the weight you selected is too heavy and should be lowered in the next workout. If you exceed the upper end of the rep range before reaching failure, the weight is too light and should be increased by 5% or less in the next workout.

If you are just starting a program or if you are changing exercises within your program, it may take several workouts just to find the optimal weight for you. It's unavoidable. Then just gradually start adding weight.

6. Perform each rep with proper form.
This rule is repeated endlessly, however, breaking it is the most common mistake, especially among young athletes. It leads to many unnecessary injuries. The repetition should be done by lowering and raising the weight in a controlled and measured manner. Explosive lifts are not only unproductive, but also dangerous.

This is one issue on which most HIT proponents agree. If you ever have someone, be it Mr. Universe himself or an "expert trainer," come up to you and tell you that reps should be done in an "explosive," fast, "ballistic" manner, just walk away from them. This man is stupid.

Remember one thing - free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it. And often, if you pay for advice in this area, you will get the same thing.

SAFETY NOTE
Here is an excerpt from a letter Dan Riley, strength and conditioning coach for the Washington Redskins, wrote to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) on May 6, 1994. By the way, other HIT strength coaches consider Riley to be the best HIT strength coach for today. His name is VERY respected in this environment, and because of his efforts and successes, he is also an example for many coaches. It was thanks to him that the “new generation” of strength coaches was born.

There are many philosophical approaches a coach can use to achieve the same results. We all have this way - “our own way”. Still, if one approach exposes the athlete to more potential risk than another approach, I will always choose the other one. I always strongly advise careful study of the available literature and the opinions of unbiased experts in various fields. I am particularly interested in issues such as nutrition and supplementation, explosive training, plyometrics, rep max training, speed training and the development of specialized skills in the weight room."

So, the general rule is this: the repetition should last 6 seconds - 2 seconds to rise and 4 seconds to lower. Two seconds doesn't seem like much time, but when you're lifting a weight, it can seem like a long time. Ask your partner to say "one thousand, two thousand" as you lift the weight.

Many will be surprised to learn that they actually lift weights much faster.

Avoid explosive, sudden movements at all costs. Lifting weights "faster" will NOT make you more "explosive." No matter what style of training you do, you cannot immediately activate fast-twitch (type II) muscle fibers without engaging slow-twitch muscle fibers (type I). Muscle fibers are recruited in order, according to the Activation Principle.

There will be no end to the debate about the "correct" or "optimal" repetition rate. There is a great difference of opinion on this issue. How slow should the repetition be? The truth is: no one knows. However, one good rule can be given, almost everyone accepts it:

"Lift the weight under control and try to reduce the momentum. If you don't know how to move the weight - slower or faster - always choose a slower pace of movement. It is very easy to perform a repetition too quickly, but have you ever seen someone who would say, that he performs the repetition "too slowly"?

7. Use full range of motion
Perform each repetition with the greatest range of motion, taking into account, of course, safety: from the position of full stretch to the position of full muscle contraction and again return to the position of full stretch. Full range of motion, as shown by research (Project Total Conditioning) conducted at the US Military Academy, increases flexibility, which, in turn, reduces the risk of injury - and this is one of the goals of HIT - injury prevention.

Using the full range of motion ensures that you are training the entire muscle, not just part of it. This makes the movement more productive and stimulates growth more strongly. Research has shown that to increase strength in all areas of the amplitude, full-amplitude exercises are necessary, i.e. if you do leg extensions only in the middle range of amplitude, then your strength will increase for the most part only in this region of the amplitude. Studies of people who have used this type of training over an extended period of time have shown that they are weak in areas of the amplitude that they did not work, i.e., if we take the above example of leg extensions, it will result in noticeable weakness of the legs in the position muscle contractions.

8. Training should not exceed 1 hour
If you train at high intensity, a workout duration of more than 1 hour will be counterproductive, because... it increases the chance of overtraining due to the catabolic hormone cortisol. And overtraining after an injury is your worst enemy. Avoid her like the plague. Symptoms of overtraining, as well as some tips on how to avoid it, are given in I) v).

