High-Intensity Training

It is safe to say that my summer as a high-school strength and conditioning intern was one of the best experiences of my life. Not only did I realize what I believe to be is my "calling" in life (working with kids) through this internship, I was also able to see first-hand of a unique strength training approach that truly works.

Since I started seriously lifting at 18, my fitness mentality was based solely off Arnold Schwarzenegger's philosophy of "performing infinite sets for what seemed like endless hours." As much as this helped me become a gym rat, my internship experience made me realize that there might be more effective approaches out there.

What if you could get the same results from performing one set of an exercise as you could from performing multiple sets? Initially, reading the previous statement won't make sense, because doing something more always leads to better results right? Ironically, my intern boss explained to me that this is not the case in training. By performing high volume training, it's much more difficult to lift the same amount of weight over multiple sets. On top of that, one will need much more rest time in between workouts to truly recover from the past workout. So why perform multiple sets if it's harder to lift more weight, as well as having to take more time off before lifting again? Based on these thoughts, I have now became a firm-believer in high-intensity training (HIT). HIT worked for both Dorian Yates and Mike Mentzer. If it worked for this bodybuilding legends, then I certainly believe that it can work for me. 

Like both Yates, and Mentzer, I am now performing one set of each exercise until temporary muscular failure. By lifting until failure, one can never question if he/she could have done another repetition. Science has shown that one set training can build as much muscle (if not more) than multiple set workouts, so I thought this approach would be fun to try. I performed this type of training twice a week during the summer with a former NFL strength and conditioning coach, and I felt more sore after these lifts than ever before. This type of training also makes it easier to know when to progress (which I will explain in future posts), as well as made me feel stronger than ever. 

I'm really excited about this type of training, and I can't wait to let you guys know of my results. Be on the lookout for my workout plan/as well as my diet regime during this period in the next few weeks!