This month’s interview is definitely one of the most unique, refreshing-and controversial-that I have done so far.

Our special guest this month is the author of the new training book Congruent Exercise, Bill DeSimone.



Bill is an experienced personal trainer, having started in 1983, and now owns his own studio-Optimal Exercise in Cranbury, New Jersey.  His own training-induced injuries led to his unique approach to exercise, where he applies textbook biomechanics to conventional free-weight and machine strength training.  He was also a VERY popular speaker at last year’s HIT Resurgence Conference (I believe he will be at this year’s conference also, which you should definitely plan on attending). 

As Bill says in Congruent Exercise: “You can get all the benefits of weight training, without the risk and frustration, by applying the appropriate joint movements, postures, moment arms, i.e. biomechanics, to your exercises.  And you’ll be able to apply this anywhere, whether you are surrounded by the most current, high tech, selectorized machines, or sewer plates on a rusty bar, or doing chin-ups on a tree, because the one constant is your body and biomechanics.”

This is no run-of-the-mill training stuff Bill is talking about here.  I have noticed for a very long time that many people who I considered experts in exercise and/or High Intensity Training were very weak when it came to utilizing orthopedically friendly, biomechanically sound techniques and positions.

Bill has spent a lot of time and effort studying this issue, and as a result he has come up with some fresh and fascinating ideas and techniques.

Listen now to this thought-provoking interview as Bill challenges strength training dogma and reveals:

• How a skating accident shaped his training philosophy
• His perspective on the teachings of Mike Mentzer, from 1976 through 2001 (wow-did he really just say that?)
• Examples of what “congruent exercise” means, and how it can help you
• His take on rep speed and full range of motion
• The relationship between joint function and torque as it applies to exercise (super interesting)
• His “Anti-Inflammation Theme” nutritional philosophy
• What he means by “functional fairy dust” (hilarious)
• And much, much more!

To hear the Bill DeSimone interview, just click on the play arrow (the little triangle on the left) below:

Bill Demonstrates The Congruent Chin-Up

Click here to learn more about Bill’s book Congruent Exercise

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Welcome to 2012!  I hope you have your goals for the year in place, and are ready to start toward their achievement this month with focused intention, building momentum for the rest of the year!

Of course, this is a popular time of year for New Year’s “Resolutions”, but your yearly goals need to be much more than that.  You need to have a compelling “why” for achieving your goals; some reason that stirs up your emotions, and gets you excited about your goal.

Next, you need the “how to”-a game plan for achieving your goal, step by step.  The more detailed and specific your game plan is, the greater the likelihood you will achieve the goal.

And finally, you need a heavy dose of “want to”, the consistent, long-term motivation to continue grinding out the effort needed to achieve a worthwhile goal.

I discussed these concepts in Chapter 11 of my latest book, Hyper Intensity Training.  To get you jump-started toward the achievement of your 2012 muscle building goals, I have included it below.

Enjoy!

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The 3 Keys To Success 

To achieve success in anything, including a new training program, there are three things you need to be perfectly clear about. I consider these things the 3 keys to success. They are, in order: the “Why”, the “How To”, and the “Want To”.

The “Why” is your personal reason for training in the first place. Of all the millions of activities you could choose to engage in, why did you pick this one?  What’s the payoff to you? The clearer you are about your answer to these questions, the more likely you will be to stick with the program when things aren’t exactly going your way. As the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “He who has a why can endure any how”.

The “Why” is what causes you to make a commitment to your training. There are going to be times in your life when you are going to get pulled in a few different directions by people and events in your life; when people are going to try to talk you out of training, or make fun of you because of it; and some are going to want you to join them in certain activities that have nothing to do with training. It is your “Why” that will come to your rescue at these times, and keep you on track to accomplish what is really important to YOU. 

Only you know your “Why”; it’s purely a personal thing. I strongly encourage you to spend some time in quiet concentration figuring yours out, if you haven’t already.

Next comes the “How”, which is the purpose of the Hyper Intensity Training program. The “How” is the nuts and bolts, the practical implementation of the “Why”. In this context, that includes studying the theories behind proper training, understanding them, and recognizing their validity; practicing the techniques with the intent to master them; and recording the results, analyzing them, and making adjustments to continue on the satisfying path of regular progress. 

