Intensity ~Training for REAL results

Energy Bulletin

I'm sure most of you know of somebody, either currently or over the years, who has worked really hard trying to get into shape. It could have been a friend, family member or just someone who was always there when you arrived at the gym and was still there when you left.

Sadly, I have met hundreds of individuals like this over the years. Their motivation is second to none and yet weeks, months and possibly years later they seem to have changed, at least physically, very little.

Sure they may be able to do an aerobics class, spin class and a body jam session all in the one day and still have energy to burn but their shape remains the same. A little soft, carrying just a bit too much body fat and not nearly the tone or definition you'd imagine would be the result from being a serial gym junkie.

Heck I've met dozens of aerobics instructors over the years that fit this description perfectly.

So what's the deal? Surely hard work should be rewarded with solid and significant results, right?

Not necessarily. In fact there are quite a few really good reasons why someone might not be getting the quality results from their training that they possibly should be.

Here are a few examples in no particular order;

• Lack of intensity
• Poor program design
• Inadequate protein intake
• Excessive starch/sugars
• Poor diversity of exercise
• Inadequate recovery

In aid of me getting some sleep (adequate recovery) I am only going to talk about our first contender, Lack of Intensity.

Although it's impossible to pick out the most important aspect to results based training, I'd have to put intensity right near the top.

It's clear from watching people train over the years that very few put nearly enough effort into their training.

Note that I said effort and not time.

One of the biggest reasons I see for lack of intensity, besides the obvious motivational issues, is the tendency to train waaaaay too long. I mean unless you're an endurance based athlete you shouldn't need any more than an hour in the gym. This includes changing into and out of your gear + a quick shower and even counting the 5 min chat time required if you run into a friend.

The other major problem with training for extended periods of time is that it can and usually does cause a break down of muscle tissue which in turn reduces strength, power and speed. Just look at a marathon runner and then compare them to an 800 meter sprinter, big difference.

Another problem with too much aerobic conditioning (prolonged exercise) is that it can adversely affect your anaerobic conditioning which is essential for strength based activities like resistance training, sprinting, jumping, climbing and any other short burst physical activity. Interestingly enough the reverse doesn't seem to be true. In fact recent studies have actually shown that high intensity or anaerobic conditioning can actually improve aerobic capacity.

Basically if you want to lose weight or tone up quickly then you have to eventually take off the training wheels and start training like a short to middle distance sprinter or power athlete rather than sitting on a bike or treadmill for an hour reading the latest Cleo, it just doesn't work well at all.

Intensity training means lifting your chosen weight to the point of failure and then adding on a couple more reps for good measure. It means digging deep and challenging your mind as well as your body. It means training to failure every single time you lift something or being so exhausted after your run that you feel all shaky and just want to fall to the floor.

Every Single Time!

This will do a lot more than burn body fat. It will teach your body to lift your metabolic rate, burn more calories as well as build lean muscle so that you ALWAYS burn more fat. How good is that!!!!

Now I'm not saying that EVERY session needs to be at maximum intensity. You do have to spend the time learning how to lift correctly and of course injuries, corrective work and skill progressions, like in boxing, gymnastics or free weight training need to be considered, but for serious results you need to be training at high intensity at least 80% of the time.

As a reward you will find that your goals WILL be achieved, you Will lose fat, you Will add lean muscle and you WILL improve your fitness well beyond your wildest imaginings.

All of course providing you are feeding yourself correctly.... But that is another bulletin.

For some inspiration and to see what training at intensity should look like, check out this 10 min video.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ooQKUYQ_WgQ


duncan
Director
The Energy Clinic