Archive | July, 2009

High Intensity Training: On Duration

One of the most remarkable things about High Intensity Training is the absolutely minimal time invested.

On one hand this is a great thing- you spend less time working out and have more time to live your life however you choose (instead of being a gym addict).

This is an excellent trait of the training since the number one reason people don’t exercise is a lack of time- the “lack” being profound because the mainstream fitness and health industry has lead people to believe that exercising for massive amounts of time is not only beneficial but necessary- when in fact the exact opposite is true.

At the same time, the short duration, relative infrequency, and safety of the training prevents joint problems down the road- unlike typical “cross” and “functional” training programs that actually promote these problems.

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“General Fitness”- What are your Practical Uses for Abnormal Strength?

After my first session training with an experienced HIT professional- Patrick Diver- we were discussing uses for strength in everyday life and why people exercised to begin with.

Of course there are

  • health reasons
  • aesthetic reasons
  • performance considerations for sports
  • rehabilitation purposes (which I will post about soon)

and so on… but what’s the core reason?

As fantastic as proper exercise can be for your life- notice I did not say exercise in a generic sense- what is the real reason you are working out?

Patrick said something that really struck me- “general fitness”.

It sounds a bit generic at first glance, but I- now-  believe it actually does a great job as a term at encompassing the multitude of reasons one may exercise.

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High Intensity Training: Equipment Considerations

Picture a large, popular gym in your area. Could be a Gold’s, LA Fitness, or even a school gym like the UCF Rec and Wellness Center.

Now imagine all of the equipment available in this facility.

Dozens of “resistance” machines, plate loaded machines, barbells, barbell racks, dumbbells, calisthenic equipment (pull ups, dips, etc), and everything that goes with all of this equipment- not to mention our ever increasing line of “cardio” equipment including elliptical machines, treadmills, bikes, and so on.

It’s no wonder people are left confused or misguided in a gym. There are literally too many choices- some of which have almost nothing to do with proper and productive exercise. Not to mention there is a limitless amount of movements to do with all of these things.

Well, I’ve been around the…

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