And finally, we need the “Want To”, which is the motivation needed to, in this case, put in a maximum effort in our workouts, pitting ourselves courageously against the weights that push us to the very limit of our physical and mental abilities.

By combining the Why, How To and Want To, you eventually develop a sense of mastery, the satisfaction of knowing you were able to put forth the mental and physical effort to take yourself from point A to point Z, and ultimately feel the triumph of success.

As you experience success in your workouts and see and feel changes happening to your body, you will develop a level of self-confidence that will spill over to all other aspects of your life. 

Success in the gym builds your self esteem, which is your belief that you are both able to succeed and worthy of success. As you double your strength, lose pounds of body fat, build new muscle, you will come to know that once you set your mind to something you can do it, no matter what it is, because you did it in the gym.

Because you consistently went to the gym, learned a system, put that system into action, worked hard, and stuck with it, you ultimately felt the triumph of success. You can now relate that success to other new endeavors-“if I could do that (success in the gym), why can’t I do this?”  This type of thinking is very powerful, and the cornerstone of an effective and happy life.

Finally, believe in yourself and don’t ever give up. Visualize yourself, and your life, as you ultimately wish to be. Do your best to avoid negative influences and strive to maintain a positive attitude. Use the lessons you learn through this program to benefit you in other areas of your life. You deserve a great life, and being physically and mentally healthy and strong are important factors. Do it for yourself-you deserve it!

Excerpted from The Hyper Intensity Training Manual.  Copyright © 2011 – Dave Durell.  All rights are reserved Worldwide.

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Here’s to making 2012 your best year ever!

Make your goals happen,

Dave Durell, MS, PTA, Master HIT Trainer

P.S.–To learn more about the Hyper Intensity Training Program, Click Here

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Very special interview this month–our guest is Michael Petrella, Owner of STG Strength and Power Gym in St. George Ontario Canada.

Michael started out from very humble beginnings to create one of the premier training facilities in Canada.  In addition to providing his clients with State of the Art equipment and helping them achieve their fitness goals, he also has produced a Power Lifting Team that hold numerous National and World records.

Left: Gene Rychlak Jr., first man in the World to bench 1000 pounds; Center: STG lifter Michael Parsons, IPA and RPS bench press World Record holder; Right: his trainer, Michael Petrella, who by the way can trap-bar deadlift 500 pounds.

Michael has impressively taken the teachings of his mentors-including Mike Mentzer, Arthur Jones, Ken Leistner, John Christy, Brian Johnston, and Randy Roach-and combined that knowledge with tremendous hard work, determination, and dedication, to create a State of the Art facility and a training atmoshere second to none.  And by the way, he’s only 26 years old!

Turn up your speakers and listen in as Michael talks about:

• How and why he started training
• How he utilizes High Intensity Training with his Power Lifters
• His approach to training education (will surprise you) 
• How building strength is different than demonstrating strength
• His unique viewpoint on nutrition, and who he learned it from
• The unusual environment his first gym was located in (hilarious)
• How surfing the internet pushed him to expand his gym 
• The most important exercise for building size and strength
•  The “dark times” he experienced as a gym owner, and how he overcame them
• A lesson on Nautilus and Med-X equipment, and a description of some of the unique pieces in his gym
• What the “STG” in STG Strength and Power stands for
• The strangest thing he’s ever seen in a gym (cover the kids ears)
• And much, much more!

To hear the Michael Petrella interview, just click on the play arrow (the little triangle on the left) below:

***SPECIAL BONUS!***

A HIGH INTENSITY NATION EXCLUSIVE–BRAND NEW, NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN VIRTUAL GYM TOUR OF THE NEW STG STRENGTH AND POWER GYM–BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER!

See first-hand the AWESOME equipment Michael described in the interview!

Leave Comments Below…..

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So last week, I’m sitting around minding my own business, when all of a sudden I get an e-mail.

It was from long-time Citizen of the High Intensity Nation, Paul Bennett. He was e-mailing me to wish my wife and I a happy Thanksgiving, which I really appreciated; and also to tell me about his experience with my Hyper Intensity Training program.