9. Rest between sets should be short.
The time after which you can start the next set after completing the previous one depends on your general physical preparation. You should move from one exercise to another quickly - as soon as your breathing is restored or as soon as you feel that you are able to produce maximum effort. After the introductory period of adaptation, the time between sets should be between 1 and 3 minutes. Training with minimal recovery time between exercises leads to a metabolic effect that cannot be achieved with traditional multi-set training. This was proven in studies conducted at West Point.

  • 10. Train large muscle groups first
    Most of the exercises should target large muscle groups (i.e. glutes, legs and upper body). To train these parts of the body, choose any exercises that you prefer. It is recommended to work the lower body first. because these exercises are harder. Of course, there is a technique when, in order to tighten up a lagging part of the body, you work it out first in training, but, in general, follow this recommendation.

    Exercises like squats, if performed correctly and to failure, are the most difficult exercises - any experienced athlete will tell you this. This is what makes them so productive. Remember: the exercises should be harder, not easier, then your results will be proportional to the effort invested. Since large muscles store the largest reserves of glycogen, these reserves need to be turned on first. The second reason is this: you need to increase the level of lactic acid and thereby reduce the acid-base balance of the blood. By lowering the pH of the muscles and blood, we reduce the amount of work that the remaining muscle groups need to do to stimulate growth. The advantage of this is that less work done means less glucose wasted, thereby reducing the risk that muscle protein will be used for energy production (catabolism). It is especially important to avoid (unless you are doing a specialized program) working your arms before other upper body exercises. Multi-joint (i.e. compound) movements for the upper body require the assistance of the arms. The arms are your "weak link" because the arm muscles are smaller. Therefore, if you tire your arms first, you will thereby weaken the weakest link, which will reduce the load on the muscles of your upper body. In the same way, the quads and hamstrings are the weak link when performing glute exercises. Therefore, "some" authorities recommend refraining from training these muscles (i.e. leg extensions and leg curls) before performing complex, multi-joint lower body exercises (such as squats or leg presses).

    11. Do not use split programs - you cannot exercise for several days in a row.
    Many bodybuilders practice split programs. They think that training their upper body one day and their lower body the next will give them extra time to "more thoroughly" work each muscle group. So, HIT supporters claim that this is NOT true.

    First, the split program makes you think that the more exercise, the better. Remember: in fact, the harder the exercise, the better it is. Also, if you train harder, you SHOULD train less, not longer (meaning duration of training). It is impossible to train hard and for a long time. Therefore, due to simple physiological need, people using split programs must reduce the intensity of exercise, and this leads to less stimulation of growth.

    Secondly, split programs waste much more precious recovery resources. Recovery is a chemical reaction that must occur within your body for adaptation to stress to occur. Thus, split programs lead you to your worst enemy - overtraining.

    It should be noted that, despite the fact that it is recommended to perform programs for the whole body, such a recommendation cannot be considered a universal rule for everyone. For example, some people simply cannot handle a few HIIT-style exercises. Therefore, for them, trying to work the whole body in one session will lead to submaximal efforts and results. In this case, it is better to perform “shortened” programs for the whole body, or “split” your program. But the goal of our split is NOT to increase the amount of work. The goal is to “divide” this volume over time. For example, you need 10 exercises (1 set each) to work your entire body. Instead of doing all 10 exercises at once, do 5 exercises in one workout and the remaining 5 in another. Training should be alternated. It is important to emphasize one thing: the next workout should NOT be done the next day.

    12. Ensure adequate rest after each workout I don't know if you believe me or not, but muscles don't get stronger during training. Your muscles become stronger while you rest after training. After working a muscle with the help of HIT, muscle tissue disintegrates (to put it very simply) and the recovery process takes some time, during which the muscle is rebuilt, adapts to the load and, if nothing interferes with it, grows in volume.

    The recovery abilities of different people no doubt vary. A rest period of 48-96 hours is usually recommended after training - this is considered to be sufficient for recovery. Some HIIT proponents believe that muscle atrophy begins 96 hours after high-intensity exercise. However, this is disputed by other authorities, who have students rest more between training sessions. There are many people who do just one strength training session a week or even less - although, apparently, this scheme is more suitable for those who have already reached a high level of development, compared to themselves, i.e. for those who have already increased their strength by 200-300% compared to the pre-training period.

