Physiologists have long known that High Intensity Training is one of the most effective ways to build strength, develop muscle and increase your fitness level. However it is also a training method that is often misunderstood and consequencely is not used very often or very well by the many men and women who engage in weight training. The high intensity training system is based on extensive scientific research and is backed by exercise science and many studies have shown just how effective it can be.
High Intensity Trainning Tips!
To get the most from high intensity weight training you should first get a thorough understanding of the workout principles and than put them into practice. One of the first things to understand is that high intensity training means brief but strenuous workouts. It is not possible to train with a high intensity level for an extended period of time.To workout for long periods of time it is absolutely necessary to lower the intensity level. Such a lower intensity workout will not yield the maximum in strength training results. It is not the quantity of weight training that is important it is the quality!
Proper form and High Intensity Training
Another import aspect to high intensity training is the use of proper form. It is a natural tendency for people training with weights to simple do the exercise in whatever way is possible to get it completed. This usually results with the specific exercise beeing done in poor form. This cheating is just a way to make the exercise easier. Obviously to enhance your workout results you want to make your muscles work harder. This is accomplished by using strict form which puts more tension and stress on the working muscles. Using a slow and controlled speed of motion while working against the resistance is the most important part of using good form. An example of this can be seen with a chin-up. To start you should be hanging still in a complete hang position. Than smoothly pull up, taking about two full seconds until your chin is above the bar. Pause and hold this position for one full second. Lower back down slowly, taking about four full seconds,all the way down until you reach the full hang position. Do all your reps with this same strict technique.
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Failure Means Success with High Intensity Training
Along with using this strict form the other very important aspect of fitness training is to continue each exercise to the point of momentary muscle failure. This simply means to do as many reps as you possible can until you fail to do the next one. Don’t just do as many as you think you can do. Don’t select a number and pre-determine how many reps will be done. Your muscles cannot count but they do know when they have been exercised thoroughly. This high intensity training effort will stimulate the muscles to get stronger by recruiting more muscle fibers to use for the next workout.
The Fitness Center Handbook goes into this topic in more detail. You can learn the exact principles you need to follow to get the maximum benefit from you high intensity training. There are also answers to the most frequently asked questions concerning weight training and fitness.
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For a look at High Intensity Training with famous Bodybuilder Mike Mentzer watch this great video -
3 Best Weight Training Tips – Are you getting the maximum muscle building results from your weight training workouts? Most people could train much better and get much better results. Following these weight training tips can make a huge difference in you workout results. Many folks spend long hours in the gym, pumping iron and lifting like crazy, yet show little benefit from their effort. Other people unfortunately shy away from strength training either because they do not understand the outstanding physical benefit they will get or they think it takes a lot of time. Proper strength training is performed in a high intensity manner. Using high intensity training methods will result in getting maximum benefit in the minimum of time. Actually the exact definition of exercise definition is Intensity = Work divided by Time. Think about his and you will understand that proper weight training should be brief in time but intense in effort. By following these three strength training tips you can greatly improve the results from your workouts and will most likely reduce your training time.
Please note that the weight training tips mentioned here apply to just about any type of strength training and muscle building exercise and weight training. Free weights (dumbells and barbells), weight training machines and body-weight exercises (such as dips, chin ups and ab crunches) all require similar training guidelines to provide effective strength training benefit.
Weight Training Tips – Proper Form!
Proper form – The laws of physics tells us a lot concerning momentum and the forces needed to move any object, such as a barbell or weight stack. How does this apply to muscle building and weight training tips? This is very simple and cannot be disputed. The weight or resistance you are exercising with should never be lifted quickly. You should also not drop the weight. Your weight training exercises should always be performed in a slow and controlled manner. By lifting the weight slowly you eliminate the use of momentum and force your muscles to contract with much more force. This means you will be getting a much better workout. It is simply harder to lift weight slowly then to lift fast. The idea is to make your muscle work harder! It is also much safer to train this way. But just how slowly should your movement be? one very common technique is to take 2 complete seconds to do the lifting motion, a full 1 second pause and then take 4 seconds to slowly lower the weight back down. This results in one repetition taking about six full seconds to complete. Most people train at a much faster pace thereby make the repetitions much easier to perform. Some advanced training methods use even slower movements. These techniques are really very difficult to perform, requires a lot of effort and will take a lot out of you. The most important thing to keep in mind as you train is that you should use a slow and controlled speed of motion and perform the movement through a full range of motion. Using such proper form and proper speed of motion greatly increases both the safety and the benefits of your muscle building exercise.