Here’s what he said:

“First off, I wanted to wish you and your wife a Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope you enjoy yourselves!!! I’ve been dieting pretty good as of late, so I’m looking forward to letting loose tomorrow!!

Also, I wanted to share my results with you so far from the Hyper Intensity training.

So far, I’ve completed full worksheets on 2 of the workouts – The 6-Pack, and just today, the Push-Pull.
Here are some start/end stats. Each sheet represents about a month of workouts:

6-Pack

Exercise Start End:
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Leg Press 235/9 300/10
Chest Press 330/6 345/7
Pulldown 190/9 220/6
Shoulder Press 50/8 55/8 (weakest body part)
Row 190/5 210/6
Ab Crunch 12 8/w 25lb plate

Push Pull
Exercise Start End:
———————————————————–
Leg Exension 360/8 410/11
Leg Curl N Acc 45/20 80/14 + 1pos
Incline Bench 200/7 260/7
Lat Pulldown 210/6 230/8
Negative Dip 45lb/7 100lb/6
Bicep Curl 88/6 98/6

Additional FYI, I’ve done this losing weight at the same time. I cut out sugars and starchy carbs 5 days per week and lost 15 lbs since June.

Thanks again for the program, and again, Happy Holidays!!

Sincerely,

Paul T. Bennett”

And THAT is why I do what I do.

A long time ago, somebody was selling a course that was different than anything else out there. What the guy was saying in his ads made sense, so I bought it.

Once I started the program, I made more progress in less time than ever. I was really glad that guy had written that course, and really glad I bought it, because it changed the way I trained forever.

That guy was former Mr. Universe, the late Mike Mentzer.

And besides teaching me a better way of training, he also inspired me to try to teach other people, the way he taught me.

So if you’ve sent me a message like the one above, thanks a million, because you have done just as much for me as the Hyper Intensity Training program might be doing for you.

And if you haven’t sent me one yet, please do–because that’s what keeps me going!

Thanks for inspiring me,

Dave Durell, MS, PTA, Master HIT Trainer
Author of Hyper Intensity Training

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Our High Intensity Training Interview of the Month features one of the top writers in the field of exercise–none other than Matt Brzycki of Princeton University.

Matt Brzycki (rhymes with whiskey) is one of the foremost authorities in the world on productive exercise.  He has written a TON of fitness books, including the Holy Grail of strength training books, “A Practical Approach To Strength Training” (required reading for all of our interns and personal trainers), and the hugely popular “Dumbbell Training For Strength And Fitness” (with co-author Fred Fornicola-available on our Products Page).

As you are about to discover by listening to this interview, Matt is not only one of the smartest guys around (they don’t let dummies into Princeton, FYI), he’s also one of the funniest.  You’ll hear about some eye-opening (and HILARIOUS) stories of Matt’s experiences with HIT over the years, and I’m talkin about a lot of years.  NOTE: make sure you stick with the interview until the end, where Matt reveals the truth about what it’s possible to accomplish in sports with very, very brief training.  Talk about an eye opener!

Listen in now as Matt reveals:

• How he got into training in the first place, and what attracted him to HIT
• How he ended up under Congressional investigation while in the Marines
• How he met Arthur Jones, and what their meetings were like (I’m jealous)
• The only man Arthur Jones ever feared
• Who the biggest human he ever met is (not who you think)
• Why Matt went to prison
• The Epiphany that changed his attitude toward training (this is HUGE)
• What smoking, baby food, and Preparation H have to do with bodybuilding
• SPECIAL BONUS– Matt’s current training routine, including how he is training for track competitions in the over 50 age group–DON’T MISS THIS
• And much, much more!

To hear the Matt Brzycki interview, just click on the play arrow (the little triangle on the left) below:

Leave comments for Matt below…

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If you’ve been searching for answers to all of your “why” questions about High Intensity Training, you have just HIT the jackpot.

Our High Intensity Training Interview for this month features the leading researcher in the field of productive exercise-none other than Dr. Wayne Westcott.

Dr. Wayne Westcott has been conducting studies on strength training for the past 25 years, adding up to over 100 studies.  He has researched the effects of exercise on every different age group and segment of the poulation, and examined every conceivable combination of exercise frequency, intensity and duration.  If you want to know something about productive exercise, and Wayne Westcott doesn’t have the answer, you don’t really need to know.