    It is also believed that at least 48 hours are required for the body to replenish spent carbohydrate reserves. Therefore, it is recommended to do strength training 2-3 times a week, spacing your training days as far apart as possible (i.e. Monday, Wednesday and Friday).

    13. The need for periodic breaks in training
    What is "periodization"? Periodization is not a specific program, but a philosophy or method of varying the volume and intensity of training to optimize adaptation processes from training in order to avoid overtraining. HIT is also a philosophy. Proponents of HIT often mention the importance of varying the exercises performed, their order, training frequency, and set/repetition combinations. Thus, it would be a mistake to simply state that HIT is “one set of 8-12 repetitions” or “such and such a program.” VIT also advocates periodization. But it is not based on the maximum weight you can lift in one repetition, nor is it based on the pre-planned workouts of traditional theoretical models that use "phases" within "cycles." This does not mean that these models do not "work". They work. It is important to understand one thing - ANY system “works”, which is based on the principles of overload and progression. Proponents of HIT believe that periodization models have certain disadvantages - for example, too much time is spent in the gym with submaximal weights.

    One of the goals of "periodization" is to "cycle intensity" to prevent overtraining. The HIT school considers this concept of "intensity cycling" to be erroneous, with a few exceptions such as Stuart McRobert.

    The true culprit of overtraining is... overtraining, i.e. training too often.

    There is one cure for overtraining - rest or reduction in training. General recommendation: Train intensely 2-3 times a week.

    If you are training 3 times a week and feel like you are not recovering or making progress, try working out 2 times a week. If this turns out to be too much for you, try training once every five days. The main thing is to reduce the volume/frequency. Many athletes find that as they get stronger, decreasing their training becomes a necessity and they simply have no choice.

    After 6-8 weeks of hard training, forget about training for one week - rest. A week of rest outside the gym can provide invaluable both psychological and physiological help. After resting for a week, gradually begin a new program. The new program may consist of the same exercises, only the order of execution changes, or it may consist of new exercises. The key to success is variability. You can call this "cycling" your training or "periodizing." This does not change the essence of the matter.

    It's even better to rest for ten days. And two weeks off can do amazing things for your recovery, motivation, and future progress. It is recommended to take a full 10 days off from training every six months.

    This is probably the hardest thing for an athlete, and the most responsible for the lack of desired results. It is EXTREMELY difficult for athletes to decide to rest. They are afraid that “my muscles” will atrophy or something like that will happen.

    Even if you lose a little muscle, remember that regaining your previous muscle mass is MUCH EASIER than gaining new muscle mass.

    A note about strength development:

    It is important to understand that progressive weight exercises performed in one set cause positive morphological changes in the muscles. If an athlete's goal is to improve his/her single rep weight in the squat or bench press, then ADDITIONAL SETS will be REQUIRED to train the specific neural pathways responsible for those movements.

    Most strength training literature published to date does NOT provide convincing evidence that multi-set or single-set training systems are better for gaining PURE MUSCLE MASS.

    Training systems using varying set/repetition schemes result in increased muscle mass and strength. But the one-set system also leads to an increase in muscle mass and strength. The choice of training program should depend on what is POWER for you and how you intend to use it. This article is not intended for those who want to improve their one-rep max performance, i.e. it is not for competitive powerlifters. The article is intended for those who want to change their body - increase muscle mass and reduce the percentage of fatty tissue in the body. If you are interested in powerlifting specifically, we highly recommend reading Bill Pisch's article, "Powerlifting Questions and Answers." It is available at *****cyberpump.com.

    14. As strength increases, reduce training frequency and/or number of sets.
    Sports physiologists have discovered that strength increases disproportionately to the ability to recover. The stronger we become, the LESS HIIT training we can handle. Some authorities, such as Dr. Ellington Darden cites a "300/50%" ratio between strength and recovery potential. Thus, theoretically, the average athlete has the potential to increase their strength (compared to the pre-training period) by 4 times, while their recovery abilities may only increase by 1.5 times. Therefore, the stronger you become, the LESS you should exercise.

    Beginners: 16-20 sets
    Experienced: 12-15 sets
    Very experienced: 8-12 sets
    Of course, you may need more or, more likely, LESS, but in general, stick to this recommendation.