Weight Training Tips – High Intensity Effort
High Intensity effort – High Intensity training is not a new exercise concept but it got a large boost in popularity during the 1970′s by Arthur Jones, the creator of the revolutionary Nautilus fitness machines. The effectiveness of high intensity exercise has been clearly demonstrated by many top athletes, including Mike Menzter, a 5 time Mr. Olympia winner. But what exactly does the term high intensity exercise really mean? Bascially it means that the strength training exercises should be peformed until the point of momentary muscle failure. This means to continue the exercise movement to the point when no further repetitions s can be done and the final one attempted is a “failed” rep, hence the name failure. This is one of the most important weight training tips you can follow yet it is often ignored by people who workout regulary. This type of high intensity exercise means your muscles will recieve a strong stimulus to recruit more muscle fibers and become stronger by yout nest workout. You should keep in mind that a muscle building program is a combination of stimulating your muscles with exercise and than allowing your muscles to grow and develop between workouts when rest and recovery takes place. High intensity exercise puts lots of stress on the body and it must not be overdone by performing too much in one workout or by exercising too frequently. The American College of Sports Medicine, the most respected authoritive organization that deals with the field of exercise, suggests that healthy adults should perform ten exercise 2 times per week, performing 8 to 12 repetitions each set. Since these recomendations are based on extensive scientific research it make good sense to try and follow these closely. Thes weight training tips are essentially based on the ACSM guidelines.
Weight Training Tips for Workout Recovery
Recovery Period – The third tip to help you gat maximum results from your strength training is to make sure you have proper and complete recovery and rest during the time span between your exercise sessions. If a person is doing a complete body workout routine or if utilizing a split workout program (different body parts on different days), the necessity for the bodies recovery stays the same. This time span should always take at least 48 hours but generally a longer time period of 72 to 96 hours usually works better. Keep in mind that your muscles actually develop and grow during this time and you should want the recovery period to be sufficient. Initially the muscles have to have their basic recovery from the stimulus of the high intensity workout, then additional time to overcompensate and adapt. Ideally the muscle will recruit more muscle fibers and then be at a higher level of strength for the next workout. To ensure that you get full recovery you should make certain that you get adequate sleep, proper nutrition and also avoid over training. Too much exercise or workouts done too frequently can be detrimental to your training results.
Always try to follow these three weight training tips – Use proper exercise form, exercise in a high intensity fashion and be sure to allow for full recovery. With this the benefits of your muscle building workouts will increase dramatically.
Selecting the Best Gym – Are you looking for some tips to select the best gym for you? A lot of people get stuck in their fitness training routine when it comes to selecting a fitness center or gym to join. It may at times be an easy choice but than at other times it can be tough to choose. If you have several gyms to select from your selection may be easier but here are a few tips to help you select the best gym to suit your needs. Of course the type of fitness training equipment that you like to use is vital and when you tour a gym you should focus on exactly what equipment they have. Can you perform the type of workout you want? Are they missing something that is important to you?
Convenience is the key - Having a convenient workout location is probably one of the most important things to consider when selecting the best gym. If the top gym in your area is hard to travel to such as being on the far side of your town but there is another decent gym close by it may make more sense to join the closer location. This way you will not have to go very far out of your way to get to your workout. If your gym is real easy to get to it becomes very easy for you to workout regularly. Not skipping your workouts will be a great benefit for you. Obviously exercising regulary is one of the real keys to getting long term benefits. The best gym is one that is easy to get to!
Tips to find the Best Gym
When are you going to workout? When looking to select the best gym to join you should plan to visit at the same time of day that you are expecting to workout. You will want to see how busy it is at that time and what type of members and staffing are there as well. Is is too busy at that time? Are you going to get access to the equipment you want to use? Are they even open during the hours you want to use the gym? Do you feel comfortable there and does it seem like it will be fun to be a member there? Keep in mind that the time of day and the time of year greatly effects how crowded the gym will be. It is well known in the industry that the winter months are much busier then the summer. In the morning (before work) and late afternoon and evening (after work) are the peak times each day. Is the social atmosphere of the club what you are looking for? All of these things should be taken into consideration when selecting the best gym for your needs. Of course the cost is also an important consideration.
Best Gym Selection
Are you looking for training instruction? This is another aspect to consider when selecting the best gym. At some gyms you just sign up and you are on your own as far as training goes. Other facilities may offer just basic instruction in the use of their fitness equipment. Many places will have personal trainers available to set up a workout routine for you and train you on a regular basis if you desire that service. This is almost always a separate fee above the membership fee. This may be a good way to go for some people. However it should be noted that just because a person has a personal trainer certificate does not mean that they are very knowledgeable able concerning proper training methods. In fact many professional find that may “personal trainers” are very limited when it comes to knowledge of proper training methods. It pays to do your own research first. The books recommended on the right side of this page are an excellent place to start. These books written by extremely knowledgable authors and were carefully selected to provide very helpful and useful information. Doing your fitness research can greatly improve your workouts.