Dr. Westcott was the Director of Fitness Research for the YMCA for many years, and now directs the Fitness Research Programs at Quincy College in Quincy, MA, where he also developed the Exercise Science Major. He has been a strength training consultant for the United States Navy, the American Council on Exercise, the YMCA of the USA, and Nautilus. He is an editorial advisor/reviewer for many publications, including The Physician and Sportsmedicine, ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal, Prevention, Shape, and On-Site Fitness magazines, and has authored 24 books and textbooks on strength training. Dr. Westcott serves on the Board of Advisors for the International Council on Active Aging and the New England Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine. He was recently honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of Fitness Professionals, the Healthy American Fitness Leader Award from the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Governor’s Committee on Physical Fitness and Sports, and the Alumni Recognition Award from the Pennsylvania State University. 

Of particular importance to us in the High Intensity Nation is that fact that Wayne has conducted tons of research on High Intensity Training and Nautilus training.  So if you’re looking for some ammunition to bring to the gym with you when all the so-called experts try to tell you that scientific research doesn’t support High Intensity Training, after listening to this interview you will be armed and ready.

Get out your note pad and get ready to learn as Dr. Wayne breaks down for us:

• His unusual start to getting interested in strength training
• The effects of different rep ranges, and how to know which ones to use
• The best number of workouts per week for maximum strength gains
• The optimal number of sets to do per workout
• What the research says about High Intensity Training vs. “Functional” training (classic)
• The best advanced techniques that produce 40-45% better results than regular reps
• *BONUS*-Brand new research on post-training protein/carb supplementation!  Do not miss this or your workouts will suffer (you heard it here first!)
• And much, much more!

To hear the Wayne Westcott interview, just click on the play arrow (the little triangle on the left) below:

This interview was definitely one of the best learning experiences I’ve ever had about training-if you agree, leave a comment for Wayne below…..

Our High Intensity Interview for this month features The long-time Director of Strength and Fitness at Penn State University, Chip Harrison.

Chip is part of a long, impressive line of strength training, fitness and conditioning professionals to come to us from Penn State, where he is currently the Director of Strength and Fitness. In case didn’t know, Penn State has had one of the longest winning traditions in all of collegiate athletics, and Chip has been an integral part of that success over the years.

Listen in as Chip reveals:

• What he set out to study at Penn State (not strength training)
• The who’s who of strength training experts with ties to Penn State
• The goals of the strength training programs at Penn State
• How the Penn State staff manages to effectively train hundreds of athletes from 28 sports
• The most important thing a strength coach should be able to do
• Chip’s advice for non-athletes who want to build muscle and strength
• And much, much more!

To hear the Chip Harrison interview, just click on the play arrow (the little triangle on the left) below:

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So a few weeks ago, Patty decided to take a road trip to one of the top High Intensity Training facilities in the Nation (like the whole United States–not just the High Intensity Nation), and took off for Plymouth, Minnesota to hang out with Luke Carlson and the rest of the Discover Strength crew. 

You’re never too old or too experienced to learn something, and Patty was sure she would do exactly that at this fine facility.

As usually happens to us, her flight was seriously delayed, and she got in to her hotel in the wee hours of the morning.  What else is new.

But once she arrived at Discover Strength, she quickly forgot all about those problems.  She was instantly made to feel right at home, and there was plenty of serious High Intensity Training going on all over the place.

Discover Strength performs High Intensity Strength Training exclusively with their clients.  No throwing things.  No balancing on anything.  None of the circus act stuff you see going on at other gyms.  Just straight up hard work.

They have a ton of Nautilus, Hammer Strength, and Med-X equipment, something like 10 trainers, and train hundreds of clients every month–in a 900 square foot space.  (Read that again a few times, until it sinks in.)

Take the guided virtual tour:

Somewhere along the line, Patty got talked into a workout with trainer Dan Conway.  I can guarantee it was one of the most intense she has ever gone through–and she’s gone through plenty over the years.

She got a full body workout, starting with lower body; first some isolation stuff for the hips, then some brutal post-exhaustion for the legs.  Ouch.