    As for the frequency of training, I can give the following general advice:

    Beginners: 3 times a week (full body)
    Experienced: 2 times every 5-7 days (whole body)
    Very experienced: 1 time every 5-7 days (whole body)
    Again, depending on many factors, you may need LESS. Most athletes from high school and college programs train three times a week. However, there are amazing examples of successful athletes who have achieved a lot by training no more than once a week.

    Training 3 times a week is the general recommendation given for developing cardiovascular endurance. If your strength training is performed at a pace that keeps your heart rate per minute at a level appropriate for your age (this is achieved by reducing the rest between sets; resting more than 1-3 minutes is not recommended), then your regular training may “count” as aerobic exercise. training.

    If your strength has increased so much that you train less than 3 times a week, then you can give yourself additional aerobic exercise to increase endurance.

    15. Use the HIT technique in doses
    Too many people make the mistake of unnecessarily using programs designed for advanced athletes (see below), and thereby driving themselves into overtraining. This is often the reason why people become disillusioned with HIT.

    Use advanced programs to tighten lagging muscles and use them infrequently.

    Below are some high-intensity techniques designed for experienced athletes. Their descriptions are given below in this article:

    Step sets
    Super slow reps
    Pre-fatigue
    Negative repetitions
    Reps 1?
    These methods, as I said, should be used infrequently. Don't make the mistake that many bodybuilders make and resort to these methods every workout. It's very easy to overtrain with these methods. Use them on specific parts of the body that you feel are lagging behind. It's worth remembering. You should train to positive failure on all sets. But everything that lies beyond this limit is the greatest stress for the body. Therefore, use these methods with caution, otherwise you will overtrain.

    You will find descriptions of the above methods in this article below - in the section “HIT for experienced”, section 1.

    16. Warm up and cool down
    Warming up is essential to prevent injury. In addition, the rise in body temperature that occurs during warm-up increases movement speed and strength potential. Almost any sequence of light rhythmic exercises can be used as a warm-up before you begin high-intensity training. I recommend doing the following exercises: head turns, side bends, torso turns, squats without weight, stationary bicycle. Spend about a minute on each exercise and that will be enough. A targeted muscle warm-up occurs during the first few reps of your set. Thus, a "warm-up set" as such is usually not required.

    Cooling down after training is also important. It does not allow blood to stagnate in the worked muscles. After completing your last exercise, walk around the room, drink some water, and do some light movements, such as slowly swinging your arms in a circle. Continue to perform these gentle movements until your breathing is restored and your heart rate slows down.

    17. Keep a detailed training diary
    A training diary is needed to measure your progress. It is very important to record all the exercises you perform during training. It should record the following parameters: date, exercises, order of exercises, bench back angle, weight, repetitions, sets, total duration of training and any other parameters, such as body weight, time of day, external temperature, current pain and injuries that impacted your training.

    The accuracy of your records will be of invaluable service to you when you review your progress from month to month. These records will give you the key to solving many problems that you cannot avoid.

    The best measure of progress is muscle strength. It's best measured not by how much you can lift in a single rep max, but by how much you can lift in a certain rep range, say 10, with good form. Why can't a single rep with maximum weight be a measure of progress? In a nutshell, the answer to this question is: because it is DANGEROUS.

    Trying to lift a heavy weight for one repetition places excessive stress on the muscles, bones, and connective tissues. When the load exceeds the tensile strength of the structural components of the body, injury occurs. In addition, such a single maximum repetition leads to a sharp and strong increase in blood pressure - higher than when training with submaximal weights.

    Another problem is that single rep max is a highly specialized skill that requires specific technique.

    There is a way to determine your single rep max based on the number of reps to failure using Brzyki's formula (discovered by Matt Brzyki).

    Here is the formula:
    Expected single rep max = weight /(1.0278 - .0278X) where X is the number of reps performed.

    The formula is based on the observed almost linear relationship between the number of repetitions to failure and the percentage of maximum load. However, the relationship loses its linearity after 10 repetitions. Those. This formula only works when you are predicting your single rep max based on the number of reps to failure that does not exceed 10. Above this number, the formula is less accurate. Therefore, if you use your “optimal” rep range, found using the method outlined in section III) i), to determine your maximum repetition, the formula may give an inaccurate result.

