HIT - High Intensity Training

[Bretmj1]

Apparently its a pretty good program. I've tried out the HST and 5x5, and had good results on both. Does anyone know where I can get full information on High Intensity Training(HIT) along with example workout? Thanks alot! If needed you can email me at [email protected] or PM me!

 

[Guinness5.0]

Personally I wouldn't run HIT for more than a couple of weeks. You won't find many HIT proponents on this board so you may want to google it as it is widely covered elsewhere.

 

[Bretmj1]

Whats wrong with running it for more then couple weeks?

 

[Guinness5.0]

Let me start out by saying that I have a low opinion of HIT, so I'm rather biased. However, I do have my reasons.

For one, going to failure is pretty tough on the nervous system. The nervous system recovers from fatigue much more slowly than the muscles do. The way HIT gets around this is by having you gradually space your workouts further and further apart. This is bad theory. Muscles do not need to go to failure to grow. They need work. By spacing the workouts far apart, you are robbed of frequency. Training below failure and progressively increasing your lifts allows you to work out more frequently. HIT proponenets often claim that sets taken short of failure are a waste and that doing lots of sets leads to overtraining. That's just plain wrong.

Basically what I'm saying is that doing multiple, submaximal sessions in a week is better than hammering a set or two to failure and then having to wait a week (or whatever) to traing again. If you want to read some more detailed info on the nervous system and some of HIT's flaws, read up on this thread (it's REALLY long and there are link to other long threads, but there is good info right from the start -- pay particular atention to madcow's posts):
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=634720

 

[esr71]

took this out from my library and it's been very fascinating reading: The New High Intensity Training, by ellington darden.

this arthur jones guy from way back was quite the character...lot of historical background on how HIT developed and the invention of nautilus equipment...including famous bodybuilders back then such as arnold in the later years. this book would have made for good reading even if I wasn't interested in learning more about the technique of high intensity training...but, it's in-depth detail about why and how HIT works so effectively is communicated very well. I highly recommend checking it out.

being around intermediate level myself, I'm no expert to really advise on all the ins and outs as far as any training principle goes. I plan on checking out the link in the above message to read about the cons...I can just say that the concept of HIT makes a lot of sense to me theoretically. But, I don't relish the idea right now of reaching a stage where you just work-out 3 times every two weeks or so; I believe after months of following a strict HIT program you work out less and less to something of that nature. I enjoy working out too much right now to follow that; I'd rather sacrifice some efficiency and gains than take that road right now...let alone, I'm not even sure if I have the mental toughness to work out at that level consistently. I tried implementing it on a few exercises and sets and it is tough! but, the pump afterwards was awesome as hell.

anyway, check out that book, man...I'm probably where you're at, checking out different techniques and programs and such...just been trying 5x5 myself. been reading different approaches and there are definitely a lot of contradictions among different philosophies; one books hightly touts the clean in press (which I just started doing a month ago or so and love) while another book writes it off as a bad exercise due to being overly dangerous and/or no good for building strength as it focuses too much on explosiveness. So, I take what I like from different sources and that's that.

 

[Guinness5.0]

A big part of the problem with HIT is that they make compelling arguments that simply don't hold up under scrutiny. Sure it sounds logical, but logic dont grow muscles

Read up and I think you'll find that most people who advocate HIT are trying to sell books about HIT.

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

Im still LMAO on post 145 of that hit thread

Hey lost, I can beat that, on the bioforce (hit) program, on the first workout I gained 3 inches to my arm, and it's happened on every workout, my arms are now about 78 inchs and still growing, and I am so high from training I am now leaving the solor system, hehehe

Wayne

 

[silver_shadow]

if you want some "HIT" then do check out intensemuscle.com