High Intensity Training: What it Means
High Intensity Training, also known as H.I.T., is a system of strength training that is characterized by brief and infrequent, but very intense, workouts. Performed correctly, High Intensity Training produces dramatic increases in strength and muscle growth very, very quickly.
But to me, and to many others who have experienced it, it means much more than just that.
It means going all out, making a total commitment to the achievement of a goal, not holding back but pushing yourself to your real limit; not only on every set of every workout, but in all areas of your life. By applying and mastering this concept in your training, it becomes an attitude that spills over into every endeavor you choose to pursue.
It means thinking critically and independently, consistently and effectively; utilizing logic and reason, not blindly accepting things or merely going along with the crowd; and having the courage to stand up for what you believe in.
It means accepting the responsibility of thinking for yourself, and then taking action on your conclusions, and accepting responsibility for those actions.
It means, as my friend and long-time NFL strength coach Mark Asanovich puts it, to “train intensely, but also intelligently”. As one embraces and internalizes the concepts of High Intensity Training, this eventually becomes “live intensely, but also intelligently”.
It means finding the most effective way to do everything, including strength training; meaning the way that gives you the best possible results in the shortest possible time with the least possible amount of effort. High Intensity Training trains you to find the most effective way to live.
It means feeling the satisfaction of putting in the mental and physical energy/effort to take yourself from point “A” to point “Z”. It’s all about developing a sense of mastery, which is central to all goal achievement.
It means not wasting any of your most precious resource-your time, which is your life. It means making every second count to create the fullest, happiest life possible.
High Intensity Training builds not only your body, but also your mind and your soul.
Go ahead and click on the “comment” link in the upper right hand corner and let me know what High Intensity Training means to you.
Live intensely,
Dave Durell, MS, CCS, PTA
Author, High Intensity Muscle Building
I’ve met Dave. In fact, we onced worked together.
I can tell you he’s on top of things here. I laud him for continuing to speak the truth and promote sensible training methods. There are many out there who are either mislead with ineffective training information or just too lazy to get off their tushes to work.
Dave is carrying the torch for good old hard work that isn’t so exasperating time-wise.
Read it, heed it, and spring into action.
When Dave introduced me to High Intensity Training, I was loading trucks at UPS in the wee hours of the morning 5 days a week, teaching and training in karate at least 4 times a week, and “working out” at the gym at lease 3 times a week for 2 hours. I was also 30 pounds heavier and frustrated that I wasn’t losing weight and making progress. I will never forget my reaction when Dave told me I wasn’t losing weight because I was doing too much. I thought he was crazy – to me it was obvious I was not doing enough.
I gave HIT a chance, and got stronger, and leaner! I achieved strength gains I never thought I would have been capable of. Just when you think you can’t complete one more rep, you know you must try, and often are surprised when you can squeeze two more out by pure mental will. That translates into life. Just when you think you can’t do something, try, and you will be amazed at what you might accomplish. I believe that is the best part about the HIT training system; the confidence and mental power that is also gained. HIT is not only for the body, it is for your mind and spirit too. You must keep them all strong!
Oh, and by the way, not only did I fall in love with High Intensity Training and have been doing now for over 17 years, I also fell in love with Dave and have been married to him for over 12 years!
i have been using the HIT training system for 3 weeks and every workout i have increased my weight/reps. Iam gaining strength and best of all iam completing my workout in 30 mins with every muscle pumped.
It’s great to see Dave sharing his knowledge, and years of hands on training experience with High Intensity training.
Like most, I started weight training as a skinny teenager looking to get bigger and stronger. I read every muscle magazine, every month, and thought I was an expert, just like all of the other people who call the gym their second home. It wasn’t long before I had to admit to myself that I wasn’t getting anywhere, and was constantly tired and had aches and pains all over the place. Like the magazines and everyone kept telling me, “Just stick with it”. I figured that if I stuck with it, and never gave up hope, that I would eventually be on my way. I remember dragging myself to the gym, and just literally going through the motions, just for the sake of being able to say that I went to the gym for an hour or so.
I had finally noticed and read an article by Mike Mentzer which was called, “Advice for the Hardgainer”. It was like a breath of fresh air!. Although, I was skeptical. After all, how could doing the opposite of what everyone else was doing possibly work?. I went back through all of my magazines and read every Mike Mentzer article I could find, and eventually ordered Mike’s book Heavy Duty, which was printed in 1993. After reading the first chapter “Bodybuilders Are Confused”, there was no turning back. I then had some phone consults with Mike, and expanded my knowledge base of HIT by reading everything I could get my hands on that was written by Mike, Arthur Jones, Ken Leistner, and others. Learning about HIT was very exciting and I began to see regular progress every workout in terms of increasing the weight, reps, or both on each exercise, every workout. Not to mention all of this was happening by spending minutes rather than hours a week in the gym. It makes each workout a personal contest to increase your strength on each exercise, by increasing the weight or improving your rep count from the last session. The experience and knowledge of HIT has carried over into other aspects of life as well. For example, after doing a pre-exhaust superset of leg extensions and squats to complete failure and limping out of the gym, most other challenges in life seem fairly easy. It’s also taught me to analyze and think logically and rationally about everything else I do in life, rather than just following what others blindly accept. Sadly, I think many people don’t take on an exercise program, or drop out quickly simply due to the fact that most are mislead to believe that if they can’t spend at least an hour a day, 4 days a week, then they might as well not bother at all.
Hopefully many people will make positive changes in their lives by reading and following Dave’s knowledge and years of experience.
You have nothing to lose and everything in the world to gain.