Watch this to feel Patty’s pain: 

Once that torture was over with, she still had upper body to do.  That consisted of a pre-exhaust cycle for the chest, and a post-exhaust cycle for the back.  Holy nausea.

Check out the nausea-inducing upper body workout:

I hope you took note of all the advanced intensity-raising techniques Dan used in these workouts, such as: max contraction, forced reps, negatives, and finishers.  Not to mention an awesome demonstration of outstanding coaching by Dan the trainer, and a maximum effort by Patty the trainee.

So if you’re ever in Minnesota for some crazy reason, be sure to make it your business to get to Discover Strength and get the workout of your life.  I guarantee it will be an experience you won’t soon forget. 

(Note: Many thanks to Luke and all of the staff at Discover Strength for providing Patty with a very special experience.  You guys are a class act, and an awesome representative of the High Intensity Nation.)

Check out the Luke Carlson audio interview:

Leave a comment below:

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For our High Intensity Training Interview this Month we’re featuring an AWESOME interview with long-time HIT trainee, former Nautilus employee, gym owner, and author JOE MULLEN.  

 If you’ve never heard of Joe for some weird reason, trust me you will not want to miss this interview.   Joe is literally a walking encyclopedia on High Intensity Training, and exercise in general.  Joe was right there with Arthur Jones during the heyday of Nautilus, where he was intimately involved with the Nautilus filming studios.

Joe was also a very well-known gym owner and bodybuilding figure in New England, and actually appeared in the movie Pumping Iron.

 Joe with Pumping Iron star Lou Ferrigno

No, I didn’t post the picture sideways-that’s Joe doing a “Human Flag”, while 2 guys are trying to train their legs

Joe was also a strongman and olympic weightlifting champion in his own right, has authored 15 books on fitness and High Intensity Training, and was both a friend and mentor to bodybuilding champions Dave Mastorakis, and Mike and Ray Mentzer.

 Listen in now as Joe goes in-depth on:

• What he had to train with when he started at age 15 (you’ll be glad you don’t have to)
• The people who shaped his training beliefs over the years
• A detailed discussion of his relationship with Arthur Jones, and what it was like during the formative years of Nautilus (priceless)
• His memories of Mike and Ray Mentzer
• How Arthur Jones scared the crap out of Joe Weider (this is freakin’ hilarious)
• The importance of understanding the relationship between biomechanics and exercise equipment
• BONUS-Joe gives us a taste of some of the unique theories and techniques in his many fitness books (this was awesome)
• And way too much more to list!

To hear the Joe Mullen interview, just click on the play arrow (the little triangle on the left) below:

Click Here To Check Out Joe’s Website And Books

Leave a comment for Joe below!

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Here are some examples of High Intensity Training Routines-performed by people I like, at places I like. Although there are some individual differences in how the exercises are performed, note that they all incorporate the underlying principles of High Intensity Training: Intense, Brief, and Infrequent.

Kick back and enjoy these High Intensity Training Routines-I hope you find them entertaining, and I’m sure you’ll learn something as well.

High Intensity Training-Arm Specialization

Performed at the original STG basement gym-great intensity, great coaching, classic old equipment, nice furniture, very interesting hat.

“Nautilus Girl” Valerie Deadlifts 250

Performed by Valerie Clement, Owner of Feminine Physique by Valerie, at STG Strength and Power, Ontario Canada (check out the “strong is the new skinny” shirt).  Well done Valerie!

400 Pound Trap Bar Deadlift-Connor

Dang, do they have enough equipment at STG STrength and Power?  Nice job Connor! (Are you starting to see that people who work out at this place are pretty strong?)

500 Pound Trap Bar Deadlift

Performed by Michael Petrella, owner of STG Strength and Power.  Watch the trailer at the end, where it says all deadlift training was performed on the Hammer Deadlift Machine.  C’mon Mike, everybody knows machines don’t work.

Discover Strength: Negative-Only Leg Press

Performed at Luke Carlson’s Discover Strength in Minnesota.  These are waaaaay hard-for the lifter and all those spotters

Discover Strength: Chest Press 20-Rep Breakdown 

Wow, that looked really hard

Discover Strength: Sled Pull Finisher

I’m pretty sure this is illegal in a few states…

Leave Comments Below!

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