    18. Find a good training partner

    A good training partner can provide you with invaluable assistance. It will support you during tough workouts. After you've trained together for some time, you'll get to know each other well enough to be able to organize truly productive workouts. A partner will allow you to go to failure without the fear of being “crushed by the weight” when performing exercises such as the bench press. A good partner will also monitor your technique and provide you with some kind of “feedback”. The partner will also be useful to you when you use such advanced training techniques as negative repetitions, stepped sets, manual training, etc., see below in the article.

    19. Do not try to “imitate” movements from other sports in the athlete’s gym.
    Strength training should be GENERAL and requires the use of HEAVY WEIGHTS. Training of other skills from other sports should be SPECIFIC and does not require additional WEIGHTS. Do not try to “imitate” specific movements from other sports in the gym in the hope that this will help you improve your results in another sport. The most common example of this is the craze for the barbell “push” (clean clean (weightlifting)). The clean and jerk is touted by many as a universal tool for developing virtually every specific movement found in other sports, from breaststroke and golf side kick to shot put. It is simply impossible for one movement to be completely identical to so many different movements requiring specialized skills. The SPECIFICITY PRINCIPLE states that in order to achieve maximum success in a particular movement, you need to train that specific movement. The word "specific" means "exact" or "identical" rather than "similar." Therefore, by practicing the jerk, you will become better at... pushing, and by practicing lunges, you will become better at lunges.

    There is NO such exercise in the gym - be it with a barbell or with dumbbells - by performing which you will speed up the learning of other sports movements. Movement training and improvement in it is the destiny of a specific sport, and strength training is GENERAL.

    Strength training, as well as other general physical movements, should differ from practicing a specific movement as much as possible - in content, form, method of execution and environment.

    If you want to play basketball better, then focus your training on those muscles that are involved in basketball - the buttocks, thighs, calves, back, shoulders, arms and lower back. To improve the movement, simply continue to PRACTICE the movement by doing dunks or under-the-basket dunks.

    20. Avoid orthopedic unhealthy movements
    More specifically, exercise professionals in athletics and rehabilitation therapy question the following exercises from an injury perspective: the clean and jerk, the snatch, and plyometric exercises. As we see with competitive weightlifters, these exercises have a very high potential for injury. When performing such exercises, the muscular and skeletal system is subjected to repeated trauma and extreme biomechanical stress. Weightlifting is a very risky sport. Competitive weightlifters are willing to take this risk; they accept it as part of the sport. However, why would you, who are not competitive weightlifters, accept this unnecessary risk of injury?

    Therefore, for the sake of safety, leave the movements performed by competitive weightlifters to competitive weightlifters, who perform them themselves only because they need it for their sport.

    Rest and recovery
    Exercise leads to stimulation of muscle growth. Muscles do not grow during exercise; they grow when the body rests. After training, it takes several days to start the process of adaptation to the transferred load. The importance of rest and sleep is often underestimated.

    Here are some tips to help you get more results from your training:

    If you are a teenager, then you need to sleep at least 10 hours a day;
    If you are an adult, then you need to sleep at least 9 hours a day;
    If possible, take time after lunch for a 15-minute nap;
    DO NOT do any heavy work on non-training days;
    Every 6 months of training, take a 10-day rest.

    Steroids
    One of the best articles I have read on anabolic steroids was written by Mark Asanovic, strength coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The article was published in the WIT newsletter number 1 (1989), part 2. You can order this old copy of the WIT newsletter by telephone, I am sure you will find it informative.

    Steroid abuse is the fastest growing form of drug addiction in the United States. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claims that 1 million people abuse steroids in the US, while there are “only” 500,000 heroin addicts and 500,000 crack abusers. Incredible statistics.

    Teenagers use steroids more often than others. Anabolic steroids are now the most popular drugs in the United States. It's hard to believe. It is very difficult to talk about the use of steroids. Why? Because there is actually very little scientific information about steroids, especially about the ways athletes abuse steroids. Most of the information is based on unreliable cases passed on by word of mouth in the halls, illegal “directories”, etc.



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