High Intensity Resistance Training

Cutting Edge Fitness: The Wonders of Incorporating High Intensity Resistance Training
By Carlo Alvarez

We've all heard the old adage, "The more you give, the more you get." Though at times we don't get rewarded for all of our hard work, there is at least one situation in which this saying holds 100% true -- high intensity resistance training (HIT), or for cardiovascular training, high intensity interval training (HIIT).

HIT is weight training that allows for no more than 8-12 reps, for anywhere from one to three maximal effort sets. HIIT is performing aerobic exercise at an interval at 90-100% of max heart rate for a designated period of time on a cardiovascular machine with a 3:1 rest to work ratio. HIIT should be performed at the end of resistance training sessions. It affects the anaerobic energy pathway but has implications for the burning of fat.

This new type of training exemplifies a concept that has been in existence since the dawn of physical exercise and training. It is the idea that "to achieve maximal gains, maximal effort must be given on every rep, of every set, of every exercise." The benefit of this type of training is that you can get tremendous results with relatively short workouts.

The only problem is that some people simply don't want to work that hard. But if you are one of the few that has a vision and passion to not let a lot of sweat get in your way -- than HIT and HIIT are the highways to achieving ideal health. (And the small rests in between exercise do make it more bearable.)

What are the benefits of giving it your all during your sessions? Better bone density and joint integrity, metabolic increases, improved muscle strength, muscle size increases, and better pulmonary/cardiovascular function.

Preserving bone minerals and joint stability is important for anyone, from athletes to elderly folks. HIT and HIIT force bone osteoblasts to form new bone and the body to adapt in the most dramatic ways producing the most positive results.

According to Nelson et al., "High-intensity strength training exercises are an effective and feasible means to preserve bone density."

Exercise has always been important for achieving ideal health and body image. Through exercise you not only burn calories during the exercise, you improve basal metabolic rate through preservation and building of muscle.

The higher your basal metabolic rate, the more your body goes to work on stored fat while you are sleeping, sitting on a couch, or relaxing by the pool. What is exciting is the HIT training has been found to be one of the best, if not the best form of exercise for improving the rate at which you burn calories even when you are not exercising.

That's because the exercise is so intense when you are performing it, the maintenance and retaining of muscle tissue requires a lot of work -- and the best part is, it all happens when you rest! Performing HIIT afterwards will further boost your basal metabolism.

With regular resistance training, it is not uncommon to hit plateaus in the actual building of muscle size and strength. With HIT, the "strength plateau" or a period when no gains are made, rarely occurs because of all the ways to increase intensity.

So, HIT is superior in this area as well. Whether it's through more weight, reps, range of motion, slower speed of movement, or rest between sets, your muscle gains will skyrocket.

While HIT and HIIT are intense forms of exercise, they have even been evaluated and found to be effective forms of exercise in cardiac and pulmonary patients. According to researchers in the American Journal of Cardiology, "Interval training provides an effective means to improve the cardiovascular fitness and health status of highly functional patients with coronary artery disease. We also revealed that interval training improves anaerobic tolerance to a greater extent than the traditional exercise training model without increasing the risk to the patient."

While this evaluation states HIT and HIIT are beneficial and safe for highly functioning patients, programs can be tailored to individual fitness levels. It is imperative that anyone wishing to begin these types of programs consult a physician to determine whether or not they are healthy enough for exercise.

If cleared, recognizing your own intensity level and gradually improving is the way to go.

References


Nelson. M. et al. JAMA Vol. 272 No. 24, December 28, 1994; August 5, 2008. http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/272/24/

1909 Warburton. D. et al. Am J Cardiol, Volume 95,Issue 9,1080-1084; August 5, 2008. http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0002914905001888